The Catholic community is mourning the passing of Father Kenneth W. “Ken” Haydock — longtime pastor at Edmonds’ Holy Rosary Parish — who died March 20. He was 76 years old.
Haydock was appointed pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in 1996, and stayed for 20 years. According to an obituary summarizing his life, during those years Holy Rosary became one of the largest and most vibrant parishes and parish schools in the Seattle Archdiocese.
“Father Haydock loved Holy Rosary and the Edmonds community,” said Father Matthew O’Leary, current Holy Rosary pastor. “He considered it among his greatest blessings to have served here for 20 years. He chose eventually to return to retire and finish his life’s walk with the Lord here in Edmonds.
“Father Haydock made a huge personal investment in Holy Rosary as its pastor, and became an active member of the wider Edmonds community,” O’Leary continued. “His legacy includes a magnificent multi-use Pastoral Center (completed in 2012) and his pastoral connection to three generations of many Holy Rosary families who are regularly part of parish life.”
Born in Seattle on July 18, 1946, to Frank Haydock and Margaret McClenehan Haydock, Haydock was the fourth of five children. He grew up on Capitol Hill, and across the street from his childhood home was St. Joseph Parish, where he worshiped with his family, attended grade school, and came to love the Sisters of the Holy Names. “Under their care, seeds for a priestly vocation were planted in him, and he entered the Oregon Province of Jesuits for a brief time after graduating from Seattle Prep,” the obituary said. Later, Haydock received a bachelor of arts from Seattle University, then went to seminary at — and obtained a master’s degree from — Catholic University of America. He was a teacher and librarian for many years at Seattle Prep and Kennedy Catholic high schools and was an example of someone whose vocation to priesthood ultimately came from serving as a lay minister in the church first, the obituary added.
Haydock was ordained on Dec. 6, 1980, at Sacred Heart Parish in Bellevue by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. His first assignment was as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Bellevue in 1980. He went on to be an associate pastor for St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Everett before taking his first assignment as pastor in 1985 at St. Joseph Parish in Vancouver.
A vigil is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at Holy Rosary Parish, Edmonds, with a reception to follow in the parish hall. A funeral mass will be said at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 11, also at Holy Rosary, with Archbishop Paul D. Etienne presiding. A committal service will follow at 3 p.m. April 11 at Seattle’s Calvary Cemetery.
I believe that Father Haydock set the standard of excellence for a church Pastor. He has a special place in my heart. Back in 2016 while my wife, Shirley, was in the hospital she contracted pneumonia twice. Each time the doctors said that there was no chance for her to survive. Father Haydock’s leadership with dedicated Masses and prayers led to her recovery allowing Shirley to be with us for more than four more years. I am a firm believer in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s writing that: “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”.
In addition to having been our spiritual leader for two decades, Father Haydock continued to be a great friend to many of us. We regularly enjoyed having meals with him and often benefiting from his wise and very knowledgeable counseling right up until the time of his passing. Needless to say we are left with a big void in our lives.