January 30, 2026

Dear BBHS Families,

As we conclude Catholic Schools Week and our two-day Freshman Retreat, I wanted to reach out with guidance and perspective on entering into our second semester of the academic year in the midst of a turbulent and increasingly violent national context.

Among the many blessings of being part of the network of Catholic schools we celebrate this week is turning to our faith and the mission of the school as the lens through which we can engage with our current circumstance. Our emphasis at Blanchet over this year and increasingly over these past weeks has been to more deeply root ourselves in our Core Beliefs. Every person is precious - We are all one human family - We are responsible for one another - God is Love. These are the values that guide us and ground us in times like the present.

As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Seattle, we have numerous practical resources available to us including the Office of Mission and Immigrant Affairs. We wanted to take this moment to share this comprehensive set of resources more widely within our community as they provide guidance to us on maintaining the safety of our schools as well as ways to serve and support our immigrant families and neighbors. This Archdiocesan guidance is what we are utilizing at Blanchet in anticipation of any increase in immigration enforcement activities within our local community.

With the vital priority of supporting the well-being of our students in mind, a student processing space will be offered on Friday, February 6, from 8:30-9:15am in the Student Commons Conference Room. This optional listening session is an opportunity for students to share concerns, ask questions, and process together in a supportive environment. The space will include shared guidance from the Archdiocese, relevant school policies, time for reflection and conversation, and coping tools and resources. This session will be facilitated by Campus Ministry, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and School Counseling.

To inform and support our BBHS families, we have created a webpage (insert link) compiling the Archdiocesan and other resources to further care for the well being of our students.

Resources available for support include:

• Our Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ms. Lopez Bactol, offers ongoing office hours in the Activities & Athletics Office adjacent to the Student Commons. These sessions are open to students who wish to discuss any concerns they may have.
• School Counselors are available in the School Counseling Center for students at any time.
• The Campus Ministry Office, next to the Chapel, offers pastoral care, provides a processing space where students can engage in meaningful dialogue, receive guidance, and explore avenues for healing and growth through our Catholic values.

Additionally, just this week, our Archbishop Paul D. Etienne released a Pastoral Letter: "A Well-Ordered Society Rooted in Truth, Justice, and Peace." We have been encouraged to share this letter across the Archdiocese as another important resource to guide us through turbulent times. Archbishop Etienne's letter concludes with a call to deepen our faith, practice charity, promote justice, strengthen community, pray and work for peace.

As we move through this second semester and these fractured and challenging times, my prayer is that our fidelity to the BBHS Core Beliefs can form and motivate our action to transform the world around us through a life-long commitment to faith, scholarship and service.

In Solidarity,

Tony DeSapio
President

Archdiocesan Immigrant & Refugee Ministry

Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Etienne

Children's Network: What to say kids