Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has initiated a worldwide consultation process entitled: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.”  A synod is a gathering of laity and clergy to discuss particular issues under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  By virtue of our baptism, all of us are called to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as we travel through this life with the goal of eternal happiness in the life that is to come.  The pope’s goal of this worldwide synodal process is to give the entire People of God the opportunity to share insights, hopes, and dreams for the future of the Church.

Bishop Daly inaugurated the process for eastern Washington on Sunday October 17^th by offering a special Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.  His homily may be viewed by clicking here: 

Homily for the Opening of the Synod

The Diocese of Spokane is organized according to “Deaneries” or regions which are led by a priest who is called the Dean.  On October 18^th, Bishop Daly met with each of the Deans of the diocese to distribute the Vademecum (Vatican handbook) and to outline consultation plans for each of the deaneries over the course of the next seven months.  Each Dean is responsible for seeking assistance from the laity in tailoring the consultation process for his particular Deanery.  All parishes, Catholic schools, and Catholic institutions will have an opportunity to offer input.

On December 1, 2021, a survey link will be posted to the diocesan website with questions from the Vademecum.  Those who are unable to participate in a Deanery consultation or who are uncomfortable with in-person gatherings are encouraged to use this electronic form of consultation.

Listening sessions and consultations will be complete by March 15, 2022.  Summaries will be prepared by various religious, lay, and clerical leaders and submitted to the diocesan synodal team.  The information will then be compiled into one document and submitted to Bishop Daly. 

The bishop encourages parishioners to invoke the prayers of Our Lady of Lourdes, patroness of the Diocese of Spokane, as we humbly seek to discern the will of the Holy Spirit.


 

In light of recent media reporting regarding Bishop Daly’s response to Governor Inslee’s mandate regarding COVID vaccination, the Diocesan Office of Communication offers the following summary of the Diocesan stance on COVID Vaccines and Vaccine Mandates:
Bishop Daly has presented a consistent response to the vaccine and vaccine mandates in line with the Vatican’s December 2020 “Note on the morality of anti-Covid-19 vaccines.” https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20201221_nota-vaccini-anticovid_en.html His response consists of two principles.

1. Bishop Daly supports medical and religious exemption, as outlined in Governor Inslee’s mandate. A religious exemption for Catholics is grounded in our belief that an individual’s conscience, rightly formed, is inviolable. (cf. CCC 1782,1783) https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/440/

2. Bishop Daly encourages vaccination against COVID-19.