Province
of seattle
Pope Pius XII created the Province of Seattle
Map of the Province
Catholic History of Washington
The first Europeans to set foot in Washington were a party
of Spanish explorers led by Bruno Heceta who landed at Point Grenville in
1775. They were accompanied by a
Franciscan priest who erected a cross.
Other explorers followed and in 1792, Robert Gray, the first American to
come to Washington, “discovered” the Columbia River. He was followed a decade later by Lewis and
Clark. Fur traders traveled throughout
the area in the early 19th Century before the first settlements were
established at Tumwater (1845), Olympia United States and Great
Britain agreed in 1818 to jointly govern the Pacific
Northwest and it was not until 1848 that the area came solely under the
jurisdiction of the United
States Oregon Territory in 1848 and a separate Washington Territory Washington
Native Americans and French-Canadian settlers as early as
1831 requested priests to come to the area as missionaries. Fathers Francois Blanchet and Modeste Demers
responded to this request and came to Washington in October 1838—traveling
mostly down the Columbia River—and suffered many hardships along the way
including the death of several members of their party. Reaching what is now southwestern Washington , they established St. Francis Xavier Mission
in 1839 for the Cowlitz tribe near what is now Toledo, Washington. Blanchet devised a teaching tool made from
sticks to explain Christianity to the Native Americans. Eventually other Native American missions
were established, including some by the Jesuits and Oblate Fathers. Many other religious orders served the territory,
including the Benedictines, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and
Mother Joseph and her Sisters of Charity of Providence.
Pope Gregory XVI created the Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon
City, Oregon, in 1843 with Blanchet as the Vicar Apostolic. Pope Pius IX created the Province of Oregon
City in 1846, with Blanchet as Archbishop.
The new Province included the new Diocese of Walla Walla, Washington,
and Blanchet’s brother, Augustine, was named Walla Walla’s first—and
only—Bishop. Walla Walla was a small
settlement built around a fort and in 1850 the Diocese of Walla Walla was
suppressed in favor of a new Diocese of Nesqually, based in Vancouver,
Washington. (Nesqually is the name of
the local Native American tribe.) The
Diocese moved to Seattle in 1907 and eastern Washington became the Diocese of
Spokane in 1913. In 1951, Pope Pius XII
made Washington the Province of Seattle
Archdiocese
of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle consists of 18 counties in
western Washington
Bishops of Nesqually
Augustine M. Blanchet (1797-1887)
·
Born in Canada and ordained a priest in Canada
in 1821.
·
First
and only Bishop of Walla Walla (1846-1850) and first Bishop of Nesqually
(1850-1879).
Blanchet arrived in his new Diocese of Walla Walla in 1847,
but mostly lived in The Dalles, Oregon.
Conflict between American settlers and Native Americans in the Walla
Walla area caused the Vatican to suppress the Diocese of Walla Walla in 1850
and establish that same year the Diocese of Nesqually with Blanchet as
Bishop. Blanchet took up residence in Vancouver , Washington first St Montreal
Aegidius
Junger (1833-1895)
- Born in Germany and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nesqually in 1862.
- Bishop of Nesqually (1879-1895).
The population of the State grew by over 500 percent during
Junger’s service as Bishop as immigrants took the newly completed transcontinental
railroad to Washington. Junger responded
with building 60 new churches, including a new Cathedral in Vancouver. He brought in several religious orders to
administer parishes and teach in schools.
It was during his time as Bishop that the Jesuits established Gonzaga University
in Spokane and Seattle
University in Seattle
Bishops of Seattle
Edward J. O’Dea (1856-1932)
- Born in Boston and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, in 1882—the first resident of Oregon to be ordained to the priesthood.
- Bishop of Nesqually (1896-1907) and first Bishop of Seattle (1907-1932).
Edward O’Dea moved the Diocesan see
to Seattle in 1907 becoming the first Bishop of Seattle. O’Dea saw the Catholic population of his
Diocese more than double during his episcopacy and he greatly increased the
number of churches, schools, and other Catholic institutions, to keep up with
this growth. This growth also led to Eastern Washington becoming the Diocese of Spokane in
1913. O’Dea established the State’s
first Catholic seminary—St. Edward’s Seminary—and invited Mother Frances Xavier
Cabrini (canonized in 1946) and her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus to work with Italian immigrants in Seattle Vancouver and then undertook the construction of the new
Cathedral in Seattle Washington
Gerald Shaughnessy, S.M.
(1887-1950)
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for
the Society of Mary in 1920.
·
Bishop
of Seattle (1933-1950).
Bishop Shaughnessy had the
difficult task of leading the Diocese through the Great Depression and the
Second World War. He was an able
administrator and was able to keep the Diocese on a firm financial footing
while at the same time supporting the efforts of Catholic Charities and the St.
Vincent de Paul Society. During the War,
he spoke out against the treatment (including the internment) of
Japanese-Americans. He founded what is
now Serra International, a lay group that fosters vocations to the
priesthood. He also created a “Motor
Mission,” a vehicle that took visiting priests to the more remote parts of the
Diocese. He suffered a stroke in 1945,
from which he never fully recovered. Bishop
Shaughnessy died in 1950.
Archbishops of Seattle
Thomas A. Connolly (1899-1991)
·
Born in California and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1926.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco
(1939-1948) and coadjutor bishop of Seattle (1948-1950).
·
Bishop
of Seattle (1950-1951) and the first Archbishop of Seattle (1951-1975).
Connolly took over the administration of the Diocese in 1948
when he was named coadjutor Bishop and he became Bishop in 1950 upon the death
of Bishop Shaughnessy. He was named the
first Archbishop of Seattle in 1951, the same year that portions of the new
Archdiocese became the new Diocese of Yakima.
Archbishop Connolly led the Archdiocese through the post-war population
boom—building more than two dozen new churches and 30 new schools—and through
the time of change brought about by the Second Vatican Council. He spoke out for the rights of laborers and
African-Americans and he supported ecumenical programs. He built a new seminary and led the celebration
of the Archdiocese’s centennial in 1950.
He retired in 1975.
Raymond G. Hunthausen (1921-2018)
·
Born in Anaconda, Montana, and ordained a priest
for the Diocese of Helena, Montana, in 1946.
·
Also served as Bishop of Helena, Montana
(1962-1975).
·
Archbishop
of Seattle (1975-1991).
Archbishop Hunthausen strongly supported the changes of the
Second Vatican Council. He provided
greater opportunities for the laity, improved catechesis in parishes, and
sought to strengthen ecumenical activities.
He advocated better educational opportunities, especially for poor
children, and welcomed Catholic gays and lesbians to attend Mass. He was also a strong promoter of peace and
withheld a portion of his federal income taxes in 1982, leading to action by
the IRS and to increased attention by the Vatican. Some local Catholics opposed these positions
and the Vatican sent Archbishop James Hickey of Washington, DC, to investigate
Hunthausen’s activities. The
investigation was mostly resolved in Archbishop Hunthausen’s favor, except for
some of his moral stances, such as on homosexuality and marriage. He was monitored closely by the Vatican until
he retired in 1991.
Thomas J. Murphy (1932-1997)
·
Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Chicago in 1958.
·
Also Served as Bishop of Great Falls, Montana,
(1978-1980), Bishop of Great Falls-Billings (1980-1987), and coadjutor
Archbishop of Seattle (1987-1991).
·
Archbishop
of Seattle (1991-1997).
Murphy became Archbishop following the divisiveness of the
last several years under Archbishop Hunthausen.
The people of the Archdiocese quickly realized that their Archbishop was
an outstanding pastor and moral leader.
He advocated for the poor and disadvantaged, including those who worked
in the struggling timber industry. He
condemned legislative initiatives that promoted euthanasia and abortion and he
defended workers’ rights. He encouraged
young people to live Gospel values. He
opened new high schools in Everett and Bellevue and renovated the
Cathedral. He opened Elizabeth House for
expectant teenage mothers and started a comprehensive program to improve the
lives of impoverished people in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma. Archbishop Murphy died of leukemia in 1997.
Alexander J. Brunett (born 1934)
·
Born in Michigan and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Detroit in 1958.
·
Also served as Bishop of Helena, Montana (1994-1997).
·
Archbishop
of Seattle (1997-2010).
Archbishop Brunett maintained the financial solvency of the
Archdiocese despite having to pay $42 million to 300 victims of clergy sexual abuse. He also set up policies and procedures to
safeguard children that are considered among the best in the nation. Brunett was able to open five new parishes
and schools and began an endowment program to fund Catholic education for poor
children. He expanded the Archdiocese’s
ministry to Hispanics and championed rights for immigrants. He expanded services for the poor and
increased vocations to the priesthood.
He has also served on several national and international ecumenical
programs. Archbishop Brunett retired in
2010.
Current Archbishop
J. Peter Sartain was appointed Archbishop of Seattle by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2010. He was born in Tennessee
in 1952 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Memphis in 1978. He previously served as Bishop of Little
Rock, Arkansas (2000-2006) and Bishop of Joliet, Illinois (2006-2010).
The Cathedral
O Gracious God, we
remember before You today Your servant and apostle James, first among the
Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that You
will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying
service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through
the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The first Bishop of Nesqually, Augustine Blanchet, selected
St. James’ Church in Vancouver Washington —and
the first St. Fort Vancouver Seattle , which had become the largest
city in Washington
Father Francis Prefontaine had established Our Lady of Good
Help Church—the first Catholic church in Seattle—in 1870 to serve the few
Catholics living there. Seattle
grew rapidly—from 43,000 people in 1890 to 237,000 in 1910—and by 1904 there
were about a half dozen Catholic parishes in Seattle
The Cathedral was designed by architects Heins and LaFarge
in a Neo-Baroque style. There are twin
167-foot towers with six bells, including one from the old Our Lady of Good
Help Church, in the south tower. There
was originally a dome, but it collapsed after a 1916 snowstorm.
The white marble main altar sits on
a circular platform of black slate. The
altar features panels done by different artists, but with the theme of wheat
and grapes representing the Eucharist.
The ambo was carved by Randall Rosenthal in 1994 and was inspired by the
Book of Isaiah. The tabernacle, also the
work of Ulrich Henn, uses the theme of the burning bush.
The Cathedral’s stained glass
windows were the work of Charles Connick and were installed in 1918. They feature scenes from the Old and New
Testaments and feature depictions of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the four
evangelists. The Cathedral has two pipe
organs. The West Gallery organ was built
by Hutchings-Votey in 1907 and has 51 ranks and more than 3,000 pipes. The East Apse organ was built by Manuel
Rosales in 2000 and has 48 ranks of pipes including several from the 1927
Casavant Freres organ.
The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin
Mary was designed by Susan Jones and built in 1994 and features a statue of
Mary holding the infant Jesus. The
Cathedral Chapel has windows by Charles Connick using Eucharistic symbols, a
statue of Mary that came from the old Church of Our Lady of Good Help, and a
Renaissance painting of the Madonna and Child dating to 1456.
The Cathedral has many statues and
also has a large number of icons, the work of Joan Brand-Landkamer. One of these icons is carried in procession
each Sunday.
The Cathedral website, stjames-cathedral.org, has a virtual
tour of the Cathedral and provides greater detail about the features of the
Cathedral and their meaning. See also
the archdiocesan website at seattlearchdiocese.org.
The Cathedral is located a few blocks east of downtown
Seattle and has five weekend masses to
serve a parish of 2,500 families.
Diocese of Spokane
The diocese consists of 13 counties in eastern Washington. The diocese has 109,000 Catholics (13 percent
of the total population) in 76 parishes, as of 2015.
Bishops of Spokane
Augustine F. Schinner (1863-1937)
·
Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest in 1886
for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
·
Also served as the first Bishop of Superior,
Wisconsin (1905-1913).
·
First
Bishop of Spokane (1914-1925).
Bishop Schinner retired in 1925 and later served three years
as a missionary in Bolivia.
Charles D. White (1879-1955)
·
Born in Michigan and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1910.
·
Bishop
of Spokane (1927-1955).
Bishop White opened several new parishes (including two for
Native Americans), schools, and charitable institutions, including a hospital. He also established programs in the Diocese related
to the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and the National Catholic Rural Life
Conference. White also established a
diocesan newspaper. Bishop White died in
1955.
Bernard J. Topel (1903-1986)
·
Born in Montana and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Helena, Montana, in 1927.
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Spokane
(1955).
·
Bishop
of Spokane (1955-1978).
Bishop Topel established several new parishes and schools,
including Bishop White Seminary. He also
opened new parishes for Hispanic Catholics and built the Immaculate Heart
Retreat Center in Spokane. Topel sent
several Diocesan priests to serve as missionaries in Guatemala. He led a Diocesan pilgrimage to the shrines
of Europe in 1958 and he attended all sessions of the Second Vatican
Council. Topel, who had earned a
doctorate degree in mathematics from Harvard University, lived a life of
poverty in an unheated home with no telephone.
Bishop Topel retired in 1978.
Lawrence H. Welsh (1935-1999)
- Born in Wyoming and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1962.
- Bishop of Spokane (1978-1990).
- Later served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis (1991-1999).
Bishop Welsh was arrested for drunk driving in 1989. This, along with earlier allegations of
sexual misconduct, lead to his resignation as Bishop in 1990. Welsh was named auxiliary bishop of St. Paul
and Minneapolis in 1991.
William S. Skylstad
(born 1934)
- Born in Omak, Washington, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Spokane in 1960.
- Also served as Bishop of Yakima (1977-1990).
- Bishop of Spokane (1990-2010).
While serving as Bishop, Skylstad also served as Vice
President (2001-2004) and as President (2004-2007) of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops. As
Bishop of Spokane, Skystad tried to visit every parish at least once a
year. The Diocese declared bankruptcy in
2004 as a result of claims from victims of clergy abuse. The Diocese agreed to pay $48 million as
compensation to the victims. Bishop
Skylstad retired in 2010.
Blasé Cupich (born 1949)
- Born in Nebraska and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Omaha in 1975.
- Also served as secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C. (1981-1987) and Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota (1998-2010).
- Bishop of Spokane (2010-2014).
- Currently serves as Archbishop of Chicago (since 2014).
Bishop Cupich tried to reach the unchurched and those in
special need of social justice. He spoke
out against changing the definition of marriage, but preached tolerance of
homosexuals. He cautioned against
growing income inequality. He himself
lived in a seminary dormitory room with no furniture of his own. Cupich was named Archbishop of Chicago 2014
and was named a Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2016.
Current Bishop
Thomas A. Daly was appointed Bishop of Spokane by Pope Francis
in 2015. He was born in San Francisco in
1960 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1987. He previously as auxiliary bishop of San
Jose, California (2011-2015).
The Cathedral
The Cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Blessed Mother appeared 18 times between February 11,
1858, and July 16, 1858, to Bernadette Soubirous, a young girl who lived near Lourdes , France Lourdes
O Mother of mercy,
health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted, you know my
wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look
with mercy on me. By appearing at the Grotto
of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, where you
dispense your favors. Many of those who
suffer have been cured of their infirmities, both physical and spiritual. I come, therefore, with complete confidence
to implore your intercession. O loving
Mother, if it is God's will, grant my requests.
In gratitude for your favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues
that I may one day share in your glory.
Amen.
Joseph Cataldo, a Jesuit priest, converted a small shop into
Spokane ’s first Catholic church in 1881 and
dedicated it to St. Joseph Spokane Spokane
The Cathedral’s most notable artistic feature are the over
40 stained glass windows crafted by Mayer Studio of Munich, Germany, and
featuring biblical themes. The altar is
covered by a baldachin and the Cathedral has two pipe organs, the original one
made by W.W. Kimball in the loft and the other in the transept. The plaza outside the Cathedral features a
fountain and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Additional information can be found at the Diocesan website
at dioceseofspokane.org and on the Cathedral’s website at spokanecathedral.com. The Cathedral is located in downtown Spokane and
has five weekend masses.
The first two pictures are from flickr and the last is from the Cathedral website.
Diocese
of Yakima
The diocese consists of 8 counties in central Washington. The diocese has 72,000 Catholics (16 percent
of the total population) in 41 parishes, as of 2015.
Bishops of Yakima
·
Born in Kansas ordained a priest for the Diocese
of Seattle in 1930.
·
First
Bishop of Yakima (1951-1969).
·
Later served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles
(1969-1970).
The Diocese of Yakima had been
created in part because of the growing Hispanic population in the region—half
the Catholics in the Diocese were Hispanic in 2000. Bishop Dougherty built churches and schools
and established social services to meet the needs of his new Diocese. He also attended the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Dougherty resigned in 1969 due to poor
health and was named auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles.
Cornelius M. Power (1913-1997)
·
Born in Seattle and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Seattle in 1939.
·
Bishop
of Yakima (1969-1974).
·
Later served as Archbishop of Portland, Oregon
(1974-1986).
Power was appointed Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, in 1974.
Nicolas E. Walsh (1916-1997)
·
Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of St. Paul in 1942.
·
Bishop
of Yakima (1974-1976).
·
Later served as auxiliary bishop of Seattle
(1976-1983).
Bishop Walsh served only two years as Bishop of Yakima. He resigned in 1976 due to health reasons
(perhaps related to a drunk driving arrest) and was named auxiliary bishop of
Seattle.
William S. Skylstad
(born 1934)
·
Born in Omak, Washington, and ordained a priest
for the Diocese of Spokane in 1960.
·
Bishop
of Yakima (1977-1990).
·
Later served as Bishop of Spokane (1990-2010).
Skylstad was named Bishop of Spokane in 1990.
Francis E. George, O.M.I. (1937-2015)
- Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1963.
- Also served as vicar general of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1974-1986).
- Bishop of Yakima (1990-1996).
- Later served as Archbishop of Portland, Oregon (1996-1997), and as Archbishop of Chicago (1997-2014). He was named a Cardinal in 1998.
Bishop George worked to bring the Diocese’s white and
Hispanic Catholics together and he began construction of La Salle High School
in Yakima. He was named Archbishop of
Portland, Oregon, in 1996.
Carlos A. Sevilla, S.J. (born 1935)
- Born in California and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1966.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco (1989-1997).
- Bishop of Yakima (1997-2011).
Bishop Sevilla led a Diocese that was 70 percent
Hispanic. Bishop Sevilla retired in
2011.
Current Bishop
Joseph J. Tyson was
appointed Bishop of Yakima by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. He was born in Moses Lake, Washington, in
1957, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Seattle in 1989. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Seattle
(2005-2011).
The Cathedral
15 South 12th.
Avenue
O Holy Apostle St Paul, who with your
teaching and with your charity taught the entire world, look kindly upon
us. Pray for us that we may live by
faith, be saved by hope, and that charity alone reign in us. Obtain for us the grace to correspond to the
divine will and that God’s grace may not remain unfruitful in us. May we better
know you and imitate you. May the warm breath of true charity permeate the
entire world. May all know and glorify God and Jesus, the Divine Master, Way,
Truth, and Life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The parish of St. Paul was established in 1914 and first met
in a hospital chapel and then in a farmhouse.
Construction of the current church began in 1926 and the first Mass in
the church was celebrated the following year.
St. Paul became the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Yakima in 1951.
Architect John Maonly designed the church using the mission
style similar to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. The Cathedral has a 125-foot tower with a
dome and cross. The roof consists of red
tile. The abstract stained-glass windows
were designed by Robert Hill and were installed in the 1980s. The Cathedral seats 800.
Additional information can be found on the Cathedral website
at stpaulyakima.org and on the Diocesan website at yakimadiocese.org. The Cathedral is located slightly west of downtown
Yakima and has six weekend masses—including one in Spanish—to serve 2,000
parish families.
Both are from snipview.
