St. Theresa is part of a parish family that includes nearby St. Vincent de Paul Parish. The parish family serves Catholics in Federal Way, Northeast Tacoma and West Auburn.

St. Theresa is a very active parish community, including a sizeable Spanish-speaking community, that is engaged in a wide range of core and outreach ministries, including faith formation programs for children, youth and teens; service to the homeless, such as the Sandwich Program; and programs for women and senior members of the parish family. Each weekend, seven Masses are celebrated -- three at St. Theresa Church and four at St. Vincent Church.

Proud History

St. Theresa was established as a mission in Federal Way in 1923. The mission was sponsored by both St. Patrick and St. Leo Catholic parishes in Tacoma. Located at present-day Dash Point, St. Theresa Mission celebrated its first Mass in early 1924. In subsequent years, the Catholic community of Federal Way continued to grow, reflecting the overall growth of the city. In 1968, St. Theresa became a full parish of the Archdiocese of Seattle, with Father James McEachern as the pastor. 

In the 1970s, as the number of families registered at St. Theresa began to swell, it became apparent that the original church, a humble wooden structure that accommodated only 75 people, was inadequate. To meet this demand, initially St. Theresa added daily and weekend Masses at Twin Lakes Elementary School and Christ Lutheran Church. Then, in 1976, the St. Theresa community heeded a call to action — to build a new church.

The building program, officially sanctioned by the Archdiocese in 1976, became a major activity of the ensuing four years. The aim was to create a new church, rectory and multipurpose center to meet the existing and future needs of the parish. Ultimately, the effort involved the Parish Council and the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. Thousands of hours were given in site preparation and construction. Volunteers completed most of the work on the rectory.

The new rectory was occupied in April 1980 by Father Piro, and the first Mass was held at the new church on September 28, 1980. A “Rite of Departure” at the former mission church and a procession to the new facility preceded the Mass. A new multipurpose center was dedicated on June 28, 1981. The bell tower from the original church building was placed at the entrance of the new church to provide a link with the past. The bell tower contained a sealed concrete time capsule that was opened October 1, 2023, during the 100th anniversary celebration of the parish's beginnings. Read more about the celebration in this Northwest Catholic article and see more photos here.