Joseph J. Tyson
Encyclopedia
Joseph Jude Tyson is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
who is currently the Bishop (Catholic Church)
of the Diocese of Yakima
, Washington. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Seattle
from 2005–2011.
, and attended Blessed Sacrament School. He graduated from St. Alphonsus Elementary School in 1971 and from Bishop Blanchet High School
in 1975. He then studied at Shoreline Community College
and the University of Washington
, from where he obtained Bachelor's degree
s in Russia
n and Eastern Europe
an Area Studies and editorial journalism
in 1980. He earned a Master's degree
in international relations
from the Jackson School of International Studies in 1984, and a Master of Divinity
from the Theological College of the Catholic University of America
in 1989.
Tyson was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 10, 1989 by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen
. He then served as parochial vicar
at St. James Cathedral (1991–93), pastor
of St. Mary of the Valley Parish in Monroe
(1993–96), and pastor of St. Edward, St. George, and St. Paul Parishes in South Seattle (1996–2005). In addition, he has assisted chancery
offices in the area of permanent deacon
formation, parish experiences for seminarians
, vocations
, and communications.
of Seattle and Titular Bishop
of Migirpa by Pope Benedict XVI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following June 6 from Archbishop Alexander Brunett
, with Bishops George Thomas
and Gustavo Garcia-Siller
, M.Sp.S.
, serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: "Christo Lumen ad Gentes."
In 2007, Tyson testified at a state legislative hearing on a proposed Washington initiative to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples
; he promoted broadening its provisions, a controversial strategy used elsewhere by the Catholic Church, extending the definition of partnership to relationships beyond that of unmarried couples, to prevent discrimination against an elderly parent, a sibling, housemate or another in residence thus limiting its potential affirmative impact for gay rights, consistent with the Catholic Church's long-standing position.
He became interim superintendent
of Seattle Catholic school
s on July 1, 2008. He is a devoted cyclist
, even receiving news of his episcopal appointment while riding his bike. In addition to his native English
, he speaks Spanish
, German
, Vietnamese, and Serbo-Croatian
.
On April 12, 2011, Tyson was appointed the seventh bishop
of the Diocese of Yakima
in Washington State, replacing Carlos Arthur Sevilla
, S.J.
,
who served as bishop
from 1996 until his retirement in 2011. Tyson was installed as bishop
of the Diocese of Yakima
on May 31, 2011, at Holy Family Parish in Yakima.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
who is currently the Bishop (Catholic Church)
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the Diocese of Yakima
Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central region of the state of Washington in the United States...
, Washington. He served as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Seattle
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Seattle, the archdiocese encompasses all counties in the state west of the Cascade Range. Its cathedral is St. James Cathedral, and its present archbishop is J...
from 2005–2011.
Early life and priesthood
Joseph Tyson was born in Moses Lake, WashingtonMoses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,366 as of the 2010 census. Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County.-Background:...
, and attended Blessed Sacrament School. He graduated from St. Alphonsus Elementary School in 1971 and from Bishop Blanchet High School
Bishop Blanchet High School
Bishop Blanchet High School is a coed Catholic high school located just north of Green Lake in Seattle, Washington, United States. The school was founded in 1954 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, and named for the first bishop of the diocese, A.M.A. Blanchet...
in 1975. He then studied at Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park. The college contains 83 acres and continuously serves 12,000 full and part-time students....
and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, from where he obtained Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an Area Studies and editorial journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1980. He earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
from the Jackson School of International Studies in 1984, and a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
from the Theological College of the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 1989.
Tyson was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on June 10, 1989 by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen
Raymond Hunthausen
Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen is a retired American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1962 to 1975 and as Archbishop of Seattle from 1975 to 1991.-Early life and education:...
. He then served as parochial vicar
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. James Cathedral (1991–93), pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Mary of the Valley Parish in Monroe
Monroe, Washington
Monroe is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population as of 17,304 at the 2010 census.-History:The history of Monroe is intertwined with that of the Great Northern Railway which pushed over the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass and worked its way down the Skykomish River...
(1993–96), and pastor of St. Edward, St. George, and St. Paul Parishes in South Seattle (1996–2005). In addition, he has assisted chancery
Curia (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...
offices in the area of permanent deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
formation, parish experiences for seminarians
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, vocations
Vocational discernment in the Catholic Church
Vocational discernment is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church discern, or determine, their vocation in the Church. Though one may also speak of discerning a vocation to marriage or to life as a single person, discerning a vocation most frequently refers to a special vocation...
, and communications.
Episcopal career
On May 12, 2005, Tyson was appointed Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Seattle and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Migirpa by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following June 6 from Archbishop Alexander Brunett
Alexander Joseph Brunett
Alexander Joseph Brunett is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Helena from 1994–1997 and as the immediate past Archbishop of Seattle from 1997–2010....
, with Bishops George Thomas
George Leo Thomas
George Leo Thomas is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Bishop of Helena since 2004.-Biography:...
and Gustavo Garcia-Siller
Gustavo Garcia-Siller
Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S. is a Mexican American prelate of the Catholic Church of the Western Roman Rite...
, M.Sp.S.
Missionaries of the Holy Spirit
The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit are a Catholic religious order founded in Mexico City in 1914 by Félix de Jesús Rougier . Rougier was a priest, member of another religious order, the Society of Mary...
, serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Christo Lumen ad Gentes."
In 2007, Tyson testified at a state legislative hearing on a proposed Washington initiative to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples
Same-sex relationship
A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
; he promoted broadening its provisions, a controversial strategy used elsewhere by the Catholic Church, extending the definition of partnership to relationships beyond that of unmarried couples, to prevent discrimination against an elderly parent, a sibling, housemate or another in residence thus limiting its potential affirmative impact for gay rights, consistent with the Catholic Church's long-standing position.
He became interim superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of Seattle Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
s on July 1, 2008. He is a devoted cyclist
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, even receiving news of his episcopal appointment while riding his bike. In addition to his native English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, he speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Vietnamese, and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
.
On April 12, 2011, Tyson was appointed the seventh bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of Yakima
Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central region of the state of Washington in the United States...
in Washington State, replacing Carlos Arthur Sevilla
Carlos Arthur Sevilla
Carlos Arthur Sevilla, SJ is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Bishop of Yakima.-Biography:...
, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
,
who served as bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
from 1996 until his retirement in 2011. Tyson was installed as bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of Yakima
Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yakima is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central region of the state of Washington in the United States...
on May 31, 2011, at Holy Family Parish in Yakima.