Lopez Island First Outdoor Mass
A celebration for all
The first Holy Mass ever celebrated on St. Francis Parish's own Lopez Island property, offered outdoors and celebrated by Archbishop Paul D. Etienne.
On August 16, 2026, the parish family of St. Francis Parish gathered for a moment we will remember for generations: the first Holy Mass ever celebrated on our own parish property on Lopez Island. What was, not long ago, simply a stretch of cleared land became, for one sacred afternoon, holy ground, an altar beneath the open sky, the Eucharist offered where our community will one day plant deeper roots.
We were especially blessed to welcome Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, who joined us to celebrate this historic Mass and to bless the beginning of what God is building here. His presence was a sign of the wider Church rejoicing with us in this small but significant step.
This day did not happen by accident. It is the fruit of vision and quiet perseverance, most of all the work of Fr. Auer, whose efforts made it possible for the parish to claim this property as its own. What began as a hope is now a place where the faithful can gather, and where a parish family that once had to borrow space from others now has a home of its own to grow into.
The photos in this gallery capture more than an outdoor liturgy. They capture a threshold moment: the space between what this land was and what it will become, a true home for worship, fellowship, and the sacraments for generations of Lopez Island Catholics to come.
May this be the first of many Masses offered here, and may Our Lord continue to bless the ground, the people, and the mission of our parish family.