Priest Attacked in the Sanctuary of the Cathedral during Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes in Spokane, Washington
A Catholic priest was attacked by a “disturbed gentleman” during a novena prayer service in Spokane, Washington state, on Feb. 4, 2025.
The Rev. David Gaines, parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Spokane, Wash., was praying alongside Bishop Thomas Daly when the man attacked him.
The assault took place during the church’s second night the Lourdes Novena for Healing, nine days of prayers for healing ending with the Feast of the Lady of Lourdes, the patron saint of healing, peace and the sick; and the patroness of the Cathedral. A man left his pew, ran to the sanctuary where the priest was praying and swung his fist but was subdued by parishioners and a security guard. According to OSV News, the attacker was later arrested and remains in jail, according to Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, who witnessed the attack.
FULL Video Below - Attack Occurs at the 1:01:55 Mark
The vicar general and cathedral’s rector, Father Darrin Connall, was leading petitions as the attack occurred. Kneeling behind both of them was Father David Gaines, the cathedral’s parochial vicar and victim of the attack.
As the man approached, Father Gaines stood, and the man swung at him and fell down. In livestream video footage that captured the attack, Father Gaines appeared to help him up, but the man continued to struggle against Father Gaines. The priest “was very calm, and he kept saying to him, ‘You’ll be OK, you’ll be OK,'” Bishop Daly recalled in a Feb. 6 interview with OSV News.
The bishop, a deacon and men from the congregation helped to subdue the attacker, who was then handcuffed by the cathedral’s security guard. Meanwhile, the man grunted, swore and yelled unintelligibly.
Bishop Daly said he did not recognize the attacker. He later learned that parishioners saw the man standing outside the church doors before the healing service and invited him in. The man had long hair and was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts, in snowy weather, and he was carrying reusable shopping bags, the bishop said.
According to the report he was previously known to police, Bishop Daly said. Father Gaines, told the bishop he had never met the man before.
The downtown location of the cathedral makes it vulnerable to crime and it sometimes attracts homeless people who may suffer from mental illness or be using drugs, Bishop Daly said.
Previous security incidents prompted the cathedral to hire an armed security guard, who is present at all Masses and other major liturgies, including the Lourdes Novena for Healing, which brings around 400 people for nine nights of prayer to the cathedral’s patroness.
The bishop said he is grateful for Father Gaines’ calm reaction, the quick response from men in the pews and the presence of the cathedral’s security officer. There will be a review of the cathedral’s security protocols with families’ safety prioritized, “I think it was handled as best as possible,” he said. “I’m just grateful no one was hurt.”
Bishop Daly immediately resumed the prayer service and prayed for the man.
“Let’s say a Hail Mary for that disturbed gentleman” he said, before leading the congregation in Hail Mary. He later prayed again for “the disturbed man who charged the sanctuary tonight” along with other petitions for healing.
“Here’s a person who’s mentally ill and violent who needs healing — it’s spiritual healing, it’s emotional, it’s physical,” he told OSV News. “This act in the midst of healing calls us to think about just how many people are sick.”
Sources: https://thedeaconsbench.com/watch-spokane-priest-attacked-during-prayer-service/ https://www.osvnews.com/attack-on-priest-at-spokane-cathedrals-lourdes-service-points-to-mental-health-needs-says-bishop/
The vicar general and cathedral’s rector, Father Darrin Connall, was leading petitions as the attack occurred. Kneeling behind both of them was Father David Gaines, the cathedral’s parochial vicar and victim of the attack.
As the man approached, Father Gaines stood, and the man swung at him and fell down. In livestream video footage that captured the attack, Father Gaines appeared to help him up, but the man continued to struggle against Father Gaines. The priest “was very calm, and he kept saying to him, ‘You’ll be OK, you’ll be OK,'” Bishop Daly recalled in a Feb. 6 interview with OSV News.
The bishop, a deacon and men from the congregation helped to subdue the attacker, who was then handcuffed by the cathedral’s security guard. Meanwhile, the man grunted, swore and yelled unintelligibly.
Bishop Daly said he did not recognize the attacker. He later learned that parishioners saw the man standing outside the church doors before the healing service and invited him in. The man had long hair and was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts, in snowy weather, and he was carrying reusable shopping bags, the bishop said.
According to the report he was previously known to police, Bishop Daly said. Father Gaines, told the bishop he had never met the man before.
The downtown location of the cathedral makes it vulnerable to crime and it sometimes attracts homeless people who may suffer from mental illness or be using drugs, Bishop Daly said.
Previous security incidents prompted the cathedral to hire an armed security guard, who is present at all Masses and other major liturgies, including the Lourdes Novena for Healing, which brings around 400 people for nine nights of prayer to the cathedral’s patroness.
The bishop said he is grateful for Father Gaines’ calm reaction, the quick response from men in the pews and the presence of the cathedral’s security officer. There will be a review of the cathedral’s security protocols with families’ safety prioritized, “I think it was handled as best as possible,” he said. “I’m just grateful no one was hurt.”
Bishop Daly immediately resumed the prayer service and prayed for the man.
“Let’s say a Hail Mary for that disturbed gentleman” he said, before leading the congregation in Hail Mary. He later prayed again for “the disturbed man who charged the sanctuary tonight” along with other petitions for healing.
“Here’s a person who’s mentally ill and violent who needs healing — it’s spiritual healing, it’s emotional, it’s physical,” he told OSV News. “This act in the midst of healing calls us to think about just how many people are sick.”
Sources: https://thedeaconsbench.com/watch-spokane-priest-attacked-during-prayer-service/ https://www.osvnews.com/attack-on-priest-at-spokane-cathedrals-lourdes-service-points-to-mental-health-needs-says-bishop/
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