Above: Detail from The Annunciation by Nicolas Poussin (1657, National Gallery, London). By Fr. David Gaines One of the most incredible gifts given to us, the Church Militant, is the Church Triumphant: the saints and angels in Heaven. They are constantly beholding the...
Above: People pray before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration. By Fr. David Gaines Pope Benedict XVI said: “If you follow the will of God, you know that in spite of all the terrible things that happen to you, you will never lose a final refuge. You know...
Above: Sr. Mary Donna Fe Josef of Jesus O. Carm (crowned with roses) is pictured following the Mass of her Solemn Profession at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes with her Carmelite Sisters, Bishop Thomas Daly, and other members of the clergy. By Sister Paschalina...
Above: Spokane seminarian Nick Sund (center) pictured with family and relatives. By Fr. Kyle Ratuiste “Support seminarians,” sounds like a self-evident maxim for people who desire to see more priestly vocations and for those who have a friend or loved one in the...
Above: David Frank (L) and Timothy Gogl (R) have entered seminary for the Diocese of Spokane after graduating from Catholic high school last spring. By Fr. Kyle Ratuiste Two Catholic high school graduates entered seminary formation for the Diocese of Spokane and are...
Above: A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes on display at the annual Lourdes Novena held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. By Fr. Kyle Ratuiste How do you pray for priests? The importance of praying for priests may be self-evident, but we may not know how to do so....
Above: Spokane seminarians Josh Haxton (L) and Christopher Appel (R) were on the road to visit multiple parishes outside of the Spokane metro area as part of their summer assignment to increase the visibility of seminarians in outlying communities and to help them...
Above: Seminarians Christopher Appel (L) and Andrew Kelley with Director of Vocations, Fr. Kyle Ratuiste (R) at the SEEK23 conference by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) attended by over 17,000 participants in January 2023. While collegiate outreach...
Above: Seminarians and discerners stand at the conclusion of Spokane's Chrism Mass on March 28, 2023. By: Fr. Kyle Ratuiste NOTE: This is the second of a series of articles on understanding seminary formation. Previously, I wrote about the four dimensions of...
Above: Bishop William Condon with the children of his brother James Condon in 1945. The author's mother, Mary Conley, is on the far right. (Courtesy: The Conley Family) By Therese O’Rourk My family has roots in the Diocese of Spokane that go back generations, starting...