The 2026 White Mass
Yakima, Washington — October 13, 2026
On October 13, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph J. Tyson, Bishop of Yakima, celebrated a White Mass at St. Paul Cathedral in honor of physicians and other healthcare professionals serving the communities of Central Washington.
The celebration carried special significance this year. Traditionally associated with the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, patron saint of physicians, the White Mass was celebrated ahead of his October 18 feast day, which falls on a Sunday in 2026. The chosen date, October 13, also coincided with the feast of Blessed Gerard of Jerusalem, founder of the Knights Hospitaller, today known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
This convergence brought together two venerable traditions of Christian medicine: St. Luke's witness as physician and evangelist, and Blessed Gerard's enduring legacy of service to the sick and the poor.
Members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta attended the celebration in their traditional robes, alongside members of the Catholic Physicians Guild of the Tri-Cities, a registered guild of the Catholic Medical Association. The Guild was represented by Dr. Joseph DiMeo, DO, Guild Warden for Yakima, and Eduardo Smith Singares, the CMA State Director.
The occasion provided an opportunity to recognize the vocation of Catholic healthcare professionals and to reaffirm a principle that has guided Christian medicine for centuries: that caring for the sick is not merely a professional responsibility, but an expression of charity and service to human dignity.
The Catholic Physicians Guild of the Tri-Cities hopes to build upon this celebration by establishing the White Mass as an enduring annual tradition, strengthening fellowship among Catholic healthcare professionals throughout the region and encouraging the integration of faith, professional excellence, and service.
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