It is always interesting and uplifting how a seemingly disturbing incident can produce fruit.

On Tuesday evening, Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral held the second day of prayer for the Lourdes Novena for Healing. Our Lady of Lourdes is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane to which our family belongs. It is always a blessing and a treat when we attend mass at the Cathedral as it is a magnificent and beautiful house of worship. As is the case with most mother churches in dioceses across the world, things are usually done on a grander scale—or how us Catholics describe it—with extra “smells and bells.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane. It is a beautiful place of worship and attracts people from all walks of life.

Our Lady of Lourdes is located in the heart of downtown Spokane in a very urban area. The throngs of worshippers who attend the parish come from all walks of life. Attend any service at the Cathedral and you are bound to see a vast representation of all God’s children. Many people who walk through the grand cathedral doors are suffering greatly.

During the prayer service on Tuesday, a shocking episode happened. As the celebrants knelt to pray in front of the Mary statue nestled in the makeshift grotto, someone rushed the sanctuary. The individual sprinted from his pew, ascended the stairs, and attacked Fr. David Gaines who knelt directly behind Bishop Thomas Daly. The assailant threw wild punches at Fr. Gaines as he managed to make contact with varying degrees of success. I have watched the stream numerous times and one thing is for sure: it is tough to watch. It is near impossible to defend yourself when someone is charging you from your blind spot while on your knees.

A screenshot from the Our Lady of Lourdes livestream of the attack on Fr. Gaines (edited photo courtesy of Metro).

Thanks be to God, parishioners and Cathedral staff quickly overpowered the 40-year-old mentally ill individual and removed him from Fr. Gaines.

Two things from the incident stand out that exemplify the compassion taught by Jesus Christ.

1. While he is literally being attacked, Fr. Gaines is calmly telling his attacker, “It’s okay buddy. It’s all right, just calm down.” With someone trying to seriously injure him, this warmhearted priest is trying his best to comfort the troubled gentleman.

2. After the man was removed, Fr. Darrin Connall, who was leading the Novena, didn’t scorn him. Instead, he prayed for him. He led the congregation in a “Hail Mary” for the guy who tried to harm his brother priest.

I met Fr. David Gaines during Hoopfest 2023. He came and watched our team play and then we got to hang out with him afterwards.

The aftermath has been just as inspirational. Thanks to the live streaming capabilities of Our Lady of Lourdes, the local media ran the video and covered the incident. It didn’t take long for the national media to follow suit. Media giants like TMZ and the New York Post latched on. NBC News did too—and they even interviewed Fr. Gaines.

Fr. David Gaines speaks with Camila Bernal of NBC News. What a great ambassador of the faith that Fr. Gaines has been.

In his humble and Christ-like nature, Fr. Gaines didn’t hesitate to express his forgiveness for the man. In fact, he even went beyond. In his own Pope John Paul II moment (the former pope/now-saint met with the person who shot him), Fr. Gaines said he would also like to meet with the person who sought to do him harm.

My brother and I received a blessing from Fr. David Gaines right outside of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral during Bloomsday 2024.

What an amazing example of what it means to be a Christian! I am proud to be Catholic, proud to be part of the Diocese of Spokane, and proud to know Fr. Gaines. Please pray for the healing of everyone, especially those dealing with mental illness. Don’t Blink.