SPOKANE, Washington (LifeSiteNews) –– The man who attacked a priest during a healing liturgy in the Catholic cathedral in Spokane has been charged with assault.
Joshua James Sommers attacked Father David Gaines with his fists on the evening of Tuesday, February 5, the second night of a series of liturgies forming a Novena at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Spokane, Washington. It is not known what provoked the attack.
Sommers sat through the healing service until shortly after Gaines, the parochial vicar of the cathedral, knelt behind Bishop Thomas Daly. As Sommers rushed up the altar steps, Gaines arose and was punched by his assailant, who then fell and attempted to wrestle the priest to the ground. As the bishop, other members of the altar party, and congregants came to Gaines’ aid, Sommers tried to punch the priest again and began to shout in anguished tones.
The incident was caught on both the Cathedral’s security cameras and the liturgy’s live feed. One of the men attempting to subdue Sommers was recorded speaking to him soothingly: “It’s all right. Just calm down. It’s okay.”
The Cathedral’s rector, Father Darrin Connall, had been leading prayers before the Lourdes shrine to the right of the altar when Sommers rushed the sanctuary. During the melée, Connall asked for the security guard to be alerted, and Sommers was removed from the cathedral by two men. He was taken Spokane Police Division where he was charged with 3rd degree assault, 4th degree assault, and 4th degree attempted assault. According to KXLY News, Sommers had been charged with 3rd degree assault in 2023.
A message from Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral published yesterday on Facebook states that “Fr. Gaines and Bishop Daly are both doing well.”
“Thank you for all of your concerns and thank you for joining us again for this evening’s Novena.”
Sommers, who was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and kept his hair unusually long, appeared to be severely mentally ill. Connall told KXLY News that prayers for the man were said after he was taken away.
“Whatever demons he was struggling with need to be healed,” he said.
Connall admitted that everyone present was “pretty shaken” and revealed that extra security would be obtained for the next evening’s novena liturgy. According to KXLY News, there were between 350 and 400 people present at the liturgy.
Gaines was ordained to the priesthood in June 2014. Daly was made then-Bishop Blase Cupich’s successor as Bishop of Spokane in 2015. Previously an auxiliary bishop in San José, California, Daly is well-known and honored for his defence of the Catholic faith, the family, and human life from conception.