St. Mary’s regressing

As former members of St. Mary’s Parish in the Spokane Valley, at the time a vibrant community in which we raised our children and shared our gifts, we are truly saddened by the regression that is taking place there, which we have experienced personally.

The church, as a whole, is moving away from the incredible empowerment of the laity realized in Vatican II. Rome has approved of exclusive, pre Vatican II language. A bishop attempts to withhold the cup from his entire diocese in order to keep women out of the sanctuary. Bishops excommunicate Catholics for belonging to certain organizations. A pastor abuses power in the parish.

An informed and well-educated laity will not again be relegated to the church of “pray, pay and obey. The laity is out of the bag and will not be stuffed back in. We will not stand for sexism, homophobia and abuse of power. Our Eucharistic Liturgy is supposed to be the source and summit of our spiritual journey, not a source of divisiveness, anger and exclusivity. We deserve more from our pastors and our hierarchy!

Many Catholics I associate with stand in solidarity with those 100 who signed the petition at St. Mary’s.

Valerie Carlton

Spokane Valley

After eight years of supporting Valleyfest, the city of Spokane Valley’s mayor and City Council invoked negative change in the community when it refused to fund Valleyfest’s marketing budget with a hotel/motel lodging tax.

The festival brings 35,000 people to their CenterPlace Regional Event Center and Mirabeau Point Park. The Friday night parade brings another 10,000 people to Sprague Avenue restaurants and businesses. The council’s inability to lead, gives Valleyfest zero dollars to promote the event to the Inland Northwest. Sabotaging the city’s only large scale festival is a great way to bring tourists to town!

As a Valleyfest board member, I am inclined to lead the campaign to NOT Occupy the city of Spokane Valley. We can move to another municipality that wants to work with its nonprofits to bring everyone including tourists to their city’s limits. If you want Valleyfest to stay in the Valley, then email the council (mayor/council members@spokane valley.org) and tell them that Valleyfest brings tourists to town. They seem to think it does not and this threatens the future of the event.

Stephanie Hughes

Valleyfest board member, committee chair of Balloons over Valleyfest