January 9, 2009 - Issue #1
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
‘Freedom of Choice Act’ threatens conscience rights, says Archbishop Schwietz
Archbishop Roger Schwietz and the Archdiocese of Anchorage are gearing up to fight for life.
At the November 2008 general meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Schwietz and his fellow bishops from around the country committed to sponsoring the “Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign” to alert legislators of the dire consequences of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act — federal legislation that would nullify virtually all state and federal limitations on abortion, which the Supreme Court has so far permitted since Roe v. Wade.
For instance, FOCA would invalidate the federal ban on partial-birth abortion and bans on government funding of abortion. Archbishop Schwietz explained that the “very sweeping” legislation would eliminate state laws that require parents be notified before their minor daughters obtain abortions, as well as laws that protect infants who are born alive during attempted abortions.
Moreover, he noted that the FOCA would invalidate laws – like Alaska’s – that require abortion providers to fully inform expectant mothers about the risks of abortion as well as alternatives before they perform an abortion.
The bill also would “jeopardize the conscience rights” of health care workers and even the future of institutions – like Catholic hospitals – that choose not to facilitate abortions, euthanasia or embryo-destructive research or provide so-called “emergency contraception.”
The bill is “contrary to our faith and contrary to democratic principles and the principles upon which this country is built – basically the freedom to choose to practice one’s own faith,” said the archbishop.
Ed Wassel, president of Alaska Right to Life, said the “radical” FOCA would be a “disaster,” rendering pro-life efforts in the state over the last 20 years “futile.”
Nevertheless, President-elect Barack Obama has committed to signing FOCA into law – if Congress passes it. As a senator, Obama co-sponsored the bill. In a July 17, 2007 speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Obama promised, “The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do.”
In January, with help from the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment, the USCCB will deliver to the nation’s parishes postcards with a message opposing FOCA.
In the Anchorage Archdiocese, Archbishop Schwietz is enlisting the help of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas to set-up tables in church foyers where parishioners can sign postcards after Mass. The postcards then will be sent to their legislators in Washington, D.C.
Archbishop Schwietz recalled the “positive effect” of an earlier postcard campaign in support of the federal bill to ban partial-birth abortion, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003.
Archbishop Schwietz expressed hope that Alaska’s new senator, Democrat Mark Begich, along with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Republican Congressman Don Young would oppose FOCA – especially given that “freedom of conscience is something of great value to us in Alaska,” he said.
However, in a Sept. 11, 2008 candidate questionnaire by Juneau Pro-Choice Coalition Political Action Committee, Begich opposed allowing public or “quasi-public” hospitals to refuse to perform abortions.
Regarding “access to abortion services by minors,” Begich marked that he favors “no restrictions.” Begich marked “no” to “requiring parental notification” and “requiring parental consent.”
To the question, “Do you favor public funding of abortions for Medicaid-eligible women?” Begich marked “yes.”
The Anchor contacted Begich’s office for his position on FOCA. By the paper’s publishing deadline, Begich had not responded.
Murkowski was “unavailable for comment,” according to her press secretary Mike Brumas.
In a written statement e-mailed to the Anchor, Young said, “I believe that the loss of life through abortion is a great moral disaster, and I will continue to vote against any bills that would in any way promote the use of abortion as a method of family planning. I do not support the use of federal funds for abortions and have voted that way over the years.” Addressing the FOCA, he added, “As for legislation like this, that attempts to override state laws for parental consent and waiting periods for abortions, I am strongly opposed.”
In the postcard campaign, Archbishop Schwietz expressed hope for a “very strong turnout” among local Catholics in the archdiocese, and he is urging them to “get the word out” – especially to members of the area’s ethnic communities who may not be apprised through the regular channels. All Catholics of the archdiocese have a “critical role” to play, he said.
“The bottom line is that we need to be vigilant,” Archbishop Schwietz explained. “And more than that, we are called upon to be active members of the democratic process in our country. We’ve got to convince all our people that we all have a right and a responsibility to be active members in the democratic process in our country. Otherwise, we may lose our democracy, at least elements of it that are precious to us.”
For more information about the postcard campaign in the Archdiocese of Anchorage, contact Deacon Ted Greene at 297-7734.
Alaska’s first Catholic Mass celebrated in 1779 by Spanish priests
230 years ago Spanish fleets brought Catholicism to the north
At midnight, two Spanish frigates slipped away from the dock at San Blas, Mexico and sailed into the dark toward Alaska. It was Feb. 11, 1779. Three Roman Catholic priests had joined the perilous mission. In three months, they would celebrate the first Catholic Mass in Alaska and bring the Body and Blood of Christ to the Last Frontier.
By 1779, the race to explore and claim rights to the far north had already reached Alaska. The year before, 1778, the English Captain Cook had sailed into his inlet that now bears his name, and the Russians were already trading furs with Native Alaskans.
The Spanish were sailing with a two-fold mission: to claim territory for their Catholic king and to spread the faith.
According to Father Richard Tero, a church historian and pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Seward, taking possession of new land involved erecting a cross at each site and, if a priest was present, celebrating Mass.
In 1774, Spain’s first expedition to Alaska fell short – landing in British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands.
The next year, part of a Spanish contingent arrived in what is now Sitka and Bucareli Bay (named after the Spanish Viceroy of Mexico Don Antonio María Bucarelí). But the ship carrying priests was forced to turn back with a crew suffering from scurvy. Those who landed in Alaska claimed territory for Spain and erected crosses. But without a priest, there was no Mass.
Catholic History in Alaska This is part of an ongoing series in the Anchor that will explore some of the landmark moments of Catholic history in Alaska. |
Franciscan Father Junípero Serra, the beatified former head of the Californian missions, was undaunted by the challenges of evangelizing Alaska. Desiring to bring the Gospel to Natives in the north, he had been assigning chaplains to travel with the Spanish missions.
After the disappointment of the1775 trip, he wrote to Bucarelí.
“There the crosses remain but … there are lacking those who can explain their meaning to those poor natives,” he said.
In 1779, Bucarelí sent another crew north, as he described, to “contain the plans of the Russians to establish themselves” in Alaska. Three chaplains accompanied them: Father Juan Antonió Garcia Riobó and Father Matiás de Santa Catalina Noriega, Franciscans from Mexico, and Father Cristóbal Antonio Díaz, a secular priest from Peru.
Other firsts in the Catholic history of Alaska
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The explorers headed north with 15 months of supplies and an indefatigable faith.
Two months in, a tremendous storm arose and the ships lost sight of each other. On one ship, the Princesa, Father Riobó recounted in his journal how the crew and priests begged help from heaven.
“I went with the commandant to the quarterdeck, and in the name of all the crew on the frigate he made a vow to Our Lady of the Rosary, patroness of the frigate,” Father Riobó wrote. “He promised the foresail as an offering at her shrine and likewise that he would carry, barefooted, the mast in procession to the church at San Blas, if the Blessed Virgin would obtain our delivery from this and other dangers which we might encounter and should we return safely to harbor.”
“As if a reward of this promise,” Father Riobó explained, “Our Lady favored us with her powerful protection.” The winds turned favorable. And despite the “annoying” rain and cold, Father Riobó later remarked, “it would be difficult to find another example of a voyage of discovery fraught with so many dangers and so happily ended.”
All of the explorers – but two – eventually, safely returned home.
On May 3, the Princesa sailed into Bucareli Harbor. The second ship, the Favorita, had arrived ten hours earlier – after two weeks of separation.
On the Spanish feast honoring the Holy Cross, the explorers found a small port on the east side of the bay and named it “Santa Cruz.”
There again, said Father Riobó, “we experienced the effects of Divine Providence which guided us.” At night, they dropped anchor. The next morning, they discovered an enormous rock jutting out, exposed in the low tide. They had been saved from shipwreck, wrote Father Riobó.
The Spanish disembarked on Suemez Island, where Father Riobó said they greeted the Natives, who appeared with “signs and tokens of peace, some throwing white feathers in the air from a promontory on the sea.” Father Riobó added, “We gave gifts to each of them and they in turn gave us fish.”
Then on May 13, 1779 (the feast of the Ascension), the first Roman Catholic Mass was celebrated on Alaska soil.
In his journal, Lieutenant Don Ignacio Arteaga, commander of the expedition and captain of the Princesa, described the scene of the first Mass.
“The 13th I descended to land with my Second in Command, and the Captain of the Favorita, with all the officers of both ships, carrying in the launch with all reverence the (statue of the) Virgin of the Rosary, and having disembarked on the beach … the Sovereign Lady was placed upon an altar which I ordered to be set up under a large tent.”
Mass was sung by the three chaplains. Just outside the tent, stood a cross made from two “pine” trees.
About 60 natives – men, women and children – attended the Mass, wrote Arteaga. They seemed to show “great devotion,” but he concluded it was merely wonderment over the “ornaments, things never seen among them, as also at the ceremonies of the priests, and the silence which we all kept.”
After Mass, the captains and officers carried the cross to a mountain where it could be seen from the bay.
Having ordered several gun salutes from the ships, Arteaga explained that “the Virgin was saluted from on board as well as on shore.”
The Spanish stayed in Bucareli Bay for 58 days. From the bay, they conducted a small reconnaissance mission. Also, they administered medical care to the natives, helped them in their crafts and farming and baptized several children. On July 1, the Spanish left the area for further exploration, but “not without much regret, of the Indians who had come to settle there in order to be near us,” wrote Father Riobó.
Ultimately, the Spanish failed to establish a permanent Catholic settlement in Alaska, and instead founded missions further south across the West Coast of the United States, primarily in California.
It would be another hundred years before the bishop of Vancouver would open the first Roman Catholic parish in Alaska at St. Rose of Lima Church in Wrangell.
But Alaska’s Catholic roots had begun to grow a century before.
In an interview with the Anchor, Father Tero lauded the Spanish explorers for first bringing Catholic faith and devotion to the far north.
“The Spanish always had a love for the Blessed Mother,” he said.
Their explorers were always saying the rosary and singing the Salve Regina, he noted.
While the Spanish exploration to Alaska included an official mission to claim lands for Spain, Father Tero was quick to add that there also was a higher motivation at work.
“They were out to win souls, not earn bucks,” he said. “They were there to bring Christ to the Native peoples and to help them.”
“They knew how fragile life was,” he added, “and that Jesus gave life meaning and that his Mother would help” in their trials.
Father Tero urged Catholic Alaskans today to mirror their spiritual forbearers. In good weather and in the midst of storms, he said, let “Jesus and his Mother be the center of their lives.”
Fr. Oberle leaves Alaska for Texas seminary post
On Dec. 29, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz announced that Father James Oberle, SS, Ph.D., STL, has accepted — with the approval of his superiors in the religious Order of St. Sulpice — a staff position at Trinity Seminary, University of Dallas.
In 2007, Father Oberle came from San Antonio, Texas to serve the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
During his Alaska stay, he held a number of key positions within the archdiocese. He served as director of Holy Spirit Center, the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and Worship, Continuing Formation of Clergy and Diaconate Formation. Father Oberle also served as an associate publisher of the Catholic Anchor.
Father Oberle’s initial assignment, when he first arrived in Alaska, was to serve as pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Big Lake. He held this position for several months before taking on additional duties within the archdiocese.
“Father Oberle deeply loves Alaska and its people, and brought our archdiocese a myriad of talents and experience,” Archbishop Schwietz said in a statement to the Anchor. “I personally will miss his pastoral as well as educational and formation contribution, but wish him well in the most important ministry of preparing seminarians for priesthood.”
Archbishop Schwietz offered his blessings and assured Father Oberle of his prayers and those of Catholics in the Anchorage Archdiocese for his new work in Texas.
Archbishop Schwietz explained that despite the move, Father Oberle plans to return to the Anchorage Archdiocese in the future “to help with pastoral ministry for Easter and Christmas.”
Father Oberle was the only priest of the Order of St. Sulpice serving in Alaska. The order is dedicated to the education and formation of candidates for the priesthood.
Archbishop Roger Schwietz has appointed Father Steven Moore as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, effective Dec. 26.
In a diocese’s chain of command, the position of vicar general is second only to the bishop.
Under the leadership of now-retired Archbishop Francis Hurley, Father Moore held the job in the Anchorage Archdiocese for 19 years. He continued on under Archbishop Schwietz’s tenure, resigning in 2003 to pursue a degree in canon law at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. At that time, Father Moore had been the longest-serving vicar general on the West Coast.
Among his other assignments, Father Moore has served as associate pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, pastor of St. Patrick Church and most recently, as pastor of St. Benedict Church. He will continue shepherding that parish as he assumes his new work at the archdiocesan chancery. In addition, Father Moore is nearing completion of work on a dissertation for his church law degree.
In his statement issued Dec. 29, Archbishop Schwietz thanked Father Moore for “accepting the added responsibility” and for his “dedicated service to our local church.”
— Anchor report
Cloistered sister ‘found everything’ behind monastery walls
Sister Maria Margarita remembered for life of prayer
Sister Maria Margarita de la Fuente, a cloistered sister of Perpetual Adoration, died Dec. 11 at the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in south Anchorage. She was 91.
A member of the original eight sisters who moved from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Anchorage, Sister Margarita came 23 years ago to help establish a monastery at the invitation of Archbishop Francis Hurley, who is now retired.
“In the monastery, Sister Margarita’s great joy was keeping the Sacramental Jesus company through her vigils, praying especially for those who were far from God,” Mother Maria de las Victorias Amezcua, superior of the Anchorage group, said in a statement after Sister Margarita’s death. “She loved Alaska and meditating on the infinite beauty of God as seen through his many works of nature.”
Sister Margarita was born March 12, 1917 in Sayula, Jalisco, Mexico, the eighth of ten brothers and sisters.
“(She was) always a delightful person, full of energy and always with a smile on her face,” said Father Tom Lilly, who serves as “protector of the monastery,” a position which requires him to assist the sisters with various matters.
In an interview in the 1990s, Sister Margarita said she felt, at age 18, a strong attraction to consecrate her life totally to Christ. Originally, she was attracted to work in active missions but ultimately felt called to become a cloistered nun and spend her life in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, which the Catholic Church teaches is the real presence of Christ.
“One morning I went to church to pray and I found Christ alone and silent and forgotten by all. The only testament to his real presence at this time was a little old woman who was praying almost imperceptibly at the entrance of the church,” Sister Margarita recalled in an unpublished interview for the monastery’s former newsletter.
“Then conscious and sure that I had found everything, I understood that here was my place – to spend my life in front of the Sacramental Jesus for everyone, all my brethren for whom I offer my prayers and sacrifices,” she added.
On Sept. 29, 1940, Sister Margarita followed her call and entered the first monastery of Perpetual Adoration in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She made her solemn profession in 1945.
In 1985, she traveled to Alaska to help establish the Anchorage monastery.
In the 1990s interview, Sister Margarita said she found generous people and “great faith and love” of the Blessed Sacrament in Anchorage.
During her years at the Anchorage monastery, she was in charge of the chapel and the sacristy. Also, she helped at the door and with other tasks. But her primary responsibility was adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
In large monasteries, at least one sister is present before the Blessed Sacrament at all times. With fewer sisters in the Anchorage monastery (now five), the sisters maintain a presence from morning, following Mass, until 9 p.m. They pray behind a tall cloister grille; local Catholics often join them for Mass and adoration on the public side of the grille in the quiet chapel.
When asked in the 1990s what she would say to others to encourage people to visit the monastery, Sister Margarita called people to lives of prayer.
“Jesus Christ, in solemn exposition, waits for the adorers to come be with him on behalf of those who forget him, offend him and don’t appreciate him, to receive graces, light, success in your business, peace and happiness in your soul and in your family and strength in your troubles,” she said.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 16 at the monastery. In the spring, Sister Margarita will be buried in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. The monastery will announce the date of her burial.
Korean Catholics grow into first church
The Korean Community in Anchorage has something special to be thankful for in the New Year — their first parish building. St. Andrew Kim Church, named for a Korean martyr, has become a reality.
Parishioner Thomas Kwon called it “our hope of the last 28 years. Finally, we have it.”
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz said he was impressed by the Korean community’s “zeal which led to the realization of this parish facility” and said it was an indication of the “the deep faith of this wonderful community.”
“A church building is an act of faith on the part of the people,” the archbishop added. “The Korean culture has a special beauty of its own and the Korean community worships with a reverence which is an inspiration to us all.”
St. Andrew Kim is in the former Bible Truth Gospel Chapel on the corner of 72nd and Lake Otis. The building had been sitting empty for about three years before being purchased by the Korean community. It has been “overhauled inside and is 99 percent done,” said Philip Lee, a parishioner who also serves as the parish’s archdiocesan liaison.
Classrooms and a residence for the pastor, Father Peter Yoo, who is on loan from the Diocese of Cheongju in South Korea, have also been added to the building. The upper level of the two-story structure will serve as the worship area, while the lower level is a large social hall.
Although this is the first parish church for the Koreans, the community has a long and vibrant history in the archdiocese. The first Korean-language Mass was celebrated in Anchorage in the early 1980s, and in 1991, at the request of many Koreans, Archbishop Francis Hurley, now retired, requested a Korean priest to serve the community.
Since then, the Korean community has used St. Anthony Church as their home church, and a small community center was built just north of the St. Anthony parking lot. This community center contained classrooms, a small social hall and the priest’s residence.
But the social hall proved too small for the growing community, and many members feared that newly-arrived Koreans were drifting to other denominations which had their own church buildings and larger halls.
Lee said the community today has nearly 250 people with about 170-190 in attendance for Sunday Mass. The new church seats about 200, and Father Yoo plans to offer two weekend Masses. The Korean Catholic community is a tight-knit group, which is divided into nine smaller communities based on neighborhoods so that people can get together for prayer and socializing.
Lee said the Korean Catholic community hopes other Catholics will visit for Mass and feel welcome at St. Andrew Kim.
Sister Charlotte Davenport, archdiocesan chancellor, explained that the parish is an archdiocesan parish, and that Father Yoo, like all parish priests, answers to Archbishop Schwietz.
“However, St. Andrew’s does have a special status,” the chancellor explained. “It’s called a non-territorial parish, meaning there are no geographic boundaries for it as there are for other parishes. It’s explicitly for members of the Korean community, no matter where they live.”
Formerly, the parish might have been called an “ethnic parish” but the term is no longer used.
Archbishop Schwietz noted that the Korean Catholic community is one that continues to grow.
“This achievement is a tribute of the faith of the community,” he said.
Church groups cautious amid economic uncertainties
Parishes and charities anxious about year-end totals
Do people keep giving to charity during hard times? It’s a question that has Alaska charities and parishes holding their breath as the U.S. economy continues to decline.
Even though Alaska wasn’t hit by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, many Alaskans have seen their retirement funds plummet, the housing market slow and the gas pump registering higher prices than most of the U.S.
Still, Susan Bomalaski, executive director of Catholic Social Services, is cautiously optimistic about charitable giving this year.
“Knock on wood, but so far our donations are holding steady,” she told the Anchor.
However, Bomalaski added, year-end statistics would tell whether large donors who often come through at the end of the year with donations from their portfolios will be as generous this year.
“A few big donors could turn the curve,” she said.
In the meantime, however, the agency has seen a big upswing in people wanting to “adopt” families in the refugee program or teens at McAuley Manor and Charlie Elder House.
“People know we’re the basic safety net,” Bomalaski said. “Maybe some of the charities who are less of a safety net will feel a difference.”
Bomalaski may be on to something. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported in mid-December that for many national charities “the outlook is grim” as the end of the year approached.
However, the Chronicle reported the exception was charities that provided food, shelter and basic services. Those charities can make the case that their demand is increasing rapidly.
Some other Alaska Catholic causes also seem to be doing fine. Nora Ortiz-Fredrick, associate director of stewardship and development for schools in the Anchorage Archdiocese, reported that the recent LUMENary Drive for Lumen Christi Junior/Senior High School was doing better than expected, well exceeding last year’s totals.
And a quick canvas of a few parishes around the archdiocese shows donations holding steady for the most part.
Sister Loretta Luecke, parish administrator of Holy Cross parish in Anchorage, said donations “are pretty stable” and special collections have been running about at the norm.
But at a recent finance committee meeting, Sister Luecke said apprehension was voiced by some about what might happen in the next few months.
“We’re making sure we turn the lights out when we’re not using them,” she said.
Father Steve Moore, pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Anchorage, said he hasn’t noticed a major downturn.
“For the church as for most non-profit organizations, the fixed costs – heat, lights – are something you can’t do much about,” he said. “But if you reduce staff, you reduce the mission of the organization and we certainly want to avoid that.”
At Our Lady of the Angels in Kenai, Mercy Sister Joyce Ross, the parish director, told the Anchor she has seen no change in Sunday collections.
But she has seen a decline in the “extras” like the number of turkeys donated for the Thanksgiving drive or donations to the annual drive for teens in need at the alternative high school.
“You know, we pay 30 cents a gallon more for gas than folks do in Anchorage,” Sister Ross said.
“But the people who practice stewardship here are really faithful.”
A Dec. 2 Associated Press article said that according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, historically charitable giving has been recession-proof.
The Center reported that during 39 of the past 40 years contributions to American charities have increased in today’s dollars. The one year of decline – 1987 – can be blamed not on the stock market but on a change in the tax laws.
Anchorage joins other dioceses in keeping close watch on finances
Gloomy economy poses challenges
U.S. Catholic dioceses including the Archdiocese of Anchorage are keeping a close eye on how the economy might impact annual budgets.
Regions hardest hit by the economic meltdown, in terms of unemployment, haven’t had to resort to drastic financial measures yet but officials, including those in Anchorage, are bracing themselves for the possibility.
Officials from dioceses contacted by Catholic News Service said they haven’t yet determined how the current economic climate will affect their budgets for the 2009 fiscal year.
In the meantime, they all reported trimming expenses where they can and proceeding carefully into the new year.
“I do think we’re impacted, but it’s hard to know by how much at this point,” said Sister Charlotte Davenport, a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace who is chief financial officer for the Archdiocese of Anchorage. “We’re watching it day by day and keeping expenses at a minimum. We’re being very, very cautious.”
With most U.S. dioceses conducting their annual fundraising appeals in the spring, officials in Anchorage, Detroit, Reno, Nev., Toledo, Ohio and Los Angeles said they are praying Catholics will be generous this year, but are bracing themselves for the potential of smaller contributions.
Those dioceses’ states have some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
The U.S. lost 533,000 jobs in November, the most in any single month in 34 years. The national unemployment rate climbed in December to 6.7 percent — itself a 15-year high — up from 6.5 percent in October.
Many states’ unemployment rates are considerably higher. In Michigan, beset by auto-industry woes, it was up to 9.3 percent in October. Joining it was Rhode Island, a state that watched its unemployment rate shoot up from 5.1 percent in October 2007 to 9.3 percent in October 2008. California, the nation’s most populous state, recorded 8.2 percent unemployment this October.
Rounding out the states with the highest unemployment rates were South Carolina, 8 percent; Nevada, 7.6 percent; Alaska, 7.4 percent; Illinois, Ohio and Oregon, each at 7.3 percent.
Diocesan officials nationwide rely on annual fundraising campaigns to support their budgets. Many dioceses will likely have a better handle on their economic forecast in the first few months of 2009, and will be able to gauge the tithing capacity of Catholics once their fundraising campaigns get under way.
Number of sex abuse claimants reaches 288 in Fairbanks Diocese
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The number of people claiming to have been sexually abused by Catholic priests and other church workers in the Fairbanks Diocese over the past six decades more than doubled after the diocese filed for bankruptcy protection in March.
The diocese said 288 people have made abuse claims against more than 40 individuals, with most of the cases relating to childhood sexual abuse. Because of the bankruptcy, victims had faced a Dec. 2 deadline to be included in the group that will be compensated by the diocese for the abuse.
When the diocese announced in February that it would seek bankruptcy protection, it said it was unable to reach a financial settlement with 140 people who had filed about 150 claims against the diocese. The most recent abuse asserted in a claim took place in the 1980s, although some cases go back to the 1950s.
Filing for bankruptcy is “the best way to bring all parties together and to provide for fair and equitable treatment of all who have been harmed,” said Fairbanks Bishop Donald J. Kettler in announcing the decision. “I am legally and morally bound to both fulfill our mission and to pursue healing for those injured.”
The bankruptcy court had set the Dec. 2 deadline for claimants of alleged abuse to file claims against the Fairbanks Diocese. Ads were placed by the diocese on Alaska public radio and in newspapers throughout Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and in USA Today to notify people about the deadline.
Ronnie Rosenberg, human resources director for the Fairbanks Diocese, said more than half of the claims were against one man, Joseph Lundowski, who has been described in lawsuits as a deacon and a Trappist or Jesuit “monk” but was actually a lay volunteer, according to Rosenberg.
Lundowski, who was believed to be from Chicago, worked in several parishes in the Fairbanks Diocese from about 1959 to 1975. It is not known whether he is living or dead.
The Society of Jesus reportedly paid $50 million in 2007 to settle lawsuits filed by 110 Alaskans against 12 Jesuit priests and three other church workers, including Lundowski.
The nation’s largest diocese geographically, Fairbanks covers more than 400,000 square miles.
Other dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy to resolve clergy sex abuse claims are San Diego, Spokane, Wash., Davenport, Iowa, and the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore. Portland, Davenport and Spokane have emerged from bankruptcy.
Teens take social responsibility seriously but have fun too
Generosity from high school helps community
While Catholic teens in Anchorage are taking social responsibility seriously, they make some fun in the process.
A group of students from Lumen Christi Jr./Sr. High School assembled more than 40 boxes for the area homeless, as well as Thanksgiving baskets for refugees from Darfur. They also gathered items for Clare House (an emergency shelter for women and children) and supplied new socks for Covenant House (a ministry for at-risk teens).
“Overall, students did a good job of bringing stuff in,” said Lumen Christi theology teacher Stacey Rubelmann worked with students on the projects.
“(It) is important because we want to promote the importance of social responsibility,” she said.
The students worked plenty of fun into their community service. A scavenger hunt and pie-eating contest, where people had to pay-to-play, helped bring in items for the needy.
“It sounded like fun,” said student council member Alexander Price of the pie-eating contest. “People like pie. The goal was to get involvement and food for the homeless.”
Rubelmann said the school’s student government is trying to include community outreach elements in all their activities this year.
“The focus is on the giving, so that no matter what activity we do, we keep the idea of community,” she said.
And the spirit of service is catching on, with more students than usual jumping on board.
“There are a couple of people in each class that are involved — they are the leaders that make people want to join them,” said student council co-president Drew Neuerburg. “The more leaders we have, the more students will follow, and it is also tremendously fun at the same time.”
Aside from the good times, sophomore Yuri Beans noted the importance of taking an active part in social justice and charity.
“With all of these activities you realize how blessed you are,” he said. “It also makes you thankful for what you have.”
Fellow classmate Lauren Heilala agreed.
“It’s like we learned at (the Alaska Catholic Youth Conference), that we are giving back to God what Jesus gave us,” she said.
In fact, all of the sophomore class exceeded the number of community service hours required in their theology class.
Many of the students said they see clearly the importance of social service outreach — especially in the face of so much economic uncertainty.
“Economic times are pretty bad, other people out there are suffering more,” Neuerburg said.
“It’s important to help out the community. If I were in that situation, I would want people to help out,” agreed student council member Price. “We are so fortunate.”
Some students hope to motivate their peers outside of Lumen Christi to get involved.
“I really enjoy helping out and I have fun,” said tenth-grader Sarah Carlson. “I hope that we can also be an example to others.”
CATHOLIC VOCABULARY (noun) A portable vessel designed to exhibit the Sacred Host for eucharistic adoration, such as in Benediction or a feast day procession. The practice of using portable shrines goes back to at least 1070 A.D. In the 1100s, Simon, Abbot of St. Albans in England, presented to the abbey one such little shrine — an ornamented, ark-shaped vessel representing scenes of the Passion — for use on Palm Sunday so “that the faithful might see with what honor the most holy Body of Christ should be treated which at this season offered itself to be scourged, crucified and buried.” Most contemporary monstrances are crafted to resemble the sun, with the Blessed Sacrament in a round, transparent glass compartment at the middle and rays of gold extending outward from it. |
Archbishop’s Calendar •Jan. 30, 1 p.m., Catholic Schools Mass, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church •Feb. 1-5, National Catholic Bioethics Conference, Dallas •Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Mass and Worldwide Marriage Encounter celebration, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church •Feb. 7, 6 p.m., Confirmation Mass, Holy Cross Church
Note: All events take place in Anchorage unless otherwise noted. Community Calendar •Jan. 16, 7 p.m., Christ in the City eucharistic adoration, Holy Family Cathedral •Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m., Native Mass and potluck, St. Anthony Church •Jan. 22, 7 p.m., Theology and Brew talk on Tridentine and Dominican rite Masses, Snow Goose Restaurant •Jan. 23, 7:30-9 p.m., Talk on St. Paul, Grant Hall, Alaska Pacific University •Jan. 24, 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m., Talk on St. Paul, Grant Hall, Alaska Pacific University •Jan. 24, 2 p.m., Pro-life prayer service, Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery •Jan. 25, 3-4:30 p.m., Talk on St. Paul, Grant Hall, Alaska Pacific University •Feb. 6, Viewing of CSS Quilt, Fiber & Wearable Arts exhibit, Sugarspoon dessert café
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted. |
News & Notes
Christ in the city
Looking to deepen your relationship with Christ in a profound way? Christ in the City, an evening of eucharistic adoration for young adults will be held on Fridays at Holy Family Cathedral from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Jan. 16. Young adults are encouraged to stay after, as well, to get acquainted over dinner at a local restaurant. For more information about this program, contact hfcyoungadults@gmail.com.
Native Mass every third Saturday
Every third Saturday of the month, the Catholic Native Ministry sponsors a Native Mass and potluck. Newcomers to the Archdiocese of Anchorage are especially welcome to attend. For more information, contact Pearl Chanar at 245-2024 or Renee Nicholson at 243-2240.
Day of Penance set for Jan. 22
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has declared Jan. 22 a nationwide Day of Penance – to mark the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand. Since the 1973 Supreme Court case, 50 million abortions have taken place in the U.S. Each year, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference sponsors a Mass and all-night prayer vigil at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the night before the anniversary and annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
According to the USCCB, the National Prayer Vigil for Life draws more than 20,000 pilgrims who pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life. For more information, visit www.usccb.org/prolife/.
The Mass: Ever ancient, ever new
The next Theology and Brew in Anchorage will explore the history and current relevance of two ancient celebrations of the Mass according to the Dominican rite and the extraordinary form of the Roman rite (Tridentine). The talk will look at the history and influence of these rites, as well as the impact they have on how Catholics celebrate Mass today. The talk will be presented by Dominican Father Vincent Kelber and Father Tom Brundage, JCL on Jan. 22 at the Snow Goose Restaurant. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.theologyandbrew.com.
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Virgin martyr: Feast of St. Agnes Jan. 21 is the feast of the virgin martyr St. Agnes. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “of all the virgin martyrs of Rome none was held in such high honor by the primitive church, since the fourth century, as St. Agnes.” The Catholic Church has celebrated her feast day each year since 354. St. Agnes was a Roman girl, who according to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, was only about 13 years old when she was martyred. During the Christian persecutions of the fourth century, Agnes had become a Christian and made a promise to God to preserve her virginity out of love for him. When young men proposed marriage to her, she would reply, “Jesus Christ is my only spouse.” One of her suitors was Procop, the Roman governor’s son. When Agnes refused his attempts to lure her, he became enraged, accused her of being a Christian and brought her to his father. The governor tried to entice Agnes to denounce the faith, but she would not. So he had her imprisoned, and still she held fast. Then he forced her into a brothel, but an angel protected Agnes and her purity. Indeed, according to Prudentius, when a young man lustfully looked at Agnes, he fell to the ground blind. Finally, Agnes was condemned to die at the stake. According to one account, the pagans who had assembled to watch, cried seeing the young, beautiful girl going to be executed. When the flames failed to injure her, she was decapitated with a sword in A.D. 304. For her fidelity to modesty and to the faith, the virgin St. Agnes is considered a “double” martyr. After her death, St. Agnes’ body was placed in a tomb around which a larger catacomb developed and was named for her. The slab that covered her remains and is inscribed with the phrase, “Agne sanctissima” is now in a museum in Naples. Often St. Agnes is depicted holding a lamb, a symbol of her virginal innocence. Fittingly, the Latin word for lamb is “agnus.” According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, on her feast day, two lambs are blessed, and from their wool are made the palliums or stoles which the pope sends to archbishops. |
Pro-life prayer service nears
Marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion on demand, the Knights of Columbus — with the support of Alaska Right to Life and other area pro-life organizations — will host an interdenominational prayer service on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus memorial monument to the unborn in the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. According to organizers, the event aims to offer prayers for the healing of all those who have been involved in abortion. Representatives from the Anchorage Archdiocese, the Anchorage Crisis Pregnancy Center and the Governor’s office plan to attend. For more information, call 349-3772.
Prayer for African American families
In conjunction with Black History Month, Feb. 1 is the National Day of Prayer for the African American Family. Begun in 1989 by Father Jim Goode, OFM, the day of prayer is a time to “give special thanks to God for our families and place our every care in the arms of Jesus.” For a catechetical reflection, a prayer for the African American family and some suggested activities to help celebrate the day – visit http://www.usccb.org/saac/nationaldayofprayer.shtml.
Seeking longest married couple
Worldwide Marriage Encounter is seeking the area’s longest married couple to honor at the 2009 World Marriage Day celebration in Alaska – “Come Share the Dream” — on Feb. 6 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.
At the event, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will celebrate a special wedding Mass for area couples. A dinner and dance will follow. Nominations may be e-mailed to WWME.AKCommunity@gci.net or mailed to WWME WMD Nominations, P.O. Box 231465, Anchorage, AK 99523-1465. Include the category, nominees’ names, date of marriage, location and any additional interesting facts about the marriage of the nominee couple. For more information, contact Frank and Mary Pfiffner at 336-0234.
PARISH PROFILE
Holy Rosary Church (Dillingham, Alaska)
Little-known facts: Within the parish territory of Holy Rosary Catholic Church there are no roads connecting the villages and parishioners are visited by air travel. Holy Rosary’s pastor, Father Scott Garrett has flown to about 18 villages in an airplane donated for this mission.
Number of parishioners: About 200 individuals and 100 families.
Pastor: Holy Rosary’s resident pastor is Father Scott Garrett.
History: The Dillingham mission was founded in 1948 by Jesuit Father George S. Endal, dedicating it to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fatima. In 1949 and 1950, Father Endal spent a great deal of time building a church and a school. But before 1950 was out, the unfinished new church burnt to its foundation. After the fire, Father Endal made the unfinished school basement his home. He completed the school in 1951.
On March 26, 1955, another fire struck the Dillingham mission. This time, it was the school. By the fall of that year, a new, enlarged school opened. The school closed its doors for good in the spring of 1966. In the last year of its operation, it had 24 boarders and 21 day students.
Across the years, a number of priests have been stationed in Dillingham or visited it. From 1991 to 2002, Father James F. Kelley, a retired Navy chaplain and pilot, served the Dillingham parish and several dozen outlying communities. Father Kelley died on March 23, 2002, when the single-engine Piper Cherokee 140 which he was piloting, crashed into a mountain during a snowstorm. He was on his way to celebrate Palm Sunday Masses in the Togiak area. After Father Kelley’s death, Holy Cross priest Father LeRoy Clementich, served the Dillingham parish, out of Anchorage until early 2008, when he retired.
| Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series that highlights various parishes and missions in the Anchorage Archdiocese. |
Best-kept secret: Holy Rosary’s water is the “best in Dillingham,” and people from around the area come to fill up at the church’s well which the late Father Kelly blessed.
Outreaches: Holy Rosary maintains a St. Vincent fund to help people in the villages. Last year, the church purchased a Toyo gas stove and three months of fuel for a family.
Devotional practices and celebrations: The parishioners of Holy Rosary pray the Rosary after Mass every first Sunday of the month for the intentions of the generous parishes in the Anchorage Archdiocese that have donated money for the church’s heating fuel.
Especially successful programs: According to Father Garrett, the altar server training program has always been “a big hit” at Holy Rosary and at its sister mission, St. Theresa, in Naknek.
Learn more: For more information about Holy Rosary, call (907) 842-5581, visit the parish Web site at holyrosary.org or email holyrosaryalaska@hotmail.com.
Editorial
True diversity lies in unity
It’s often said that our tent is large and all are welcome. Indeed, in the Catholic Church, people from virtually every language, tribe, nation, township and culture mill about under a truly expansive tent. From Rome’s high rising basilicas to the earthen chapels of Guatemala, the Catholic Church is a vibrant cross section of humanity and perhaps a glimpse of the diversity one might find on the other side of glory.
You can now add to the mix Alaska’s first Korean Catholic parish. More than 200 local Koreans moved into St. Andrew Kim Church in Anchorage last month, where the language, music, dress and art reflect the Catholic faith as expressed in Korean culture.
It’s always interesting to see photos of the pope when he greets bishops who have traveled from far-away lands to meet their spiritual leader. Dressed in colorful vestments and ornate caps, these foreign bishops reveal a distinct expression of the one faith. This is how it should be, for true Christianity always leavens and elevates culture rather than obliterating or homogenizing everything into drab uniformity.
The Archdiocese of Anchorage mission statement begins by declaring that we are “a people of many cultures.” At the very least, that is certainly a statement of fact. Local Masses reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Koreans, Pacific Islanders and others. Additionally, priests from the Philippines, Vietnam, Africa and other parts of the world celebrate our Masses, week after week. The songs and instrumentation are varied, as is the sacred art.
So yes, we are certainly a people of many cultures by virtue of the mere facts, but we are also a people of many cultures by way of our core mission. We aim to actively welcome legitimate differences — celebrate the variety within God’s family.
That being said, the great treasure of the Catholic Church lies in a unifying presence that is strong enough to bind together more than a billion believers into one unified church. This unifying presence is the whole purpose of the diversity. Christ seeks unity with each of his children.
Christ also makes possible legitimate diversity, even as he purifies and transforms the differences that divide and destroy. Differences which do not express eternal life will ultimately be burned up and blown away so that what is eternal can shine forth.
Christ creates this eternal bond through his church, which he established 2,000 years ago and continues to guide in order to feed and foster saints who can live with him forever.
The whole body of believers circles around Christ and his real presence in the Eucharist. Day after day, Mass after Mass, down through history, this unity has extended from generation to generation. For more than 20 centuries now, billions of Christians have remained united with local priests who were submitted to bishops who were themselves united with the pastoral teaching and instruction from the bishop of Rome – the shepherd of the whole church.
And the pope, like everyone, is called to bend his knees in prayer, for he is the servant of the many servants and yet another disciple and follower of Christ.
This is radical unity amid real diversity.
Columns
Vocations are not a ‘one shot occurrence’
I have often found it a bit odd that lay folks, some of my best friends, claim that the vocation to the priesthood or religious life is truly such an astonishing call. I often say to them: “Hey, look, you folks are married or are preparing for marriage and nobody makes a big thing of that, right? People follow that vocation every day. So, what makes the priesthood or religious life so different?”
“Well, yours is holier than ours.”
“No different from yours,” I say. “God calls all of us to a holy life in this world, just in different ways but for the same end, God’s glory. It’s all a mystery why one person chooses this and another chooses that. But one thing for sure: We all have this call from God to do something with our life, something that will make a difference in God’s world.”
The interesting thing about a vocation, any vocation, is that it is a divine calling. If any of us imagines that we are simply planning to follow our own human intuition because of some earthly advantage or because it sounds so exciting, we will be very disappointed.
The Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 6:17-20 John 1:35-42 |
There is a mystery in every vocation, something that transcends the promise of instant gratification. We only realize that, of course, once we have answered the call. Then we discover that it’s not all wine and roses; but that’s okay. We stay with it because there is a whisper deep inside us that says: Hang on to it, it’s worth the initial intuition or reason you chose it.
When you read the Scriptures in this Second Sunday of Ordinary time, therefore, you will find a common thread: Most people fight a vocation at first! Notice, for instance, in the first reading how Samuel is fighting this call he hears in the middle of the night, until he is finally convinced by Eli, the wise elder, that the call might be coming directly from God, and if it does come from God, there’s no use fighting it. God always wins anyway.
The same scenario occurs in the Gospel: The disciples of Jesus are hesitating whether they should join him or not. So, they ask where he lives so that they can come along and hear more from this strange preacher. As we know from later reading, they finally decide that following this man might prove to be an interesting future.
Could these two incidents resemble our own struggle with our vocation? Initially, we fight it because we don’t want to make a mistake; we want to make sure this is going to work out and give us deep satisfaction.
Once again, of course, no vocation simply falls out of heaven and then we say, “Okay, this is it, I’m going with it.” It takes a long time to discern where this call is taking us. Perhaps we even struggle with it for years until we finally say: “Well, this looks like a sure thing. Maybe I can do something good with this, let’s see.”
Perhaps what all this means is that vocations are not just a “one shot” occurrence. Vocations continue to develop and become clearer to us the longer we stay with them.
Well, for whatever it’s worth, that’s the way it seems to have happened in my life. I’m sticking with it, by the way, because I think there is still something interesting I can make out of it.
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives and writes in Notre Dame, IN.
The greatest thing we do
The greatest thing we can do is glorify God. He is worthy of our praise, love and service to his kingdom.
I write this as I prepare with my brother priests to celebrate the feast of the Incarnation and as we prepare as usual for the 400 kids to witness the Christmas play and as we prepare a special Christmas package for our moms and kids in our pro-life program.
I write this as we prepare to sing with our first choir in many years at Midnight Mass. All of this we do because of God’s saving love towards us.
I often awake early in the morning for some reason and make a short visit to our Martyrs chapel and see all the crosses of many who died in the communist work camps. I grieve for them yet I know if they weren’t praying for us, we would not have such a deep and faithful community here in Far East Siberia.
The church is so rich and so poor, so big and so small at the same time. So I want to give God the glory for my two brothers Father David and Father Milosh who are holy, humble and often humorous servants of the Gospel. They are such good priests.
I want to give glory to God for the many blessings I receive through faithful lay workers in the parish who share their faith and show what it means to be a Christian family. It is because of them that others are coming to the parish and wanting what they have.
I give glory to God for the new evangelization that the Holy Father wants expressed in each heart and how it is being realized through the Alpha course, where many non-believers and Christians of other churches are coming into the Catholic Church and bringing with them a rich evangelism.
I give God glory for the married couples who strengthen other couples by sharing their call to holiness.
May God also be glorified in the children born here who could have been aborted but who are now beautiful to their mothers and blessings to us.
May God be glorified in the small parishes in Magadan. Ola and now Sokol, a parish named after Blessed Charles, our spiritual father and inspiration. And may God be glorified in the little chapel I helped construct in one small room in a gold camp far to the north in Cupol, where I have been named an unofficial chaplain.
I hope to travel to other northern villages and see where we can spread the Gospel among the Chugchee people and Russian people who live in Chukotka.
May God be glorified in every conversion here. May he be glorified in Sasha, who came to me yesterday — a man who has a family and a good job but who felt empty and asked what he should do.
We talked and prayed and he asked the Lord to be his companion. He left begging to come back the next day to talk more. One soul — one more soul for Christ. May God be glorified!
In Russia, the Christmas greeting is not Merry Christmas but Christ is born. Glorify him. May God be glorified in you who are reading this letter. In your heart may Christ reign — in your home may he live. May you receive him at Mass with a deep thanksgiving and a readiness to glorify him in all things.
The most important thing we can do is glorify God. When we worship him, he is and remains the center of our life.
The writer is pastor of Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia. The church is a mission of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Paul’s beloved family in Thessalonica
In the first century A.D., Thessalonica was a significant port city in Macedonia with the best natural harbor on the Aegean Sea. Thessalonica was the crossroad between East and West, inhabited by Greeks, Romans and Jews. Part of the Roman Empire, Thessalonica enjoyed considerable independence and was exceptionally prosperous.
After being beaten, imprisoned and escorted out of Philippi (I Thes 2:2; Act 16:11-17: 2), Paul walked 91 miles to Thessalonica, most likely in 50 A.D. While Acts indicates that during this visit Paul spent only three weeks in Thessalonica, many scholars sense that Paul spent much more time during this visit than Acts reports. In I Thessalonians readers learn that he spent enough time to develop an extraordinarily deep affection for those who accepted the Gospel in response to his preaching. No other letter uses as much kinship language to express his affection for members of a community. Paul calls the Thessalonians his hope, joy, and crown — the very reason he could boast to the Lord. (I Thes 2:19-20).
While it’s possible that Paul wrote letters before the one we know as I Thessalonians, this letter is the earliest we have. It was written from Corinth or Athens, probably in 51 A.D. This letter responds to concerns that Paul learned of when Timothy returned from Thessalonica where Paul had sent him to strengthen and encourage that community. Paul ends his letter with instructions that it be read to all — the first indication that Christian writings were to be proclaimed in a Christian assembly. It is also the earliest Christian writing that was included in the New Testament.
In his openings Paul frequently adds the names of companions who were with him at the time. In I Thessalonians Silvanus and Timothy are listed after Paul as senders of this first letter to the “church of Thessalonica in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thes 1:1).
From the thanksgiving (I Thes 1:2-10) that follows, we learn about the Thessalonians. Paul commends their “works of faith, labor of love, endurance in hope.” He insists they are “loved and chosen by God” and reports that they became a model for all believers in Macedonian and Achaia. When he notes that they “turned from idols to serve God and Jesus”(I Thes 1:9), we learn that the majority of this community were Gentiles since Jews did not worship idols. Acts affirms this conclusion stating “few Jews were convinced by Paul’s proclamations, but a great number of Greeks and a few prominent women accepted Paul’s message” (Acts 17:3-4).
From the body of this letter, we learn about Paul’s relationship with the Thessalonians (I Thes 2:13-3:13). Paul deeply missed this community, and reports that while he repeatedly tried to return to Thessalonica, Satan prevented him. Paul recalls working among the Thessalonians “as a nursing mother cares for her children” (1 Thes 2:7) and reminds them that he worked night and day not to burden them with his expenses. He claims to have dealt with each of them as a father who encourages his children to lead a life worthy of God. He informs them that he constantly thanks God that they received his message as the word of God. He also tells them that he sent Timothy since he could not get there himself and is deeply relieved that Timothy has assured him of their faith and love.
The instructions in this letter (I Thes 4:1-5:22) address issues that concerned Paul from what he learned from Timothy. Paul begins with an admonition to abstain from fornication and instructs men to take one wife in holiness and honor (I Thes 4:3-7). Although some think Paul is speaking of unacceptable degrees of consanguinity for marriage, this is not clear in the text. It seems more likely that some men in Thessalonica had a relaxed notion of what comprised acceptable sexual behavior.
Paul instructs the members of the community to live quietly, to mind their own affairs, to work with their hands and to earn the resources for their own needs (1 Thes 4:11-12). It appears that some felt there was no need to continue to work since they could depend on others to provide for them. With time on their hands, these Christians who failed to “mind their own affairs” minded the business of others, to the community’s detriment.
Some in the community worried that those who had died in the period after Paul’s visit and before Timothy’s would miss Christ’s second coming. Since the Christians at the time anticipated that Jesus would return during their lifetime, this was a serious concern. Paul assures them that just as Jesus rose from the dead, those who have died will not only rise but will rise first and be taken up to the Lord even before those who are still living. For this teaching to be understood today, three points should be kept in mind.
First, at this point in his ministry, Paul believed that the dead slept until the second coming. It is clear that Paul changed his mind. In his later letter to the Philippians he states that, were he to die at that moment, he would be with Christ. (Phil 1:23).
Second, in I Thes 4:16-5:11 Paul applies apocalyptic images to offer a sense of assurance to the community. When he claims that both the faithful dead and the faithful living will be taken up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thes 4:17), he is telling the Thessalonians that when Jesus comes, it will make no difference whether one is dead or alive. It is from this passage that Protestant Dispensationalists construct their understanding of “the rapture” — a term and concept that is not found in the Bible but is foundational to the “Left Behind” series that was popular a few years back. The rapture is considered erroneous teaching by the Catholic magisterium.
Third, Paul speaks of the need for vigilance in recognition that Christ could return at any time. At the same time by warning that he would come “like a thief at night” (I Thes 5:2), Paul demonstrates his conviction that there is no way to determine when this would take place. While the early Christians expected the second coming to take place soon, Catholics in the 21st century tend to overlook this aspect of Christian faith.
Paul’s conclusion includes instructions to the Thessalonians to respect their leaders and teachers. It calls them to admonish the idle, to seek the good, to encourage others and to pray. Paul prays that God sanctify them, grant them health in body and soul, and insists that they greet one another with a holy kiss.
Letters to the Editor
Familiar scandal is still scandal
Chris Wooley’s Nov. 28 letter to the editor, “Eucharist shouldn’t be politicized,” calls to mind the principle that “scandal remains scandal even when it no longer causes surprise.” That’s a quote from the Vatican document, “Instruction Concerning Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics.”
It seems Wooley is no longer surprised that public figures who advocate legalized murder of unborn persons are admitted to Holy Communion, and in fact considers refusing them Communion a “politicization of the Eucharist.”
Actually, the church’s law, Canon 915, makes no allusion to politics. It simply requires that anyone who persistently and publicly commits “manifest grave sin” not be admitted to the Eucharist because their actions objectively constitute grave and public sin. Allowing them to receive Communion causes scandal.
Scandal is an action which prompts others to wrongdoing. Americans have been scandalized beyond surprise by the quasi-routine admission to Communion of pro-choice-to-kill lawmakers. It’s confusing to see legislators admitted to the love-feast of the Lamb, when they permit killing the least of His little ones.
Christ formed St. Paul’s conscience by his dramatic revelation that “Whatsoever you do to the least of these little ones, you do to me.” In this year of St. Paul, please pray our pastors will continue that intervention, by their faithful leadership in applying the divine law expressed in Canon 915.
— Les Syren, Anchorage
School vouchers are unjust for many
The supplement to our church bulletin reminded us that God’s kingdom is about giving to each person the dignity that he or she deserves, assuring that every person has the necessary means for life and happiness.
As I read Joel Davidson’s article (“Could School Vouchers Work in Alaska?” Dec. 12), his reference to vouchers as a “matter of justice” brought the bulletin’s words sharply to mind.
When justice for the few comes at the expense of justice for the many, how can we truly say we have promoted justice? As Catholics called to bring justice to “the least of these,” we should question the promotion of a program that leaves the “least of these” behind.
In the many states that promote vouchers, the evidence is overwhelming that when students are excluded because voucher schools “have no room or can’t meet their needs,” the quality of their education often declines. The use of Washington, D.C. as a model to show that “a voucher program can be very successful” starkly emphasizes the problem with the voucher mindset, which focuses narrowly on the benefits of vouchers while studiously ignoring the many students excluded from the system. Washington, D.C. has long been considered to have nearly the worst educational system in the country. Michelle Rhee, the Washington, D.C. chancellor of schools, has worked arduously for students unable to escape the system with a voucher, and says D.C. schools are so bad that Americans should be deeply ashamed of the education produced for the poor and mostly black children in the capital’s nearly dysfunctional system.
The argument that voucher systems set up competition that improves education “for all” is equally misguided. Competition implies an equal playing field, but there is no equal playing field when one side can limit its numbers and exclude children it doesn’t want, relegating unwanted students to schools least equipped to help them. What Davidson’s article failed to mention is that to date there is no evidence this so-called competition has had any benefit for those outside the voucher system.
The Catholic Anchor should promote Catholic concerns but never at the expense of the truth. The truth is that among the “challenges [that] abound” is the single issue of a “matter of justice”— namely, equal educational opportunities for all.
As Catholics we can and should work to support our Catholic schools and ease the burdens for parents who make this choice for their children. But let us not, in the interest of justice, resort to a system that benefits some students only by sacrificing education for those who need it the most.
— Marian Elliott, Wasilla
Columnist was right on
Three cheers for the Dec. 12 guest column “Energy better spent on positive acts — like supporting foster children,” by Christy McMurren.
The negative publicity that the South Carolina priest garnered for the Catholic Church (by telling his parishioners that they needed to go to confession if they voted for Barack Obama) is unacceptable. It reinforces to the public that priests are self-righteous and don’t have to follow Jesus’ call to not judge others.
I have yet to meet a candidate that I agree with on every thought and action, so I vote for who I believe will make a more positive influence on the country and world overall. “Pro-life” George Bush has been in office for eight years. Abortion is still legal and I don’t see his respect for life philosophy in Iraq or Afghanistan.
If the South Carolina priest could get some attention and publicity for actually helping people that are alive on this earth, that would make a better impact.
— Maureen Radotich, Valdez
Updated policy on Letters to the Editor
The Catholic Anchor welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 300 words and include the writer’s full name and city of residence. For verification purposes only, we also need contact information for each letter writer, which will not be published. Letters should not disparage the character of any individual but rather stick to the issues at hand and refer to articles, letters and opinion pieces that have been published in the Catholic Anchor. Letters may not endorse a specific political candidate or political party. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. The Anchor does not publish letters that directly challenge clear and established church teaching.