September 5, 2008 - Issue #16
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Fund drive exceeds 2007
2008 Annual Appeal brings in $930,000 to support archdiocese
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz expressed his gratitude to area Catholics for making this year’s One Bread-One Body Annual Appeal a success.
The yearly fund-drive for the archdiocese netted more than $930,000 this year, besting last year’s appeal by nearly $130,000.
“It really shows how generous our people are when you have a specific goal because we know everyone is struggling with the prices of both food and gas,” Archbishop Schwietz told the Anchor. “This is a great tribute to their faith.”
Money received from the Appeal goes towards funding the various outreaches and ministries of the archdiocese, including Catholic schools, religious education, social justice outreaches and a host of family life, religious and other ministries and programs.
“I hope this level of giving means people feel that as a local church we are going in the right direction – that we are being faithful and improving our programs and our teachings,” Archbishop Schwietz said.
Overall participation was up for the third year in a row, with 25 percent of area Catholics contributing to the Appeal. That compares to only 17 percent in 2006 and 20 percent in 2007.
Jim Caldarola, the director of Stewardship and Development for the Anchorage Archdiocese said the level of giving this year met the overall goal.
“People are becoming used to the appeal and seem to be planning for it in their philanthropic activities,” Caldarola told the Anchor via email.
This year’s Appeal exceeded the overall expectations by about $60,000, which means local churches will get to tap into larger parish rebates for various projects and outreaches at the parish level.
Any funds above and beyond the original archdiocesan goal will be spread out among different causes that were part of the Appeal, Caldarola explained, while adding that none of the archdiocesan causes “were fully funded by the original goal.”
Archbishop Schwietz said he hopes the added giving will provide some backup to fund additional seminarian formation in the future.
— Anchor reports
Seattle University to extend degree program
Degree in pastoral ministry offered again
They’ve read encyclicals and theologians from Jesuit Father Karl Rahner to Protestant theologian Paul Tillich. They’ve explored liturgy, deepened their spiritual lives, studied Scripture, and relearned everything they’d forgotten about footnotes while writing countless papers.
Now, 16 Alaska students in Seattle University Master’s of Arts in Pastoral Ministry program are entering the final third of the 54 credit hours they need to earn an advanced degree in pastoral studies. The whole process has taken place right in Anchorage.
As this group makes a final push towards graduation, Seattle University is preparing for the next cohort of Alaskan students to begin studies in the summer of 2009.
“I can’t say enough about how grateful we are that this program has been available to us,” said degree candidate Candace Bell. “It’s enhanced our lives in many ways.”
With approval from Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, the Jesuit university began its first ever degree program in Alaska in the summer of 2006. More than 20 students, many of whom already worked in church ministry, began the three-and-a-half year program which, according to the university, “prepares lay people to engage in theological reflection and articulate a faith that does justice in the church, the marketplace, and in life circumstances.”
The program is an ecumenical, multicultural approach, which emphasizes the gifts and specific needs of the local church. It’s geared toward busy people with classes held during intensive weekends and two-week summer stints. Some of the classes have been required studies for the current crop of deacon candidates, as well.
The MAPS degree is a formation program for Catholic, Protestants, and Anglican ecclesial ministers. Although the well-established program in Seattle is made up of nearly half non-Catholic students, the Anchorage program, which began with two Protestants in the cohort, is finishing up as an all-Catholic enterprise.
However, Dr. Sharon Callahan from the School of Ministry and Theology, told the Anchor that she has met in Anchorage with several denominations that were interested in sending candidates to next summer’s program.
“We have enough lead time this time to ensure that we have a bigger ecumenical group,” she told the Anchor.
To find out more about the program, contact Adrian Dominican Sister Jo Gaugier at 297-7741.
Alaskans offer prayer amid Philippines conflict
As warring political factions continue fighting in Cotabato, Philippines, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz asked for continued prayers for Catholics and others living in the Archdiocese of Cotabato — a sister diocese to Anchorage.
Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo has urged government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace negotiators to stop the fighting that has displaced thousands of villagers in the southern Philippines.
The archbishop sent a text message with the plea to negotiators on both sides Aug. 12, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News.
A British news agency reported that Muslim separatists were pulling out of Catholic farmlands Aug. 12 after a two-day military assault on their positions forced nearly 160,000 people to flee from eight towns on the island of Mindanao.
Archbishop Quevedo told UCA News he sent his text message to both negotiating panels because it was “the fastest way possible.”
The text said, “In the name of our one merciful and beneficent God, for the sake of peace, and on behalf of the thousands upon thousands of Muslim, Christian and lumad (indigenous people) evacuees, with little food to eat, I urgently appeal to” the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Archbishop Schwietz said he received an email from Archbishop Quevedo on Aug. 29, which indicated that the fighting has dissipated somewhat.
“The email thanked me for the prayers of the people of the Anchorage Archdiocese,” Archbishop Schwietz told the Anchor. “They really feel that prayerful support from the recent flooding and now the fighting.”
Archbishop Quevedo also expressed thanks for the financial support that the Archdiocese of Anchorage has provided.
“The recent floods made people homeless but now the fighting has also created some new refugees,” Archbishop Schwietz said, referring to flooding which decimated crops in the area earlier in the year. “They are trying to get these people back into their homes.”
In 2004, the Anchorage Archdiocese entered a Global Solidarity Partnership with the Archdiocese of Cotabato. The agreement aims to provide mutual support between the dioceses. Delegations consisting of Archbishop Schwietz and other Catholics from Alaska have made trips to the Philippines to solidify the partnership. Archbishop Quevedo and representatives from Cotabato have also visited Alaska.
As part of the partnership, the Anchorage Archdiocese is being served by two priests from Cotabato: Father Jaime Mencias and Father Ben Torreto.
Father Torreto said the political fighting is not a new experience for his homeland.
“The tension and conflict has been like this since the 1970s,” he told the Anchor.
Father Torreto expressed frustration with local Filipino politicians for not taking a stronger stance in working to establish peace in the region.
On Sept. 7, the Anchorage Archdiocese Global Solidarity Partnership committee will meet to discuss additional ways that Alaska Catholics can support their sister diocese in Cotabato.
“I would like, in our next meeting, to come up with a statement of support for peace,” Father Torreto said. “We have offered prayers but a statement is another form of support.”
In Cotabato, Archbishop Quevedo asked rebels “to return to their original camps” and he urged the government to cease firing on rebel forces so that there can be a return to peace. Rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for an Islamic state in their traditional areas, mostly on Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines.
Sudanese immigrants find hope, challenges in new Anchorage homes
Total numbers estimated at 600
James Panoam, a native of Southern Sudan, sat in a small mid-town apartment and spoke in heavily accented English about his new life in Anchorage.
While a bevy of Sudanese children played outside in the cool August sunshine, Panoam said he’s been in town two weeks and has “no job, no home, no food.” But he does have a wife and seven children, and right now the nine of them are sleeping in one room.
Catholic teaching 1. The Gospel’s emphasis on the poor. In one Gospel account (Matthew 2:14-15), Christ himself was a refugee, fleeing with his family to Egypt from the murderous persecution of Herod. 2. Statements and encyclicals of the popes. Pope Leo XIII’s great social encyclical, “Rerum Novarum” (On the Condition of Labor), 1891, acknowledges that persons have a right to work to survive and support a family. 3. In “Exsul Familia” (On the Spiritual Care of the Migrant), Pope Pius XII affirms the right of people to migrate if necessary to ensure the dignity of the human person. 4. In “Pacem in Terris” (Peace on Earth), Pope John XXIII says: “Every human being has the right to the freedom of movement and of residence within the confines of their country; and when there are just reasons for it, the right to emigrate and take up residence elsewhere.” 5. Pope John Paul II, reiterating that persons must be permitted to migrate for just cause: “The fact that he is a citizen of a particular state does not deprive him of membership to the human family, nor of citizenship in the universal society, the common, world-wide fellowship of men.” 6. Statements of the U.S. Bishops have sought to build on this tradition of rights for migrants, expressing that persons have the right to find opportunities in their homelands, but when unable to support themselves, have the right to migrate. While nations have the right to control their borders, it is not an absolute right, but one which includes an obligation to the universal common good. |
The 39-year-old spent 10 years working in meat-packing plants in the Midwest before journeying to Anchorage, where a growing Sudanese community beckons others to give the Far North and its job opportunities a try.
Fortunately for Panoam and other new arrivals, Bajek Deng recently organized the Southern Sudanese American Community Association, a nonprofit to help newcomers.
Deng, holding a sleeping baby boy in his arms as he sat on the couch in his cozy living room, says the Sudanese in Anchorage probably number about 600 now.
“Four big families arrived last week,” said Deng. “We’re not families like here with two children. Our families have four, five, six children.”
The new arrivals, he said, have multiple needs: shelter, transportation, child care and of course, jobs. Many need English classes. Those coming directly from Sudan are often classified officially as “refugees,” and receive special assistance, but those who migrate from other parts of the U.S. often fall through the cracks for aid.
Why do people from Sudan come to the U.S.?
In a word, said Deng, “War.” Although Americans are very aware of the conflict in the Sudanese province of Darfur, from which some of Anchorage’s immigrants come, Deng believes the world did not pay as much attention to the similar genocide which ravaged Southern Sudan earlier, sending thousands of Sudanese spilling over the borders.
Deng and his wife Nyaloang Chuol were in Seattle when he found work in the Alaskan fishing industry. He has worked in Dutch Harbor and the Bristol Bay area, and is now employed by a deconstruction company while going to school for a business degree.
Chuol, who came into the living room wearing a vivid African floral print outfit, is expecting the couple’s fifth child. She had just returned from working on the couple’s Habitat for Humanity residence. When it’s complete, they’ll leave their small three-bedroom apartment, often shared with newly arrived Sudanese.
Panoam explains that many of the people from Darfur are Muslim, while most of the Southern Sudanese are from various Christian religions. The new Sudanese association assists them all, just as the war in Sudan has affected them all.
It’s not a religious war, explains Panoam. It’s a war of the Arab-dominated government against the black Africans whom the government hopes to eliminate.
On the back of the couch in Deng’s apartment are several bright green, embroidered panels which he brought back from a recent visit to Sudan.
What does he miss most about his country? Without hesitating, he replies, “The people.”
The Southern Sudanese American Community Association has many needs, but at the top of their wish list is a grant writer who can help them acquire funding to help resettle one of Anchorage’s booming new communities.
Obtaining indulgences: Anchorage Archdiocese sets local requirements
Local church participates in universal Year of St. Paul
Last month, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz approved the local requirements that spell out how Catholics in the Anchorage Archdiocese can obtain a special plenary indulgence by participating in the celebration of the year of St. Paul.
Pope Benedict XVI declared the Pauline year, which runs from June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009, to mark the approximately 2,000th anniversary of the saint’s birth.
In June, the Vatican announced that Catholics who actively participate in the celebration can receive a special plenary indulgence.
Catholic News Service reported that Pope Benedict XVI said the aim of the Pauline year was to “learn about St. Paul, to learn the faith, to learn about Christ, to learn the path of the righteous life.”
The pope said the evangelistic saint and apostle insisted that people keep foremost in their minds the ideals of truth, honor, justice, purity and excellence.
Indulgences explained One of the most misunderstood parts of Catholic tradition is indulgences. Because they deal with temporal punishment due to sin, time was always an important part of the indulgence. However, our concept of time is not the same as God’s. In order to clarify what has sometimes been very confusing, Pope Paul VI wrote an apostolic constitution entitled “Indulgentiarum doctrina.” In this document, the pope limited indulgences to partial and plenary. Thus an indulgence removes part or all of the punishment due to sin. Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead. Sin has consequences, and while the sin may be forgiven, there may be a need to heal the consequences. The church has taught that we do that through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The church, through its “treasury of grace,” also wishes to make available to the faithful opportunities for a special grace. It does this through indulgences. To gain an indulgence, one needs to perform certain works, pray for the intentions of the pope, celebrate the sacrament of penance and receive the Eucharist. Once these have been completed, the person receives the indulgence. As part of the Body of Christ the individual may apply the indulgence to their own life or as an act of charity pray that it be applied to the life of another. The other person may be living or dead. |
According to a May 10 Vatican decree, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the granting of a plenary, or full, indulgence in order to highlight the Pauline year and open the way to the “interior purification” of the faithful.
The plenary indulgence is offered to pilgrims who come to Rome, as well as to Catholics who participate in local events connected to the jubilee year, and to those who may be too ill or otherwise prevented from physical participation.
In the Anchorage Archdiocese, Catholics can obtain the indulgence by praying for a half hour at one of the following sites: Holy Family Cathedral, St. Bernard Church in Talkeetna, the shrine at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the shrine at Cooper Landing, Holy Cross Church (which has a statue of St. Paul) or pray at the outdoor Stations of the Cross at Holy Spirit Retreat Center.
For those who cannot visit one of these location because of distance, the archdiocese is recommended they make an online visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
To visit this location online, go to www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm
The Vatican Web site provides the history of the basilica as well as a virtual tour.
In addition to visiting one of the above locations, Catholics of the Anchorage Archdiocese must also read one letter of St. Paul as found in the New Testament.
Finally, they must also pray the following prayer to the Apostle Paul:
Glorious St. Paul
Most zealous Apostle,
Give us deep faith,
A steadfast hope,
A burning love for the Lord;
So that we can proclaim with you,
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ
Who lives in me.”
Help us to become apostles
Serving the Church with a pure heart, witnesses to her truth and beauty
Amidst the darkness of our days.
With you we praise God our Father:
“To him be the glory, in the Church
And in Christ now and forever.”
Amen.
Catholics who plan to visit Rome to obtain the indulgence, must fulfill the following requirements:
— Those visiting the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome in the form of a pilgrimage must offer personal prayers before the Altar of the Most Blessed Sacrament; they must also recite the Our Father and the Creed in front of the Altar of the Confession, adding invocations to honor Mary and St. Paul.
The decree said individuals can obtain more than one plenary indulgence during the jubilee year, but not more than one per day.
According to the Vatican, conditions for the special Pauline year indulgence include the normal requirements set by the church for all plenary indulgences: that the person goes to confession, receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the pope.
While not required for the indulgence, the Anchorage Archdiocese has recommended that Catholics also read books and other writings about St. Paul.
Some recommendations for reading include: “Paul in Fresh Perspective” by N.T. Wright; “St. Paul: Called to Conversion: A Seven Day Retreat” by Fr. Ron Witherup, S.S.; and “Paul: A Critical Life,” by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor.
— CNS and Anchor staff reports
Sounds of the sacred echo from St. Andrew choirs
Music groups aim to elevate liturgy with quality sound
Travis Harrington was in sixth grade when he first joined the choir at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River as a piano player.
What’s remarkable is that Harrington has been with the choir ever since, and now at age 35, he directs the choir at the Saturday evening Mass. For all these years, he’s considered the musical group his “small faith-based community.”
It’s this kind of commitment that makes St. Andrew Church a special place for liturgical music. Blessed with three choirs, one for each weekend Mass, the parish has a unique musical richness and variety.
Parish Music Director Debbie Kontess said Harrington’s Saturday evening group, nearly 35 members strong, offers contemporary liturgical music with piano, acoustic guitar, flute, oboe, trumpet, and occasionally a French horn.
The 9:30 a.m. Sunday choir, led by Kontess, offers a mix of contemporary and more traditional music.
“You may hear Panis Angelicus and a little Latin now and then,” Kontess said of her 25-member group, which incorporates organ, cello and violin.
Then there’s the 11:30 a.m. Mass, which often attracts young families and has a children’s choir under the direction of Laura Albright.
Each choir is well-rehearsed, said Kontess. “A lot of 5-year-olds go home with tapes for practice.”
Kontess said the parish also benefits from “a nice pool of well-trained cantors,” which is important because, although choirs must be as professional and well-prepared as performers, “their role is to lead the congregation in song.”
“Our group was called a ‘folk group’ when I joined,” said Harrington. “We started out singing in unison, or working into two or three part harmony. Today, we’ve pushed into four, five and six part harmony.”
Harrington said his good friend Jennifer Dennis is a flute player, who has been with the group “as long or longer than I have. Her parents were in the group, and now her kids are in it. We grew up in the choir.”
That’s the kind of intergenerational connection that Harrington would like to see happen with young people at St. Andrew’s today.
“One of the challenges we face is getting kids involved in the Mass,” he said. “Music has that intangibility to reach out and draw people in. Good music serving the liturgy crosses cultural and age lines.”
Because of this emphasis on inclusion, the choirs are open to anyone.
“I do not hold auditions,” said Kontess, “but members commit to coming to rehearsals.” Occasionally, the three choirs will combine for special events.
“We always aim for quality. A lot of thought goes into it,” said Kontess. “The music must be chosen well. We read the Scriptures for the Sunday,” sometimes again and again, to find music that complements the readings.
“When music is done well, it provides a richness, it enhances the liturgy. We have such a rich tradition (of music) in the Catholic Church.”
Kontess said the new church building at St. Andrew’s, completed within the last year, is a beautiful setting for music. Although eventually more acoustic panels will be added to the ceiling, volunteers have spent “countless hours” working on the sound system and bringing in new microphones.
St. Andrew has been a concert venue, including an ecumenical choir concert last February, and a cantor’s solo vocal recital last March.
“We’re really trying to provide very quality music that’s also very spiritual,” said Kontess.
Leadership changes hands at Lumen Christi school
Colleen Larson takes over for Jim Yeargan as principal in 2008-09
After leading Lumen Christi Jr./Sr. High School for the past seven years, Principal Jim Yeargan decided to retire from the Anchorage-based Catholic school for the start of the current 2008-2009 academic year.
Yeargan, who officially stepped down in early August, said the decision to retire had been on his mind for a while.
Lumen operates under the guidance of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Anchorage. Last summer, Yeargan spoke with the pastor of St. Benedict Church, Father Steve Moore, about the possibility of stepping down. Ultimately, Yeargan decided to stay on as principal through last year. This summer, however, after 41 years of education, he finally opted to call it a career.
“I’m ready to retire,” Yeargan told the Anchor. “I’ve given Lumen all I can and now it is time for fresh leadership.”
Adrian Dominican Sister Ann Fallon, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Anchorage Archdiocese, has assumed temporary leadership at Lumen. She will direct the school until a new principal comes on board, shortly after Labor Day.
“Father Moore called and asked me to help out,” Sister Fallon explained.
The new principal Colleen Larson was set take over in September for the remainder of the school year. Larson served on the school committee that helped establish and launch Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School last year in Wasilla. She also brings years of educational experience from teaching in the public school system.
As for the 2009-2010 school year, Sister Fallon said a formal search for a principal will take place with Larson assisting Father Moore in that process. Fallon said she expects Larson will be one of the candidates during that process.
Overall, Sister Fallon said the transition at Lumen is “going well and the students have been open and helpful.”
As Lumen heads into the current academic year under new leadership, Yeargan said the school remains a great asset to the archdiocese.
“Lumen is still a great school and it has a lot to offer,” he said. “Hopefully it will expand and grow in the future.”
Yeargan added that his time working at Lumen “was some of the most wonderful years of my life and the most important years of my professional life.”
He began teaching in 1967 at Monroe Catholic High School in Fairbanks. After working many years in public education, he said it was a dream come true to return to a Catholic school at Lumen in 2001.
“It was a dream I had to work at a Catholic school,” Yeargan recalled.
In retirement, he is staying busy as his wife finishes a final year of teaching.
“Then we’ll talk about true retirement,” Yeargan said. “But we have 7 children and 21 grandchildren so we stay pretty busy.”
Lumen Christi is a co-ed school that serves grades 7-12. It is a member of the Anchorage Archdiocese school system, which also includes Our Lady of the Valley School in Wasilla, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Anchorage and St. Mary School in Kodiak.
Oblates continue long tradition of bringing Gospel to Alaska outposts
Order forged initial Catholic presence in Alaska
The first Catholic missionary incursions into Alaska’s mainland were made by members of the religious congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary. The first Catholic priest to enter Alaska was the 28 year-old Father Jean Séguin, OMI.
On Sept. 23, 1862, Father Séguin arrived at Fort Yukon — a trading post, where he spent a difficult winter.
The chief trader at the post did not approve of Catholic activities and, while he shared his table with the local Anglican minister, he relegated the Oblate priest to the servants’ quarters for lodging and meals. The effect of this social snub on his relations with local Natives, who judged by appearances, was damaging and Father Seguin left Fort Yukon on June 3, 1863, to return to Canada.
During the summer of 1870, Father Emile Petitot spent some time at Fort Yukon. He, too, met with little success in what was by now Anglican territory.
It was in response to a call for priests made by Francois Mercier – a devout French-Canadian Catholic trader from Montreal, that the Oblates first entered Alaska. Mercier feared that Protestant missionaries would soon take over the whole Yukon River country.
On Sept. 11, 1872, two years after Father Petitot had returned to Canada, Oblate Bishop Isidore Clut of the Athabaska-Mackensie Diocese, accompanied by future Oblate Father August Lecorre, set out from the mission of Good Hope in Canada for Fort Yukon.
One month later, they arrived at the fort, where they were cordially received by its officers, most of whom were Catholic. The two spent the winter at the fort, where they devoted most of their time to the study of the Native language but most Natives had already been converted to the Anglican Church.
On May 15, 1873, the two left Fort Yukon, with St. Michael as their ultimate destination. On May 20, they arrived at Nuklukayet, today’s Tanana, where they spent two weeks instructing Natives and baptizing children. Bishop Clut reported “a great victory” there - the baptism of the children of the two most powerful ‘chiefs,’ plus that of 26 other children.
At Nuklukayet Bishop Clut celebrated the first pontifical Mass in Alaska. It was celebrated in the presence of several hundred Natives.
On June 20, the party reached St. Michael, where the bishop concluded that it would be an excellent place to establish a permanent mission in Alaska.
Two reasons in particular were in St. Michael’s favor as a headquarters for Catholic missionary activity. First, there were no Russian or Protestant ministers active in the area. Secondly, Mercier, as the newly appointed chief agent for the Alaska Commercial Company, would be making St. Michael his center of operations.
Leaving Father Lecorre in charge at St. Michael, Bishop Clut, on July 7, 1873, departed again upriver for Canada. He was the first Catholic bishop to set foot in Alaska. At the time of his Alaska trip, he was auxiliary bishop of Athabaska-Mackenzie.
Father Lecorre — at this time still a diocesan priest — spent the winter of 1873-74 at St. Michael, where it is reasonably assumed that he made missionary excursions to lower Yukon River and Yukon Delta villages, as well as to Unalakleet.
Since the time of those early-day Oblate pioneer Alaska missionaries, other members of that congregation have served, and are serving, in Alaska.
From February 1931 to January 1932, Father Joseph Allard served as pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Seward. After that he worked with the Tlingit Indian people of Sitka and Hoonah. In the early 1960’s, Father Henk Huijbers, out of Burwash Landing, Yukon Territory, Canada, tended to St. Ann’s mission in Northway on a regular basis.
Over the years, other Oblate priests have served in Alaska, mostly for short periods.
Today, the Oblate presence continues to thrive in Alaska. Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, has been Archbishop of Anchorage since March 3, 2001. Brother Craig Bonham is stationed with the Soldotna (West Kenai) team. Father Tom Killeen, known for climbing all of Colorado’s 14,000 feet-plus peaks, is pastor of St. Joseph parish in Cordova, and Father Gerald Brunet assists with Archdiocesan Native Alaska Ministry. Father Tony Dummer, a former High School Principal, is Moderator of the Pastoral Team serving West Kenai, consisting of the energetic Father Joe Dowling and Father Andy Sensenig, who has run five marathons. And in the Diocese of Juneau, Father Pat Casey, a former medic during the Vietnam War before becoming a priest, is pastor of St. Catherine of Siena in Petersburg, and Father Jim Blaney is pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church, Wrangell.
News and Notes
Marriage in the Catholic Church
The Archdiocese of Anchorage Family Life Ministries is hosting information sessions on marriage in the Catholic Church. Representatives from Engaged Encounter, World Wide Marriage Encounter, Natural Family Planning and Retrouvaille, along with local priests, will answer questions on issues such as marriage preparation and counseling. Father Thomas Brundage, JCL, Judicial Vicar at the archdiocese’s marriage tribunal, and Father James Oberle, SS, the Director of the Office of Evangelization and Worship will make presentations. The sessions, which begin at 7 p.m., will take place on October 3 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Soldotna, October 7 at St. Michael in Palmer and October 10 at Holy Cross in Anchorage. For more information call Julie at 297-7710.
New victim assistance coordinator
Last month, Rosemary Insley was named the new Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Anchorage Archdiocese. As Victim Assistance coordinator, Insley provides services to people who may have experienced sexual abuse by any church employee or volunteer. Insley is a licensed, clinical social worker with years of experience. The Victim Assistance Coordinator is part of the archdiocese’s effort to provide a safe environment for young people and vulnerable adults. Insley can be reached at 297-7786.
Federal judge to address religious freedom
Later this month, the Honorable Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit travels to Anchorage to speak on “The Curious Case of Free Exercise,” religious freedom and the First Amendment. The talk will take place in conjunction with the Anchorage Archdiocese’s annual “Red Mass” during which the church especially seeks the Holy Spirit’s guidance for judges, lawyers and politicians. Judge O’Scannlain’s talk will take place on September 27 at 3 p.m. in the Wilda Marston Theater at the Z. J. Loussac Public Library. A reception will follow. As with the Mass, Judge O’Scannlain’s talk is open to the public. For more information contact the St. Thomas More Society at 297-7729.
Refugees from Sudan and Zaire come to Alaska
Across the next three months, eight refugee families from Sudan and the former Zaire will make Anchorage their new home. In advance of their arrival, Catholic Social Services is asking for contributions toward household goods for them, specifically, irons, ironing boards, vacuum cleaners, shampoo, laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, dental hygiene products, mops, brooms and buckets. Phone cards are also useful, so the new Alaskans can let relatives know how they are doing in their new home. For more information call Yarelis of the Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services program at 222-7359.
Catholic family conference nears
October 10-12, the Anchorage chapter of Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) will host the Alaska Catholic Family Conference. The conference will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. For more details, including registration forms and speaker and concert information, visit akcatholicfamily.org or e-mail cufanchorage.com. For registration questions call Karen at 245-5270, or for general information call Catherine at 375-8909.
Sisters of the Most Precious
Blood of O’Fallon, MO
Editor’s note: This is the fourteenth in a series of profiles that highlight religious communities in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
The Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Missouri, form a community that finds its mission in the Church. Rooted in the Eucharist and personal prayer, the sisters aim to continue the mission of Jesus by striving to embody Christ’s redeeming presence as they affirm and empower one another and those they serve, especially the poor.
Two sisters currently serve in Alaska. Sister Loretta Luecke is parish administrator at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage. Sister Joan Oberle works for the Anchorage Archdiocese Marriage Tribunal.
In spring 1981, the order was invited by Father Ernie Muellerleile to begin a summer school at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage. Two sisters volunteered in July 1981. They returned the next year and one sisters accepted a full-time position at the parish. Anchorage Archbishop Hurley, now retired, also expressed the need for someone to work with the Spanish-speaking people; thus a sister who spoke Spanish was assigned as well as a third sister who worked hospitality at SEAS. These three sisters arrived in July 1983. By 1989 they had left Alaska for other assignments. In August 1990, Precious Blood Sisters Loretta Luecke and Joan Oberle arrived.
Founded in Steinerberg, Switzerland in 1845, the first group of nine sisters came to the States in 1870. In 1874 the Sisters settled in O’Fallon, MO.
In 2007 the sisters made the decision to continue to live in O’Fallon. That same year St. Mary’s Institute of O’Fallon was awarded a place on the National Register of Historic Places. With their partner-developer, McEagle Properties, and a team of experts, the sisters helped launch a continuing care retirement community — The Village of St. Mary’s. By renovating old buildings and further developing 42 acres of land, the sisters will be able to minister by providing services and housing for their sisters and ‘lay’ seniors in the area. The project begins this September and should be complete by 2011.
The sisters plan to continue their ministry in Alaska until God calls them elsewhere.
To learn more about the sisters, visit their Web site at www.cpps-ofallon.org or contact their office of vocations by mail at 204 N. Main Street, O’Fallon, MO 63366. Their phone number is (636) 240-6010. The email contact is vocationdir@cpps-ofallon.org.
Local Columns
Family support and the foundations of social justice
Editor’s note: Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz spoke with the Anchor July 16 about the need for Catholics to support and advocate for social justice in society. The following interview was edited for length and clarity.
There are a lot of issues related to our growing population of immigrants. This is a very serious issue when we start dealing with young people who might be drawn into gang type activities. We need to find ways to address this issue, which really means looking at ways to better support family life.
The Catholic Church’s support for families and those without homes goes back thousands of years to when it began establishing hospitals and orphanages to find ways to help people in society who suffer from weakened families or the loss of families or the loss of home territories.
We are going to have a major thrust on this (at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops). We had a pretty long discussion on that in our June meeting. In fact, there are now four major task forces at work to focus on the major areas that we want to focus on in the next five years. One of those areas is family life. I’ve been put on that task force because of the bishops’ committee I chair, which deals with family life.
There was a recommendation that we look at how to support family life in its traditional sense, especially since there are forces in society that are trying to recreate what family and marriage are all about. Given the push for same-sex marriage and that sort of thing, we need to find ways to communicate why we see the traditional family as the building block of society. It is not something that comes from us. It is a divine creation and we are trying to continue to support that in society. We are just saying that this is how we believe God willed the family to be.
In some other states the courts are trying to force different forms of marriage and so on. In terms of challenges to family life in Alaska, we have a very highly mobile society. Part of that is due to our high percentage of military families. Among religious leaders, we have talked about the need to support people in the military. This is kind of a new area for us. Family life is being challenged tremendously by the problems that military people bring back after their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and other unstable parts of the world. We are looking at how our parishes, which have so many military, can help our military deal with the trauma they experience and at the same time help them hold their families together. I’ve talked to priests and asked them to look for ways to be more present to those who come back from war zones. We just started that conversation this past year.
In our Catholic tradition, we do not separate them. In some other traditions, you go out and proselytize no matter what situation people are in. The main thing for some of these groups is to get people to sign up. Our Catholic tradition, however, is to look at people first of all from the perspective of their human dignity. Then we look at how we can help them live out that dignity. We also need to show them why we do that. We need to reveal our core beliefs that lead us to do that. In this way, we evangelize but we don’t proselytize.
We still have a challenge in helping people see there should not be a distinction between practicing our faith and being active in social justice. The two go together. Some people follow the mantra, promoted by certain groups who try to stifle the voice of the church in society, that says the practice of our faith should be totally private and not impact society. We believe just the opposite – unless we put faith into action, faith is dead. Putting our faith into action means more than going to church, which is important, or giving to the collection, which is important - it means being aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Social sin requires personal response
Recent issues of the Catholic Anchor contained a column and letters to the editor on “communal sin.” (America must confront communal sin, Geoff Kennedy, July 18, and Letters to the editor, Aug. 8,). None of the writers referred to Catholic teaching on the subject, nor to the examples of repentance and reconciliation set by our church leadership.
Pope John Paul II wrote eloquently and passionately on the subject of communal or “social sin” in 1985 and again in 1988. In the 1985 document, “Reconciliation and Penance,” the Holy Father wrote,
“…social sin refers to the relationships between the various human communities. These relationships are not always in accordance with the plan of God, who intends that there be justice in the world and freedom and peace between individuals, groups and peoples … However, to speak even analogically of social sins must not cause us to underestimate the responsibility of the individuals involved. It is meant to be an appeal to the consciences of all, so that each may shoulder his or her responsibility seriously and courageously in order to change those disastrous conditions and intolerable situations…”
In 1988, Pope John Paul II reiterated this teaching in his encyclical entitled “Social Concern.”
On August 19, 1901, the white residents of Pierce City, Missouri stole weapons from the state militia and banished the town’s 300 black residents. The banishers, my great-grandparents among them, drove the blacks out at gunpoint, lynched three black men, and took their homes, their land and the property that was left behind. This was the “individual sin” of my great-grandparents and the “social sin” of all of Pierce City’s white residents.
When I learned of the banishment, my first reaction was, “I’m sorry,” and my next reaction was, “How can I repent?” My response was not borne out of Catholic guilt, but rather out of Catholic responsibility. While I did not hold the gun that banished the black residents of Pierce City, I have to confess that whatever economic benefit my great-grandparents received has ultimately been passed to me and my children.
Examples of the Catholic Church seeking reconciliation for its own social sin are abundant. In 1991, the former bishop of the Diocese of Juneau, Michael Kenny, apologized to the Alaska Native community, saying, “I humbly ask your forgiveness for the blunders, for the times the Catholic missionaries here have failed to appreciate the depth of Native spirituality and to affirm the beauty of Native language, Native culture, Native tradition, Native art.” In 2001, Pope John Paul II apologized to the Aborigines and other indigenous people in Oceania for past injustices by the church. In 2006, Archbishop Alfred Hughes of New Orleans apologized for racism in the church, saying, “I want to acknowledge the past in truth, seek forgiveness and recommit myself and our church in New Orleans to realizing the gospel message in our relations with one another.” Most recently, on July 19, Pope Benedict offered a “heartfelt” apology to the victims of clerical sexual abuse in Australia.
As long as we are beneficiaries of “social sins,” we share in the responsibility to repent and seek reconciliation. We can acknowledge that we have benefited and we can commit ourselves to be outspoken advocates with those who have borne the suffering of social sins.
Thankfully, the Catholic Church’s recognition of its own institutional sins, and its effort to repent and seek reconciliation, have set an example for us to follow.
Spiritual lives might need a root canal
Given a choice between long nails screeching across a chalkboard, an IRS audit, or being flanked by a three hundred pound man and a colicky baby on a six hour flight, I’d cheerfully choose all three before going to a dentist.
But some good ole fashioned Catholic guilt vis-à-vis my saintly mother made me break my several-year-long hiatus with the person who wields the drill.
I (not so subtly I’m sure) shared my fears with my new dentist, who took it all in stride.
The man, a devout Catholic, approached my fears in a very Christ-like manner; with understanding, support and kindness, while still being very firm with said drill.
I ended up needing a couple of fillings. When I went to have them filled, I discovered — to my surprise — that I also was getting a root canal.
“Watch this end up in a column or on some news report,” the doc quipped in response to my misunderstanding.
The root canal topped off a week that included a nasty battle with a virus — all while I faced the anxiety of preparing for full time teaching.
Needless to say, my life was pretty stressed.
But some good life-lessons (“character building,” as my dad would say) came from the experience. I made it through the ordeal while re-learning some crucial lessons.
First, we are not alone. Christ is there to help us through the hard times in a very supportive (perfect) way.
That being said, he still asks us to change our lives and throw out that which poisons us. Sometimes we need the drill, the root canal, in order to be healthy. The sacraments and prayer are the drills which Christ sometimes employs to help make us better.
Secondly, the last couple of weeks helped reiterate to me the church’s teaching on the redemptive aspects of suffering. As an aside, I’m pretty sure the dentist also offered up some suffering in dealing with me.
Like athletes who train for competition, offering up pain and suffering helps strengthen us spiritually.
The grace that comes from that can help others who are certainly suffering more than me — like those in the Sudan, Georgia, or even the homeless person at Northern Lights and Minnesota.
Finally, I learned the importance of trust. Trusting that God sees the bigger picture and will help me through my struggles.
The important thing is to never give up, never lose hope and hold fast to the faith, like a buoy in the middle of a turbulent storm.
Christ will always be there, right next to us, as we bite the bullet (that’s metaphorically speaking, of course, for any dentists that might be reading this).
Editorials
‘Islands of Christian life’
Editor’s Column
A good friend recently made a case that modern society is hostile to family life.
He explained that we live in a “new time” where people struggle to find meaning as ties to families, churches and strong local communities increasingly loosen. In place of these traditional pillars of civilization, a pop-culture has emerged that is all too often obsessed with sex, material wealth, radical individualism and endless entertainment.
As we spoke, I watched my three young children play in the back yard.
I keep no illusions about the storms that lie ahead nor do I deny that difficult challenges await these little souls. They may falter and stumble. They may even lose their way.
I worry that my little girl will be swept into believing the secular culture’s vision of what is beautiful and sexy. I worry that my boys will forsake what they know is true.
Despite these dangers, two fundamental realities still inspire great hope.
First, the church teaches that God is consistent throughout the ages. Even as our society attempts to purge religion from our homes, schools and public life, God remains steadfast and continues to offer eternal life to all who follow him. He still longs to set us free from sin. This will never change.
Secondly, there is hope because God created all human beings with free will. No matter how obsessed the culture grows with material wealth or individual gratification, each person, in every generation, possesses a divine-like will. This allows us to walk headlong through raging storms and still find the narrow way.
In short, each of us can make a stand. Each family can draw the line and teach and live the faith.
Granted, modern families must interact carefully with the mediums of popular culture (television, internet, iPods, cell phones, video games). In today’s climate, these mediums often spread ideas that directly conflict with Christian teaching.
It would be a mistake, however, to think that Christians need to hunker down and hide from the world.
On the contrary, we are called to be “islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world. In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith.”
These words from the Catechism of the Catholic Church reflect the ancient Christian belief that parents and children grow in holiness by living as a family.
“Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous – even repeated – forgiveness and above all, divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life,” the Catechism affirms.
Raising a faithful family is a daring mission, but one that begins with seemingly plain and ordinary work.
We must take time to educate our children in virtue, read Bible stories to them, pray with them, attend Mass together, and do charitable works as a family.
My friend is correct in lamenting the ills he sees in much of modern culture. He forgets, however, that Christians from every generation have always been called to shine a great light into the darkness.
To this end, each and every Christian family is called to be a beacon of hope and a source of renewal for future generations. This call, we must answer.
Finding ‘Truth’ in words
I am grateful to introduce myself as the Catholic Anchor’s new assistant editor. It is the best sort of adventure to work for the church.
Thanks to my father’s military career, adventures began early. As a child, I swam in the East China Sea and rode horses in the fields of Texas.
After graduating from the College of William and Mary with a degree in government and Spanish, I worked for a member of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Later, I served as lobbyist for the National Right to Life Committee.
Most recently — prior to my marriage and move to Anchorage — I was public relations administrator for one of the nation’s leading manufacturers.
In my career, I have composed and edited speeches, articles, press releases and briefing materials on myriad issues. In every arena, however, whether governmental, non-profit or corporate, it can be a challenge to convey the truth in words. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is eloquent and can inspire the right words and help me recall important facts.
When the right words are elusive, I am reminded to pray to God, who is “Truth Itself.”
As I begin this new work in my new home, I want to thank Anchor readers for praying that I remain close to the surest Guide in the Last Frontier.
Letters to the Editor
We are responsible for sins of omission
In the Aug. 8 issue of the Anchor, Elyce Santerre and Fred Michels wrote letters to the editor that accuse my July 18 column of referring to something the Anchor headline writer calls “communal sin.” I’m not responsible for the headline to my column, which I didn’t write, but I will take responsibility for dispelling the confusion.
You and I aren’t responsible for sins our government officials committed 200 years ago. But we are responsible for our sins of omission, letting our current government officials get away with their sins of commission.
The trouble is those government officials hide their sins with secrecy and lies. You and I lack the expertise, time, energy and finances needed to uncover the truth. That’s why I propose a commission on truth and reconciliation with the resources to do the job.
I’ve never proposed using the sacrament of reconciliation to “confess” our government officials’ sins. I simply affirm the validity of the principle behind that sacrament—confronting past sins is necessary to avoid future sins. That principle applies to nations as well.
Elyce Santerre is right; it makes no sense to confess someone else’s sins. Jesus calls us to confront our own sins, not theirs. That includes our sins of omission.
Anchorage
Thanks for supporting retired religious
On behalf of men and women religious throughout the United States, I extend a heartfelt thanks to all the people from the Archdiocese of Anchorage who contributed to the annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious in 2007. Your generous donations totaled $90,154.11, almost four percent more than was contributed in 2006. We know this represents great sacrifice on the part of many in these difficult economic times, and we are deeply grateful.
Your generosity helps to provide care for more than 37,000 religious in the United States who are past age 70, including more than 4,900 who need skilled nursing care. These women and men pray daily for your intentions, asking God to bless you abundantly.
The funds from the 2007 appeal were distributed to religious institutes at the end of June, and I am confident that they will be received with profound gratitude for every donor.
Sister Janice Bader, CPPS,
Director of National Religious Retirement Office
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Politics has no place at Jesus’ banquet
Margaret O’Brien Steinfels wrote in CatholicDemocrats.org , that Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann publicly denied Communion to Democratic Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for vetoing several Republican anti-abortion bills, and to Pepperdine law professor Douglas Kmiec for publicly supporting Barack Obama.
What’s wrong with this?
Jesus fed the multitudes with unconditional love — without regard to their sins — and with no attempt to exercise power over them. In fact, the U.S bishops’ recent document, “Faithful Citizenship,” states: “As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group.”
The U.S. bishops also admit, “We do not tell Catholics how to vote. The responsibility to make political choices rests with each person and his or her properly formed conscience.”
Should church hierarchy employ a double standard in distinguishing between liberal and conservative pro-life issues? The U.S. bishops’ document states clearly, “As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters.”
The bishops also affirm that the Holy Spirit grants voters the right and responsibility to weigh all the issues and evaluate them according to their properly-formed consciences.
At this point, we need to distinguish between morality and politics. Morality is about right and wrong. Politics is about public, governmental matters. Endorsing a candidate is not the same as aborting a baby.
Rejecting bad and ineffective legislation also involves making a decision according to one’s conscience. As a politician, Governor Sebelius not only had the right, but also the responsibility to determine whether anti-abortion bills before her would do the job they were supposed to do without violating the state constitution. She swore to uphold that constitution. Violating that oath would be a mortal sin and immoral. The bishops’ document states: “A good end does not justify an immoral means.”
Rather than imposing a partisan political agenda, when it comes to denying Catholics Communion, it would be better to heed Jesus’ power of love and the U.S. bishops’ recent document. I would like to think that Archbishop Naumann would agree.
Anchorage