St. Mary’s Catholic Church

 

12/26/25 Central District

Whenever I’m driving down to Seattle Fish Guys, I glimpse the steeple of an old church. Although I’ve long thought that I’d like to get close enough to sketch it, I’m usually in a hurry to do whatever other errands have brought me to the other end of town. Last week, despite the drizzle, I impulsively took a turn to find the church and finally sketch it.

It turned out to be St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which has had issues and is now closed. According to this 2022 article, “A 120-year-old parish in Seattle, once home to a thriving African-American population, is set to close its doors amidst prayerful protests and a still ongoing appeal to the Vatican.”

Here’s another benefit of urban sketching: I never would have learned that about a 120-year-old church in the Central District if I hadn’t sketched it.