October 27, 2024

Dear Friends in Christ,

Next Sunday November 3, the St. Bridget Community will say thank you and God bless to Deacon Angus McDonnell who has generously served the parish for 8 years as a youth minister, music director and in recent years deacon. We are so grateful for his presence and wish him all the best in his new role serving the family of Our Lady of Fatima, St. Anne, and Sacred Heart Parishes.

Many of you in the NE Seattle Catholic Community are familiar with the ministry of Deacon Denny Duffell. Denny began his ministry in our area as the Pastoral Assistant for Administration at St. Bridget’s, where he was eventually ordained as a deacon. Among his various ministries, he was also the chaplain at Children’s Hospital and helped create the Camillus Ministry of trained lay pastoral caregivers, which exists to this day. Several years later, he transitioned his ministry to OLL, which is near the home he shares with Joan, his wife of 50 years.

I am happy to announce that effective immediately; Deacon Denny has agreed to join our staff in serving all four parishes in our NE Seattle Catholic Community. His ministry will include liturgical support, preaching, and being available for private baptisms, weddings, and committal services for those who have died. Denny has a passion for Catholic Social Teaching and the mission of the church to foster peace by working for justice. He has been a leader in the international organization Pax Christi as well as the active Social Justice Commission at OLL, which I hope will increasingly include members from all four of our parishes. 

Please join me in welcoming Deacon Denny and the ministry he offers. It’s a living reminder of the diaconal quality of all the baptized, which is to be a servant of charity to God’s people, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Assumption | St. Bridget | St. Catherine of Siena | Our Lady of the Lake