In 1976, Raymond G. Hunthausen, Archbishop of Seattle, formalized the Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) in order to foster a unified Catholic voice on issues of public policy.  Archbishop Hunthausen, Bishop Bernard Topel of Spokane, Rev. Fred Brenner, temporary administrator of the Diocese of Yakima, Auxiliary Bishop Nicholas Walsh of the Archdiocese of Seattle, two lay persons from each diocese and a woman religious constituted the initial WSCC Board of Directors.  

On July 1, 1976, Rev. Harvey MacIntyre was appointed as the first executive director of the WSCC and served until his resignation in 1987.  Mr. Ned Dolejsi succeeded him and served for nine years until he resigned to become the executive director of the California Catholic Conference.  In 1997, Sr. Sharon Park, OP, was appointed executive director and currently serves in that position.

Over the years, the WSCC has successfully been involved in establishing the Volunteer  Chore Program, securing funding for the General Assistance Unemployable program, the Basic Health Program, and the Housing Trust Fund.  In 1991 WSCC led the campaign to defeat Initiative 119, which would have made Washington State the first place in the world to legally allow assisted suicide. 

The WSCC continues to work for the common good and to create a society that recognizes the dignity and worth of every human person by advocating for human life, economic justice, education, social justice, and religious freedom in accord with the Gospel mandates, Catholic social teaching, and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

WSCC Bishops