January 23, 2009 - Issue #2
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
For 40 years abortion has marked Alaska
In 2007, there were 1,701 deaths in Alaska that resulted from a legal medical procedure. But there were no investigations by the Division of Public Health or the State Medical Board. There were no death certificates or funerals. It was business as usual for Alaska’s seven abortion practitioners.
These lost lives have not gone unnoticed by Alaska’s pro-life advocates for unborn children and pregnant mothers.
For the last 40 years, they have sought to shake society’s complacency, change state laws and help mothers choose life for their unborn children.
Most of the abortions reported by Alaska in 2007 were performed by suction curettage, whereby a powerful suction tube is inserted into a woman’s cervix to dismember and remove the baby’s body.
Another 355 human lives were destroyed by RU-486, a combination of two powerful hormones which disrupt a woman’s natural hormones that maintain the uterine lining. Consequently, the unborn child starves and dies.
Six abortions in Alaska in 2007 were done by dilation and evacuation (D&E), in which metal forceps are used to grasp and remove parts of the unborn child from the womb.
Most of Alaska’s abortions in 2007 reportedly took place by the 12th week of gestation. However, by day one – when sperm and egg join — a unique human life has begun. At three weeks, the fetus has a beating heart and at six weeks, there are measurable brain waves. At seven weeks, an ultrasound can reveal arms and legs.
Abortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy and for virtually any reason, contrary to the popular misconception that abortion is permitted only in the earliest stages of pregnancy.
In its decision in Roe v. Wade – along with the companion case, Doe v. Bolton – the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion until so-called fetal “viability,” which was left to be defined by the abortion practitioner.
The Supreme Court also said that after “viability,” an unborn child may be aborted for a so-called “health” reason.
According to the Court, “health” included “all factors — physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age.”
Based on statistics from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood — the nation’s largest abortion provider — in 36 years under the Court’s permissive abortion policy, there have been nearly 50 million abortions.
The vast majority of those are done for “social” reasons. According to a 2005 report in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 93 percent of women say they chose abortion because motherhood interfered with education or career plans, her partner wanted the abortion or she felt unready for a child.
The “hard cases” of rape and incest — often cited by abortion-proponents to justify a policy of abortion on demand — account for less than one-half of one percent.
Unborn babies have faced the danger of abortion in Alaska since before Roe v. Wade. In 1969, Planned Parenthood was already pushing the state legislature to legalize abortion.
Catholics, Protestants and others joined together to produce and disseminate flyers opposing the legalization. They also urged Alaskans to write their legislators. Ultimately, however, the abortion legislation passed. Then in 1972, the state’s constitution was amended to include a right to “privacy” — interpreted by some to enshrine abortion on demand.
Despite Alaska’s and the nation’s permissive policies, state legislator Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, believes that legislatively, Alaska’s pro-life movement has been “quite successful.”
He noted a current state law that requires abortion providers to inform women of the risks of abortion as well as alternatives, such as adoption. Also thanks to the state’s “Laci Peterson law,” both mother and unborn baby are recognized as victims in violent crimes against pregnant women in Alaska.
Alaska Right to Life president Ed Wassell added that the legislature has passed other pro-life bills, in some cases several times and in the past, “many over the veto of a pro-abortion governor.”
But those bills — like the widely-popular law to require parental consent before a minor’s abortion, the ban on partial-birth abortion and a cut in state funding of abortion — have all been blocked by judges in Alaska’s courts.
Introduced in 1997, the parental consent bill “overwhelmingly” passed the state legislature, said Jim Minnery of Alaska Family Council, a “pro-family, public policy organization” that takes positions on a variety of social and cultural issues in Alaska. But in 2007, the Alaska Supreme Court declared the parental consent law unconstitutional.
Citing the incongruity of the state’s laws, Minnery noted that in Alaska a minor needs “parental consent to lift weights at a school, go to an R-rated movie, get an earring, get a tattoo, but not to have an invasive surgical procedure. That’s ridiculous,” he said.
Minnery believes the judges who “undermined the will of the people” need to be replaced. But the lack of a judicial voter guide makes it difficult for Alaskans to stay informed as to how judges have ruled in various cases. When voters are asked whether to retain a judge, often they have little information to cast an informed vote.
Minnery also noted the difficulty in getting fair judges seated, when a vacancy arises.
Interested attorneys must submit applications to the Alaska Judicial Council. Next, candidates are rated by other Alaskan attorneys. The Judicial Council then chooses a smaller list of applicants to interview and a few of these names are forwarded to the governor from which she must pick a judge.
The process is “skewed,” Minnery commented, when attorneys with “outstanding” national credentials are not passing the council’s “litmus test.”
Still, Reps. John Coghill, R-North Pole and Wes Keller, R-Wasilla have reintroduced the state ban on partial-birth abortion, HB 301, that mirrors the federal law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.
Also, Dyson has filed a bill, SB 15, to mandate that a woman must be offered anesthesia for her unborn child prior to an abortion. Federal laws protect animals from needless suffering in the slaughterhouse and research labs, but there are no regulations to provide relief to unborn babies dismembered in abortion.
Minnery cautioned that even if these bills make it past abortion proponents who hold leadership positions on key committees in the state legislature, they could still be struck down on a federal level if President Barack Obama keeps his commitment to sign the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act,” proposed federal legislation that would nullify virtually all limits on abortion. Since Democrat leadership on Capitol Hill is expected to push FOCA this congress, Catholic dioceses across the country — including the Anchorage Archdiocese — are preparing to oppose it.
Outside the political realm, pro-lifers continue helping mothers who, for lack of help, often succumb to pressure to abort their unborn child.
In 1971, local Catholics Pam Albrecht and the late Kim Syren opened Birthright, a chapter of the Canadian-based crisis pregnancy service. Albrecht said that the goal was to provide “anything that a woman needed to continue her pregnancy.” That included making doctors’ appointments and providing housing, clothing and friendship.
In 2008, Catholic Social Services took up Birthright’s mantle through its Pregnancy Support & Adoption Services, which provides expectant mothers in crisis with counseling and education about parenting and adoption.
For the last 10 years, Jim and Ann Curro, the “State Pro-Life Couple” for Alaska’s Knights of Columbus, have helped keep Alaskans informed about resources for expectant mothers and other issues of pro-life importance. Working with Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, annually, the Knights organize an ecumenical prayer service in Anchorage to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Protestants also have made pro-life inroads in recent decades. In 1984, a group of pastors founded the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Anchorage.
Like many of the nation’s crisis pregnancy centers — there are more than 3,000 — the CPC of Anchorage provides free pregnancy tests, counseling, parenting classes, material support, STD testing and most recently, ultrasounds — administered by a registered nurse and ultrasound technician.
According to the group’s director Bill Donovan, CPC of Anchorage assisted 1,746 clients last year.
Adding ultrasounds has led to “dramatic” improvements in saving unborn children, said Donovan. In particular, when seeing their babies at 12 weeks, with arms and legs and a beating heart, a number of the abortion-minded fathers “break down,” he said.
According to Albrecht, pro-lifers strive hard because abortion is “the largest human rights issue in our time.” Pointing to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, she said it changed the “way we view people.” Likewise, the unborn, “are real people,” she said, “who are dying by the minute.”
Prayer at Wasilla school is part of melding faith and learning
Before many of the adults in Wasilla have had their morning coffee, the children of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School are deep in prayer.
As they arrive each morning, the second to eighth-grade students of the archdiocesan grade school stow their coats and books, pick up their rosaries and head to the school chapel. By 8:20 a.m., one of the children has begun praying the rosary, leading other students and teachers who join in.
Then the kindergartners and first-graders join the chapel prayer with their teachers.
Derrick Pennington, who teaches religion to older students, said the little ones make the sign of the cross, sit down and join the prayers in progress. Around 8:40 a.m., the group stops for the pledge of allegiance and then begins the academic day.
“It’s a great way to start the day,” said Pennington, who initiated the practice soon after the school opened its doors in the fall of 2007.
Students arriving early to school needed something to do “in lieu of sitting idle,” explained Anne McCabe, who teaches grades 2-4. Principal Suzanne Cyr agreed. So Pennington suggested praying the rosary.
At the beginning, he and McCabe alternated leading prayers. Then, a couple of weeks in, students started asking to lead. Now there is a sign-up sheet and students take turns leading.
McCabe said the students demonstrate leadership by initiating the “beautiful, calming experience” of the rosary for their classmates. Well-spoken fifth-grader Hannah Moore, age 10, said leading the rosary “helps my speech get better.”
Moreover, explained Pennington, “as you know more about the church and our religion, it calls us to be more involved. The students’ actions are representative of that.”
Principal Cyr noted that even the pre-schoolers are “learning their prayers and learning how to behave.”
Together, students pray for the school’s financial and spiritual benefactors, and sometimes for special intentions — like an ill grandparent.
Non-Catholic students, who comprise 25 percent of the school’s population, join in. When students enroll at the school, Cyr explains to parents that their children are expected to participate in the spiritual life of the school.
“They must go to chapel, be respectful and attend Mass,” she said.
But school policy aside, said Pennington, “you’d have a hard time taking issue with any of the prayers” of the rosary that the children say each morning.
“All the mysteries are leading you through Christ’s life,” he said. Indeed, among the joyful mysteries of the rosary, students reflect on the Angel Gabriel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary and the nativity of our Lord and his presentation in the temple.
Pennington said that the prayers are a “new interaction with God” for a number of the students, noting that while “some pray at home, a lot of others don’t.”
McCabe explained that, as with any acquaintance, “if you want to get to know the Lord and our Savior, you need to spend time with him.”
The rosary, in particular, is a way of praying together, said Cyr, and “it reminds people of what we are.”
There are other prayerful reminders during the course of the school day.
Cyr said that most teachers lead their classes in grace before lunch. McCabe and her class say the Morning Offering. And everyday, they spend a few minutes praying for a family member, a classmate, a parish or family friend and a civic leader — one close to home like the mayor of Wasilla or across the ocean like the Russian president.
Every Friday, the students attend Mass, to which McCabe says they “look forward with anticipation.”
Since Our Lady of the Valley is a cooperative parish school of Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla, St. Michael in Palmer and Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake, priests from the three parishes celebrate Mass for the school.
The point for the students, said McCabe is “to infuse the whole day with faith so that religion isn’t just a class, but it’s their life.”
She said the 4th-graders who study the “familiar” Nicene Creed after hearing it in Mass are growing with a “very healthy sense of learning that it’s all connected, that there’s purpose behind their learning.”
Seeing those connections of their faith will help these students embrace it as their own, McCabe said.
Pointing to Our Lady of the Valley’s public school counterparts, Pennington explained, “They tell you how you should act, but they don’t speak as to why.” At Our Lady of the Valley, he said children learn to “be nice because Jesus said to love each other.”
McCabe added, “I’d love to have them comfortable” in their faith, so that when they are tempted or afraid, the students know “God is bigger than anything they encounter.”
She explained, “If they know it in their bones, in every fiber, they’ll turn to him.”
McCabe said these children are also making an impact on their families.
“Many of them are teaching their parents,” McCabe said.
“So many families, for whatever reason, have set aside or never developed their faith,” she explained, “aside from setting up a Christmas tree or going to Mass on Sunday.”
Now, “many parents say, ‘Wow, I’ve learned so much from my children.’”
Vatican names new bishop for Juneau
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Msgr. Edward J. Burns to be the next bishop of the Juneau Diocese.
The selection of the 51-year-old priest was announced on Jan. 19 at a press conference in Juneau, with Msgr. Burns and Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz in attendance.
Msgr. Burns had visited Juneau several times in the past. In an interview with the Anchor, he said he was both shocked and excited when the Apostolic Nuncio for the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi called to inform him that the pope had tapped him to be the next bishop of Juneau.
“First of all, there was a bit of a shock that the Holy Father’s representative to the United States was calling me,” he said. “Then there was the shock of being named bishop.”
The best part of the conversation was discovering where he would be serving, he said.
“That was a part of the phone call that truly excited me,” he added.
In three brief visits to Juneau, he said he has become “truly enamored by the diocese.”
“I think the people here are so dedicated and zealous — committed and faithful,” he said. “Those qualities are evident and it is all encompassed by joy. There is a great level of depth I saw in the lives of the people here.”
Msgr. Burns will be ordained a bishop during a ceremony in Pittsburgh on March 3. He will then officially become the bishop of Juneau during a special installation Mass in Juneau on April 2. Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Sambi is expected to attend the occasion.
Until then, Msgr. Burns will conclude his work as rector of St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pa. and prepare for his move north.
During this time, Archbishop Schwietz will continue to serve as apostolic administrator of the Juneau Diocese. For the past year, Juneau has been without a bishop and under the direction of Archbishop Schwietz.
In January 2008, former Juneau bishop, Bishop Michael Warfel was chosen to lead the Diocese of Billings in Great Falls, Mont. This left Juneau without a bishop for most of 2008.
Msgr. Burns brings a wealth of experience to his new post, both on the diocesan and national levels. Ordained to the priesthood in 1983 in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Msgr. Burns has worked extensively in the formation of seminarians, deacons and priests in Pittsburgh. He also has worked with newly ordained priests as well as with those who need continuing education or preparation for retirement.
In 1999, Msgr. Burns began working for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as the executive director of the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation.
In 2002, he served as co-chair of the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America, which was called by Pope John Paul II and took place in Montreal.
His projects include the rewriting of the “Program of Priestly Formation,” and serving as staff during the Apostolic Seminary Visitations, during which U.S. seminaries underwent extensive reviews in 2006.
Msgr. Burns also initiated the popular vocation program for the priesthood entitled, “Priestly Life and Vocation Summit: Fishers of Men.”
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave him the honorary title of monsignor, a distinction given by popes to certain priests in recognition of their service to the church.
Msgr. Burns completed his work for the U.S. Bishops Conference in August 2008 and took the position as rector of St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh.
He will be the fifth bishop of the Juneau Diocese, which has 11 parishes and 15 missions, many of which are located in remote areas and are only accessible by boat or plane.
The diocese covers 37,566 square miles and includes about 7,350 Catholics in a total population of 71,970. There are nine priests, three deacons and two brothers serving 11 parishes in the diocese.
Catholic grade school preps for the future
30-year-old SEAS looks to make changes
For nearly 30 years, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School has provided a faith-based alternative to public schooling in Anchorage. But times change and the K-6 school aims to adapt to new realities while holding to its core mission.
“One of our stronger points is our Catholic values that are taught at the school — it’s built right into the curriculum,” said school board member and parent Eric Campbell.
Current administrative assistant and committee member Peggy Dennehy agrees, stating that the values are one of the reasons she sent her four children to the small K-6th grade Catholic school.
“The values at St. Elizabeth’s are family, faith and (academic) excellence — that’s what makes the school,” Dennehy said. “SEAS is a good school and we want to keep it and improve upon it.”
“I believe in the axiom, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” Father Lilly said in an e-mail to the Anchor. “The future becomes the present very quickly, and I want to be certain that the parish and the school are on solid financial ground.”
With that in mind, Father Lilly and the parish council hired a local consultant to help develop a strategic plan to envision where the school should be in 3-5 years and beyond.
“Our priorities are basically looking at the question of what our school is going to look like in the future,” said school principal Jim Bailey. “We are also looking at the Archdiocese of Anchorage school system and what role we would play in that.”
The plan includes revisiting the values the school hopes to stand for, its mission statement and a vision for the future.
“Strategic planning helps,” Bailey said. “It doesn’t invent anything new but it helps the stakeholders to re-focus on what you are all about.”
The process began in October and is scheduled to conclude in May. So far, the committee has heard from hundreds of parishioners and families.
Once the school clarifies its vision for the future, the community can then take the next step to look at the more tangible needs of the school.
“Personally, I’d like to see the school remodeled,” Bailey said. “I’d also like to look at the curriculum at the school and the human resource needs as well.”
Many people also have expressed a desire for the school to broaden its scope.
“We’d like to expand down the road, maybe have two classes per grade,” Dennehy said. “We’ve also heard a lot of interest about offering pre-school.”
Board members also say they want to look beyond the community to the larger role that St. Elizabeth plays in the archdiocesan school system.
“We want to make the archdiocese school system better, to be a better feed to Lumen Christi High School,” Dennehy said. “It would be great if St. Elizabeth’s could serve as a flagship elementary school to serve as a model for any new (Catholic) elementary schools.”
Committee members and leaders are quick to point out that this process is a work in progress.
“We are only half-way through the process,” Campbell said. “I think a lot more good ideas will be generated at our February meeting,” referring to the next big public meeting.
“We are putting an all call out there,” Bailey said. “If you are interested about what we do here at SEAS, come and show up.”
Classes also prepare kids for continued Catholic schooling
If it seems like Catholic students in the Anchorage Archdiocese are getting younger, it might be because they are.
One of the newest things in archdiocesan education is the Catholic preschool.
Both St. Mary School in Kodiak and Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School in Wasilla now have preschools, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Anchorage is considering the possibility.
Principal Joshua Lewis in Kodiak cited several reasons for adding pre-school this year, including preparing kids for kindergarten.
“It’s added a greater dimension to the school,” he said. “And it’s a natural feeder into the kindergarten program.”
The preschool also fills a void for a faith-based early education, especially since several preschools have closed in Kodiak.
Out in Wasilla, principal Suzanne Cyr said Our Lady of the Valley, which opened in 2007, has had a preschool from day one.
The program runs five mornings a week, with three-year-olds coming on Tuesday and Thursday, and four-year-olds attending Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The preschool has about one teacher or aide to every five students.
Ginny Stocker is the preschool teacher for the Wasilla school. A member of St. Michael Church in Palmer, she has spent 15 years in early childhood education, is a registered nurse and has a degree in elementary education.
In the mornings, the youngsters go to chapel with the older students. Back in class, they work on reading readiness, pre-math skills and lots of play. They also learn to pray the Hail Mary, make the sign of the cross and hear stories about saints.
Last year, one preschool graduate moved into kindergarten, but as the program builds, Cyr expects more preschoolers will continue as kindergarteners at Our Lady of the Valley.
Tonya Campbell’s daughter, Mackenzie, graduated into Our Lady of the Valley’s kindergarten this year, after attending the preschool program last year.
“They see the other teachers in the school and they get comfortable with continuing there,” Campbell said.
St. Mary’s program places three-and four-year-olds into one morning program. Kathy Nugent teaches, and aide Donna Wojcik helped prepare curriculum. In addition, parents are required to volunteer a day a week.
Lewis said the program focuses on themes of the week, like careers in the community.
“When we talked about firefighters, the kids went on a trip to the fire station,” he said.
The curriculum also teaches reading readiness and language acquisition.
Similar to Our Lady of the Valley, St. Mary’s preschool has a Catholic atmosphere. Preschoolers attend the first part of weekly Mass with the older students, then are dismissed with a blessing.
Jim Bailey, the principal at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary in South Anchorage, said his school is in the middle of strategic planning, and one of the things he hears mentioned frequently is the desire for a preschool.
“I’d love to have a preschool, even if it has to be located in a separate place to begin with,” he said. “It’s a way of getting kids involved younger and building support for the school.”
Principal embraces calling at Catholic high school
Colleen Larson wanted to be a head principal for a long time and brought nearly a quarter century of educational experience with her when she accepted the position of principal at Lumen Christi Junior/Senior High School last summer.
She had served in the Mat-Su School District for 23 years, spending time in classrooms teaching, taking on administrative tasks such as discipline principal at Wasilla High School and Colony High school and working with a federal program to ensure safe and drug-free schools.
Yet when she retired last June 30, it was with a bit of reluctance. Could she fit into retirement mode?
It seemed providential when Anchorage Archdiocese School Superintendent Sister Ann Fallon, OP, called last summer and asked if she would be interested in a principal spot at Lumen Christi.
“I’d wanted to be a principal forever,” laughed Larson, but she had long-standing travel plans and didn’t know if they’d fit in with the fall school schedule.
“We’ll wait for you,” Sister Fallon assured her, and thus began a new career for the energetic educator, who had served on the school board at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School in Wasilla and who was instrumental in selecting Suzanne Cyr to be the principal there.
Larson’s arrival also began a new phase for Lumen Christi, which has struggled through enrollment difficulties but is coming into its own as a respected academic institution.
Presently, the school has 75 students in grades 7-12, with a capacity for 110 students.
In terms of its Catholic identity, Lumen Christi offers four years of theology, including church history. Mass is celebrated once a week and students help prepare and participate in the liturgy. A student choir, including a pianist and guitarists, leads the liturgical music.
“We take care of the whole child,” said Larson, who also points to the school’s extracurriculars: debate, drama, forensics, jazz band, several competitive sports teams and an honor society.
Additionally, Lumen Christi has a student-produced newspaper and offers four years of Spanish.
The school also participates in community service with each student required to log a certain number of annual service hours.
“In the public school, I could try to be Christ-like,” explained Larson, “but you couldn’t make things Christ-centered. I always wanted to do this in the public school.”
Larson grew up in Minnesota and attended St. Cloud State University. She has a master’s degree in administration from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and became Catholic when she married. She and her husband have four grown children.
Sitting in her cubby-hole office, with windows that give her a principal’s-eye view of the parking lot, the main office, and a student area, Larson said that prospective Lumen Christi students must take a math placement test and be interviewed.
There are no remedial classes offered, so seventh graders must be able to hit the ground running in either general math or pre-algebra.
“About 75-80 percent of our students go on to four year colleges,” Larson said. “Two seniors last year received full scholarships to the University of Portland.”
Larson cites one school graduate who is in the second year of a doctoral program, another in medical school and another who is headed for law school. She said the school hopes to use these success stories in marketing Lumen Christi, which a school board member once described as “the best kept secret in Anchorage.”
During Catholic Schools Week, Lumen Christi students will be spending time with students from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, which Larson sees as a natural feeder school for Lumen Christi.
To encourage that, she plans a “St. Elizabeth night” at a basketball game, with free tickets and a chance to check out the school.
News and Notes
Archbishop’s Calendar Jan. 30, 1 p.m., Catholic Schools Mass, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Jan. 31, 6:45 p.m., Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Exemplification ceremony dinner, Millennium Alaskan Hotel Feb. 1-5, National Catholic Bioethics Conference, Dallas Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Mass and Worldwide Marriage Encounter celebration, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Feb. 7, 6 p.m., Confirmation Mass, Holy Cross Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m., Vocations dinner, Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted.
Community Calendar Jan. 23 7:30 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 Jan. 25, 11 a.m., Native Mass, Native Hospital Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Young adult dinner and movie, Lunney Center, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Jan. 29, 11 a.m., Native Kateri Circle, St. Anthony Church Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Lecture on “The Eucharist in Word and Deed: Holy Presence in Real Communion,” Holy Spirit Center Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Young adult dinner and movie, Lunney Center, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Feb. 6, Catholic Social Services Quilt, Fiber & Wearable Arts exhibit, Sugarspoon café
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted. |
SOUPer Bowl Sunday
In its “SOUPer Bowl Sunday” food drive leading up to the namesake football game on Feb. 1, Catholic Social Services seeks donations of canned soup for St. Francis House food pantry. St. Francis House feeds approximately 320 low-income families a week. Donations may be delivered to St. Francis House at 3710 East 20th Avenue. For more information, visit cssalaska.org or contact Jennifer Nieves at 222-7323 or jnieves@cssalaska.org.
Series to explore Paul of Tarsus
Local Catholics can delve into “The intriguing and inspiring Paul of Tarsus: A 2,000-year perspective,” when Dr. Florence Gillman, professor of Biblical Studies at the University of San Diego delivers a lecture on the great apostle. The lecture series — free and open to the public — will take place in Grant Hall at Alaska Pacific University on Jan. 23 from 7:30-9 p.m., Jan. 24 from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m., and Jan. 25 from 3-4:30 p.m. The event dovetails with the Catholic Church’s worldwide celebrations of the Year of St. Paul (Jun. 28, 2008 to Jun. 29, 2009), which was designated by Pope Benedict XVI. For more information, contact Dr. Regina Boisclair at APU at 564-8274.
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.
Sacred Heart Church to celebrate anniversary
Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla soon will mark two major milestones – 30 years as a parish and 10 years in a new church building. To celebrate the anniversaries, the church is planning special Masses Jan. 24-25. The community began in 1961. Just five years later, thirty acres were donated for the building of a mission church, and Sacred Heart Church was complete by 1968. In 1979, after Father Fred Bugarin was assigned as the church’s fist resident pastor, Archbishop Francis Hurley officially established Sacred Heart as a parish. Twenty years later, the archbishop dedicated a new church building. Currently, Sacred Heart’s pastor is Father William Fournier. Sacred Heart parish – along with St. Michael’s in Palmer and Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake – supports a cooperative diocesan school nearby – Our Lady of the Valley that opened in 2007.
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PARISH PROFILE: Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series that highlights various parishes and missions in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
St. Francis Xavier Church, Valdez, Alaska About 270 individuals and 97 families. Father Thomas Brundage, JCL who resides in Palmer, is St. Francis Xavier’s canonical pastor. For many years, different traveling priests helped serve the church. But in the fall of 2008, Father Tom Lilly, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Anchorage and his associate, Father Jaime Mencias, offered to visit twice a month – to celebrate Mass and other sacraments. St. Francis Xavier’s first Mass was celebrated by Jesuit Father Philibert Turnell in 1903 – at Theresa Johnson’s boarding house. Father Turnell was appointed the parish’s first pastor in 1906. And the first church was dedicated and blessed in 1908. Due to the 1964 earthquake and tsunami that caused the land beneath the “old town” of Valdez to sink and wash out to sea, the parish relocated to “rocky ground” where a new church was built and dedicated in 1967. According to parish director Sister Marie Brent, SHF, visitors and newcomers consider St. Francis Xavier’s parishioners “the most hospitable group of people you will find in any parish.” St. Francis Xavier has several outreaches to the needy. Young children of the parish gather food for the Valdez Food Bank. Currently, the middle classes are working on the “Malaria No More” project to provide mosquito nets for people in Africa. This year, they raised $1,500 for the effort, by way of cake auctions over the radio and Halloween “bowling.” The parish’s older youth have worked on projects to help an orphanage for children with HIV in Africa. And the adults have supported a safe house for victims of domestic violence, the food bank and Brother Francis Shelter and Clare House in Anchorage. Extraordinary ministers of holy Communion bring the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound. And Sister Brent plays the piano and guitar for those confined to the long-term care unit at the local hospital. Across the year, St. Francis Xavier hosts special gatherings, parish missions and communal reconciliation services. Also, each December, parishioners of St. Francis Xavier lead “The Walk to Bethlehem” – a 14-year-old tradition in which about 200 Valdez residents process through the town, stopping at Assembly of God church, First Baptist, St. Francis Xavier, Epiphany Lutheran and Bayside Community. At each stop, a Scripture passage is read, a carol is sung and a character from the Nativity is added to the procession in the person of one of the church’s congregants. In addition, St. Francis Xavier hosts the town-wide “Blessing of the Bikes” in May and the “Blessing of the Animals” in October. St. Francis Xavier runs an active religious education program for the pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade youth, an RCIA program and a choir and music ministry. The church’s pastoral and finance councils help arrange parish-wide pancake breakfasts and ministry fairs. For more information about St. Francis Xavier, call (907) 835-4556 or visit the parish Web site at cvalaska.net/~stfrnxav/ or email stfrnxav@cvalaska.net. |
Dinner, movie night for young adults
The Young Adult Ministry of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church invites all young adults throughout the Anchorage Archdiocese – single, engaged and married – to dinner, a movie and a discussion afterwards. On Jan. 28, the movie is Amazing Grace; on Feb. 4, Fireproof. The evening starts at 7 p.m. and takes place at the church’s Lunney Center. For more information, contact Sister Lorraine at 248-2000 X 205 or Barbara at 868-1129.
Day of 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, the day of prayer is a time to give special thanks to God for families. For a catechetical reflection, a prayer for the African American Family and some suggested activities to celebrate the day, visit www.usccb.org/saac/nationaldayofprayer.shtml.
Lecture on the call to ministry
Seattle University is hosting a lecture by Jesuit Father Paul Janowiak, titled “The Eucharist in Word and Deed: Holy Presence in Real Communion” on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m., at Holy Spirit Center. Father Janowiak is the Patrick J. Howell, S.J. Professor of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry. The lecture is free. For more information, contact stmalaska@seattleu.edu.
Young adults meet second Sundays
Every second Sunday of the month, young adults are especially invited to the 5:30 p.m. Mass at Holy Family Cathedral. Following is a social – a pre-planned event or an impromptu gathering for dinner at a local restaurant. The next second Sunday get-together is Feb. 8. For more information, contact hfcyoungadults@gmail.com.
Help for pregnant moms in crisis
Pregnant mothers in crisis can find help at the Option Line at 1-800-395-HELP or pregnancycenters.org. Option Line refers callers to a local crisis pregnancy center that provides free pregnancy tests, information and counseling. Option Line’s services are free and confidential.
Columns
January 1959 changed Alaska and the Church
January 3, 1959 was a defining day for Alaska, when it was officially established a state within the United States of America.
Three weeks later, Jan. 25, 1959, was another defining moment — one for the Catholic Church. On this day, Pope John XXIII announced that there would be an ecumenical council of the church, to be called Vatican Council II.
The news about Alaska spread far and wide in the news media. News about Vatican Council II had no fanfare. In fact, some in the small group who heard Pope John XXIII’s announcement reacted in wonderment and some in disbelief.
Despite those differences, the month of January 1959 became a month of new beginnings, for both state and church.
To this day, few are aware of how Vatican Council II was launched. There was no ringing announcement, just a quiet chat between the pope and a group of less than 20 cardinals.
It all happened when Pope John XXIII went to St. Paul Basilica, outside Rome, to celebrate the annual feast of the Apostle Paul. Each Jan. 25, the feast day is celebrated not only at that basilica but around the Catholic world. It marks the day of Paul’s dramatic and surprising call by God to be one of his Apostles.
So what happened on Jan. 25, 1959?
At first, nothing out of the ordinary. Pope John went to St. Paul’s for the annual Mass. About 17 cardinals accompanied him. After the Mass the pope and the cardinals went into the sacristy where they could personally greet each other, the usual practice after such an event, before each went his own way.
Then came the first surprise. Pope John asked the cardinals to go to an upstairs room over the sacristy — only the cardinals.
The pope had three things in mind to tell them, each stemming from a point he had made publicly when he was crowned pope — the church needed to be rejuvenated and brought up to date.
To the cardinals he made his first point: he was going to call a synod of the Diocese of Rome. A synod is a meeting of the clergy, religious and laity to determine what should be done to improve the catechizing and evangelizing of the local diocese. That came as a mild surprise, but the next point would have worldwide effect and result in the revision of the Code of Canon Law to bring church laws and customs up to date with the modern world. The existing code had been written in 1917.
Then came the blockbuster.
A worldwide council of all Catholic bishops across the globe. A few of the cardinals reacted in disbelief. A few said it would never get done. The news media gave it not even a nod.
The cardinals present were the heads of Vatican’s cabinet offices for the pope. They would be the ones responsible to get such a massive project going and to keep it going during the next few years. Several of the cardinals figured this elderly pope could never get it done, let alone get it started.
Pope John XXIII did not invite questions or reactions when he made the announcement. Rather, he said simply, but with determination, that he expected full and complete cooperation from the cardinals and their staffs.
Then he said goodnight and went out to greet the people as he left St. Paul’s to his awaiting automobile.
An ecumenical council is not a convention where ideas are exchanged. It is rather the highest teaching authority in the Catholic Church because it brings together the pope with all the bishops. Their decisions would reverberate around the world, in every Catholic Church and impact society at large.
January 5, 1959 launched the State of Alaska with great fanfare. January 25, 1959 had no fanfare at all but it, too, had the effect of launching the Catholic Church into a new future.
The writer is Archbishop Emeritus of the Anchorage Archdiocese
These are a few of my favorite prophets
There always have been some authors who can simply lift you off your feet as you read. The writers or speakers who do that the best are the prophetic types, individuals who have the courage to assume that things could be different.
That is why I never get tired of reading Isaiah the prophet, for instance, or Jeremiah or Amos or Micah or Paul or above all, Jesus of Nazareth. They were often not well-liked because they insisted on proclaiming the truth to a deaf or indifferent audience
Interestingly, the Scriptures for this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time are all about prophets and prophecy.
In our first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are deathly afraid that God himself may speak to them over their transgressions. Moses assures them, however, that they will have prophets who speak for God.
In the Gospel, the people listening to Jesus are astonished because “He speaks his mind, as one having authority and originality and not as the scribes who simply fall back on tradition and have nothing original to say.”
The Scriptures: Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 |
So who are the prophets of our age? Who speaks words that shame us or make us say, wow?
I jotted down some names and came up with over 50. Then I pared them down to ten contemporary people who have had an impact on my life: In addition to the biblical prophets I mentioned above, I would add the following:
Joshua Abraham Heschel, Jewish Rabbi and master teacher, who once said: “Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.”
Thomas Merton, the monk whose autobiography, “The Seven Story Mountain,” got me interested in the priesthood.
Albert Camus, the French Novelist, who when asked by some Dominican priests in France what the role of the Christian in the modern world was, said that task of the Christian in the modern world is simply to be Christian. That will cause one to listen!
Pope Benedict XVI is on my list of favorite prophets because when he became pope, everyone thought he would be “one tough pope,” but he turned out be a true and gentle pastoral leader. He also writes some really good things about the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Dorothy Day is on my list. Most of her life, she took care of the poor by founding Houses of Hospitality around the country. She got thrown in prison several times for demanding rights for women. When someone told her that they thought she was a saint she said: “Don’t call me a saint, I wouldn’t want to be dismissed that easily.”
Gerard Manley Hopkins, the Jesuit poet, is a favorite of mine. He found God in everything around him and wrote: “Glory be to God for dappled things — for skies of couple-color as a brindled cow; for rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim.” Wow! Isn’t that something?
Henry David Thoreau, before “being green” was the in thing, wrote: “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” You can’t say it any better than that.
Daniel Berrigan, the Jesuit, is probably the closest example to a true prophet I can think of today and a writer too. He makes you sit up and say. “Why the heck didn’t I think of that?” He has also been in jail a number of times for his peaceful protests. His favorite saying is: “In war, everybody loses and nobody wins.”
German Lutheran Pastor, Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote some beautiful books on peace, all of which brought him to Flossenburg prison and hanging by Hitler’s SS soldiers. You see, sometimes even ministers are martyred for their positions on life’s important matters.
George Carlin, the poet and humorist, is on my list. His language did not always make him many friends, but he also managed to say some things that could make you hesitate for a moment: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but rather by the moments that take your breath away.” Those words will absolve him for his other transgressions.
That’s 10 and I’m sure there are hundreds of others. The point is, the world has had its prophets for centuries and centuries but their common denominator was simply that they were on fire to make this world a better place and were willing to die for it.
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives and writes in Notre Dame, IN.
Alaska doesn’t need the death penalty
Word has it legislation establishing a death penalty may be introduced in the Alaska state legislature this year, and apparently our governor, once touted as pro-life, may prove herself to have a rather inconsistent ethic of life by supporting such legislation.
Alaska may rethink this issue at a time when, nationwide, the death penalty is losing ground. Although still on the books in over 30 states, its use has become predominantly a Southern thing.
The last time state-sponsored execution was proposed for Alaska, Sister Helen Prejean came to Anchorage and gave a rousing talk to a packed crowd at the Performing Arts Center.
Prejean, the author of “Dead Man Walking,” presented the reasons why the death penalty is poor public policy — both practically and spiritually.
Let’s run through a few of the practical reasons: despite repeated attempts to find a deterrent effect, social science research has discredited claims that the death penalty prevents serious crime.
Study after study has shown that keeping people on death row, along with the exhausting appeals process necessary to ensure guilt, costs states financially far more than incarceration for life.
Perhaps for Catholics, with our option for the poor, a persuasive anti-death penalty argument lies in the fact that the poor are executed overwhelmingly in contrast to the middle class or rich, who can afford quality legal representation. Of the 3,350 people on death row today, most are poor, and more than 40 percent are African American. Other minorities are disproportionately represented as well.
Then there’s the “did we get it right?” issue. Since 1973, 123 people in 25 states have been released because they were later found to be innocent. How many innocent did we kill?
Now, some good Catholic reasons: Pope John Paul II in “Evangelium Vitae” (The Gospel of Life) said execution is only appropriate “in cases of absolute necessity, in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today, however, as a result of steady improvement in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.”
The U.S. Catholics bishops have opposed the death penalty for over 25 years, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “if bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives ... public authority must limit itself to such means…”
Alaska has an Alaskans Against the Death Penalty group. No doubt we’ll be hearing from them, because they remain active precisely for such moments as these.
A couple of years ago, I attended one of their rallies, and this is what I heard our own Dominican Father Vincent Kelber say: “God is a patient God, a God who waits for us in patience. Who are we to deny the wayward the time they need to come to repentance?”
As someone who has corresponded for over a year with a death row inmate in the Deep South, I think that question sums up my deepest feelings against execution. Who are we to cut short the life of a person with whom God is engaged in the dance of reconciliation?
Catholics are mobilizing to defeat the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act,” as well we should. This act would increase abortion, limit states’ rights to control abortion and severely impact freedom of conscience for Americans opposing abortion.
But we need to mobilize against the death penalty as well. We need to show that Catholics, who worship at the cross of an executed prisoner, represent a consistent ethic of life, a consistent commitment to human dignity, at all stages, under all circumstances.
The writer is a stewardship and hospitality coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage
Not all church teachings are on equal footing
I learned in class that some Catholic Church teachings are more important than others. I thought everything that came out of Rome was infallible. How do I know which teachings of the church are infallible?
Different teachings of the church and of the pope carry different weight. It’s important to know what these are to avoid confusing a teaching which defines part of the deposit of the faith with something which does not.
One of the best synopses of the different levels of Catholic teaching can be found by going online to Google, entering, “Levels of Teaching in the Roman Catholic Church,” and clicking on the first entry.
There are six levels of church teaching. The first is divinely revealed truth. This is doctrine definitively taught by the church as revealed — infallible — dogmas. These are solemnly defined by the pope, usually through a council and are taught by the ordinary and universal magisterium of the church. These teachings require the response of faith and assent to revealed truth. Examples include: our belief in the Trinity, the divine and human natures of Christ, the resurrection, the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, etc. One who rejects divinely revealed truth would be in heresy.
The second level of church teaching is definitive non-revealed truths. These are matters of faith and morals which, though not revealed themselves, are required to safeguard the integrity of the deposit of faith, to explain it rightly, and to define it effectively.
These teachings assume a necessary and intrinsic relationship to the truths of faith. They require firm assent and acceptance of the teaching as true. Examples would be the principles of natural law, the seven tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, especially the rights and dignity of the human person, as well as other Catholic moral teachings. One who rejects a definitive non-revealed truth is said to be in error.
The third level is authoritative but non-irreformable teaching. This is a doctrine to aid a better understanding of revelation and make explicit its contents or to recall how some teaching is in conformity with the truths of faith. These doctrines are sometimes called “authentic, but non-infallible teaching.”
These teachings require religious submission (i.e. respect, obedience) of the will and intellect. Examples of authentic, but non-infallible teachings include our articulation of religious liberty, the definition of marriage, teachings about artificial birth control and certain in vitro fertilization procedures. Someone who does not agree with this level of teaching is said to be in dissent.
The fourth level of church teaching is disciplinary rules. These require obedience for the reinforcement of the faith. This would include rules about fasting and abstinence, priestly celibacy, and holy days of obligation. One who rejects this level of church teaching is said to be in disobedience.
The fifth level of church teaching is theological opinion. This is the fruit of theological investigation and invites agreement as a helpful way of articulating the faith. Examples would be the application of moral principles, the conclusions of informed biblical scholarship and so on.
The final and least binding level of church teaching is pious practices and devotions. These invite and encourage people to enter more deeply into their faith. Examples would be eucharistic adoration, devotion to the Blessed Mother, especially praying of the Rosary or the Angelus, and novenas.
As you can see, it is very important to understand the distinctions between the various levels of church teaching and to keep them in their proper order. One would certainly not be considered a heretic simply because he has not yet said a novena to St. Jude. Nor would it be acceptable to relegate a divinely revealed truth such as the divinity of Jesus to something which one can simply take or leave.
Understanding the different levels of church teaching can help us better articulate our Catholic faith to those who may have questions and clear up any confusion which may result.
The writer is pastor at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River and a lifelong Alaskan. To send Father Leo Walsh a question, e-mail him at lwalsh@caa-ak.org
Catholic Schools Week is a call to ensure the future of the church
January 25-31 marks the annual celebration of Catholic Schools Week here in the Archdiocese of Anchorage and throughout the United States. During this time, we are reminded of the importance of Catholic education as we focus on this year’s theme, “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service.”
This theme grew out of a special event last April, when 2.2 million hours of service were pledged by our Catholic youth to honor Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the U.S. and to salute him on his 81st birthday.
The National Catholic Educational Association had invited students in Catholic schools, parish religious education programs, seminaries and colleges to perform service hours that would be collected and presented to the pope at the Vatican Embassy where he stayed during his visit to Washington, D.C.
The outstanding response to the “Birthday Blessings” project was no surprise to those who initiated this effort. Indeed, it was “extremely gratifying, but not unexpected” as stated by Karen Ristau, president of the NCEA, “because part of Catholic education is to teach youth to look after one another.”
Evidence of this is found in our archdiocese, where students in our Catholic schools learn to make a lifetime commitment to serve others by sharing their time, talent and treasure whenever and wherever the need arises.
Many parents in this archdiocese recognize the value of Catholic education and make significant sacrifices to make it possible for their children to attend our Catholic schools. I applaud each of you for making this choice and for ensuring strong leadership for the future of our church.
I am also very encouraged by the number of parishioners throughout the archdiocese who, although they do not have children of school age, give generous financial support to our schools. These contributions help provide financial assistance to families who are unable to afford the full tuition cost. True stewardship calls everyone of us to the responsibility of educating our children in the Catholic faith and I am grateful to all who make this possible.
Today I am asking all Catholic parents to investigate the Catholic schools in our archdiocese and to become more aware of the fine religious, academic and extra-curricular activities that are offered at both levels — elementary and high school. Visit the schools and discover the amazing programs available for your children. A call to the principal and a request for a tour of the school will provide the answers you seek in making the right decision for the education of your youngsters.
It is my hope and prayer that the Catholic schools in this archdiocese will be celebrated and known as one of the best opportunities to fulfill the vision and mission of our Catholic tradition in order to ensure the future of our church as well as the future of our nation.
The writer is Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Views from the sidewalk:
40 Days for Life in Anchorage
The winds came up and the signs came down. Eight times they fell down; eight times we picked them up. It was Anchorage’s first 40 Days for Life effort, and we were being challenged from the get-go.
In late October, with temperatures dipping to 9º Fahrenheit, standing an hour or two at a time was daunting. It was not easy to pray in the cold, wind and rain. It was not easy to be yelled at by those driving by.
Still, volunteers came. They kept vigil in front of the local abortion center, prayed, fasted and looked hopefully to God who alone can change hearts and minds.
Why did they do it, and what exactly is 40 Days for Life?
Four years ago, some folks in Texas prayed about abortions in their area. The result was 40 days of prayer and fasting in peaceful vigil in front of local abortion centers, along with community outreach. Thus “40 Days for Life” was born. Since then, the campaign has spread to 170 U.S. cities in 47 states. This year, “40 Days for Life-Anchorage” was born.
Volunteers offer peaceful vigil, compassionate assistance to mothers and their pre-born babies and prayer and fasting for an end to abortion. Each volunteer signs a statement of peace, and no graphic signs are allowed. Volunteers are there to “speak love” in thought, word, prayer and action.
A total of 176 volunteers participated in Anchorage this year, while others prayed and fasted at home.
The rewards far outweighed the difficulties. Blessings included meeting beautiful believers from many faith communities and seeing their dedication and love of God. Blessings also came from those we prayed for, as we heard beautiful stories of God’s intervention. Many drivers also took time to stop and pray with or encourage us.
Beautiful true stories surfaced continually. A local minister recounted one: A man giving a talk described a pregnant woman approaching an abortion center. Outside stood a woman holding a sign that said just one word: “Reconsider.” The pregnant woman turned around and decided to keep her baby. The man telling the story was that baby.
From the national campaign came another story: Two volunteers reported to pray during a heavy rainfall. One suggested they pray in his car, but the other said “no,” he would stand on the sidewalk. So the first man joined him there.
Meanwhile, a pregnant woman was heading toward the abortion center for an abortion. When she saw the two men praying in the rain, the sight so moved her she changed her mind. She later told the men an appointment scheduled with her pastor that afternoon had been canceled, and she had resumed plans for the abortion. But when she saw them standing there praying in the rain, she knew that was the answer to her prayer, and she turned around and left.
The visible presence of pro-lifers and prolonged prayer and fasting can have an enormous effect and take surprising turns. Only God can change hearts and minds.
A priest once told of meeting a former abortionist who had worked in an abortion center where pro-life people were praying the Rosary outside. He walked by them each day for months. After a whole year, it suddenly struck him, “They’re praying for me,” and he had a massive conversion.
Nationally, it is estimated that 614 babies’ lives were saved when their mothers changed their minds as a direct result of this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign, and that only represents the known cases.
One of the distinctive features of the campaign was an almost continual sense of peace and joy among the participants. Volunteers had asked God for hope and gratitude. At the end of 40 Days for Life, they found their hearts filled with both.
The writer is an Anchorage Catholic and has been a pro-life advocate for many years.
Christmas reflections from Iraq
The homilist said this is where the Israelites were taken into Babylonian captivity; this is where Abraham was born.
I found myself on Christmas Eve at Camp Slayer chapel in the Baghdad Airport military installation. They say Saddam Hussein built the chapel for the cook staff of the Radwaniyah Palace Complex. The staff were all Christians. The chapel is a low and plain fifteen by thirty-five foot structure on a pier jutting into an artificial lake. A canal from the river Tigris fills the lake.
The 10th Mountain Division’s “Mountain Echoes” brass quintet played carols before the Christmas vigil began. The seats were filled with American and Australian service members, Department of Defense civilians, contractors and Iraqi and third-country national contractors who work with the Coalition Forces. You have never seen so many rifles and side arms in church.
The celebrating priest was from my childhood diocese in Kansas and a friend of my wife’s family. Last year, he got a chaplain’s commission in the Army and found himself in Iraq.
During the vigil, the priest called up an Iraqi to say the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic. It was stirring in itself, and a reminder of the Catholic Church’s universal nature. The allusion to the confusion at Babel (Iraq) was not lost on those of us who understood not a word.
Later, he and a beautiful Iraqi woman dressed as Joseph and Mary laid the Christ figure in the manger.
My thoughts wandered to the exchange between the agnostic Charles Ryder and lost soul Sebastian Flight in Evelyn Waugh’s book, “Brideshead Revisited.”
“But, my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”
“Can’t I?”
“I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass.”
“Oh yes, I believe that. It’s a lovely idea.”
After the Mass, I stood outside drinking strong coffee in the cool air and talking to an Iraqi, who was employed by an American defense contractor. The man had fled Iraq illegally in the 1980s, made his way to the American Midwest and become a city engineer — his former job in Baghdad.
“The first year after the liberation it was good,” he said. Then came the insurgency and the coming of foreign fighters who were funded and trained by horrible regimes that did not have “lovely ideas.”
In a month, I’ve heard half-a-dozen priests celebrate Mass, several of them naturalized U.S. citizens. These chaplains are truly a blessing to the soldiers, Marines and special forces they minister to. They risk their lives and carry heavy loads for their flock.
The writer is a parishioner at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage and Assistant Staff Judge Advocate to the 3rd Wing, Elmendorf Air Force Base.
Catholic education addresses the whole person
Editor’s note: The Catholic Anchor asked Adrian Dominican Sister Ann Fallon to answer the following questions about Catholic schools in the Anchorage Archdiocese. Sister Fallon is the superintendent of Catholic Schools for the archdiocese.
What is the importance of Catholic schools in today’s world?
Having spent a lifetime in Catholic education, I know the power of teaching the truths of our Catholic faith five days a week and having adequate time to discuss issues that arise in the lives of our children. Today young people are faced with countless permissive and controversial matters, fully promoted by modern society and made to look so inviting to unsuspecting minds. They need an environment that helps them to understand and make right choices. Quite frankly, I believe Catholic schools have never been so needed and yet, so difficult to provide.
Many Catholic parents are concerned about the religious education of their children but they need to be assured that a good academic program is also available. Are Catholic schools meeting this need?
Keeping educational programs updated is important in our Catholic schools. Our schools are committed to educate the whole child through religious, academic, physical and social development. I would encourage parents to do some “shopping” before choosing a school for their child. Call the Catholic school and ask for a tour. Isn’t it interesting that we ask many questions and look for the best when purchasing a new stove or refrigerator? Are not children deserving of the same?
This year’s theme for Catholic Schools Week is, “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service.” Why is “service” important in the life of our students?
Through instruction in religion/theology classes, students learn about the great number of people — some in their own cities — who suffer because they lack food, clothing, housing and other basic needs. God’s call to “discipleship” becomes meaningful to them through the annual food and clothing drives that even the youngest child can understand and support. As students grow older, community outreach offers opportunities to serve as volunteers by reading to the elderly, visiting the sick, working in soup kitchens and donating their own earnings when worldwide emergency needs arise.
You mentioned that Catholic schools are difficult to provide today. Why is that?
For many years Catholic schools were staffed by women and men religious who received a small stipend and, thus, tuition was minimum. Catholic parents recognized the importance of these schools as a support to their faith life and readily enrolled their children and sacrificed to do so. However, in the early 1970s, religious teachers began to lessen in number due to aging and fewer vocations to religious life. To ensure the continuation of Catholic schools, we turned to our laity who willingly answered the call. The one difficulty this has presented is the price of tuition, which has risen dramatically to meet the costs of maintaining Catholic schools under lay leadership. The church had not prepared our Catholic faithful for their role as stewards of all church ministries, which includes Catholic schools.
What is the average cost of tuition today?
The average tuition in elementary schools across the country is approximately $3,900. Our three elementary schools are all within that range. Average tuition cost for high schools in the Lower 48 is between $8,000 and $10,000 per year — some a great deal higher. Lumen Christi High School tuition is an amazing bargain: $5,500 for grades 7 and 8 and $5,950 for grades 9 to 12.
Are there resources for families who cannot afford full tuition?
Financial aid is available to those whose needs are made known. Names of students who receive financial assistance are kept confidential.
One of my concerns for the future is our ability to meet the increasing requests for financial aid for families who have valid needs. It is the responsibility of each one of us — myself included — to educate our young and to prepare them well for leadership in the church and in the world. Parents are not alone in this effort. Every adult must be involved in providing Catholic education.
Other than finances, what would cause lack of enrollment in our schools?
Perhaps we have not adequately advertised our Catholic schools. Parents at our schools speak well of the outstanding education their children receive. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School is almost at capacity enrollment in Anchorage, Our Lady of the Valley School is showing signs of great growth in Wasilla and St. Mary’s School in Kodiak has been a long-time treasure to her people.
Regarding our high school, it is my theory that some parents hear about the small enrollment at Lumen Christ (75 students currently) and think the curriculum cannot possibly be adequate for preparing students for college. I understand this thinking because of the school’s size, but a visit would help them discover many positive reasons for choosing this school.
Lumen Christi is a faith-based Catholic school and a member of the Northwestern Association of Accredited Schools. In addition, its small classes make falling through the cracks close to impossible. Lumen Christi teachers also provide a very fine and full curriculum because of their willingness to prepare daily for five different courses. The school also has leadership opportunities and several sports programs and extra-curricular activities available to students.
A spirit of family and community is another compelling strength of the school, with parents developing wonderful friendships through participation in school activities.
What colleges and universities have accepted Lumen Christi graduates?
Members of the class of 2008 received acceptance and are now attending: Brandeis, Georgetown, Gonzaga, San Diego University, UAA, University of Dallas and the University of Portland. These success stories are also true of previous graduates. The class of 2008 included co-valedictorians who were two of only thirty students received into University of Portland’s prestigious Honors Program, which included a $16,000 scholarship.
What would you describe as a memorable event during your many years involved in Catholic education?
I have witnessed amazing happenings in the life of young people — as tiny as a first grader all the way to the very grown-up high school student. One of the most memorable was the son of military parents. He was enrolled in the parish school, which served the Catholic population at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Bobby was in my first grade class of 62 students (Yes, I said 62!) and, although not a Catholic, he was an absolute sponge during religion class and loved everything he learned about God. Because our pastor was sensitive to the life of our military, he allowed students in our first grade class, who had full understanding of the Eucharist, to receive their first communion along with the second grade students each year. Bobby knew the religion facts as well as any other student and simply refused to take “NO” for an answer to my explanation of his different faith tradition. As a last resort, his very supportive, non-Catholic parents agreed to learn about the responsibility they would have if their son was to be baptized. To make a long story short, Bobby not only became a member of the first communion class, he led his entire family into the church!
Editorial
Father Neuhaus asked ‘the embarrassing question’
A civil rights leader has died – Father Richard John Neuhaus, a Catholic priest and editor-in-chief of the journal First Things.
In the 1960s, then Lutheran pastor Neuhaus marched with his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. Later, he co-founded the group, Clergy and Laity Concerned About Vietnam. And as Washington Post writer Michael Gerson noted in his tribute to the “Apostle of Life,” Neuhaus was a “founding theorist” of the modern pro-life movement.
Some might stop reading here. There are those who place pro-life concerns outside the realm of social justice and civil rights.
But what comes to mind when some humans decide other humans are less than “persons?”
According to columnist George Weigel, in the 1960s and ‘70s, some in society “were starting to talk about the ‘quality of life’ with high-sounding purpose” — namely, that a person was not valuable by virtue of his or her humanity, but by the experience of a certain degree of health, pleasure and success.
Father Neuhaus, who at the time was pastor of a poor, African-American church in Brooklyn, looked out on his congregants and “not a single one had ‘quality of life’ by this definition,” Weigel wrote. “So what to do? Should they be ignored? Eliminated?”
Father Neuhaus chose to see human beings as God sees them – precious, in and of themselves. Accordingly, he rejected the “unlimited abortion license” enshrined by the United States Supreme Court in 1973 – a policy that has resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 million unborn children.
And for the next three decades, until his death, Father Neuhaus “never ceased to ask the embarrassing question,” said Gerson – “How is it that contemporary American liberalism became indifferent to the weakest members of the human community?”
Even in one of his last articles for First Things, titled “The Pro-Life Movement as the Politics of the 1960s,” Father Neuhaus observed that the “pro-life movement of the last thirty-plus years is one of the most massive and sustained expressions of citizen participation in the history of the United States. Since the 1960s, citizen participation and the remoralizing of politics have been central goals of the left. Is it not odd, then, that the pro-life movement is viewed as a right-wing cause?”
Father Neuhaus observed that in defending the status quo, the culture of abortion is focused on “rights and laws” and on “maximizing individual self-expression.” In contrast, the culture of life, he said, is about “rights and wrongs” and about “reinforcing community and responsibility” — even when some members of the community are very small or hidden or dependent.
In which camp would you imagine the marchers of Selma?
Americans face another year of legalized abortion on demand — and now leadership in congress and President Barack Obama who — through the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” — intend to quash any modest limitation of abortion, like the ban on partial-birth abortion.
May God give us the vision and courage of a civil rights leader like Father Neuhaus who saw that our brothers and sisters — however little in the eyes of the world — are worth demonstrating and caring for.
— Patricia Coll Freeman
Assistant editor
Letters to the Editor
Anchor spreads Catholic message
I enjoy your newspaper. I spend time reading each article. With three kids it is here and there. I don’t always see eye to eye with everything, but do agree generally and find lots of comfort reading about so many interesting people. My favorite article this time was about the stealing of the Eucharist and what real hunger means (“A different kind of hunger,” Jan. 9). I think people are basically misinformed about Catholics. They don’t even know of all the charitable works that are done through many Catholic organizations. With everything in the newspapers about priests lately, one must stand up and defend our church. The Anchor helps me do just that!
Anchorage
Dominican rite Mass appreciated
In your December 12 issue you had a small photo and caption at the bottom of page 15 from the Dominican rite Mass in Latin on Dec. 6 at Holy Family Cathedral.
The first Dominican rite Mass was very, very historic. They will continue to be celebrated on the first Saturday of the month, which is traditionally dedicated to Our Lady. The Dominican rite goes back to the 1200s and is very similar to the Tridentine rite which many Catholics are somewhat familiar with. Many Catholics feel that we have survived 40 tumultuous years in church history.
One of the new hymns at the cathedral says, “the world is about to turn.” The world has turned! History was made on Dec. 6, 2008. The young will read about these years in the history books, but the young at heart lived through and survived these years. We made it!
We do live in historic times. Thank you to the new pastor of the cathedral, Father Francis Le, OP and to Archbishop Roger Schwietz, who both gave their permission for this unique moment in history.
Anchorage
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.