Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

Location

5050 8th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105

About

In October 1898 – just a decade after the great Seattle fire of 1889, and little more than a year after the beginnings of the Klondike gold-rush, eleven Catholic families petitioned the bishop of Vancouver, WA, Edward J. O’Dea, to send priests to their rapidly growing community around the University of Washington.

In 1908, Bishop O’Dea responded by sending the Dominican Friars of the Western Province (the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus) to the University District, instructing them to erect a parish for the care of the surrounding community and the University of Washington students.

At the time, the University District was little more than forest wilderness, and the University of Washington was home to just 1,846 students. Since then, Blessed Sacrament has grown into one of the area’s most recognizable National Historic Landmarks, and the University of Washington has grown into one of the country’s premier public universities.