Man attacks priest during Washington prayer service

SPOKANE, Wash. — A man was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly attacked a Spokane priest at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes during a service. 

“It took me a while to realize that this was pretty serious,” said Father Darrin Connall, a rector at the church who witnessed the attack. 

Father Connall says he was leading prayer for around 400 parishioners and was right next to where the incident happened. He says in his 14 years at this church he has never seen a situation like this.

“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,” said Father Connall.

Security camera footage from the church shows a man in the front row standing up and charging the altar, going after one of the priests who was getting up from his knees after leading prayer. 

Father Conall says the priest, Father Gaines, was not injured but says everyone at the service was shaken mentally. 

Since February 2, the church has been hosting 9 days of prayer for those that need healing. The 9 days are leading up to February 11, which is the Lady of Lourdes Feast Day, a world day of prayer for the sick. 

Father Connall says while there has been an outpouring of support and well wishes for the priests involved, there as also been a lot of concern and prayer for the man who was arrested. 

“Whatever his motivation was it wasn’t well, so its 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,” said Father Connall. 

The man who was arrested is expected to be in court for his first appearance on Thursday.