Welcome! You are invited back to the Eucharist! It is time to renew our faith through personal reception of the Sacraments and to rebuild the relationships and community life of our parish.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The general obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (including the Saturday Vigil Mass) is to be reinstated in the Diocese of Yakima this weekend on November 28, 2021, the First Sunday of Advent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, will be a special opportunity to honor the Blessed Mother for her prayers and intercession during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As in recent years, parishioners may meet that obligation by attending Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (transferred this year from December 12 to Monday, December 13).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     As has always been the case, those who have a serious reason are exempt from attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2181). This includes those who are ill, have significant health risk factors or care for someone who is immuno-compromised or ill, as well as those who have significant fear or anxiety of contracting the coronavirus in a large group of persons. Travelers always may seek a dispensation from their pastors, and they are exempt if their travels make Mass attendance impossible or unduly burdensome.

COVID-19 UPDATE:

LATEST WA STATE DIRECTIVE REGARDING FACIAL COVERINGS [EFFECTIVE MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021]   Until further notice, every person─age 5 or older─MUST wear a facial covering that covers their nose and mouth while inside our church, Parish Community Center (PCC), or our parish office. This directive of the WA State Department of Health applies to EVERYONE, regardless of one’s COVID-19 vaccination status.

The following people are exempt from the requirement to wear a face covering:

· Children younger than five years old;

· Children who are younger than two years old should never wear face coverings due to the risk of suffocation.

· Children who are two, three, or four years old, with the assistance and close supervision of an adult, are strongly recommended to wear a face covering at all times in public settings when around non-household members; and

· People with a medical condition, mental health condition, developmental or cognitive condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes, but is not limited to, people with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance.

NOTE: Those serving in leadership roles during Mass may remove face coverings while leading specific parts of the service, provided they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thank you for your cooperation in observing this state-wide mandate, which is intended to promote the safety and public health of us all during the Delta Variant phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Confessions at Holy Spirit are now held on Sunday afternoons - from 3:00 to 4:15 p.m. - in classroom 6 of the Parish Community Center (PCC). Access to the PCC is by the side (East-facing) doors. Regardless of your vaccination status against COVID-19, please wear facial coverings as you wait your turn for Confession in the hallway of the PCC. Appointments for Reconciliation at other times may be made by calling the parish office and arranging a mutually agreeable time with Fr. Michael.

Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us.

Parish History

The Parish of the Holy Spirit was founded in June 1980 by the Yakima Diocese with Msgr. John Ecker as founding Pastor.  After nearly two years of Sunday Masses at Desert Hills Middle School and daily Masses in rented office space, the new church was dedicated in February 1982 at its present site.  Msgr. Ecker left after Easter 1988 and was replaced by Fr. John O’Shea as pastor.  The new rectory was built in 1999.  The Parish Community Center (PCC) was built in 2006.  Fr. O'Shea retired in July 2007, Fr. Perron Auve retired in 2019 and currently Fr. Michael Brzezowski is our pastor. The parish has been served by four deacons over the years including John Segura, Tom Henn, John Powers and Ron Mertens and currently, Ken Ellis, Mike Gaulke, and Eric Shaber.

Welcome
 

Thank you for your interest in Holy Spirit Parish.  We welcome you and trust your stay among us will be fulfilling and pleasant.  We hope, most of all, that it will be a time of growth in Christ.

    Our parish mission statement reads:

       “We are a loving Catholic community of faith in southeast Washington striving to increase our knowledge, love and service to God.   We accomplish this by involving all parishioners in worship and sharing our time, talent and treasure within our community and the world wide church.”

When we gather each weekend to celebrate the Eucharist, we affirm, support and refine this vision.  In welcoming you it is in the hope that you can experience the vision and contribute to it.

If we can be of any help to you, please don’t hesitate to call the parish office.