News - News & Events RSS Feed

Dear Parishioners, We had a wonderful pilgrimage last Sunday to Spokane to a be a part of Expo ’23 and the Eucharistic Revival. Twenty-one people participated in the day long event taking a charter bus to downtown Spokane. We ate our lunch on the bus and prayed a rosary as we went to the Cathedral just in time to be a part of the mile-long Eucharistic Procession to Riverfront Park. (Click here for more...)

Dear Parishioners, it is that time of year again. It is when the Diocese kicks off the Annual Catholic Appeal. You soon will be receiving a letter from Bishop Daly asking for your help in the Appeal. This Appeal is very important for work and ministry of the Bishop and Diocese. This appeal keeps all the administrative tasks of the Diocese going from the education and youth ministries to Priestly formation. Our parishes could not function without the support and resources that the Diocese offers us. (Click for more...)

Dear Parishioners, The Sety’s fire in Chewelah that just happened August 18 is a reminder to all of us how temporary buildings and things are. I was thinking the night of the fire that I could have been looking out the window to see the church going up in flames....click for more.

Dear Parishioners, In today’s Gospel with the woman with the Canaanite woman it is interesting to note that sickness provided the motivation for the woman’s encounter with Jesus. We may not often think about it, but sometimes in our lives it is a moment of tragedy or need that brings us to prayer as well. Every situation in life is an opportunity for prayer. The woman could have stayed at home and fostered anger and resentment at God for her daughter’s affliction, but she didn’t. Instead, she did something. She actively sought out Jesus and brought her request for healing before Him. The Lord wants us to see in our moments of distress an invitation to prayer and deepened relationship as well.

Dear Parishioners, This Tuesday, Aug. 15, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will being have a Vigil Mass on Monday, Aug. 14 at 5:30 pm at St. Mary’s and on Aug. 15 the Mass will be at 9 am at St. Joseph’s. Click here for more...

Dear Parishioners, this weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. It is such an important Feast that when St. John Paul II gave us the gift of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary it was included as the fourth Luminous Mystery. The Transfiguration is a revelation of the glory of Christ. The context of the Transfiguration is that it takes place on Mt. Tabor and is situated just prior to Our Lord entering into his passion and crucifixion. Click to read more...

Dear Parishioners, Today is Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus makes the most astonishing reflection on the meaning of the Eucharist in the entire New Testament. Jesus says, I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. At this, many in the Jewish audience balked for obvious reasons. (Click here)

Dear Parishioners, Next weekend is Corpus Christi, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is a special Feast in which we honor and adore the real presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. At 10:00 am at St. Joseph’s at Jump Off Joe, next Sunday, we will be having our annual Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altars around the church. This is a long-standing tradition at St. Joseph for at least over 100 years, and Corpus Christi Processions have been a tradition in the Catholic Church since at least the 13th century.

Dear Parishioners, the mystery of Pentecost is the event of the Church's true “baptism,” birth and beginning. However, this event is ongoing. The Church in fact lives constantly from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, without which she would exhaust her own strength, like a sailboat without the wind. Pentecost has been renewed in the church in special ways throughout its entire history. Especially in the Church’s liturgy, use of Scripture, the Catechism, Councils, the lives of the saints, works of mercy, missionary activity, etc. Thus, there is no Church without Pentecost. And we must also add that there is no Pentecost without the Virgin Mary.

Dear Parishioners, this Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. The Ascension is a necessary link in God’s plan for the renewal of the world. Jesus couldn’t stay here, “My Kingdom is not of the world.” The essence of this world, God’s creation, is good but is under the ancient curse of darkness and corruption. This world cannot keep him, he must go away and prepare that place, a new creation, without death, darkness, evil, corruption… Jesus must Ascent to heaven. Jesus goes to prepare a place for each of us. A permanent place. Not like all the moving around that most of us do in this world. When I do the math, I have lived in over a dozen “places” so far in my life. Jesus prepares a perfect place, a “home” that will remain forever. A place in the Father’s house, in the Father’s heart who loves us. I know, as we should all know, that heaven is our permanent “home." (click for more).

Dear Parishioners, This Sunday is Mother’s Day. A time to reflect upon motherhood and honor our mothers. My mother passed away in 2009, but her influence is lasting especially on her eight children. She took her responsibly as a parent and mom seriously and did not concede or relegate to anyone her parental authority as a mom. Our Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children and that family is the “domestic church.” The domestic church means that parents are the first teachers of the faith to their children, for which, as St. Pope Paul VI said of the family, “there is no substitute.”

May is a beautiful month. A month of new life. The month of flowers and the month of Mary. The weather is starting to warm up, especially after a particularly cold winter… Soon the scent of lilac will be in the air. I love lilacs because the house I grew up in Kennewick we had a whole row of lilacs along our fence and loved their smell and the beautiful colors, my favorite was the deep purple. (Click for more)

Dear Parishioners, It is with great joy that I can announce that our Lenten Almsgiving project in support of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic girl’s school in Malawi, Africa was an amazing success! We raised $21,000 dollars! Thank you to all those who generously participated in this campaign. These funds will be wired to the school in Malawi this week and we will designate $15,000 to be used for tuition assistance and $6,000 to go toward the purchase of a school bus. We will continue our relationship with the school and consider having another fundraising effort to help more with the school bus once we get the exact cost and see how we can help.

Dear Parishioners, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! On this day Our Jesus Christ has conquered death and evil and unlocked the path to heaven. May this Easter day and the Easter season remove any darkness from our minds and hearts and renew and fill us with the hope, light and joy the Spirit gives those who celebrate his Resurrection. The Lord has risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Dear Parishioners, Our Penance service is this Thursday, March 30 beginning at 6:30 pm. We will have four priests here to hear everyone’s confession. Prepare yourself now with an examination of conscience and come to receive the cleansing grace of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Every confession is a new beginning where we put the past behind us and look forward to the future with God’s strength, grace and mercy. Click here for more