Father (later Archbishop) Francois Blanchet, the pioneer missionary of the Oregon country, traveled by canoe through Agate Passage in 1840 and visited the Indians at their camp below what is now Suquamish. By 1843, Captain Wilkes records that there was already a crude Catholic chapel at this site. The priests who continued to serve the Catholic Indians of Puget Sound throughout the following decades also visited the new flourishing settlement of Port Madison on Bainbridge Island. During the late 19th century, we know that Mass was celebrated from time to time at the home (still standing) of Philip Wist, the local hotel keeper.

As Port Blakely, in turn, became a booming mill town, its few Catholic families gathered about once a month for Mass at the home of one of the sawmill workers. In 1914 these families were able to build St. Andrew's Church. This church, built on the top of Blakely Hill, continued in use until 1914.

About this same time the Catholics of Winslow bought the old one-room Winslow school house and moved it across the street to its new site next to where the bowling alley stood on Madison Avenue. In 1914 this new church was placed under the patronage of the Roman martyr St. Cecilia and officially established as a mission Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Bremerton.

St. Andrew's and St. Cecilia's were served first by the Redemptorist Fathers from Sacred Heart Parish, Seattle, and then after 1930, by the Jesuits from Seattle College (now Seattle University). For some 18 years the much beloved Father Raymond Nicholas, S.J., celebrated Mass on the Island every Sunday.

Then forty-six year ago, in June of 1949, St. Cecilia's was at last erected to full parish status and Father John Duffy became its first resident Pastor. Even before this announcement, plans were already afoot to move units of the Island's wartime housing project to the new property at High School Road and Madison which had been donated by Louis Esterman (later Fr. Marian, O.S.B.) before he joined the Benedictine Order. The new St. Cecilia's Church was dedicated by Archbishop Thomas A. Connolly on November 27, 1949.

Others who have served as pastors at St. Cecilia's since 1949 include: Rev. Laurence O'Larey (1953-55), Rev. William Ogden (1955-61), Rev. Alfred Mathienski (1961-69), Rev. Charles Crosse (1969-71), Rev. Gerald Moore (1969-74), Rev. Cornelius Harrington (1974-79), Rev. Donald Conger (1979-90), Rev. Joseph Erny (July - September 1990), Fr. John Graisy (1990-1991), Rev. Ward Oakshott (1991-1995), Fr. Gerard Clenaghan (interim pastor 3/95-6/95), Fr. Patrick Godley (1995-2000 ), and Fr. Dennis Sevilla (2000-2003).

In 1949 St. Cecilia's numbered a scant 100 families. Over the years, however, the Catholic population of Bainbridge Island began to grow. As more and more young families moved to the Island the need for additional religious education classrooms became a real concern. The hall was no longer adequate. In the early 1980s the Parish Council formed a task force to study our long-range needs. Out of this committee's extensive study, there came eventually the historic decision to build a new parish church and hall here and to convert the existing church and hall into classroom and meeting room space.

Months and years of fund-raising and then of land clearing and construction followed. On the holy night of Easter Vigil, April 18, 1987, the doors of the new St. Cecilia's Church were at last opened and the first Mass was celebrated. On May 24, 1987, the new church and hall were solemnly blessed and dedicated by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. During the summer of 1987, the old church was completely remodeled to provide Religious Education office space and much-needed classrooms and meeting rooms. On November 22, 1987, the Feast of St. Cecilia, the new statue of our Patroness was blessed. This statue was the work of Holy Names' Sister Paula Turnbull and a gift of the parish Women's Club.

For over eighty years, then, a small family of believers, a community of love and faith, has worked and worshipped together here on Bainbridge Island. To all those who have made the building up of this parish possible we are truly grateful.....Now we welcome you who are new to St. Cecilia's parish family and we invite you to pray and work with us that God may be better known and served and loved within our Island community.