November 16, 2007 - Issue #23
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Local News
Juneau bishop appointed to lead Montana diocese
Archbishop Schwietz to oversee Juneau Diocese
Pope Benedict XVI has named Juneau Bishop Michael W. Warfel as the new bishop of Great Falls-Billings, Mont.
The appointment was announced in Washington Nov. 20 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop Warfel, 59, has headed the Juneau Diocese since he was ordained its bishop in December 1996. He will be installed Jan. 16 at Holy Spirit Church in Great Falls.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz extended congratulations to his fellow Alaska bishop.
"I am deeply grateful for Bishop Warfel’s dedicated and effective service to the people of the Diocese of Juneau and for the opportunity to work in collaboration with him in the Alaska Conference of Catholic Bishops," Archbishop Schwietz said in a written statement Nov. 20. "I am sure the people Bishop Warfel served will miss him but I am equally sure that the Catholics of Eastern Montana will welcome him joyfully."
The Vatican has asked Archbishop Schwietz to serve as apostolic administrator of the Juneau Diocese beginning Jan. 16, 2008. This work will include governing the diocese while the Vatican finds a replacement for Bishop Warfel.
"The general idea behind the work of an apostolic administer is simply to keep the ministries of the archdiocese flowing normally during this interim period," said Father Tom Brundage, judicial vicar and moderator of the curia for the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Archbishop Schwietz has indicated that the Vatican is working to find a replacement as quickly as possible, Father Brundage said.
In the mean time, however, the new work will certainly entail more travel and time away from the Anchorage Archdiocese for Archbishop Schwietz, who plans to meet with leaders from the Juneau Diocese in mid-December.
Father Brundage said it is still too early to say exactly what the new assignment will entail or how long it will last.
"I know that when Bishop (Michael) Kaniecki died in Fairbanks it took almost two years to find a replacement for him. In Whitehorse in Canada, it took almost six years to find a new bishop there," Father Brundage said. "It is certainly hoped for that this appointment won’t take an extended period of time."
Retired Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley said he will also be available to provide sacramental service to the Juneau Diocese during this time of transition. Archbishop Hurley led the Anchorage Archdiocese from 1976 to 2001 and had the privilege to ordain Bishop Warfel as a deacon, priest and archbishop.
"I’m very pleased that he is being recognized like this," Archbishop Hurley told the Anchor. "It will be a great loss for our state though."
On the national level, Bishop Warfel is in the second year of a three-year term as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Home Missions. He is a former chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Evangelization.
Bishop Warfel said he never envisioned serving as a priest anywhere except Alaska, according to a statement from the Great Falls-Billings Diocese. He added, however, that he looks forward to serving in his new assignment.
The Great Falls-Billings Diocese has been vacant since June 2006, when Bishop Anthony M. Milone retired at age 73. Canon law requires that all bishops submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75.
Bishop Milone announced he was retiring early because of health reasons. He said his struggle with his health had hampered his ability to travel around the diocese, go to meetings or simply be "with the people of the diocese."
The diocese covers more than 94,000 square miles and serves about 51,000 Catholics in 66 parishes and 44 missions in the eastern two-thirds of the state.
In a statement released by the Great Falls-Billings Diocese, Bishop Milone said: "I am so pleased and grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for this appointment. I know that the Catholics of the diocese will receive Bishop Warfel with openness and great hospitality."
"It has been a time of great anticipation for the last 16 months, and I could not be more pleased with this new appointment," said Father Jay H. Peterson, who has been diocesan administrator since Bishop Milone’s retirement.
"Bishop Warfel will bring a unique set of gifts and experiences that prepare him well for ministry in eastern Montana," he said in a statement.
Michael W. Warfel was born Sept. 16, 1948, in Elkhart, Ind., in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Despite the Catholic and Baptist backgrounds of his mother and father, there was little religious practice in the Warfel home. As a youngster Michael decided he would attend church. He took catechism classes at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, where he was baptized at age 12.
He attended elementary and secondary schools in Elkhart and studied music for a year at Indiana University. He served an 18-month tour in Vietnam, followed by 13 months in Korea.
After completing military service, in 1972 he entered St. Gregory’s College Seminary in Cincinnati, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He completed graduate theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati in 1980.
As a seminarian, Bishop Warfel visited his sister in Alaska during the summers. After deciding that he wanted to live and minister in Alaska, he obtained permission to change from studying to be a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend to study for the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
He was ordained an Anchorage archdiocesan priest April 26, 1980. His assignments included parochial vicar of St. Benedict, Anchorage, 1980-85; pastor of Sacred Heart, Wasilla, 1985-89; and pastor of St. Mary, Kodiak, 1990-95. He became pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Anchorage, in 1995.
At Kodiak, then-Father Warfel encountered Spanish-speaking parishioners. He learned Spanish, becoming fluent through studies in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. He inaugurated a Sunday Mass in Spanish and began outreach programs to the Spanish-speaking in Kodiak.
In 1990, he earned a master’s degree in theology with a specialization in Scripture from St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vt.
In the years he has been bishop of Juneau, he has periodically returned to Elkhart to visit family members and to help with confirmations throughout the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.
Men on a mission to serve
Oblates head for Kenai Peninsula to rekindle traditions
Earlier this month, three priests and a religious brother from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate packed their bags with the blessing of their U.S. provincial and headed for Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, where they hope to revive an old way of life.
This is no ordinary mission for the religious quartet. In a country of vast spiritual needs and thousands of Catholic communities without priests (including all four on the Peninsula), these men aim to rekindle one of the founding traits of their order by striking a balance between religious community life and apostolic outreach to the world.
The idea surfaced a couple of years ago, when Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz and Brother Craig Bonham, both Oblates, began brainstorming a way to bring greater sacramental and apostolic ministries to Catholics on the Peninsula.
The Oblates say the national province is keenly interested in the new Alaska mission and hopes it will be the first of similar ventures across the country.
The four men – Father Joe Dowling from Texas, Father Tony Dummer from Juneau, Father Andy Sensenig from Massachusetts and Brother Craig Bonham from Anchorage – expressed excitement about the new challenge.
"It is a delicate balance between sharing with people and also nurturing our community ties," Father Sensenig said during a recent interview with all four men at the South Anchorage home of Archbishop Schwietz. The Oblates have lived with the archbishop this fall while final preparations were made on their new residence in Soldotna.
Father Dowling, who was just ordained in July, said modern realities often challenge religious community life, especially with the growing demand for religious and priestly outreach.
"We were sort of founded to live in community but over time guys got spread out and it was increasingly difficult," he said.
Brother Bonham agreed.
"The problem is that when it comes to a crunch, if you always give preference to the ministerial aspect of the apostolic life, then pretty soon the community life dies out," he explained.
And community is a key aspect of Oblate life, Father Dummer added.
"You need the feedback; you need someone to grow with," he said. "You need someone to challenge you and bring out your gifts. You need someone to tell you that you just messed up."
He made the analogy to a good married life.
"In community you pray together, you eat together, you basically share life," he added. "It can also be a challenge."
Each of the men received three-year assignments from the national province, with a strong likelihood that they would be extended an additional three years and perhaps as many as nine years total.
On the Peninsula, the men will live together in a house remodeled and upgraded by parishioners in Soldotna. During the week, they plan to live, pray, celebrate the sacraments and serve together in community life. On weekends, the priests will split up and celebrate Mass and other sacraments where there are no resident priests in Kenai, Homer, Ninilchik and Soldotna. Brother Bonham will help with outreach programs in each of these areas.
The Oblates acknowledged that a combination of hope and fear surfaced amongst Peninsula Catholics when word spread that they were coming.
"I think the biggest fear is that we would come in with some kind of preset agenda and force something on the parishes and not work with them," Brother Bonham said.
The concern, however, ran both ways."It is kind of a two-way street," Brother Bonham added. "Folks have to accept where we are at as ministers and as ministers we have to accept where they are and help deal with the real situation without arbitrarily doing some kind of program."
Father Sensenig said it was actually comforting for the Oblates to hear that parishioners were concerned about the future.
"Their concern is actually a good sign of health because they are taking ownership of their parish," he said. "Even though they have fears, I see that as a great blessing because they care and want to know what we are all about."
This fall, the men visited with lay leaders and religious sisters in various communities on the Peninsula to talk about practical concerns and introduced themselves. They formally meet parishioners in Soldotna on Nov. 18.
In February, Archbishop Schwietz, Brother Craig, Sister Charlotte Davenport and Oblate Vicar Provincial Father William Morell all met with leaders from Peninsula parishes to determine the scope of the new mission.
Four priorities surfaced from those meetings. The Oblates will live in community, work with current parish leadership, provide greater sacramental ministry than was previously possible, and reach out to fallen-away Catholics and the unchurched.
The men spoke of reaching young adults and others through outreaches such as Theology on Tap, which often meets in public places like restaurants and bars. They also mentioned less formal approaches to evangelism like meeting people in coffee shops and grocery stores.
"It’s simple things," said Father Dummer. "I was in Homer to get some medicine for my cold and as I was going through the checkout line, the lady saw my cross and asked who I was. I found out that she’s Catholic and had moved there six months ago but hadn’t been to church. I said, ‘Well, if you don’t come to church, I’m going to come and find you.’ The next morning, there she was sitting in church.
If she’s comfortable, she’ll bring two more and evangelism will spread naturally, he said.
Father Sensenig said the mission is really pretty simple at its very core.
"It’s really about being more of a presence to the community," he said, "and spending time with people over the long haul."
The Oblates will minister to St. John the Baptist Church in Homer, St. Peter the Apostle Mission in Ninilchik, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Soldotna, and Our Lady of the Angels Church in Kenai.
Safe guarding against abuseArchdiocese revamps safe environment policies
Officials at the Anchorage Archdiocese said they are committed to improving both the safe-environment education programs and the procedures used to report accusations of sexual abuse.
Late last month, the archdiocese received results from a national audit, stating that it was not in full compliance with two areas of the U.S. bishops’ national program — "Charter for the protection of Children and Young People" — which aims to ensure the safety of children in the church.
In response to the audit, the archdiocese is changing its approach to providing training, while also clarifying the process for reporting allegations of abuse within the church.
"I always look at an audit as a learning experience," said Sister Charlotte Davenport, chancellor for the archdiocese. "We are still learning how to implement the responsibilities of the charter."
According to an archdiocesan statement, its policy for reporting allegations of sexual abuse was in error because all allegations should first be reported to civil authorities.
"I think there may have been some confusion about that and we want to make sure people understand that the first thing to do if there is a concern or an allegation is to contact the Office of Children’s Services or Adult Protective Services," said Sister Jackie Stoll, the safe environment coordinator for the archdiocese.
From there, OCS and APS will assist in reporting to local law enforcement.
All employees of the archdiocese are expected to follow the new guidelines, Sister Stoll said.
Law enforcement will then determine whether a law has been broken and whether formal charges should be filed.
"In other words, it is not our decision to make whether a law has been broken," Sister Stoll explained. "That is up to law enforcement agencies."
The new policy will also require archdiocesan employees to report allegations to the vicar general at the same time they report to civil authorities. The archdiocese will then conduct its own internal review to determine whether church laws or codes of conduct have been violated. The archbishop would determine whether any disciplinary action is required.
"If it turns out that an allegation was false from a civil standpoint and unfounded in terms of moral, ethical and church teaching, then we would do everything possible to make sure a person’s reputation is guarded," Sister Stoll explained, while adding that all archdiocesan records are confidential, except when cooperating with civil authorities.
"We would never disclose names or particulars about a particular incident," she explained. That is not because the church wants to be secretive but to protect potential victims or the reputation of the person in question if they are not guilty.
Sister Charlotte said the church would work closely with law enforcement to assist in whatever way it can.
The U.S. bishops’ charter, which was first adopted in 2002, states that information on how to report alleged abuse should be available in every language in which the liturgy is celebrated in a particular archdiocese. To that end, informational posters and brochures will be available for local parishes in English, Korean and Spanish.
According to the audit, the archdiocese must also improve its safe environment training program and better document who receives training.
To correct the deficiencies, all archdiocesan, parish and school staff, including priests, deacons and candidates for ordination will receive safe environment training every three years, background checks every five years and annual reviews of the archdiocese’s code of conduct and safe environment policies.
Parish volunteers must also take training if they work with children or vulnerable adults.
An updated training program for children will also be implemented throughout the archdiocese, Sister Stoll explained.
Historically the archdiocese relied on the public schools to provide safe environment training. It is difficult, however, to determine what information is provided and to what degree each public school is offering the program, Sister Stoll said.
"We need to be certain that our children are being taught this information and we want it to come from a faith based perspective," she added, before clarifying that the training curriculum will all be approved by Archbishop Roger Schwietz.
"It is not teaching anything that would be contrary to our faith or our church’s teachings," Sister Stoll said. "It is not sex education. So, for instance, there are no graphic anatomical terms. It is done in a very gentle and appropriate way and yet it gets the message across that you need to take care of yourself."
Adrian Dominican Sister Ann Fallon, the superintendent for Anchorage Archdiocese schools, has proposed a children’s safe-environment curriculum for both school and parish usage.
The curriculum is still under review but is expected to be approved by Archbishop Schwietz by the end of the year.
Parental involvement is key to providing training for children, Sister Stoll said.
"Parents need to know what is at stake, which is the safety of their children," she added. "It is not that the church is full of predators, but this is a larger societal issue. It is unfortunately where we are as a society and it is important for children to know how to be safe."
Parents are encouraged to review the curriculum and attend adult training sessions to learn more about it, Sister Stoll explained.
If after reviewing the curriculum, parents still wish to have their child opt out of the program, they can sign a waver.
Those parents would receive a simple brochure, to review with their children at home if they desire.
The next audit is scheduled for fall 2008, with all necessary changes to be implemented by June 30, 2008.
"We have every intention to do what is required," Sister Stoll said. "It is a priority for the archbishop and the whole archdiocese."
Hundreds rally for youth programs
Several hundred people — families, children and community leaders — filled St. Anthony Church Nov. 5 to protest Mayor Mark Begich’s proposed budget cuts to several popular programs run at area churches.
The town hall meeting sought to address the issue and rally support from assembly members Paul Bauer, Sheila Selkregg and Allan Tesche to address the Begich administration’s proposed 2008 budget, which seeks to cut funding for these programs. That figure includes $20,000 earmarked for the Neighborhood Play program at St. Anthony Church in Russian Jack, and another $30,000 from Central Lutheran’s program staffed by the Camp Fire program in the Fairview neighborhood.
"It’s such a small price to pay for a program that has such a major impact on our neighborhood youth," St. Anthony parishioner Mark Braudis testified.
Braudis has seven kids among the 60 youth who were actively involved in this summer’s day camp at the parish.
Anchorage Faith and Action — Congregations Together (AFACT), along with the community-organizing ministry at St. Anthony Church and Central Lutheran Church secured funding for the summer and after-school programs back in 2005-2006 from the mayor. Neighbors argued that these outreaches fill a huge need for those communities, especially the youngest residents.
"Before these programs, children had to ride a bus across the Glenn Highway to get to Mountain View for a program," St. Anthony parishioner Mary Snowball said. "This program is a huge asset."
The high volume of traffic on the Glenn, Gambell and Ingra streets is the reason multiple locations are needed, neighbors argued. It’s also a crucial preventive program to crime and one that is cost effective when you do the numbers, according to Annette Alleva.
"It costs 60 thousand dollars to incarcerate someone for a year," Alleva said. "Even if the program saves just one person, it’s a savings of 10 thousand dollars for the city."
Assembly members listened as dozens of people, including several school principals, testified to the benefits of the program. At the close of the meeting, leaders from St. Anthony and Central Lutheran Church got the three assembly members present to commit to supporting the programs. They also encouraged people to voice their concerns to the mayor’s office."They heard a very clear story," Anchorage Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley said. "It was a good opportunity for the community to hear a commitment from the assembly members. They’re on public record now, which is important. Overall I’m pleased with the representation."
St. Patrick’s offers Thanksgiving blessing
Faith-based program serves thousands in Anchorage
The Knights of Columbus hope to transform the St. Patrick Church hall into a giant grocery store filled to the brim with all sorts of Thanksgiving food for Anchorage’s less fortunate. It is one leg of a city-wide faith community outreach.
"Last year we he had dozens of tables set, stacked so high with food the tables were bowing in the middle," said Dave Patterson.
Patterson is one of the Knights of Columbus who are spearheading the push to collect food. Last year, Father Scott Medlock approached the Knights to assist the Anchorage Thanksgiving Blessing Project.
The Project includes dozens of faith communities by combining their efforts to provide Thanksgiving baskets to the less fortunate. They work in conjunction with the Food Bank of Alaska. It’s a project that began in 2004 as a way to make sure as many families across Anchorage were served in a streamlined process. Patterson checked out the process the year before St. Patrick’s participated."I looked at the operation, and how it worked," he said. "Being an old army guy I was like, ‘this is easy.’"
The project divides Anchorage into nine different regional areas. The site at St. Patrick’s serves East Anchorage, south of Debarr and east of Boniface parkway.
"We’ve gone to all the schools in the area to set up barrels," Patterson said.
Through the Knights organizing skills, St. Patrick managed to serve more than 300 families last year and still had food and resources to spare.
"We easily could have served 500 families," Patterson said. "We ended up giving about a ton to a ton and a half of food to St. Francis House."
But Patterson is quick to point out that all resources are used and nothing is put to waste.
"If there is extra money or supplies, it all goes back to the organization," he said.
And every little bit counts, he added.
"It doesn’t matter if you give a case of green beans or your spare change from an old sock," he said.
The Knights are also looking for a few good men and women to help distribute the food on Nov. 19.
"We’re looking for about 40-60 people to help out that day, even if it’s just for a couple of hours," Patterson said. He pointed out that the small gestures are often the most meaningful."Its all about people and being in community. Many of the people that come in here have had a rough go of things. To see someone smile — they’re very appreciative."
Alaska bishops’ meeting addresses political, cultural issues
During the Alaska Federation of Natives conference last month, the three Alaska Catholic bishops gathered in Fairbanks for an official meeting of the Alaska Catholic Conference of Bishops. The three leaders addressed a wide range of topics, from the upcoming national meeting of U.S. bishops to election year issues and the overwhelming focus on specific issues that pertain to Alaska Catholics. The Anchor spoke with Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz about the meeting. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Did the Alaska bishops make any concrete decisions at the recent meeting?
One of the main things we decided was the structure for the ACCB and about how we are going to move the ACCB office to Anchorage. We looked at how we would structure that from now until April.
We will still have someone in Juneau to lobby for us, but more on a part-time basis when the legislative session is going.
The ACCB will be more accessible to people in Anchorage, especially in terms of teaching the faith and making the teachings available on things such as public policy and how it applies to the faith.
Is the move partially motivated by the upcoming elections next year?
We talked about the upcoming election next year, particularly about the upcoming pastoral letter that we will be voting on at the U.S. Council of Bishop’s meeting in Baltimore called "Faithful Citizenship." We also wanted to look at communicating our own legislative priorities here in the state on things such as pro-life issues and funding of programs for youth like Denali Kid Care. Also, we are looking at putting together a pastoral letter on climate change.
What other issues are of significant importance to Alaska at the USCCB national conference?
One issue is about how celebrations and services are to be conducted in parishes during the week and what will be called for when there is no priest to celebrate Mass. We looked at some of those recommendations. One of the things (the USSCB) is looking at is using the liturgy of the hours during the week (as part of the daily celebration). That would be a blessing if parishes could use the liturgy of the hours along with a communion service. It’s a growing practice (around the world) and we might want to use this.
While you were at the Alaska Federation of Natives meeting, did the bishops have an opportunity to spend time with the Alaska Native Catholic community?
We had a Mass for the Native community at AFN. The Diocese of Fairbanks sponsored a potlatch for the community, which was a great opportunity to be present and hear some of the Alaska Native concerns.
We talked about continuing the listening sessions in rural areas. We set up some dates this summer for rural areas. We are looking at going to Dillingham and King Salmon to have listening sessions there.
What were some concerns you have heard so far, especially from the Native communities?
A lot of them are concerned about the youth and how we might be of assistance to them to help retain some of their culture. A lot of people have concerns about what the modern age does to their priorities in the villages, especially in some of their attitudes towards elders.But we also talked about how that can be a good thing and how we can use the electronic media to keep us in touch with those around the state, especially when looking at ways to educate religion teachers.
Magadan outreach fights abortion by helping moms
Priest: Pro-life means being pro-mother
A brand new grandson and an interest in Soviet history brought Connie Hood into contact with one of the most desolate places in Russia.
Hood, a Catholic attorney from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, discovered the Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia and ultimately became an avid supporter of a new project that aims to counter the abortion mentality which has spread over much of the region.
The innovative project aims to provide a sanctuary for new mothers, who might otherwise have chosen to abort their child.
"About two years ago, my oldest daughter and her husband gave me my first grandchild, Matthew," Hood explained in a email to the Anchor as she waited in Moscow for a flight to Magadan for her first visit.
Around the same time that she became a new grandmother, Hood said she also read an article about babies languishing in Russian orphanages, and "I thought there but for the grace of God this could be Matthew in those orphanages."
Hood later discovered that a priest from her own St. Louis Archdiocese, Father David Means, was serving at the Church of the Nativity. Hood searched for a way to contact Father Means to see if there was anything she could do to assist with the new outreach to mothers.
Today, Hood leads "The Friends of Nativity Inn," which helps Father Means and the pastor of the Church of the Nativity, Father Michael Shields, from the Archdiocese of Anchorage, in their work to help moms who might otherwise opt for abortion.
According to Father Shields, abortion is big business in the former Soviet Union. Regular salaries for doctors are low, which encourages many to make extra income by providing abortions.
So, even though the government is officially encouraging births due to low population growth, Father Shields said the abortion system continues to flourish, aided by the tough economic situations facing many young women.
In response to the many abortions, the Church of the Nativity has been helping pregnant women for years, providing financial support, food, clothing, and counseling for any woman seeking to give birth to her child. Now, the parish is preparing to extend this help to a residential program, Nativity Inn.
"Being pro-life means being pro-child and that means being pro-mother," Father Shields said.
The priest said Nativity Inn should open by Christmas of 2008.
The resources for initially funding the facility are in place – Father Shields is a frequent guest on EWTN where his appearances have inspired donors.
But Father Means credits Hood with being a major coordinator of fund-raising efforts for the shelter.
"At my last visit home (to St. Louis), we had well over 100 people who are interested in helping," said Father Means. "They’ve already raised thousands of dollars."
Hood coordinates a network of support and developed the website www.NativityInn.org.
Father Means said the best way to help is financially. Sending baby clothes can be very expensive and the money spent on postage could be used to buy clothing in Magadan.
The current obstacles to opening the shelter include dealing with the Russian bureaucracy and choosing the women who will be residents.
"We’re working with the government to find out what’s available, what’s legal, what our restrictions and liabilities might be," said Father Shields, adding that he’s fortunate to have on staff Luda Herritic, a Russian who is a member of the Orthodox Church.
Herritic is more acceptable to Russian officials than a Catholic priest would be and has become "the public face of Nativity Inn," Father Shields said.
Additionally, the staff is involved in putting together a booklet listing all the resources available to pregnant women and mothers, finding the right location for the residence, and planning for residence staff training with the help of religious sisters who run similar homes in Poland.
Although the parish helps any pregnant woman in need, those accepted at Nativity Inn will be screened and asked to sign a contract. The residence will have a "house mother," no alcohol or drugs will be allowed, no visitors will be allowed in bedrooms, and women will be actively working to improve their situations while "enjoying their child," said Father Shields.
The residence will initially accommodate up to five women, and Father Shields envisions that the women at Nativity Inn might stay as long as five years after their children are born, receiving parenting education and training in employment skills.
Father Shields was sent to Magadan in 1994 to establish a Catholic presence in the site of former Soviet labor camps. Father Means came in 1996, and in 2001, a new church was completed.
The parish, with only about 250 members, has been a center of charitable activity since its inception.
"The Catholic presence in Russia will always be small," Father Shields said. "But it’s very big in the social area – influencing other churches and even the government."The priest said it’s been calculated that in the years since the parish was first established, about 25 percent of the 120,000 residents of Magadan have been helped in some way by the Church of the Nativity through Caritas, an international Catholic aid group to which the parish belongs. Help includes a food bank, clothing, medicine, pregnancy support and humanitarian aid of all sorts. For more information on the Nativity Inn or the Church of the Nativity visit www.magadancatholic.org.
Burying the dead, hoping in Resurrection
Wasilla couple finds life’s calling
At first, it may seem unusual the way Dave and Priscilla Belanger, both 69 years old, light up when the conversation turns to death and graveyards.
But this husband and wife team believe they were put on earth, in part, to dig graves, bury the dead and share their hope that someday all those bodies will rise again.
Nine years ago, the tall bearded man and his compassionate wife started managing Catholic cemeteries for the Anchorage Archdiocese. Since 1999, they’ve laid to rest the ashes and bodies of more than 100 people and helped many left behind deal with their losses.
As facilities manager for the archdiocese, part of Dave’s job includes helping people find or reserve burial plots from several archdiocesan gravesites in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. He is also the day-to-day manager of the archdiocese’s Sacred Heart Cemetery in Wasilla. His wife Priscilla pitches in countless volunteer hours.
When someone dies, loved ones contact the Belangers to secure a gravesite. The Belangers help navigate burial planning, gravesite selection and monument design and instillation. They also assist those who want to plan for the future by reserving gravesites in advance. But they say their most important task is spiritual – to offer hope in the face of overwhelming despair.
"You wonder what you were put on this earth for sometimes and I guess maybe this is part of it – to help other people in this way," Priscilla said last month, as she and her husband walked past graves at Sacred Heart Cemetery. Just a few feet away, lay an empty plot, reserved for them.
In a culture that goes to great lengths to avoid facing death, the Belangers stare it straight in the eyes and work the same dirt where they will one day be buried.
"In Wasilla, we personally dig the hole, close it back up, lower the casket and put the headstone on," Dave said. During the summer, they also mow the grass and water the flowers.
"For my wife and me, it has been one of the most rewarding and satisfying ministries," he said.
Regular encounters with the end of life have given the Belangers an uncommon perspective.
"It has made me more relaxed and accepting of it," Priscilla explained. "Dying is a part of life. It is an extension to go onto another phase."
They both acknowledge, however, that death is never easy – there is always a measure of awkwardness when meeting with survivors.
"You can’t prepare yourself to do it. It just sort of happens at the time," Priscilla said.
Often times, their work with those who are grieving extends well beyond the final burial.
Priscilla recalled a woman who recently lost her baby. The Belangers helped her select and install a monument for the child in Wasilla.
Then on a recent Sunday, when Priscilla was serving as a Eucharistic minister at Sacred Heart Church, she saw the woman coming down the aisle to receive communion.
"She happened to come up in my line and I could see she was crying," Priscilla recalled. "I knew her name so when I gave her the cup I could speak her name personally, which makes you feel a lot closer to the person."
After Mass, she gave the woman a big hug.
"When it’s appropriate, you know what to do and how to respond," Priscilla explained.
Dave said he often tries to lift people’s spirits through a combination of compassion and humor.
"But there is no pattern or plan," he said. "We sure had no plan about how to go about this when we started - It’s just loving them, that’s all."
The Belangers never planned to become cemeterians. The doors opened in 1999, however, when then Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley asked them to help bury a man who had donated a tract of land in Wasilla to become a future archdiocesan cemetery. The Belangers accepted the task and from there began shaping forested land into Sacred Heart Cemetery.
Woven throughout the Belanger’s work is a Christian hope in the bodily resurrection and a firm belief that death is not the end.
A large empty cross rises from the center of Sacred Heart Cemetery as a physical reminder of this belief.
"The cross is empty. The spikes are still in it but there is no body," Dave explained.
Below the cross a Scripture passage reads, "He is risen, he is not here.""The message there is that there is more, there is hope," Dave said. "When people see that, they may have tear stained faces but that cross is a hope to them."
The hope of resurrection is part and parcel of a traditional Catholic burial, Dave explained.
"There is usually a Catholic Mass and full respect for the remains and a blessing of the casket," he said. The focus on the finality of death leads to the next step, which is a hand off to eternal life, he added.
"The tie into resurrection brings the reality that this was a person we knew but they are now motionless and have gone on to their eternal reward," he said.
In an increasingly secular society, that message is often lost or discarded, which makes it all the more important to affirm, Dave added.
"The glory of this handing over, right to the final blessing of the grave and the handing over to eternal life is very different from a toast or a celebration in a bar," he said. "It is a formalized and spiritualized farewell."
The Belangers said non-Catholics are also welcome to be buried in all of archdiocesan burial plots, either in Wasilla or in Anchorage. The only requirement is that they be buried according to a recognizable Christian tradition, which affirms the resurrection of the body, Dave explained.
He said Catholic teaching also states that cremation is a valid form of burial so long as the ashes are buried in one identifiable spot with the affirmation that the body will one day resurrect. Dave said he now deals with cremated remains about 60 percent of the time.
After more than 100 burials, the Belangers have noticed that the process is often life changing for people.
"The event itself – the complete Mass, no cutting corners – the liturgy, the formal dress, the slow procession to the cemetery and the graveside service is all a countdown," Dave said. "Everyone knows that ultimately dirt will be put over that casket and it’s a waker-upper. Often, by burial time, there is a realization that there is a master plan. We are not in charge. When you see that realization, sometimes it makes you shiver, to witness it."
Dramatic partnership unites local Catholic high schools
Anchorage teens put on a show
An ear-piercing shriek made everyone jump.
Two young girls quickly dove to the ground to hide behind some rocks.
Another girl with auburn hair started laughing.
"You scaredy-cats," she scoffed as she set down a bag of supplies.
"All right, hold it right there," a teacher ordered. "I want you to do it again, but louder this time."
The rocks were actually chairs, and the supply bag was from the army-navy store but the small group of Catholic teens were for real and seriously rehearsing for their upcoming drama, "The Gettysburg Canon."
The play is a joint venture by Lumen Christi High School and Holy Rosary Academy."It’s a story about five teenagers who are observing the battle of Gettysburg," Lumen Christi senior and actor Rory Blucher said. "It’s about what they go through during the war and realizing the role of the bigger world."
"They learn that not everything is black and white," fellow Lumen Christi High Senior Saejin Blair added.
Blair, Blucher and two other students, Katie Portell from Lumen Christi and Meghan Woods from Holy Rosary form the core group of drama students. The quartet is a tight-knit bunch that has been with the Lumen Christi-Holy Rosary drama group since its inception four years ago.
The size of the group and the fact that both schools are Catholic sets the drama club apart from other theatre troupes in town.
"Before each performance we pray," said Marie Nuar, co-director and teacher at Holy Rosary Academy.
"We also have a devotion to St. Genesius," Stacy Rubelmann added. Rubelman is a fellow co-director of the drama club and a teacher at Lumen Christi.
"St. Genesius is the patron saint of actors," she said. "He was acting in a play and was actually making fun of Christians when he had a conversion experience on-stage."
Both teachers say they also make sure they pick plays and performances that fall in line with Catholic values.
Students say they like the fact that the drama group is small.
"With the combination of the small schools, you have a better chance of getting a part," Woods said. "The competition for a part at public schools is fierce."
Despite the size, the students have talent.
"I remember seeing the play ‘The Ten Little Indians’ and was blown away," Blucher said. "Initially I was like, how cute, but they were so put together it sucked me in."
Blucher credits positive theater experiences for helping her become more extroverted.
"In my freshmen year I was a lot more shy. Being in drama has made me able to come out of my shell more and be a people person," she said.
Teachers and students also say the drama partnership between the two schools helps foster a sense of cooperation that spills into other areas.
"It provides the schools with an opportunity to bond when, in other circumstances like sports, they would not," Woods said.
Ruebelmann invites everyone to come out and enjoy the show, not only to support the schools, but also for the spectacle.
"One thing about these kids is they like to entertain…they like the rush of it," she said.
News & Notes
New director of evangelization and worship named
The office of evangelization is being re-aligned after the departure of previous director Jerry Finkler. Father Jim Oberle, pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Big Lake, was recently named as the head of the Office of Evangelization and Worship Services at the Chancery.
"The way I see the office is as a way to coordinate all of the outreach and parish support events in the archdiocese," Father Oberle said.
The office will oversee Discipleship Days, the Hispanic Ministry, Project Rachel and Respect Life, Campus Ministry, Catholic Native Ministries, SALT and Youth activities like Theology on Tap and the Youth Certificate program.
"The whole focus is that all these programs support the parishes and their staff. Our task is the coordination, training and support techniques of these programs," Father Oberle said.
Evangelization will be the biggest challenge and focus as the office looks forward to the future.
"How will we support (evangelization) and recognize that what we’re doing is the proclamation of the Gospel," he said. "It’s a challenge to re-envision this to make sure all our efforts are to make Jesus Christ known to all."
Liturgy of the Hours offered
All Catholics are invited to join the global church in the Liturgy of the Hours for Morning Prayer or Lauds daily at Holy Family Cathedral. The public can join with the friars at the Cathedral immediately following the 7 a.m. morning Mass to sing the prayer.
"All are welcome to join us," Father Don Bramble said. "You need bring nothing with you except your voice!"
Town hall meeting with Archbishop
On Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Archbishop Schwietz will host a town hall meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage to discuss the bishops’ decisions at the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore.
The USCCB is expected to discuss 14 major issues, including voting on two catechetical documents on religious instruction. The public will also have a chance to ask the Archbishop questions related to the meeting as well.
Saint Anthony memories
From Nov. 17 through the New Year, photos and other memorabilia will be on display at St. Anthony Church in Anchorage at the parish hall to honor the parish’s 50th anniversary. For more info call 338-1210
Parish nursing course offered
Parish Nurses of Alaska and the Northwest Parish Nurses Ministries in conjunction with Providence will offer a new upcoming training course for nurses interested in helping out in the parish nursing ministry in their local church communities. The program takes a holistic approach focusing on the patient’s spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
Classes begin January 10 and will run through March. For more information contact Sister Jackie Stoll at or 297-7736.
Supplies needed at Clare House
Clare House, an emergency homeless shelter for women and their children, needs paper products. The house is looking for toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, cups and paper plates. Donations can be dropped off at the facility located at 420 West 54th Avenue in Anchorage. For more info call Kim Williams at 563-4545,
Prayer opportunity for women
The Adrian Dominican Sisters in Anchorage invite single women between the ages of 18-45 to share in prayer, conversation and dessert at their home every third Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The next gathering is Nov. 21. For more info call 770-7675.
Kitchen utensils needed for teen homes
McAuley Manor and Charlie Elder house, two homes run for teenagers, needs cook ware for their life skills program that focuses on culinary skills. Items needed for the program include pots and pans, bake ware and a food processor. Donation can be dropped of at 3710 E. 20th Avenue. For more info contact Cindy Sena-Martinez at 279-5772 or email csenamarinez2@caa-ak.org .
Thanksgiving Blessing Project
Catholic Social Services is in need of financial or food donations for the Anchorage Thanksgiving Blessing Project. Food items that are needed include canned vegetables, yams, cranberries, corn, etc) gravy and stuffing mix and pumpkin pies. Items can be dropped of at 3710 E. 20th Ave or at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage.
Volunteers are also needed to help organize and distribute the food at St. Patrick’s. For more info contact Dave Patterson at 333-0571 or email dwpatt@alaska.net.
Columns
Abortion ruling shows lack of principle
The Alaska Supreme Court recently struck down yet another law that placed restrictions on abortion. In this case, they said minor children have a right to abortion which is so fundamental, that parents may not exercise control over their child’s decision regarding abortion in ways that they do have control in many other areas of life.
Chief Justice Dana Fabe begins the opinion by stating that the Court does not act as moralist or policy maker but then proceeds to do exactly that.
For some time now, the judiciary has been inventing rights. Rights, principles and tests that are nowhere found in text or history have been used to shape an agenda desired by judges. Abortion is the prime example and all citizens ought to be concerned about this subversion of democratic principles. This is not the rule of law that we are told we live under.
Why has abortion become the right that trumps all others? Why is abortion the top dogma of the postmodern age? It is so strong that it overcomes other age-old mores, such as parental control of children, the marital relationship and any responsibility for the unborn human child.
The judiciary uses the idea of autonomy to defend its position. The modern catchword is "choice" — or more precisely "my choice alone."
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, in upholding Roe v. Wade in 1992, said freedom of personal autonomy is "… the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of the meaning of the universe, and the mystery of human life."
We are autonomous from our parents, spouse, unborn child and society. Their interests do not count.
Christians will recognize this immediately for what it is – original sin. With the imagery of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Genesis teaches that the power to decide what is good and what is evil does not belong to man but to God alone. In today’s ethics, personal freedom claims to have absolute moral autonomy that is superior to the law or the truth.
As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI explained the situation well in his book "Truth and Tolerance."
"Basically what clearly stands behind the modern era’s radical demand for freedom is the promise: You will be like God," he wrote.
As Christians, we know it is impossible to drive God out of any aspect of human existence. The record of those who try — especially in the last century — is dismal and tragic. Yet, in our country’s legal system, religion does not seek to rule society or dictate mandates to the government. Christians, however, do affirm our societies ancient Judeo-Christian heritage.
"Reason needs to listen to the great religious traditions if it does not wish to become deaf, blind, and mute concerning the most essential elements of human existence," Cardinal Ratzinger wrote. "At a minimum. . .that means that freedom, in order to be properly understood, must always be thought of together with responsibility."
What can citizens do when those in office misuse their power? Judges are subject to retention elections. Rogue judges can be held accountable. Only candidates who understand the limited role of the judiciary in our democracy should be appointed as judges by the state governor. Legislators should be pressed to challenge the judiciary by proposing constitutional and judicial reform.
We as Christians have an even more important role. God commands us to preach the Gospel in season and out. No society can last or be just without a moral source. Freedom and responsibility must be linked. Radical individual autonomy that overrides our responsibility to others leads to anarchy and evil.
The Alaska Supreme Court eliminated a moral principle regarding a parent’s right to control their child. This and other principles exist for a reason. Without them there is no future.
The writer provided legal counsel for the Alaska State Legislature in the court case that struck down an Alaska law requiring parental notification before a minor child receives an abortion.
Postcards from Rome: Thanksgiving in Italy
There is no Thanksgiving Day in Italy. A least not the way we know it. The fourth Thursday in November is just like any other day around here, except in five places where there are significant numbers of Americans. The first two are the U.S. Embassies to Italy and to the Vatican. The next is the Villa Stritch, the residence for priests from the United States who are working in the Vatican. The last two are the seminary at the Pontifical North American College and here at the Casa Santa Maria, the graduate house of studies for us American priests.
Professors at the universities are very understanding and usually excuse Americans from classes on Thanksgiving Day so that we expatriates can gather to celebrate in the traditional manner.
That too presents some difficulties. For one thing, it is very difficult to find a turkey in Italy, at least in the way we are used to finding them — nice, frozen and plastic-wrapped in the freezer section of the grocery store. Then there is also the challenge of explaining to the bewildered cook how to carve a turkey in the way that most Americans are used to seeing a turkey carved. Cranberry sauce must be imported and marshmallows for the top of the sweet potatoes are a rare find indeed. Pumpkin pie…well, let’s just say that we do the best we can with what we have available. Nothing is as rare, or more appreciated, than a can of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling.
Perhaps nothing makes one appreciate what America is and what it stands for more than spending a significant amount of time abroad. As a country and as a people we are truly blessed. As Catholics living in such a country, I think we are doubly blessed to live in a country that lets us celebrate our faith without the constraints of custom or government interference. Sometimes we need to be reminded that the freedoms we enjoy every day are very rare on the world scene.
So like everyone else this coming Thursday, we priests, soldiers and public servants in Italy will gather around a traditional holiday meal, or the near facsimile thereof, and give thanks to God for our freedom, for our faith and for the country, so very far away, which makes them possible.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The writer is the pastor of St. Andrew Church in Eagle River. He is spending the next several months in Rome to complete his doctorate in ecumenical theology.
The shape of the Kingdom
There is a small barbershop on Fourth Avenue here in Anchorage that I frequent occasionally. It is a disheveled little closet only a few blocks from my office. The proprietor’s name is Wedge. I have never asked his family name although I have known him for some 15 years. He is a colorful individual, originally from Tennessee, he says, and has carried that rich southern accent of his all the way to Alaska. He claims to have practiced the tonsorial profession all his life. Being a barber, of course he pays careful attention to his personal appearance, his abundant and handsome head of hair and beard.
In a conversation once, we diverted from the dull political news of the day and discussed a bit of theology. (He claims to be Baptist by birth and choice) "What do you think Jesus looked like?" he asked.
"I have no idea," I said, "but chances are he had a well-kept beard and long dark hair much like yours, at least when you were young."
"Do you think he was a king?" he continued.
"Not a chance," I said. "As a matter of fact, Jesus made every effort to avoid being sidelined as a king." "So, perhaps the kingdom Jesus kept talking about had nothing to do with power or control over others," he said. "Didn’t he say once that the kingdom of God is within you?"
"Exactly," I said. Then I suggested a quote from a book by John Dominic Crossan, the biblical writer who speaks much about the historical Jesus. "The kingdom of God," Crossan claims, "is what the world would look like if God actually came here and took charge."
"Well, I guess it would certainly look a little different, wouldn’t it," Wedge replied.
"Indeed, it would," I replied.
That little conversation came back to mind as I reread the scriptures for this beautiful liturgical feast of Christ the King that occurs always on the final Sunday of the liturgical year. It seems appropriate that the year of grace should not end without reminding us once again of who Christ said he was and who he wished to be for us. It all appears so clearly in titles, not of royal secular kingship but rather with something having to do with that kingdom which Wedge referred to as being within us.
Paul said it so beautifully in his letter to his friends in the church at Colossae. Listen to this: "Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead…in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell."
Listen also to the kind of kingdom described in the preface of the Eucharistic prayer for this feast: "An eternal and universal kingdom: A kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace."
It seems perfectly suitable, therefore, to call Christ our king, to sing royal songs, to ring bells, blast trumpets, waft incense in Jesus’ honor, but only if we are also willing to wrap a towel around our waist as Jesus did and wash each other’s feet. That speaks volumes about the kingdom that is within.
I eagerly anticipate my next visit to Wedge’s parlor and perhaps some further exploration of the kingdom of Jesus. Actually, the haircut always turns out to be a sort of side issue.
The writer is archdiocesan director of Pastoral Education. He also serves as canonical pastor and coordinator of parishes without resident pastors
Fullness of life is present now
"To see that the events of our day are not in the way of our search for a full life, but the way to it, is to experience conversion." Father Henri Nouwen
I had a birthday recently, and like everyone who has hit 50, or even 40, I’m aware of the ever-quickening passage of time. When you’re four, I guess you feel like you’ve been four forever. When you’re 44, you’d love to put the brakes on this out-of-control vehicle called life.
But there is one blessing that comes in part from growing older – "in part" because I think the blessing also has to come from a spirituality that may or may not come with age.
That blessing is that you come to appreciate each passing day as God’s real gift, because you’ve learned how fleeting and wonderful days are.
Lately, I’ve been busy preparing to leave town to see my mother, who is ill.
In the midst of packing, getting preschool projects done, meeting writing deadlines, I paused for lunch with a group I’m in from my Master’s program in pastoral studies through Seattle University.
It was a long-planned lunch so I couldn’t miss it, but I remember thinking that I really had too much to do, and when I arrived, I even mentioned that I couldn’t stay too long.
By the end of lunch, I was so struck by the wisdom I received from this group and by the vulnerability and honesty they had shared, that I realized this wasn’t the interruption to my day, this was my day. Henri Nouwen would call this conversion, but as usual with me, conversion has to hit me over the head to get my attention.
Later that day, pounding away at my computer keyboard in haste to get a story done, the phone rang. Ah, another interruption.
It was a cousin I hear from infrequently. She had just come back from a Catholic women’s conference to find a gale-force storm engulfing Cape Cod, where she lives. The lights had gone out so she took time to call me. A lot of conversion probably takes place in the dark.
My cousin is a marvel. Although baptized as a child, she was raised lackadaisically as a Catholic and drifted off. She’s gone through divorce and widowhood, earned her PhD., achieved a great reputation in her field, and somewhere along the line "converted" back to the faith of her infancy. Now, she’s a committed and active Catholic – an intellectual, questioning, thoughtful Catholic. She had invited me to go with her to Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister’s annual retreat in Pennsylvania this year, but I was otherwise committed. So we talked about "next year" and about our involvement with the church. And when we hung up, I remembered to say, "Thank you, God" for teaching me that what I considered an interruption was really God calling me to search for the fullness of life in the moment.
In high school, we’re constantly reminded everything we do will or will not be good for the college application. When we’re kicking a soccer ball around a field, our parents or our coaches are wondering if we could turn it into a scholarship – for later. We prudently save for a retirement that we aren’t guaranteed we’ll have. We’re trained early to always think of life as something in the future, not in this precious moment.
When we’re taking those long road trips as a kid, our constant question is "Are we there yet?"
Henri Nouwen would say yes, we are there. We’re there right now.
The writer is a stewardship and hospitality coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage
Bishops can ignite WYD
At some point, World Youth Day usually includes a massive three-day gathering, where the world’s bishops spend time teaching and answer our questions. After teaching, the bishops or cardinals celebrate Mass with us.
Spending time with the bishops is a blessing and here’s why.
At WYD in 1997, Cardinal Tumi from the Cameroon spoke on morality. His booming, James Earl Jones-type voice was gripping. In fact, youth all around me scrambled for paper and pens to take notes.
During the question and answer session, a young protestant told Cardinal Tumi that he would like to receive the Body and Blood of Christ but was disappointed that the Catholic Church would not allow him to receive. Cardinal Tumi responded with a loving challenge: "If you want to receive the Body and Blood of Christ… become Catholic."
In Toronto in 2002, Cardinal McCarrick from Washington D.C. challenged us toward greater holiness. He told of his trip to Rwanda after the genocide. He asked one of the relief workers who observed the massacre of Catholics how this atrocity could have occurred between two Catholic groups. The worker told Cardinal McCarrick that "the missionaries spent their time trying to make us Christians instead of helping us become saints." The cardinal then went on to explain that it is easy to go through the motions and become a Christian but it takes real commitment and sacrifice to be holy and become a saint.
Cardinal Arinze, of Nigeria, was the teacher in 2005 in Cologne. He spoke beautifully about the Mass and with such clarity and humor. When trying to illustrate how essential the Mass is to our faith he exclaimed, "What is as beneficial for your spiritual life as a Mass?...only another Mass!" Everyone got the point.
Most people only get to see a bishop when he comes to the parish for Confirmation. Interacting with so many of them at World Youth Day, however, helps us appreciate these gifted teachers God has given the church. It also helps us realize that God is still choosing great men to be successors of the Apostles and to lead our church.
There is still time to consider attending WYD in Sydney, Australia in July 2008. Email me at rmcmorrow2@aol.com for more details.
The writer is a member of the Anchorage Archdiocese Youth Evangelization Team
The Biggest Game of All
National champions, world champions, Super Bowl champions — how do these athletes achieve greatness?
They train, sweat and suffer. They fail and try again.
They focus on the goal ahead of them: to win victory at all cost. When game day comes, the rest of us sit in awe from the bleachers, with a handful of peanuts or a beer at the bar. We stand and cheer the game-winning shots, the Hail Mary touchdowns, or the under-dogs who hit miracle grand slams in the ninth-inning. The big game is where hellish practice finally pays off.
But, when coaches drill players in practice do we question the purpose? When we see blood and sweat from the nose of a wrestler, do we cover our faces asking God why the coach lets the athlete suffer?
My grandfather, "Granddear," was an athlete. He played professional football for the St. Louis Browns and also minor league baseball.
I asked him once. "How do you become a great athlete?" He replied, "Love makes you work through the pain. When your body feels like it can take no more, close your eyes and deep inside your heart, imagine the pain becoming fuel for your strength. Then use that strength to fight until the final whistle blows."
He was a simple man who lived his faith through action. At the end of his life, he suffered immensely, but never complained. He bore his suffering and tried to help others with a smile or a cheerful word.
At his funeral, the cathedral was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. I was amazed how one man affected so many lives. The Scripture they read was the verse he lived by, "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
My grandfather taught how to love through action, how to be a warrior and always seek truth. He taught how to be courageous in the face of opposition and how to forgive those who spit hatred.
Most importantly, he taught me how to suffer in faith, to go past the pain, to search for Jesus deep inside my heart. There, Jesus gives strength to continue fighting in love until the final whistle blows, until I draw my very last breath.
Today’s television culture doesn’t advertise suffering with Jesus Christ and often we are blind to the gift of suffering in our day-to-day struggles. But suffering is a gift God offers in order to strengthen our faith so we can draw closer to him.
Instead of seeking God, we often blanket pain with science or quick fixes and ignore the gift.
But examine the athlete. Does a great football team give up on a fumble? Does the boxer throw down his gloves when his eye swells shut? Does the runner stop sprinting when her breath is short?
Elite athletes practice and endure great suffering, in order to achieve greatness. Christianity is no different. Jesus taught us how to suffer and pray in patience and trust, "Not my will, but your will be done."
Suffering is not in vain. St. Paul said, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us." (Romans 8:18)
And so here we are left with a choice.
Today we can sit in the bleachers with our peanuts and beer. We can admire the players — the saints — from the stands. We can chew on gum and blow kisses to Jesus on the Cross.
Or we have another choice.We can rise from the bleachers, stand up in faith and enter courageously into the greatest fight ever. As Christians, we are invited to fight for truth. We are invited to live in union with Jesus Christ. We must be disciplined like athletes and fearless like warriors in the face of evil. To achieve this, we must put on God’s armor everyday and remain patient in our sufferings.
Editorials
Safe environment training only a start
In response to the horrifying revelations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, the U.S. bishops authorized a 2002 landmark document that called all U.S. dioceses to ensure the safety of children against sexual abuse.
Over the past five years, dioceses have implemented and refined what are commonly called "safe environment policies." These programs usually include information on how to identify and report sexual predators, while also letting those in leadership know how to avoid dangerous or awkward situations in which they might open themselves up to false accusations of abuse.
The fact that the church needs mandatory training sessions and background checks for employees, as well as safety classes for children, is a sad reality. What went so wrong, that the communion of saints must now guard itself against itself?
Sister Jackie Stoll has the daunting task to ensure that the Anchorage Archdiocese implements it safe environment policies in every parish, school and archdiocesan office.
In an interview with the Anchor, she rightly pointed out that these policies are not needed solely because of problems within the church but also because of larger social ills that put children and vulnerable adults at risk. It is impossible, however, to forget that this whole process began because of abuse from within our own ranks.
Training sessions on how to identify, report or avoid abusive situations are unfortunate necessities to help ensure that our churches and communities are safer. But alone, they are not nearly enough. In fact, safe environment training is more like a Band-Aid on a much deeper, internal bleeding.
After the training sessions are over, we should all return to our Catholic parishes and schools and fall down on our knees. Safe environment training is only a cane to help a wounded church move forward. Sanctification, however, is the only cure for this sin that has so crippled the church.
The rub is that sanctification is hard work. It takes much more than a one-day seminars, background checks and piles of flyers and posters at the entryways to our parishes. Sanctification requires discipleship, catechesis, prayer, sacraments and authentic religious formation to help us turn away from sin and embrace the Gospel. It’s no secret that Catholics have not done well on these fronts for quite some time. For now safe environment training is a tragic but necessary reality.
Abortion ruling does not empower girls
The highest court in Alaska ruled that pregnant girls, no matter how young, can walk into a local abortion clinic and have their unborn child surgically removed and destroyed without their parents ever being involved in the decision.
A few days after the Alaska Supreme Court ruling, the Anchor met with two volunteers who work with a group called Project Rachel, a healing ministry for women who suffer from depression after having an abortion.
Project Rachel is an international organization that started an Alaska chapter in 2004. Since then, roughly 25 women have contacted the group to seek healing.
According to volunteer Pam Albrecht, some of these women were as young as 15 years old when they secretly aborted their baby without telling their parents. By the time they came to Project Rachel, some of them had kept their secret for 15 to 20 years.
Women often approach Project Rachel because they have no one to talk to.
"It is so terrible, even for women who don’t realize what they have done," Albrecht said.
The initial decision to abort is almost always made under pressure, as well, said Carol Szopa, another Project Rachel volunteer.
Szopa recalled one woman who got an abortion at age 15, financed by her boyfriend and without her mother’s knowledge.
In allowing a girl to hide from her parents during a time of great confusion and vulnerability, there is a great danger that those who do not have their best interest in mind could manipulate them, Szopa said. Boyfriends who want an easy escape and doctors who know little about the girl’s personal or spiritual history have great influence.
"Girls are scared and abortion looks like a way out," Szopa said. "They don’t know what to do."
When kids make mistakes, they never want to tell their parents. They fear hurting and disappointing them. Sometimes, however, the best thing is the hardest. Involving parents in a decision that brings so much physical, psychological and spiritual impact for their child is critical. Thanks to the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling, however, that won’t be necessary.
Human bodies dead and alive
It might seem that the Catholic Church is a bit obsessed with death lately. Recent Scripture readings and Masses for the dead recall the countless souls and saints whose bones now fill catacombs and cemeteries across the earth.
Catholics do make quite a deal out of dead bodies but it’s not because of some morbid neurosis. Rather, bodies are revered because of the hope that they will rise again someday.
Catholics love bodies – dead or alive – because they are part and parcel of who we are and how we come to know God.
We offer praise and prayer with our vocal chords and our tongues, we bow with our knees, we digest the Eucharist through stomachs. Our bodies are so woven into our spirits that it is nearly impossible to show where one ends and the other begins. This is why we wait with such anticipation for the day when Christ’s voice will shake the foundations of the earth and the faithful departed will rise from the dirt with new and incorruptible bodies to dance before Christ for all eternity.
If the body is more than perishable flesh, if it is truly the highest physical porthole to the spiritual life, then eternity hinges on how we treat it. What our eyes take in, what the ears hear, how the body is clothed all matter. In short, the organs and appendages of our bodies are God’s great gift to humankind. Bodies equip us for the great trek into the High Country and when they are worn down and used up for the Kingdom, Christ promises to one day rattle the graveyards and call us into everlasting bodies.
Letter to the Editor
Writer addresses just war comment
Thanks to Rick Aaron for his thoughts and prayers in response to my Oct. 19 column, "Defending the only Superpower."
To clarify a couple of points: One, my column wasn’t specifically about the war on Iraq, but about what it means to defend the world’s only superpower. Two, Mr. Aaron lists six criteria of the just war doctrine, but doesn’t show how they justify the war. My edition of the Catholic Catechism lists only four, including "the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave and certain." None of the politicians Mr. Aaron greatly respects have shown proof that Iraq was certain to attack the US.
Unlike those politicians, Pope John Paul II had no cronies profiting from the war. Here’s what he said before the invasion: "War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity….
"And what are we to say of the threat of war that could strike the people of Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than 12 years of embargo? War is never just another means that one can choose to employ to settle differences between nations."
If, as Mr. Aaron says, the common Iraqis believe the war is just, how about letting them vote on whether they want us there?
Anchorage