Background
Joseph Tyson was born in Moses Lake, Washington, and attended Blessed Sacrament School.
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Joseph Jude Tyson
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He graduated from Saint 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 degrees in Russian and Eastern European 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.
Career
He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle from 2005–2011. Tyson was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1989 by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. He then served as parochial vicar at Saint James Cathedral (1991-1993), pastor of Saint Mary of the Valley Parish in Monroe (1993-1996), and pastor of Saint Edward, Saint George, and Saint 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.
On May 12, 2005, Tyson was appointed Auxiliary Bishop 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."
He became interim superintendent of Seattle Catholic schools 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, Society of Jesus (Jesuit), 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.
