FāVS Religion News Roundup: March 28
News Story by FāVS Staff
Washington clergy may be mandatory reporters if bill passes next week
Washington state lawmakers are advancing Senate Bill 5375, which would require clergy members to report child abuse they learn about during religious duties, with no exemption for penitential communications. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, passed the Senate in February with a 28-20 vote largely along party lines and has moved to the House.
Proponents like Rachel Fisher, a Jehovah’s Witness abuse survivor, argue the bill closes a critical reporting gap, while opponents including Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Yakima Diocese contend it violates religious freedom by potentially forcing Catholic priests to break the seal of confession, according to the Columbia Basin Herald. The bill needs to receive a full vote in the the House by April 2 to proceed to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Advocacy group to host a forum on reproductive justice
The Intersectional Advocacy Coalition of Whitman County will host a “Reproductive Justice as a Human Right” community forum March 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many respected organizations from Seattle to Sandpoint will put on presentations and workshops focused on reproductive health and justice for all community members of the Palouse region and beyond.
It will be held at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center, 405 SE Spokane St. in Pullman. Pre-register online or on location the day of the event. It is free to attend and includes lunch for all participants! Parking at the venue is free.
Emergency homeless shelter opens in Seattle thanks to Episcopal church
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle has partnered with the nonprofit Operation Nightwatch to open an emergency shelter for homeless women. The shelter, named Donna Jean’s Place, can accommodate up to 20 women in need of emergency housing. The congregation helped fund a $100,000 renovation of two classrooms in a cathedral-owned building that once housed a school, adding showers, toilets, lockers, laundry facilities and exam rooms for medical and mental health appointments. This new shelter helps address a critical shortage of emergency beds in Seattle, filling a gap left when another shelter in the cathedral’s parish hall closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project is part of a growing trend of Episcopal congregations nationwide responding to housing shortages and homelessness. Similar initiatives include a temporary winter shelter for women and children in Louisville, Kentucky, a planned 17-bed homeless shelter in New Jersey, and a “tiny home village” in Portland, Oregon. In King County, which includes Seattle, more than 16,000 people were experiencing homelessness during an official 2024 count, making initiatives like Donna Jean’s Place crucial to meeting urgent community needs, according to the Episcopal News Service.
Send in your prayers for creation to be read aloud
All through the month of April this year, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral will be collecting prayers for the Earth, environment, nature and creation. They invite the community to contribute prayers to “Catching our Breath: Prayers for Creation” to be read the second week of May with the date still to be announced.
St. John’s will keep the prayers anonymous, but they desire to know the individual’s sacred group affiliation to showcase the wide range of participation. Prayers should be around one minute in length, without a limit to how many can be submitted. Those interested in contributing can email their prayers from April 1 to May 31 to HFC@st.johns-cathedral.org.
Mead School District decides to lean toward federal, not state, trans student policies
The Mead School District’s proposed policy on transgender students would prioritize federal guidance over state directives, likely creating a conflict with state anti-discrimination laws. The draft policy removes language promoting a discrimination-free environment and focuses on accommodating all students. Changes include allowing case-by-case decisions for transgender students, not requiring teachers to use preferred pronouns and restricting access to restrooms and overnight accommodations based on sex at birth.
The proposal faces opposition from both local supporters and critics, with some urging more consultation with transgender students, while others argue for stricter policies on gender-specific spaces like bathrooms and sports. The Mead School District expects to compromise on some language with the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction when they send it to them for review and before the District votes on it, reports The Spokesman-Review.
Catholic Charities prepares for uncertain future without federal funding
Jilma Meneses, the new president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Western Washington, is prioritizing sustainability planning as the organization faces uncertain federal funding. Taking helm of the organization on March 1, Meneses is creating budget scenarios to prepare for potential cuts ranging from 0-50% to the agency that serves areas covered by the Archdiocese of Seattle. According to Crux, her primary concerns include possible reductions to immigration services and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services reimbursements that fund health services for elderly and disabled Washingtonians.
Meneses, who previously served as secretary for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services under former Gov. Jay Inslee, emphasized the importance of partnership between the nearly $500 million organization and state government. She’s begun exploring alternatives to government contracts, including entrepreneurial initiatives and private grants.
