FAITH HEALING
Faith sustained them, especially during their church’s darkest days.
Now, as the Diocese of Spokane emerges from a sex abuse crisis and the travails of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a group of Catholics on the West Plains continue to pray – for healing and hope, for renewal and reconciliation.
“We have a broken church and we have to do something to fix it,” said Jim Patterson, a member of St. Anne’s, a Medical Lake parish of about 150 families. “We’ve got a black cloud over our church, so our objective is to turn a negative into a positive, learn from this and go forward in a spiritual way.”
On Sunday, members of St. Anne’s and about five other parishes are inviting all Catholics and others in the area to join them in prayer during a special service in downtown Spokane.
This grassroots effort called “Come Holy Spirit … Heal Thy Church” will include musical performances and testimonies from area parishioners as well as Catholic recording artist Donna Cori Gibson and missionary Brendan Case. Another notable speaker will be the Rev. Ian Robertson, the former senior pastor of Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene who has worked to educate area pastors about the problem of sexual abuse and what churches can do to foster healing among victims and the community.
While their experience could never be compared to the trauma suffered by victims of sexual abuse, parishioners in the Diocese of Spokane also have been hurt by the scandal and bankruptcy. Since the crisis rocked the local church several years ago, and especially as details of the bankruptcy plan came to light, many Catholics felt angry and conflicted by the controversy. Some were frustrated with the diocese and its attorneys; others were mad at the victims. The stressful, confusing ordeal inevitably created divisions between the diocese and parishes, as well as among priests and parishioners.
As members of St. Anne’s gathered last June to learn about the diocese’s $48 million settlement and the financial obligation of local parishioners, many in Medical Lake also felt it was time to unite once again as a Catholic community.
“We just needed to rally together as Catholics,” said Teri Spracklen, whose family was involved in the regular prayer gatherings at St. Anne’s. “We wanted to show that we’re proud and that we believe in our church despite the bad things that have happened.”
With help from Sister Patricia Proctor, a member of the Franciscan Monastery of Saint Clare in Spokane and manager of the local Catholic radio station KTTO, parishioners at St. Anne’s started spreading the word about a healing service. They asked Gibson – who’s been called the “Celine Dion of Catholic contemporary music” – as well as other musicians and speakers to take part. They contacted members of other parishes, put up billboards and organized volunteers.
People in the diocese “still have unity within our church and have stronger resolve than ever to right the wrongs of the past and to move forward to create an even stronger Catholic community,” according to a recent e-mail from the event’s organizers.
Admission to Sunday’s gathering is free, but donations are welcome. Money raised from the concert and healing service will pay for expenses, but anything over that will go toward the settlement reached by the diocese and victims earlier this year. The $48 million settlement entails a $10 million contribution from parishes in Eastern Washington. St. Anne’s obligation is about $112,000, according to Patterson.
But the event isn’t about the money, he emphasized. It’s about bringing people together.
“It’s more important to give people a mechanism for healing,” he said. “Let’s not forget what happened, but let’s not dwell on it, either. It’s time for us to move forward in a positive way.”
Reach reporter Virginia de Leon at (509) 459-5312 or virginaid@spokesman.com