Patricia Ann Larson, a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, died early the morning of October 28, 2019, at Memory Care, South Hill Village in Spokane.  On January 18, 1929, Patricia was born into the family of Albin and Anna (Divine) Larson in Spokane, Washington.  The youngest of their seven children, Patricia enjoyed the solidity of her entire grade 1 through 12 education at Seattle’s Immaculate Conception elementary and high school. 

An influential teacher and distinguished theologian, Blessed John Henry Newman remains as insightful and relevant today as he was during his own lifetime. Newman is alive in the works that he has left behind; and thanks to his many writings and coming sainthood, we can consider him a wise friend and guide on our own life journey.

June 18, 2018 The unity of the family is a foundational element of Catholic social teaching.  In fact, marriage and the family are central social institutions which must be supported and strengthened by Church teaching and government policy.  These institutions are undermined when children are unnecessarily separated from their parents.  This practice is contrary to our Catholic values.  I join His Eminence, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo...

Dr. Matthew Powell, the first headmaster for a soon-to-open classical Catholic high school in Spokane, is a Notre Dame man from start to finish. A University of Notre Dame alumnus, he will now head the new high school named for Notre Dame – Our Lady.

In the month of October, we traditionally honor Mary, and no devotion is as popular as the rosary. Historically, this has been one of the most loved practices in Catholic devotion, taking different forms throughout the centuries. The rosary that most of us are familiar with praying is known as the Dominican Rosary. As originally developed, it consists of three sets of five mysteries, with each mystery containing a decade (or set of 10) of Hail Mary prayers, totaling 150.

En el mes de octubre, tradicionalmente honramos a María, y ninguna devoción es tan popular como el rosario. Históricamente, esta ha sido una de las prácticas más queridas en la devoción católica, tomando diferentes formas a lo largo de los siglos. El rosario que la mayoría de nosotros estamos familiarizados con la oración se conoce como el rosario dominico. Cuando se desarrolló originalmente, constaba de tres conjuntos de cinco misterios, cada uno de los cuales contiene una decena (o un conjunto de 10) de Avemarías, un total de 150.

During the summer months, most of you — parishioners in our diocese — found a letter from Chris and Liz Smith in the mail asking you to support a new ministry: Catholic Grandparents for Life. The invitation letter outlined a simple plan to help encourage grandparents to share the faith and the message of life with their families and communities.

THE WOMEN’S MARCH may seem like an odd starting place for an article about a pro-life ministry. However, this is where the story begins. Julie Olson, Rachel’s Vineyard coordinator for the Spokane area, said, “I ended up at the Women’s March in Spokane because of the Spokesman-Review’s pairing of Catholic Charities and Planned Parenthood in the newspaper [article] on the upcoming march. I had my phone blow up with strong Catholics saying they shouldn’t be doing this — Catholic Charities pairing with Planned Parenthood.”

On Sept. 30, the priests of the diocese gathered to celebrate five of their own celebrating significant milestones in their priestly ministry. 

There is no icon of the Sacred Heart. St. Pope John Paul II wrote eloquently of “Breathing with Both Lungs,” that is, of benefitting from the wisdom and spirituality of both the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. This requires respect for all these Catholic Churches and for their integrity.

Anyone associated with Rev. Victor Breznikar (1915-1998) recognizes his iconic epithet and knows how it concludes. Victor died more than 20 years ago. He was pastor at St. Francis in Walla Walla (1961-74). Most of these years encompassed my seminary formation. I got to know him well, or as well as one could.

Responding to a need for early childhood education, Sister Immaculata and Sister Marie started Our Lady of the Highway Preschool near Novillero, Guatemala, in 2002. While recently visiting the Guatemala Mission in Solola, my children, my parents and I observed one session of the tuition-free preschool which serves about 15 children, children who otherwise could not afford preschool.

What do a giant beach ball, garden flowers, s’mores, upholstery fabric and a five-gallon milk refrigerator have in common?

One of the newer hands-on additions to St. Thomas More's ever-expanding C+STEM program is Aquaponics – the combination of aquaculture with hydroponics.

Art installation captures the life and energy of St. Aloysius School

Earlier this month, Catholic Charities’ Give & Receive Volunteer Retirement Club served a meal at the House of Charity. Retirees-turned-volunteers toured the facility to meet the expert staff and learn about wraparound services that help shelter patrons transition from life on the streets to more stable lives.

More class of 2019 Congratulations to the 108 eighth-grade students who entered the Nazareth Guild Essay contest.

The last week in June was a voyage! On June 24, eight religious sisters of the diocese – Sister Colleen Byrne, OSC, Sister Christiana Marie, SMMC, Sister Gabriella Marie, SMMC, Sister Sharon Bongiorno, FSPA, Sister Kathy Roberg, FSPA, Sister Beverly Dunn, SP, Sister Margarita Hernandez, SP, and Sister Karen Martin, OSB – spent special time with 36 young women of high school age from Spokane, Boise, Id., and Pendleton, Ore.

This June, 25 men from throughout the Pacific Northwest gathered in Walla Walla for the second annual Catholic Men’s Motorcycle Ride. Father Matthew Nicks, our motorcycle-riding chaplain, kicked off the ride with Mass, followed by the blessing of the motorcycles. 

Resources abound for parents and educators to help students see the beauty of the Christian vision of the human person.