This week a homeless man was arrested for assaulting a Spokane, WA priest. The incident, which is captured in dramatic security camera footage, went viral on social media. While Father Gaines was not injured, he used the opportunity to draw attention to the security issues at his church. Despite the violent attack, the priest forgave his assailant and can be heard praying for him after he was led out in handcuffs.
Father Darrin Connal witnessed the attack. His colleague was leading prayers when 45-year-old Joshua Sommers attacked. “It took me a while to realize that this was pretty serious,” he said. father Gaines added, “It was certainly was a very scary moment…thank God no one was injured.” The incident took place during the 9 days leading up to the Lady of Lourdes Feast Day, a world day of prayer for the sick.
“Whatever his motivation was, it wasn’t well, so it’s providential or ironic that we are in these days of healing, and in the midst of all this, this happens from a man who needs some sort of healing in his life,” the priest added. Spokane has been plagued with a serious homelessness problem. “I didn’t realize how serious it was in the sense of we are in a downtown parish, we see disruptions and things like that all the time,” he added.
He remembered how, before the attack, “he just sat there. I didn’t even notice him, really.” After sommers was arrested, the “we all got on our knees and we prayed for him.” In the security footage, the priest can be heard saying, ” So let’s say a hail Mary for that disturbed gentleman.” The priests explained how the church is no stranger to mentally troubled visitors.
“We spend 10s of 1000s of dollars a year on fencing and alarms and locks and security cameras at church, even hiring a security guard for Sunday service. People are addicted, so we see a lot of addiction around here. People are mentally ill,” they explained. He added, “We now have combination locks on our restrooms because two summers ago, a man hid in there and ended up molesting one of our parishioners, a little boy.”
Sommer has been charged with assault several times. His bail was set at $75,000, and his arraignment is scheduled for the 19th. This is not the only Washington church that has had problems with an unchecked homeless population. Living Word Church of Tacoma, WA, which has a congregation of around 25 people, has met at Park Avenue in Tacoma for more than 20 years. The Pastor hopes they will be able to correct the issue.
Watch the Dramatic Security Camera Footage Here:
Charles Williams, the pastor of Living Word Ministry, said, “I mean, I got my blood, sweat, and tears here.” He added, “We’re hoping that being here another day will make us less predictable of when you can violate our property.” The pastor described that there have been several trespassing and vandalism incidents in the past few months.
Every time he walks up to the building, he finds a new issue. “That’s how often it is,” said the pastor. It’s constant.” Williams has encountered graffiti, people breaking windows, and people camping on the property and leaving vehicles and trash behind. The church has also had to deal with people stealing water and electricity, and two fires have been lit on church property.
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