July 18, 2008 - Issue #14
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local Catholic History emerges from ‘the vault'
Project uncovers treasures from Alaska's past
The Archdiocese of Anchorage is racing to save the past before it's gone.
In order to chronicle the history of the Catholic Church in Anchorage, the archdiocese is compiling permanent archives of its most precious documents, photographs and artifacts.
It is the archdiocese's first formal archival since its founding in 1966.
But identifying church antiquities is not easy. No one knows who wielded the ceremonial saber or wore the scarlet-tufted monsignor's cap.
The Chancery's “vault” — a concrete-lined, temperature-controlled, fire-safe basement, where the artifacts are housed — contains as many mysteries as it did when the building's former owner, an oil-exploring geophysicist stowed his secret maps there.
Historical items number in the thousands, said archdiocesan archivist Dave Belanger — who with his wife Priscilla — is sorting and trying to identify the treasures.
Over the years, maps and charts of Alaska and letters about church buildings and ordinations have all been stashed into the vault.
There are also blessed altar stones – a special stone encasing a saint's relic that is placed into a Catholic church's altar at its dedication. One contains a relic of Pope St. Pius X. Another was salvaged from the 1960s Copper Valley fire. Other altar stones are unmarked.
There are two, tiny pocket journals from 1944 in which a nun describes for her mother — in words and drawings — her journeys from Montreal to the Alaska territory and finally, to Holy Cross in the Yukon.
And then there are the oil paintings found wrapped in blankets which, according to fine art appraisers, Christie's and Butterfields, turned out to be original works valued in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Years ago, Holy Cross Brother Charles McBride began to consolidate the church's records. But since, the files have grown “pretty big,” said Sister Charlotte Davenport, the archdiocese's chancellor.
Four years ago, the archdiocese started planning an overhaul. Last year, the Belangers began sorting articles into general categories. For the last five months, Sister Janet Persyk, an Adrian Dominican, developed a system to catalogue and preserve the materials.
“People like to remind themselves of what happened in previous generations,” said Sister Davenport. Plus, parishes need a “backup,” she explained. In the event of catastrophic loss at the local level, the archdiocesan archives would help parish memories “come alive again.”
Belanger added that the archives would also be an invaluable resource to “people in research.”
But mysteries remain and the people who can provide answers grow fewer every year. Belanger looks forward to interviews with retired Archbishop Francis Hurley, long-time archdiocesan employees and others who still remember the people, places and events from the earlier years of the church in Alaska. He says the project also might solicit assistance from the public.
For now, the project is “virtually stopped,” said Belanger, because there are no further funds for it. He hopes Catholics and other students of history come to the financial rescue.
Sister Davenport anticipates the project will take another five years before the archives are properly organized. In the meantime, the archdiocese is planning a museum display room — possibly on the grounds of Holy Family Cathedral — so the public can view some of the now-hidden treasures. Sister Davenport said she expects the display to open by the Archdiocese's 50th anniversary — 2016.
Prison ministry helps inmates find faith, conversion
Last Christmas, Father Tom Brundage went to celebrate Mass at the Palmer Correctional Center as part of his regular prison ministry and was surprised to see how many inmates attended. The large crowd came because it was the only religious service offered at Christmas.
“After Mass I asked some of the visitors where their families were and found out that they were all at home,” Father Brundage recalled. “My response to them was, ‘well, I'm here with my family.'”
The correctional center includes more than 400 inmates, 245 in medium security and 176 in minimum security, according to the latest figures given by the Alaska Department of Corrections.
The majority of these men are serving time for drug and alcohol related offenses and sexual abuse crimes, according to the department.
Statistically, and from a societal standpoint, the outlook for these men may seem grim. According to a 2002 study published in the Corrections Digest, two out of every three inmates will return to jail. (Much of that is blamed on weak drug and alcohol rehabilitation).
Despite the obvious challenges, there is hope, said Father Brundage, and also a great need for ministry to prisoners.
“I've seen people who have had significant drug and alcohol problems leave prison and remain clean,” he said. “For many, being in jail is a thing that shocked them out (of their behaviors) and helped in their conversion.”
He added that for those who undergo a serious spiritual conversion, the recidivism rate is much lower.
Over the course of ministering at the Palmer Correctional Center the past two years, Father Brundage has seen the ministry grow. Initially, only one or two people would attend the prison Mass.
“Now we have about a dozen who show up regularly at the medium security complex,” Father Brundage said.
In addition to Mass at the complex, deacons and lay people in the archdiocese also travel to the prisons. As a result, half a dozen inmates at Palmer correctional are now undergoing RCIA classes to learn more about the Catholic faith.
Father Brundage recalled one story of a man who claimed he had too much time on his hands now that he was in prison.
“I told him he should take advantage of this time and use it like a retreat,” Father Brundage said. “I told him once he leaves jail, he'll be running around and busy like most of us are and might find himself longing for a time of meditation and renewal.”
According to Father Brundage, the inmate took the advice seriously and experienced a spiritual conversion.
Father Brundage said he couldn't share specifics on many stories, due to privacy concerns. But he did say he can think of “at least half a dozen” people who are now out of jail and living a spiritual life.
“I hear through pastors that they are doing well, and I feel that they are very safe people (out in the world),” he said.
One inmate, Tim Jean, said landing in jail was a humbling experience that served as a wake up call to find a personal faith. Faced with a lot of time on his hands, he turned to the Bible and discovered a spiritual treasure.
“Why didn't I figure this out 25 years ago? I guess it wasn't my time,” he told the Anchor.
Jean began expressing his new faith through woodcarving in the prison's woodshop, where he has been creating intricate pieces of religious artwork, including a woodcarving relief of Leonardo Da Vinci's “The Last Supper.”
“Working on art is one way that I can exercise my beliefs,” Jean said. “When I'm doing this, I don't want to be doing anything else.”
For Jean, creating art is a way to experience his relationship with Christ, while also helping others. He said his most memorable artwork was a carving of the “The Last Supper,” which he made for his mother.
“I wanted to send her something that she could be proud of,” he said. “Once I started working on it, I got absorbed, I couldn't turn away from it.”
The artwork inspired his mother get involved with a local church in her hometown, Jean said.
“There is nothing better than sharing your faith with your family,” he said. “It helped her go to church and coming from a family that didn't go to church, it means a lot!”
Jean has also carved reliefs for other churches, including one that now hangs in Father Brundage's office at St. Michael's Church in Palmer.
Some people might question the sincerity of an inmate's conversion. After sharing Jean's story at St. Michael Church, one parishioner expressed concern to Father Brundage about the prison ministry, stating that she felt inmates shouldn't have any privileges at all — including Mass.
“I had to challenge her that those inmates are God's creations — despite their shortcomings,” Father Brundage said. “It bothered me that some people see these people as thrown away.”
He went on to talk about the church's teaching regarding prisoners.
“Christ was very adamant that visiting people in prison is high on the list,” Father Brundage said. “It benefits society to rehabilitate … I've yet to see a person ‘fake a conversion' or put on the mantle of religiosity. For many it is a stepping stone in their faith.”
For more information about how volunteer with prison ministry in the Anchorage Archdiocese, contact Deacon James Hostman at 350-5667 or 694-5520.
Changes aim to protect both ministers and those they serve
When a case of sexual abuse makes the news, everybody's interested. But when the Archdiocese of Anchorage updates its Safe Environment policy to protect against abuse, it doesn't make many waves.
That's human nature, acknowledges the archdiocese's Safe Environment program coordinator Sister Jackie Stoll. Nevertheless, the Adrian Dominican works hard to keep the policies clear and current. The latest update of the Code of Pastoral Conduct came out June 27.
There aren't many changes to the old code — mainly clarifications.
For example, the old code cautioned against clergy or religious having minors as overnight visitors. That might seem logical enough, except for the fact that there are married clergy in the archdiocese, including many deacons and some with children who might enjoy slumber parties. The code needed some refinement.
“Celibate clergy and religious should not allow minors to stay overnight in their private accommodates or residence, excluding relatives,” says the code. But the next section adds: “Married clergy should use extreme caution when providing overnight accommodations or residence to minors who are not relatives. Normally, spouses should be present at all times.”
Sister Stoll emphasizes that the code means to protect the people whom the archdiocese serves, but it's also meant to provide protection for pastoral ministers as well.
“We don't want to put ourselves in a position where we are potentially being accused of something we didn't do or would never consider doing,” she said. “Unfortunately, in the world in which we live, that can happen.”
Another area of confusion centered around gifts. The code cautioned against pastoral ministers exchanging gifts with people they minister to. But most clergy receive gifts for witnessing marriages and presiding over funerals, so the code now states “Pastoral ministers should refuse to accept personal gifts from minors or vulnerable adults” and “should refrain from giving personal gifts to minors or vulnerable adults.”
The major new portion of the code is Appendix II – Archdiocesan Policy for Known Sexual Offenders. This appendix contains suggestions for conditions that must be met before any known registered sexual offender may attend a regularly scheduled Mass or other liturgical service in the archdiocese.
“Every Catholic has a right to the sacraments,” emphasized Sister Stoll, but the archdiocese has faced situations involving known sexual offenders so a policy was needed.
Sexual offenders are asked to notify the pastor or pastoral administrator of their desire to attend services and “fully disclose the nature and gravity of the offense(s).”
Conditions placed on these individuals include being asked to sign a safety plan which will be kept confidentially by the parish, and having a sponsor who will undergo a background check and remain with the individual for the entire time they are on church premises.
If an individual is unwilling to abide by these and other requirements, they are to be offered other options such as having Communion brought to them as with Communion to the sick.
All archdiocesan employees who work in ministry, including priests and religious, and volunteers who coordinate youth activities, are asked to attend a full day of safe environment training every three years, provided by Sister Stoll and S.T.A.R. (Standing Together Against Rape), a local agency.
Sometimes, said Sister Stoll, rural outreach workers for S.T.A.R. can present the training in outlying areas, but often, ministers must travel into Anchorage for the program.
Other volunteers who work with minors will need to undergo two hours of safe environment training before they begin their volunteer assignments and parishes are urged to update this training yearly.
The new Code of Pastoral Conduct will be published online at www.archdioceseofanchorage.org. Any questions may be addressed to Sister Stoll at 297-7736.
Homer woman's coffee company helps Guatemalan farmers
The last three decades have altered both the coffee bean culture and the farmers who grow the coveted beans.
Those changes are expressed in the term “fair trade coffee,” an increasingly heard phrase amid the coffee shop chatter in cafes across the world.
In Homer, one woman has partnered with Catholic churches in Alaska to help place fair trade coffee within the larger context of social justice.
Fair trade means just that – farmers who produce coffee beans are guaranteed a fair price for their product, at least $1.26 per pound.
But fair trade is much more complicated than just a price per pound, said Homer resident Diane Hughes, the founder of The Earth Friendly Coffee Company.
As Hughes explains, most coffee is grown between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and much of the choice coffee beans are grown in Central and South America.
Learn More Earth Friendly Coffee can be purchased at $12.50 per pound at www.earthfriendlycoffee.com, or at local parishes. For more information, contact The Earth Friendly Coffee Company at 866-807-6089. |
Until the late 1980's, high quality Arabica bean was the bean of choice for most multi-national coffee companies. At that time, indigenous farmers in areas such as Guatemala could expect upwards of two to three dollars per pound for their product.
But then a series of low interest loans from the World Bank to Vietnamese farmers allowed them to grow cheaper, lower grade Robusta coffee beans on factory farms. That ultimately drove coffee prices down and caused what many have called the coffee crash.
More than 25 million farmers across the Americas saw their product price plunge, and supporting their families became much more difficult than before.
Fair trade coffee entered the scene soon after. Here's where Hughes saw her opportunity to help. With a background in sales and marketing for IBM, she wanted to use her skills to contribute to a better world after she retired.
Hughes initially started The Earth Friendly Coffee Company in 2002, while staying in Colorado to help take care of her elderly mother. She brought it up to Alaska when she moved back home to Homer. Since then, the company has grown.
Last year, her company was one of the top partner producers for the Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Program.
“I'm not doing anything more than paying indigenous farmers fairly for their best beans,” explained Hughes in a recent interview. “And when you buy our coffee, your purchase gives twice,” referencing the Catholic Relief Services commitment to provide micro funding to impoverished farmers and artisans via funds they receive from their partnership companies.
Parishes in Alaska that sell the coffee as fundraisers include several on the Kenai Peninsula and two in Anchorage, as well as parishes in Kodiak, Bethel, Fairbanks and Cordova.
The Archdiocese of Anchorage also sells the coffee. More than 80 percent of Hughes' business comes from the Catholic Church, something Hughes' didn't plan at first.
“I didn't even think about approaching the Church at the start, which is amazing because it was the Sisters of Mercy who first taught me to do this.”
In 2002 Hughes traveled to Guatemala for six weeks to different coffee cooperatives – groups of indigenous coffee bean farmers.
By the end of her visit she formed her company with three cooperatives. In the high mountainous regions of Guatemala, these farmers grow the high-quality Arabica coffee using methods that co-exist with the rainforest.
Families growing the beans are of Mayan decent and live in small mountain huts, Hughes said. They grow the plants using methods handed down generation to generation.
“Supporting these farmers is environmentally, spiritually, organically and flavorfully sustainable,” she said.
With 200-300 families per cooperative, Hughes established a roasting facility in Guatemala City and began purchasing the beans at a price higher than fair trade certification required. Air shipped to Denver and then onto places such as Alaska, California and Florida, The Earth Friendly Coffee Company beans arrive in the US within four days of being harvested. While still receiving only about half as much as what they received per pound before the coffee crash, fair trade makes a difference in these families lives.
“When I visited, this was the type of place where a family ate one chicken per month – one chicken!” said Hughes.
Recently these cooperatives joined with others to purchase their own roasting facility, which means they recoup even more profit per pound of beans. Hughes quickly closed her own roasting facility, and was the first purchaser of all-Guatemalan grown and roasted beans.
“This is a great opportunity, but I need to sell a lot of coffee for these people [for the roasting business to succeed],” said Hughes. “Fair trade is not the final answer - it's just the first step. The second step is having the indigenous people have their own roasting facility, and there is so much more to do.”
Archdiocese announces new parish assignments
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz recently announced the following assignments for members of the clergy and diaconate in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. The new duties, are not necessarily an exhaustive list of each person's parish assignments. Rather, the following list reflects the most recent additions to other on-going duties, in which these men serve the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Each parish must, by Canon Law, have a priest pastor. Some parishes do not have a resident priest who has been appointed pastor. In these cases, a priest is assigned as the “canonical pastor.” Often this means that one priest is assigned to more than one parish as the canonical pastor.
Fr. Leo Walsh Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Anchorage and canonical pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Anchorage
Note: Fr. Walsh will remain pastor of St. Andrew Church in Eagle River. |
Fr. Francis Le, O.P. Rector of Holy Family Cathedral, effective Aug. 1, 2008 until July 31, 2014 |
Fr. Dominic DeMaio, O.P. Parochial vicar for Holy Family Cathedral, effective July 15, 2008
Will serve half-time at parish and half-time time for the Archdiocese of Anchorage in Hispanic Ministry |
Fr. James Oberle Assigned to Archdiocese Pastoral Center as: Director of Holy Spirit Center Director of the Office of Evangelization Director of the Office of Worship Director of Continuing Formation of Clergy Director of Diaconate Formation |
Fr. Fred Bugarin Granted academic leave, effective August 15, 2008 until August 14, 2009 |
Fr. Ben Torreto Temporary pastoral administrator of St. Anthony Parish, effective July 15, 2008 to June 30, 2009. |
Fr. Jaime Mencias Circuit coverage, effective July 15 to August 31, 2008. Parochial vicar for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, effective Sept 1, 2008 until Aug. 31, 2009 |
Deacon Ted Greene Assigned to St. Benedict Parish, Anchorage, effective July 1, 2008
Will serve part-time for the Archdiocese of Anchorage Office of Worship |
Fr. Steven Moore Canonical pastor of St. Christopher's, Unalaska
Note: Fr. Moore will remain pastor ofSt. Benedict Church in Anchorage. |
Fr. Erik Wiseman Parochial vicar to St. Andrew Parish, effective July 15, 2008, until July 14, 2011. |
Fr. Tom Brundage Canonical pastor of St. Francis Xavier, Valdez
Note: Fr. Brundage will remain pastor of St. Michael Church in Palmer. |
Fr. Bill Fournier Canonical pastor of St. Bernard's, Talkeetna; St. Philip's, Trapper Creek; Our Lady of the Lake, Big Lake
Note: Fr. Fournier will remain pastorof Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla. |
Anchorage Archdiocese aids Filipino diocese hit by typhoon
Thousands of families were left homeless in the Philippines after Typhoon Frank hit the country last month, especially in the diocese of Cotabato, where the Anchorage Archdiocese has established a global solidarity partnership to work hand-in-hand with the Catholic Church there.
Approximately 3.6 million people across 49 provinces have been affected by heavy flooding, rain and strong winds that followed the tropical cyclone. The hardest hit areas were Visayas, of central Philippines, and Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.
Many schools, health centers, and churches served as evacuation centers and have been crammed with families and individuals seeking refuge from the storm. In some towns such as Sultan Kudarat, an estimated 25,000 individuals are staying in these centers, where food and supplies are short.
Frank destroyed cattle, farmland, and crops. In Cotabato City, reports indicated that there were more than 500 houses underwater and thousands of others were flooded elsewhere. All total, more than 70,000 people have been affected in the area that spans the Archdiocese of Cotabato.
Catholic Relief Services reported that most of these people have lost the crops they planted. Many were already having difficulties feeding their families and were already dependent on government-subsidized food, due to the rise in food costs around the globe.
With continuous heavy rainfall, the hope of recovering homes and crops in the affected areas grows slim.
To assist those suffering from the typhoon, people from the Anchorage Archdiocese can donate by sending money directly to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) or by making donations to local Alaska parishes. The local donations will be collected by the Anchorage Archdiocese's Global Solidarity Partnership committee. For more information please contact Bonnie Cler at 333-5287 or email bonniecler@peaceaction.org.
Sister of Saint Francis of the Holy Family
Religious Profile
Editor's note: This is the twelfth in a series of profiles that highlight religious communities in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Rooted in the Gospel and in the spirit of Francis and Clare, the Sisters of St. Francis live in right relationship with all of creation. In recent years, the order has committed themselves to the radical witness of the core Franciscan Values, lived in the one community of life proclaimed in the Earth Charter.
Sister Angela Goedken is the only sister currently serving in Alaska. She has spent the last 14 years teaching religion and language arts to 7th and 8th graders at St. Mary School in Kodiak. More than a dozen Sisters in the order have served in Alaska, primarily in the Interior.
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family were founded in Herford, Germany in 1864. Forced to emigrate by the Kulturkampf, the small community arrived in Iowa City on Sept. 8, 1875, where they established the first orphanage under Catholic auspices in the state of Iowa. In 1878, Bishop Hennessy invited them to move to Dubuque to establish a diocesan orphanage. The sisters' motherhouse is in Dubuque today. The first Medical Mission Sisters came to serve in Alaska in the late 1970's.
The sisters serve throughout the United States. They will soon be expanding their ministry on St. Lucia Island.
In a letter to the Anchor, Sister Goedken wrote, “After spending fourteen wonderful years on Kodiak Island, I will be leaving to return to Iowa this summer. It has been a great experience to have met the generous people of Kodiak, Alaska!”
Vocations and more info: Contact the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy family via their Web site at www.osfdbq.org or by contacting the Vocation Directress at 3390 Windsor Avenue, Dubuque, IA 52001-1211.
News & Notes
Koinonia Weekend
Koinonia weekend will be offered at Holy Spirit Center Oct. 3-5th. This weekend, which is offered for all adults, concentrates on the Paschal mystery: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Koinonia (a Greek term meaning community) emphasizes that the Church is a community of baptized believers who know they are set apart to proclaim the Gospel and to serve all people in a healing way. To make reservations, call Holy Spirit Center at 346-2343 or visit www.holyspiritcenterak-.org. For more information contact Sr. Lorene Griffin at 248-9881.
Copper Valley School Reunion
The public is invited to attend the Copper Valley School reunion at the beginning of August in Copper Valley. Students, staff and other alumni, along with their families and friends plan to celebrate the school and their experience, while brainstorming the future of education in the area. The reunion will run from Aug 1-3. For more information, call 297-7777.
Eagle Eye Retreat
Adults age 21 and older are invited to attend this year's Eagle Eye Retreat in Girdwood July 30—Aug 3. Put on by the Brothers of St. John, the retreat includes four days of monastic type prayer, adoration, theological and philosophical studies along with recreation and fellowship. For more information, call 351-2837 or email mcenuar@yahoo.com
U.S. deacons plan to meet in Hawaii
HONOLULU (CNS) — This fall, U.S. deacons and their families are invited to attend the Pacific Catholic Diaconate Conference Oct. 25-Nov. 1. It will be hosted by the deacons of the Diocese of Honolulu and Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva.
The conference will be held onboard the Pride of America, a Norwegian cruise vessel, as it travels around to four Hawaiian islands — Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, which is known as the “Big Island,” and Kauai. Details are available on the Web at www.deaconshawaii.org. The agenda will include talks and presentations on social justice and outreach, immigration, diversity, multiculturalism, marriage enrichment within the diaconate, and the spiritual and psychological development of the deacon. Information is available online at: www.deaconshawaii.org, or by calling (808) 734-1921, ext. 201.
World Youth Day in Alaska
Local young adults, ages 18 to 40, will have an opportunity to enjoy a Mass with the pope in Sydney, Australia without ever leaving Alaska.
World Youth Day, Alaska Style is a one day retreat offered at Holy Spirit Center in Anchorage on July 19 from 1 to 10 p.m. Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will attend the event, where participants will have a chance to witness the papal Mass via a live satellite cable feed from Australia.
In addition to the Mass, other activities are planned, centered on the Holy Spirit and the mission of Pentecost. Various talks, prayers (including the Stations of the Cross) and a reconciliation service will be offered.
Social activities are also part of the mix, including a barbecue and live music from local musicians.
For more information, contact Cindy Lentine at 297-7711 or log onto www.archdioceseofanchorage.org/documents/WYDRegistration.pdf.
Sacred art draws us closer into intimacy with God
One of my friends has an easy and simple way to judge art.
“If I can do it, it's not art,” he said.
That discussion came after a discussion about a piece of art at the New York's Metropolitan Museum of art, where a controversial piece of artwork was on display.
My friend and I agreed that the ‘artwork' on display was there more for shock value, than art.
It leads to the discussion about just what exactly constitutes art?
This, of course, has been debated ad nausiem, for millennia.
I love art and artistic expression. Only in recent years, however, did I finally find time to paint — something I always wanted to try but never felt talented enough for.
I started painting at the encouragement of a Seattle priest, Father Dave Rogerson. I lived with Father Rogerson for a summer during my short stint as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Father Rogerson is an expert woodcarver, with decades of experience. His works are greatly prized, and are intricate works of art. Several of his carvings are on display in churches in Western Washington.
Father Rogerson always spoke about how art should lead you to something higher, to the divine.
When I paint, it is an experience like no other — a powerful and almost transcendental experience with God.
Other artists I've talked with share similar experiences.
In interviewing Palmer artist Tim Jean (see story on page 1), I understood why he creates the images he does. He said he likes to work on pieces with religious themes because it gives the artwork greater meaning.
“Once I get started working on it, I get absorbed, I can't turn away from it,” he said.
He spends hundreds of hours on his intricate projects, some which contain more than a thousand different pieces. Looking at Tim's face, I could see that he is pouring his heart and soul — his very self — into his art.
I feel similarly when I paint. I feel like what I am doing is a prayer, where I share in creating something that mirrors what our own Creator did. To create art is a powerful — and intimate experience.
Over the last couple of years I have seen why seminarians are encouraged to find a hobby, such as art, as a way to live a healthy celibate life.
When art reaches for God and aspires to communicate aspects of the divine and holy, it is a powerful experience.
Shock value works, but it is temporal and fleeting.
When art inspires one to look beyond themselves — towards the ethereal — then it is meaningful and lasting. It is sacred, and that is what sacred art should inspire.
The writer is assistant editor of the Catholic Anchor and a teacher at Lumen Christi High School.
Discovering silence
In the year 1984, the German filmmaker, Philip Groning, sent a letter to the abbot of the Carthusian order at the Grand Chartreuse, deep in the French Alps. He asked if it might be possible for him to come to the monastery and film the daily course of their monastic schedule. He would not interfere with their personal lives; He just wanted to be among the monks to get a sense of what the life of silence and penance might look like to an outsider and why an individual might choose to practice it in such a severe form.
The abbot wrote to Mr. Groning and said that he would consult with his brother monks and get back to him. He did, indeed, get back to him but only after a lapse of 16 years! Of course, the life of Carthusian monks does not move very swiftly. They are not going anywhere soon.
Philip Groning was particularly interested in understanding what drew these men to monastic life and how they could withstand the long hours and days of work, prayer and silence.
He then lived with the monks for a year and totally immersed himself in the hush of monastic life during all its seasons. At year's end, he returned to Germany and produced the award-winning film now entitled “Into Great Silence.”
It has since become so popular that folks of all religious persuasions are flocking to see it. Some even say that it is a kind of “personal retreat,” all three hours of it.
It has often occurred to me that monastic life has always attracted people. It's not that most would personally choose to enter a monastery, but the very life itself seems so fascinating, so different, so challenging. Perhaps it is the silence itself that is a mystery to some.
Of all the many human gifts, speech and communication seem to be the ones that define us as human. Hence, to voluntarily give up all this seems a great mystery in itself. Why would anyone not want to talk?
It might also seem to some that silence is a penance or that that it is meant to help the monks pray “better.” But my sense is that practicing silence as a penance is defeating its very purpose.
Rather, it seems to me, silence may well help the individual pray, but that can only happen if one can first discover his inner being, his heart's desire, his reason for living. When one comes to such a sense of peacefulness, then prayer is already happening.
It might also be said, of course, that the regimen of silence should not be limited to life in a monastery. However, I think some people have already found ways to pray right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life. Many have found a personal monastery in their cubicle at work or in the noise of a manufacturing plant.
I admit that a monastery deep in the Alps might provide a more conducive setting, but places of contemplation happen where they happen. It's what we make of them that ultimately counts.
I have watched the film several times and have always come away refreshed and chastened. Would I now immediately head off to a Carthusian monastery? Not a chance! But, experiencing silence from a recliner is probably the next best thing.
The writer recently moved to Notre Dame, Indiana after serving the Anchorage Archdiocese for 15 years. He can be reached at clementich@hotmail.com.
America must confront communal sin
“Being American,” quipped a guy at a 1990s party, “means never having to say you're sorry.”
That line is even truer in today's political correctness that labels as “anti-American” acknowledging: our enslaving and lynching blacks; breaking treaties with and slaughtering Native Americans; sending Japanese and Aleut Americans to concentration camps; invading other countries; murdering their democratically-elected officials; and inflicting war, torture, murder, terrorism and, more recently, sexual perversion on innocent people in the Third World. Confessing our country's sins has gone out of style.
Let's look at some of the excuses and why they're phony:
1.) Past history. These things happened in the past; we should look ahead, not behind. I'm sure 1970s murderer Charles Manson would agree with such a sentiment. Think he'll get away with that?
2.) Moral relativism: We're not so bad compared to other countries. Right, and Manson didn't kill as many as Timothy McVeigh. So what?
3.) Anti-American: Confronting our sinfulness is “attacking” America. Does mentioning fellow American Manson's sins make me a traitor?
4.) End justifies the means: We sometimes had to do bad things to protect our national security from communists and terrorists. Funny, the communists and terrorists make the same arguments. Should we let them get away with that?
5.) Word games: Countries don't commit sins; only people do. Arguing there's no such thing as collective sin doesn't eradicate sins. Sinning together is as much a sin as sinning alone.
6.) Get-out-of-hell-free card: A couple of years ago, a guest columnist made the argument that God's commandments apply to people, not nations. Funny, I couldn't find any church teaching to back up his contention.
7.) Politics, not morality: The commandments don't apply to politicians on the job, and the church shouldn't “meddle” in politics. See #6.
8.) “Negativism”: We should focus on what's right with America, not dwell on what's wrong. That may make us feel good, but we were made to serve God, not feel good.
The ancient Jews continually jeopardized their survival as a people when they disobeyed God and ensured their survival when they obeyed God. The same is true for us. The commandments are like an operator's manual for a new car: disregard the manufacturer's instructions and the country you drive will eventually break down.
That's why the United States needs to reconcile itself with God. As in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we have to confront our sins before we can stop committing them. Matthew's Gospel makes it clear that our salvation depends on the way we treat the poorest and most vulnerable among us, especially those in the Third World. How many of excuses 1 through 8 will Jesus accept on Judgment Day?
Guatemala and South Africa have set up commissions on truth and reconciliation to bring those countries back to God.
Our salvation and our survival depend on our doing the same.
The author writes from Anchorage.
Learning from sex abuse crisis
The clergy sexual abuse scandal that rocked the U.S. Catholic Church five years ago was a painful period but a teachable moment. Healing and preventive measures have gained momentum since the U.S. bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in June 2002 and formed an independent National Review Board.
Subsequently across the nation, in accordance with the Charter, diocesan review boards have been formed, safe environment programs put into place, annual audits on abuse implemented, and procedures for more careful screening of priesthood candidates adopted at seminaries.
There is also much that others can learn too, said Bishop Gregory Aymond, chair of the USCCB's Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and bishop of the Diocese of Austin, Texas. He noted that two other Christian denominations and one school system already have asked his committee how to deal with sexual abuse by those in authority.
Ann Riggs, PhD, a member of the Religious Society of Friends (the Quakers) and associate general secretary for Faith and Order for the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., said that from the Catholic Church's experience with clergy sexual abuse, other churches have learned that ignorance is no excuse.
“You have to educate yourself so you are not naive,” she said. Another lesson learned, Riggs said, is that supervisors cannot give candidates for positions in Church leadership the benefit of the doubt and dismiss questions about their background.
“You can't just assume their mental health and spiritual honor,” she said. Finally, Riggs said, churches have learned from the Catholic experience that abuse compromises an institution's capacity to carry out its mission. Some funding for ministries is diverted to legal fees and settlements for victim/survivor counseling. Also, in a church wracked by scandal, those in the pew, if they remain in the pew, are less likely to contribute monetarily.
But it is not only institutions that can learn from the Catholic Church's experience, Bishop Aymond said.
“At every level of society, consciousness has been raised about sexual abuse. More and more, even families sitting around the table are discussing it openly,” he said.
One topic is the importance of being vigilant, which Bishop Aymond said is perhaps the primary lesson to learn.
“You need to be very, very vigilant about picking up any signals that sexual abuse may be occurring,” he said.
Robert Bennett, Washington attorney and charter member of the National Review Board, said, “People need to realize that child abuse occurs in all sorts of places; you can't be self-righteous and say, ‘It can't happen here.'”
Closely related to vigilance is prevention. One preventive measure to be learned, Bennett said, “is not to allow dysfunctional men into the clergy.”
Bennett warned against using the “geographic cure”—which is no cure at all—of moving abusive pastors to other churches, and he also advised against “burying the abuse for fear of scandal, only to have a bigger scandal emerge” when the abuse is eventually revealed.
Another lesson is the importance of transparency and truth.
When allegations of abuse are made, Bishop Aymond said, the first order of business is to “find the truth of the matter” by prayerfully listening to all sides without bias.
All allegations must be investigated, Bennett said. Bishops, or whoever is in authority, must meet with victims and, in the process, not assume that they are not telling the truth. “You don't want to act like you're some risk assessment manager for an insurance company,” he said.
The author wrote this article at the request of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and is reprinted here with permission.
Editorials
Redemption behind the razor wire
Wrapped in razor wire, modern prisons are a stark reality.
Even in those places with libraries, college courses and vocational training, the 21st century prison remains a disturbing place.
In many cases, they house the shattered lives of those who have long struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol. A large portion of these prisoners have sexually abused someone and statistics reveal that there is a far greater chance they will land back behind bars rather than leave prison and embark on a new life.
The very core of the problem lies not so much with the prison system as with the reality of man's rejection of his true nature.
In this issue of the Anchor, however, we are reminded that the Gospel of Christ can pierce even this great darkness. Christ can lift the gaze of the most hardened criminal because all human beings were made for God and created in his very image.
Like all humanity, the image of God in the prisoner has been clouded and covered in layers of moral and spiritual deformity. Years of denying their true nature has taken a heavy toll on some of these inmates.
The difference, however, between the sex offender and addict in prison and the rest of society is only a matter of degrees. Prisoners have lost the ability to manage or hide their sins but we all suffer from the same basic disorder. We have all sinned and need Christ's healing.
For this reason, the volunteer men and women who minister in Alaska's prisons need to be commended — and assisted. They bring a great light into what often appears to be overwhelming despair.
It's not that prison Masses are packed to the gills or that inmates are banging down the doors to attend Bible studies. Rather, there are a few genuine signs that the hearts of men stir when they catch a glimpse of Christ.
Some begin asking questions.
Others start attending Mass.
Still others decide to embark on that great journey to God.
When this happens, lives begin to transform. Even behind the double locked doors of prison, quiet inspirations can grow into genuine faith.
At the Palmer Correctional Center, there are signs that Mass attendance is growing, Catechism classes are slowly expanding and even sacred works of art are beginning to emerge from the very hands that once committed crime.
But an age-old problem persists: the harvest is ripe but the workers few.
Alaska's prison ministers need assistance. If you're interested in helping them bring Christ to our local prisons, give Deacon James Hostman a call at 350-5667 or 694-5520.
Letters to the Editor
There are no letters to the editor for this issue.