Spirit-Filled Celebration Pentecost Mass Marks Jubilee Year For Catholic Church

Thousands of Catholics spoke as one in praise of God during a three-hour Mass on Sunday in the Spokane Arena.

The event, which brought together Catholics from as far away as Walla Walla, was held to observe both the Jubilee year declared by the pope in 1999 and Pentecost Sunday, the anniversary of the church’s founding.

It was celebrated by Bishop William Skylstad, leader of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, and featured talks by Cardinal Edmund Szoka of Rome and Gov. Gary Locke.

The Mass began with a massive procession featuring representatives of all 81 churches in the diocese, including priests, deacons and an honor guard dressed in plumed hats and capes provided by the Knights of Columbus.

The celebration reflected the variety of cultures represented in the diocese. Prayers, songs and readings were presented in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Salish, Tongan and Filipino.

During Szoka’s homily, he presented Skylstad with a gift from Pope John Paul II, a special red chasuble, or vestment, bearing the pope’s coat of arms. Skylstad put it on as the crowd applauded.

Szoka serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State. At 108 acres, the Vatican is the smallest country in the world.

“It’s a sovereign country, just like the United States or any other country,” said Szoka in an interview before the Mass began. “It has everything a country has.”

Szoka came to Spokane at the invitation of Skylstad and was not sent as an official representative of the pope. But the pope did ask him to relay a message, said Szoka. “He asked me to be sure to extend his best wishes to everyone here.”

Locke’s speech near the end of the celebration touched on the charitable work done by the Catholic church in general and the Spokane Diocese in particular. “The Catholic church has always been there,” he said. “The Catholic church does not look the other way.”

Locke said afterward that “despite the setting, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the pageantry in the Mass. It was a treat to be so close to the altar.”

Several representatives of other denominations also attended, including the Rev. Richard Melin, executive of the Presbyterian Church in Eastern Washington; the Rev. Ron Greene and Sister Cathy Beckley of the Spokane Council of Ecumenical Ministries; Bishop Martin Wells of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; the Rev. Flora Bowers of the Pacific Northwest United Methodist Conference; and Bishop Walton Mize of Lighthouse Tabernacle Church.