August 7, 2009 - Issue #14
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
City slickers take remote mission
A dozen Anchorage teens recently found out you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to engage in a powerful mission.
Kassi Mitchell from St. Benedict Church in Anchorage, along with the other youth, still get excited when recounting about their weeklong service project at Holy Rosary Church in Dillingham last month.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Mitchell of her time in remote Bush Alaska. “I liked going to Dillingham — it was neat to meet and get to know all the people there.”
The youth from St. Benedict and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church spent the first week in July performing service projects in the rural fishing community — cleaning a cemetery, helping local residents with odd jobs and visiting with elders in the area’s senior home.
“It was neat to see how happy we made people — and it made us even happier,” Mitchell explained with a smile.
Youth chaperone Cindy Martinez observed how the trip changed the teens.
“We took a group photo of the kids one morning before we went out and then another when they came back in the evening,” she said. “The smiles in the photos literally doubled in size.”
In addition to meeting locals and working on projects, the youth also spent plenty of time in prayer.
“Every day we prayed, we had Mass, and did a lot of spiritual stuff,” said Cierra Houchins from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
She said watching her fellow teens work for God left an impression on her.
The youth focused on the teachings of Mother Teresa and her famous quote about giving until it hurts, with a smile.
“The kids really lived up to that,” Cindy Martinez said. “You could tell that the kids gave it their all — they got so much out of it.”
Each day, the group prayed morning and evening prayer in community. They also had opportunities for adoration, which was a favorite time for many.
“I don’t often get that much time for prayer in my regular life — there are too many distractions,” Kate Mitchell recalled. “It was great to spend time with God without pressures from the outside.”
Others said the time in a rural area — away from the distractions of city life — helped them focus on Christian community.
“We were there without technology — and I think that helped us bond as a community,” Houchins said.
The service team not only built a strong community among themselves, but also made an impression on the people in Southwest Alaska.
“As the week went on, the youth were inspirational and absolutely wonderful to be around,” said Father Scott Garrett, who pastors Holy Rosary Church in Dillingham. “I received many compliments from Dillingham and Clark’s Point community members about how mature, fun and talented the group was.”
To show appreciation, locals held an impromptu potluck and bonfire for the youth towards the end of their week that included a special appearance by Father Garrett at a talent show.
“Father Scott said he wouldn’t do it unless one of the elders of the community did,” Houchins explained with a mischievous look. “The elder got up with his hat on sideways and got involved which was great because it meant Father Scott had to get involved!”
The teens also spent time with older community residents, sharing stories and even learning some of the Native Yup’ik language.
“She was very excited about teaching us her language and culture,” Cindy Martinez said of one elder.
The trip helped youth to prioritize important elements of their lives, an experience they hope to continue back in the city.
“You got to see how people lived without so much busyness in their lives,” she said. “People out there had more time to spend with family,” said Kassi Mitchell.
Father Garrett said the trip had a good balance of prayer, service, adventure, socializing and fun.
He added: “I felt that everyone took a giant step closer to God!”
For more pictures from the event, log on to Father Scott Garrett’s blog at holyrosaryalaska.org.
Discipleship Days to focus on ‘the Word’
National and local speakers to present at two-day event
After a two-year hiatus, Discipleship Days will return to the Archdiocese of Anchorage September 18 and 19 to give local Catholics a chance to learn, celebrate and build community centered around the theme “Formed by the Word.”
The fourth Discipleship Days, to be held at Lumen Christi High School, will begin with a Friday evening keynote address by retired Bishop Victor Balke, a nationally noted Scripture scholar and theologian, who served the Diocese of Crookston, Minn..
Bishop Balke will speak on “Paul’s Concept of Discipleship.”
Archbishop Roger Schwietz encouraged “all the baptized, along with those interested in our Catholic faith” to attend. With more than 20 workshops, the archbishop noted, “I’m certain you’ll find something to pique your interest. We’re honored to have talented and enthusiastic speakers from our own local church as well as from our global church.”
Saturday’s keynoter, Arthur E. Zannoni, is an award-winning writer, theologian and Scripture scholar who will deliver an address, “Catholics Take the Bible Seriously but Not Literally.”
The theme “Formed by the Word” follows up on last year’s Synod on the Word, said Deacon Ted Greene, a member of the planning committee.
The Synod, a general assembly of the world’s bishops which convened in Rome last October, focused on “the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church,” and called attention to the writings of St. Paul during the Pauline year.
“We hope to emphasize how important the Word is,” said Deacon Greene.
Another out-of-state workshop speaker is familiar to Alaskans. Dr. Gretchen Gundrum, a psychologist, spiritual director and adjunct professor at Seattle University, will speak on “The Psychospiritual Tasks of Human Development from Mid-life to Elderhood” and “Aging as a Spiritual Pathway.” Gundrum has taught Alaskan students both in a Seattle University master’s program and the last class of deacon candidates.
In addition to the national headliners, there is no dearth of local presenters.
Dr. Regina Boisclair, who holds the Newman Chair in Catholic Theology at Alaska Pacific University, will discuss the different perspectives on Jesus as evidenced in the four Gospels. Boisclair will also conduct a workshop explaining the three-year Sunday lectionary. How are those readings chosen? How do they fit together so well? Although anyone interested in the Sunday readings may attend, this workshop is billed as particularly informative for lectors.
Another lector workshop will be given by Julie Galligan, a St. Andrew’s parishioner and the pastoral minister at Covenant House Alaska, who will conduct a practicum for those engaged in the important ministry of proclaiming the Word.
Local spiritual director Rosemary Insley will acquaint listeners with Lectio Divina, the ancient practice of divine reading, and Candace Bell will delve into the often-puzzling Book of Revelation. Deacon Greene will discuss the Passover Meal and Pascal Sacrifice, joined together in the celebration of Eucharist.
Galligan, Insley, Bell and Greene are all Master’s candidates in Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry.
Jesuit Father Ted Kessler, a specialist on the Gospels, will present the Gospel of John, and John Kennish, a professor at University of Alaska Anchorage, will present a talk on Hebrew Scriptures.
The Hispanic community will have its own track, presented by former Holy Family Cathedral pastor Dominican Father Paul Scanlon and Adrian Dominican Sister Lorraine Reaume.
Discipleship Days is geared toward those 16 and older. Lunch will be provided on Saturday, and Archbishop Schwietz will offer a Saturday afternoon liturgy to close the event.
For Discipleship Days registration and prices, visit archdioceseofanchorage.org, call 297-7711 or find registration forms at local parishes.
Pioneering Sister Collins remembered for ‘personal way’
Mercy sister dies at age 86
Alaskan friends of Mercy Sister Patricia Collins’ were shocked to learn of her sudden death at the Convent of Mercy Motherhouse in Albany, New York, July 19.
Although Sister Collins was 86-years-old, she still continued a lively correspondence with many friends in Anchorage, where she actively ministered for 28 years.
In 2007, Sister Collins left the archdiocese reluctantly, admitting “it’s very hard to leave,” and although her overall health was good, a broken hip and another fall caused mobility problems. She died peacefully in her sleep in Albany and was found by her dear friend Sister Kathleen O’Hara after Sister Collins missed breakfast.
Former Archbishop Francis Hurley, who celebrated a memorial Mass for Sister Collins July 27 at St. Anthony Church in Anchorage, praised the nun for her “good pastoral sense. She had a penchant for moving into the lives of people in a personal way. For her, it was never just a job to be done.”
Sister Collins was part of a pioneering generation in the Archdiocese of Anchorage, arriving early on in 1978. She was part of a group of Sisters of Mercy, including Sister O’Hara and Sister Arlene Boyd, both now in Albany, who played leadership roles in the early Alaska church.
Sister Collins, from a family of seven, entered the convent at the age of 17 after graduating from public high school in New York State, and spent most of her religious life teaching school — everything from kindergarten to college — and serving as a principal.
But like many of her generation of sisters, she branched into new fields of ministry, accepting a call to Alaska in l978. She became a beloved friend to many at St. Anthony Church, where she served as director of religious education. From there, she began work as director of mission integration at Our Lady of Compassion, later renamed Providence Extended Care, where she spent more than 20 years. Sister was responsible for spiritual care, ethics and maintaining the mission of the Sisters of Providence.
At Providence Extended Care, Sister Collins made it a point to know the name of every staff person and patient, often 200 people in an ever-changing line-up. She was seldom without a smile, and developed such deep relationships with clients and families that many called on her to officiate at final memorial services in the facility’s chapel.
What was once a strong Mercy presence in the archdiocese is now comprised of two Mercy Sisters: Sister Jean Pyper, who ministers with Catholic Social Services, and soon to retire Sister Carol Ann Aldrich, parish director at St. John the Baptist Church in Homer.
Catholic Schools Profiles
In advance of the coming school year, the Anchor here provides profiles of the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Anchorage. Currently, the schools are enrolling students for the 2009-2010 term.
Lumen Christi High School, Anchorage Grades: 7-12. Mission: Lumen Christi High School is centered on Our Lord Jesus Christ as present in the Gospel. As a Roman Catholic school, under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, Lumen Christi High School seeks to prepare students to interact in a global society by nurturing respect for life and an acceptance of responsibility to self and community. Lumen Christi High School strives to provide a high level of academic excellence, welcoming students of all beliefs. In the Alaskan environment, Lumen Christi High School’s academic curriculum is presented from a perspective that encourages the balanced development of one’s spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social and physical needs. Hence students are challenged constantly to develop and use all their gifts and talents as they bear witness to their faith by acts of compassionate service to their neighbors. Lumen Christi is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. Enrollment: 85 students. Tuition: $5,550 per year for grades 7-8; $5,950 per year for grades 9-12 (includes $250 for technology and books). Scholarships: Need-based scholarships are available as funds permit. Location: 8110 Jewel Lake Road. Contact: Principal Colleen Larson at 245-9231 or lchsprincipal@alaska.net |
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, Anchorage Grades: K-6. Mission: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School provides an excellent Catholic education in a Christ-like environment, helping develop students who will graduate as morally strong, well-educated and responsibly-involved citizens. The school’s core values are faith, family and excellence. Enrollment: 162 students. Tuition: $4,228 per year. Scholarships: Need-based scholarships are available as funds permit. Location: 2901 East Huffman Road. Contact: Principal Jim Bailey at 345-3712. |
St. Mary School, Kodiak Island Grades: Pre-K-8. Mission: The mission of St. Mary’s School is to provide quality education in the Catholic tradition, in an atmosphere of love and respect. The role of St. Mary’s School is to assist parents, the first educators, in their child’s development. St. Mary’s School integrates the Gospel values of justice and compassion throughout the curriculum to enable students to make decisions based on these values which will benefit themselves, humanity and earth. St. Mary’s School seeks to prepare students to live as spiritual and ethical persons in the world community, ready to contribute to society equipped with the tools to meet new challenges, cherish learning and love life. Enrollment: 105 students. Tuition: Tuition is $2,000 per year for pre-K; $3,100 per year for grades K-8. There is a $200 registration fee per family. Scholarships: Need-based scholarships are available as funds permit. Location: 2932 Mill Bay Road. Contact: Principal Josh Lewis or Fru Finn at 486-3513. |
Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School, Wasilla Grades: K-8. Mission: The mission of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School is to teach as Jesus did, with love for the law of God and the dignity of each person. Enrollment: 43 students. Tuition: Need-based scholarships are available as funds permit, usually allotted in the spring. Scholarships: Tuition is $3,975 per year. There are multi-child discounts. Location: 260 E. Nelson Avenue. Contact: Principal Suzanne (Cyr) Hammons at 376-0883 or scyr@valleycatholicschool.org or info@valleycatholicschool.org. |
Rare reproduction of Our Lady of Guadalupe image headed to Alaska
A church-authorized digital reproduction of the original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that hangs in the Mexico City basilica dedicated to her is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage in November. The high quality duplicate – along with a reproduction of the image of the Divine Mercy – will be sent to Alaska for displays at Holy Family Cathedral and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage. The parishes will host talks about the images, and there are plans to take them to prisons and hospitals, too.
The United States is one of about a dozen countries receiving the reproductions, according to a July 17 announcement from the San Angelo Diocese in Midland, Texas. Germany and Poland are expected to receive the images in the coming months. Countries that already have received reproductions are Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Nicaragua, Cameroon, Nigeria and Zambia.
The Diocese of San Angelo is set to enshrine one of the reproductions permanently at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and Shrine in Midland.
The tour of the reproductions is organized by the organization, la Fundacion Vida y Misericordia (Life and Mercy Foundation).
The reproductions of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe have been touched to the original, miraculous image in Mexico City. According to Catholic tradition, in December 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico. She left her image on his “tilma,” or cloak. It is that same cloak that hangs undecayed in the Mexico City basilica. In the image, the Blessed Mother appears pregnant with her unborn son Jesus Christ. Her appearance is considered to have inspired the end of human sacrifices practiced in the native religion and the conversion of millions to Christianity. As Our Lady of Guadalupe, she is patroness of the Americas and the unborn. Her feast day is Dec. 12.
Local organizers expect a positive response in Anchorage.
“There are so many people converted. Me personally, I’m one of them,” said Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner Gabriel Ruiz, who has seen the original image in Mexico City. Baptized into the Catholic Church at the age of 24, Ruiz now runs a youth prayer group at his parish along with his wife.
“It’s going to be a very big blessing to all. I can’t wait,” he added.
Fellow Anchorage Catholic Patricia Gould added that the images are reminders of the preciousness of life “from the beginning of our conception to the end of our earthly life” and of the “infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ.”
“My hope is that the power of Jesus and the love of our mother flow through these relics and speeches, and bring back to our hearts the knowledge that we are not alone,” Gould explained, “and that we remember that the power of our God is bigger than any problem.”
“Jesus Christ’s mother is with us,” echoed Ruiz, who wants people to know that “she was given to us at the Cross, that she’s there. She will always be there,” interceding for humanity with her son.
— CNS reports contributed to this article
When you serve the least of these…
Friars follow Christ’s command — literally
The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are a religious order that primarily serves the poor, especially the destitute and homeless, and preaches the Gospel.
Founded in 1987 by Father Benedict Groeschel and seven other Capuchin Franciscans, the order now has about 130 friars – mostly in their 20s and 30s – who take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They are based in14 friaries around the world.
Recently, five friars stationed in Ft. Worth, Texas traveled to Anchorage to participate in the Alaska Catholic Youth Conference. On June 1, the Anchor interviewed friars Father Michael and Father Joseph Mary. This is the second installment of a two-part interview. The first article appeared in the June 12 issue.
The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal stress that their charitable works must preserve the “Catholic and Franciscan character.” What does that mean?
Fr. Michael: We’re not social workers. We approach the work from our relationship with Jesus Christ, and we’re not apologizing about that. We develop relationships with the poor and express charity through that. People stop to ask us about why we’re doing what we’re doing. That leads them to an encounter with Christ many times. We would say grace with them before we serve them. Usually through the relationships, they start to ask us about the faith, but it starts with charity.
We pray for and sometimes with the people we’re serving. They really sometimes don’t even need the food, but what they need is someone to love them. Sometimes, people think the poor are just these people who are lazy, but you start to see that’s not the case. You start to see that these are people who are very intelligent, but something happened. There’s mental illness, drug addiction, some kind of an abuse in there.
What should compel us to help the poor?
Fr. Joseph Mary: We see the poor as Christ in our midst, and the opportunity to serve and love Jesus on this earth. Because we don’t see him bodily anymore, we see him, as he said, in the poor. When you’ve done these things – when you’ve fed the poor, when you’ve clothed them, when you gave them drink, when you sheltered them – you did it for me. It’s important because our Lord said it was important. It’s tied in with salvation. It’s not a matter of just having somebody take care of them or setting up an institution. It’s about knowing that I have that personal contact with them and that I give of myself to serve Christ in the poor — as Mother Teresa would say, ‘Christ in his most distressing disguise.’ You have some groups that’ll come in and then say, ‘Alright, you guys sit down and we’re going to preach to you for an hour about why you have to join our faith and then we’ll give you food.’ We say, ‘Come in, we love you, we want to serve you because we see Christ in you. And if you think our religion stinks, we’re not going to stop serving you because of that.’”
Fr. Michael: I think the witness, too, is that we know what Christ has been for our own lives. Love compels you to do it.
What are the challenges and joys of your work?
Fr. Joseph Mary: The challenges of being tired, of feeling futile – seeing so much that needs to be done and feeling like you’re scratching the surface. But as Mother Teresa would say, don’t worry about being successful, worry about being faithful. Do what God’s asking you to do, because you can get burned-out when you’re trying to do too much. I want to serve with my whole heart, but I also have obligations as a religious. I have to be faithful to those.
The joys are having kids that I thought that were lost come back and say, ‘You don’t realize how much it meant to me, and I still hold onto those things.’ So they’re not lost, they’re just struggling. When we’re out on the streets with the homeless people – just to sit and have a conversation with them about their life because most people will either give them money or just walk past them. To sit and talk with them — there are many great joys in that. But there’s always going to be many frustrations because Jesus promised us: The poor we would always have with us. There’s always going to be so much more that needs to be done for another day.
What responsibilities do lay people have in caring for the poor materially and spiritually?
Fr. Joseph Mary: Jesus addressed the Gospel to all of us. When we come before the Lord, he’s going to ask us all that question: When did you feed me? When did you love me in my distressing disguise? When did you visit me in prison or care for me when I was sick? I think it’s one of the reasons why mothers have a certain leg up on getting into heaven because they spend their lives feeding, clothing, caring for sick children — children of God. It’s in the daily things. It’s in caring for our brothers in the friary. I think all of us on some level are called to serve the poor, in some way. Some have more means. Some have more time. If you’re a married couple and working hard and you’re being a good husband and a father and trying to be present to your wife and to your children, you’re not going to have a lot of time. And maybe you don’t have a lot of disposable income. That’s okay. But to do something.
Fr. Michael: Giving alms to the poor – a way towards the remission of sin – has always been a way that people also support a work with the poor. We have families that have helped in our soup kitchen every Saturday night – (one man) comes with his daughter and his wife and they cook a meal for the poor and then they leave. They have to get home. They come in and do that. But others can’t. So they make a meal and they freeze it and they send it down.
One of the works of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal is street preaching. How do you prepare for that, and is it something that lay people could do too?
Fr. Joseph Mary: I think you prepare for that as you prepare for everything – with prayer. With anything you should be seeking – is this God’s will for me? If it’s a new job, if it’s what school should I go to, relationships — is this the person I’m supposed to marry. People don’t pray about enough things because they’re like, ‘Well, this is what I really want.’ Well, is this what God wants for you, though?
Fr. Michael: Also the laity can go into places we can’t. The preaching doesn’t necessarily have to be up on the soapbox. It’s over coffee and somebody says something that goes against the Catholic faith. How do I respond to that? Sometimes the first experience you don’t really handle too well, but you learn. The point of the evangelization is not to win an argument. It’s about expressing the invitation that Christ has for each one of us to come to him.
Fr. Joseph Mary: We know people are going to hate us, to disagree with us, to be angry with us, and that’s okay. I’m going to still love them. Preaching takes many forms. There’s a Franciscan saying which is, ‘Preach the Gospel always, and if you have to, use words.’ Am I preaching the Gospel in my life? Am I a person of peace? Of prayer? Of joy? Of love? If people see that, they’ll be attracted. You get lots of preachers who preach all kinds of good words and it turns out – wow, how many preachers have fallen through scandal, when their life wasn’t matching their words. A life lived is what will attract people to the Gospel.
Soldotna IVF doctor admits moral dilemma
“Spare” human embryos are frozen — for now
On July 16, the Catholic Anchor spoke with Dr. John Nels Anderson, Alaska’s only in vitro fertilization (IVF) practitioner. The interview with Anderson was a follow-up to the July 10 article in the Anchor which referenced Anderson’s practice. Anderson admitted to the moral and ethical dilemmas in the practice of IVF that result from manufacturing human life in a laboratory, outside the womb. The interview was edited for length and clarity.
What guidelines do you use in your practice?
Anderson: The guidelines come from the American Fertility Society.
These are voluntary guidelines?
Anderson: Oh, sure.
So there are no regulations as to how many embryos may be created in one cycle (of IVF), how many may be transferred to a womb, how many may be frozen, how many may be destroyed?
Anderson: Well, you get what you get when you stimulate a cycle. That may be one or two or it may be 40. You don’t know how many eggs you’re going to get when you start to stimulate. It depends a little on the age and stuff, but it’s a very inefficient process. Under normal circumstances, if you expose ten eggs to fertilization, nine of them will fertilize, but only about two or three will end up being babies. The rest of them miscarry. And if you’re 40 or 41 years old, you’ve got to have 30 to 60 eggs to get one that’s going to actually turn into a baby.
So you get nine embryos sitting there in the Petri dish. Then what do you do usually?
Anderson: They don’t all divide after they’ve fertilized. But let’s assume all nine divide. Then you grow them out till five days. When you get out to five days, probably two-thirds of them will not continue dividing. Then you usually pick one or two blastocysts to put back (transfer to the womb) at five to six days after they’ve been fertilized. The rest of them you freeze.
While they’re in the Petri dish — do you ascertain by pre-implantation genetic diagnosis which are healthiest and which are of the preferred sex?
Anderson: No. You can get that. In terms of ruling out genetic defects, a guy named Yuri Virlensky, in Chicago, is the one who invented the procedures to take out a single blastomere (cell) out of a developing embryo and then do genetics on it. So if you have people who have genetic diseases that are going to be fatal to their children or create significant problems, they can eliminate putting those back. Then they only put back embryos that are healthy.
Do you do that there in your clinic?
Anderson: No, that’s something that’s only done a few places in the country. It’s gradually expanding. I know of three or four others around the country that are doing it. With the larger centers where they have really good embryologists and the time, they’re doing that more and more.
And what’s your take on that?
Anderson: Well, you know, I have two kids for example down here who have Duschenes Muscular Dystrophy and they’re both on ventilators, they’re both close to 20, but they’re not going to live very long. In fact, if they hadn’t had trachea and ventilators in, they’d be dead right now. Their sisters both carry this Duschenes gene which means that there’s a 50 percent chance that any male child they have will have Duschenes Muscular Dystrophy and die from it. And so, the question becomes, is that ethical to go ahead and develop some embryos and weed out the ones that carry the Duschenes Muscular Dystrophy gene, so that these people can have babies that are normal and healthy? This is a problem where quite frankly, our ability to do things is ahead of where we’ve kind of figured things out ethically and morally. Destroying embryos bothers me, okay. I’ve got a bunch sitting here.
How many frozen embryos do you have?
Anderson: There’s probably between 100 and 300, somewhere around there.
Where do you keep them?
Anderson: They’re sitting about 10 feet from me in a liquid nitrogen tank.
What’s your informed consent process when a patient asks about an IVF cycle? It does appear according to a recent national study that some IVF clients would have liked to have known that so many embryos would be created because they’re sort of nonplussed about what to do with them.
Anderson: They know that in advance. You talk about it. The issue becomes, we can only fertilize one egg at a time if you want, but the odds of you getting pregnant are maybe less than 10 percent. Whereas if we fertilize several, your odds are maybe 40 percent. If we have extra embryos, we freeze them. I think everybody clearly understands that. We’ve had people who have felt uncomfortable initially and said, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to create any embryos that I’m not going to use, and so I want to think about this.’ We’ve had one couple that said, ‘I just want two eggs fertilized, and that’s it.’ I don’t remember any other couples where that was the situation.
What does your informed consent say?
Anderson: We tell them we freeze all healthy looking embryos. Period.
And the unhealthy ones?
Anderson: The unhealthy ones are just not going to go anywhere. It’s just like the 70 percent of the embryos that are normally conceived that don’t go anywhere, and don’t really implant. You have to understand that as you go through this process, there’s a tremendous loss in terms of starting with an egg until you get to one where it can hatch and be a baby. I feel very strongly about this and I do not discard anything that I think has any chance and I freeze some blastocysts (embryos) that are probably marginal, just because of that reason.
How do you look at those that aren’t healthy?
Anderson: If they quit dividing, they’re basically dead. The ones that have any possibility of going on and becoming live children are saved as much as possible. Right now, there are literally hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos around the country. The problem is that people don’t want to adopt a lot of these embryos. If people don’t want their embryos, I try and convince them to give them up and let us try and have people adopt them. There’s way, way, way more embryos than anybody would ever consider adopting. And so you’re just going to build up your stock of them essentially forever.
How do you feel about that? Continuing to do IVF exacerbates the moral conundrum of creating thousands of orphans and then creating a market for their parts.
Anderson: That’s not what it’s designed to do. You’re trying to let people who can’t have families, have the opportunity to have children.
But the result is that you end up with all these so-called “spares,” right? And the stockpile keeps on getting bigger and bigger.
Anderson: No, the stockpile doesn’t get bigger because people just thaw them out and throw them away.
Do you do that?
Anderson: No.
You keep them in cold storage?
Anderson: Yeah. I don’t charge people for this. I pay about $400 a month myself to keep these things frozen. That’s a lot of money to spend. And I just keep them there. I do my best to consider them live people and treat them with dignity. At the point I retire, we are going have to decide what to do with them and I don’t have a good answer for that, to be honest with you. But I can tell you that I’m very satisfied with the people who have the opportunity to have a child that they’d never have otherwise. I happen to disagree with the Catholic Church on the issue that you shouldn’t do that because it’s immoral to separate procreation from sex, basically. I think that people who want to have children should have that opportunity, and if they happen to have blocked tubes or other things that keep them from having children, they shouldn’t be denied that just because that’s sort of God’s will.
The Catholic Church is not merciless when it comes to people suffering from infertility. There are a number of technologies that are morally licit. But the problem with IVF according to the Catholic Church is partly that it separates procreation from the marital act, but also because it treats the human embryos who are created in the process as deserving of less respect than the competing desire for children. What do you say about that?
Anderson: I think it’s a matter of balancing those things. I’m not very happy with the fact that we have embryos sitting there that we can’t do anything with and that eventually will be destroyed. I treat them with a lot greater respect than most programs do because basically they just keep them for a period of time or if people decide they don’t want them or if they’re not going to pay to keep them frozen, they just destroy them. I’m trying to avoid that, quite honestly. But on the other hand, I think that if you end up with spare embryos in the process and people end up having the opportunity to have children — that’s an acceptable thing from my perspective. Now, how you deal with those spare embryos is a different story. The vast majority of people who have spare embryos want to keep them. They want to use them at a subsequent time — or at least that’s their intention. There are some who don’t and there are some who say, ‘No, and I don’t want to donate my embryos,’ and I have to tell you I try real hard to twist their arms into letting me donate them to someone. The people who tell me they, they don’t want to donate them and they don’t want them, I haven’t ever thrown those away.
Do you tell them what will happen down the line, or when you retire?
Anderson: I try and, I mean, I can’t tell you everybody completely understands that because, good heavens, we talk to patients all the time and make things crystal clear to them and they come back and say, ‘I don’t remember that.’ I’m pretty loose about consents, to be honest with you. We have a consent, and I answer every question I can with the people.
How long have you been doing IVF?
Anderson: I went to England in 1983 with Steptoe and Edwards who did the world’s first test tube babies. And I came back and played around with mouse embryos in the lab and stuff for quite a while. And I think our first test tube baby was born in ’89.
From your clinic there in Soldotna?
Anderson: Yeah.
Mass thought to be first on N. America’s highest peak
Priest brothers celebrate Mass on 20,320-foot Mt. McKinley
What is believed to be the first known Mass ever celebrated at the top of Mt. McKinley took place on July 3, when three childhood friends from Poland summited the 20,320-foot peak.
Father Krzyaztof Grzybowski and his brother Father Robert Grzybowski celebrated a Mass with their childhood friend Adrian Przyluski attending.
In a letter to the Catholic Anchor, Father Richard Tero, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Seward and local church historian in Alaska, said he believes the Mass was the first on the top of North America’s highest peak.
“In a most exceptionally clear and calm day, at about 4 p.m. after a long climb from 17,000 feet, on the West Buttress route, they were able to spend about 45 minutes at the 20,320 foot summit,” Father Tero wrote.
Other priests known to have summited Mt. McKinley include Father Carl Abele in the early 1970s, as well as Father Michael Shields and Dominican Father Tim Conlin in the 1980s, Father Tero said.
“I’m sure other foreign priests have also had success but didn’t share it with the local priests,” Father Tero added, “but to have no wind on Mt. McKinley is extremely rare.”
Father Tero hosted the priest brothers and their friend in Seward, where the Polish men enjoyed a Kenai Fjords tour after their climb.
In sharing the story of the mountaintop Mass, Father Tero said the men had to “blow on the wine to unfreeze it for the Mass.”
The three men grew up together in Bielsk Podlaski at the far east of Poland, on the border with Belarus.
The two brothers now serve in their home diocese as priests. Przyluski is a police officer in Warsaw. The men left Anchorage on July 23.
Priest discusses significance of Tridentine rite Mass in Anchorage Archdiocese
Older Latin Mass now celebrated monthly in Palmer
In July, the Anchorage Archdiocese began providing regular celebrations of the Tridentine rite Mass – also known as the extraordinary form of the Mass. The centuries-old rite – which is said in Latin – was the standard Roman Catholic liturgy before the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).
On July 18, the Tridentine Mass was celebrated at St. Michael Church in Palmer with more than 75 people attending. The Anchor asked celebrant Father Tom Brundage a few questions about the Mass and its significance for the archdiocese.
What was the most difficult aspect of preparing for this celebration as a priest?
The most difficult aspect was finding the kind of time in my schedule to adequately prepare to celebrate the Tridentine rite Mass. I really wanted to avoid only partially knowing the Mass and with the help of my server, Les Syren, as well as the training I received in Chicago, I was able to be at least adequately prepared.
What is the significance of being able to celebrate this older form of the Mass in the Anchorage Archdiocese?
To me, it is a matter of canonical rights as well as the diversity allowed in the Church for different forms of the celebration of the Eucharist.
First, on the matter of rights, Pope Benedict’s motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum” put out certain criteria that must be met before the Tridentine Mass would be offered in the local church. There is a need for a stable community that asks for it was the bottom line. That standard was met, in my opinion, creating the right to this particular rite of the Mass. The tough part was not having any priest ready to say this Mass publicly.
The second note of significance is that we are a church with a lot of diversity. There are over 20 Eastern Catholic Churches all with their own particular form of celebrating the Eucharist. Why not allow for the celebration of the Tridentine rite when there already is so much diversity?
What are the hopes for what this Mass might accomplish in the long run?
My hope is that it will satisfy the hunger for the group of Catholics in the Archdiocese who find this a particularly prayerful way of celebrating Mass.
If you go Celebrations of the Tridentine rite will take place on the following Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.: Aug. 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 24, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. St. Michael pastor Father Thomas Brundage, JCL, will be the celebrant and the sacrament of reconciliation will be offered prior to Mass. |
Why do you think people want this form of the Mass celebrated?
I think the answer to this might be, in part, generational. For older folks who grew-up with this form of the Mass, some of them sincerely miss it. For younger folks who did not grow-up with it (I put myself into this camp!), the Tridentine rite is compelling because of its great stress on the sacred nature of the Body and Blood of the Lord. This is not to deny that the ordinary rite does not have the same stress, but it is emphasized in different ways in different rites.
What does the future hold for this Mass in Alaska? What needs to happen in order for there to be a high Mass for instance?
It looks like there may be a couple other priests in the Archdiocese who will be able to celebrate the Tridentine rite Mass. I think it will continue once I return to my diocese of incardination.
For a high Mass, I need more servers trained in the Tridentine rite and a choir also trained in the form and nuances of the music of the Rite.
Will there be a Sunday celebration of this Mass?
The initial request of our parish priests was to not have the Tridentine rite of the Mass complete with the ordinary form of the Mass in our parishes on Sunday. I have been in recent discussions where this is being rethought. The issue at this point is logistical. Between the prison Mass and my Masses in Palmer, I am at four Masses on a normal Sunday weekend. Normally a priest is limited to three Sunday Masses.
What did you personally get out of the preparation and then actual celebration of this Mass? Do you have any impressions?
I believe that learning the Tridentine rite, as difficult as it was, I find that both rites complement each other. I am now much more conscious in the ordinary rite of the precision necessary to be a reverent presider. In the extraordinary rite, I am also conscious that people need to participate in the Mass, each in their own way.
|
PARISH PROFILE Editor’s note: This is part of a series on parishes and missions in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Resident Father Luzvimindo Flores is parochial vicar and Katherine Bishop serves as parish director. The canonical pastor is Father Bill Fournier of Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla. Father Luz also is the parochial vicar of St. Christopher Mission in Willow. On land donated by a still-active parishioner, Our Lady of the Lake Church was built in 1969. After it burned down soon after, the parish met in a local bar and then an elementary school until 1979, when the church was rebuilt. Originally a mission of St. Bernard Church in Talkeetna and then of Sacred Heart Church of Wasilla, Our Lady of the Lake was recognized a parish in 2008. Following the Big Lake fire of 1996, the parish was instrumental in delivering federal emergency aid to the people of the area and became the staging place for help. Also, Our Lady of the Lake was strongly involved in the 2007 founding of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School in Wasilla, which it continues to support. Eighty percent of the parish is comprised by retired persons, many of whom came from Anchorage and before retiring had cabins and property in the area where they used to come for weekends with their young families. The Big Lake fire of 1996 destroyed many of the homes, but most parishioners rebuilt and stayed in the area. There is an active St. Vincent de Paul Society that works with the poor and needy in the area. Presently, the group offers food and other help on an emergency basis, prepares baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas gift cards and presents. For needy, local school children, the group conducts a school supply drive in the fall and a coat and mitten drive in the winter. Recently, Our Lady of the Lake hosted an annual, community-wide health fair through the parish nursing program. Rosary in May and October; Stations of the Cross in Lent; celebration of Feast of the Assumption of Mary in August. Scripture and Leadership Training (SALT) and Vacation Bible School. For more information about Our Lady of the Lake Church, call 892-6492 or e-mail ourlady@mtaonline.net. |
News & Notes
What does church law really say?
All are invited to a series of talks on the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law. Deacon Bill Finnegan, who is a canon lawyer, will review various sections of the church’s laws. All classes are on Thursday evenings in August from 6:30-8 p.m. at Holy Cross Church. There is no charge. On Aug. 13, the topic is marriage law, including what makes a valid marriage and the church’s procedures in marriage nullity cases. On Aug. 20, the topic is the Mass, including its structure, the responses and posture of the people at Mass and the history of the Mass. On Aug. 27, the class will address a topic of the attendees’ choosing. For more information and to register, please contact Janine Redding at 349-8388.
Big Lake parish to celebrate 40 years
On August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Lake Church in Big Lake will celebrate 40 years of having a Catholic presence in Big Lake. The parish will lead up to the festivities with a novena, or series of prayers across nine days. Then, beginning at 11 a.m. on the feast day, the parish will celebrate with a Mass with Archbishop Roger Schwietz, followed by food and games for all ages. The regular Saturday vigil Mass takes place at 6 p.m. For more information, call 892-6492 or e-mail ourlady@mtaonline.net.
73-year-old runner honors God in race
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church parishioner Chad Resari captured first place in the annual Mount Marathon foot race July 4 – in the age bracket for 70 to 79-year-olds. Resari is 73. During an unusually hot weekend in Seward, Resari completed the notoriously arduous three-mile climb and descent on the mountain in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 5 seconds. Runners from around the world come to Alaska each year to face the mountain’s steep inclines and slippery, loose rock and shale.
In an interview with the Anchor, Resari said the hardest part of the race was “trying to get up to the top” through the forested part of the mountain.
Beforehand, Resari had asked God’s help to protect all the runners from injury. “I prayed for all of us,” he said. “I survived it in pretty good condition,” he added.
Resari ran his first Mount Marathon race in 1964, but picked up the regular practice in 1996. He started training for this year’s race in May, running Flattop and Bird Ridge Mountains in Anchorage.
“I do it because it’s a way of keeping myself healthy – so I can serve God. I do it to serve the church, my family and the community.”
New building and pastor for St. Andrew Kim
Twenty-eight years after the first Mass in Korean was celebrated in Anchorage, the area’s only Catholic Korean parish formally opened its home of St. Andrew Kim Taegon Church. In 2007, the parish purchased the former Bible Truth Gospel Chapel on the corner of 72nd and Lake Otis and outfitted it with a sanctuary, rectory, classrooms and social hall. With Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz concelebrating a special Mass July 18, Bishop Gabriel Chang of the South Korean Diocese of Cheongju blessed and dedicated the refurbished church. In his homily, Bishop Chang explained, “Our life is a journey and a pilgrimage originating in God and returning to Him. In time I hope this church, God’s home, will be for each of you a place away from home, a second home…I pray that the community will spread the good news of God in this region as an evangelizing community.”
In addition to the new church, St. Andrew Kim parishioners are expecting another big change: a new pastor. Father An Kwang-sung is expected to take over for current St. Andrew Kim pastor Father Peter Yoo, on loan from the Cheongju Diocese. Ordained there in 1989, Father Kwang-sung has served in Korea as pastor of several parishes, as director of the Sannam Social Welfare Center and chaplain of Cheongju St. Mary’s Hospital. Presently, Father Kwang-sung is pastor of Bunpyeong-dong parish. He is expected to arrive in Anchorage in the fall.
Lumen Christi students honored
Tanner Berube, who just completed his junior year at Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage, represented Alaska at Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., July 21-27. Berube was one of two boys selected as “senators” from Alaska for the simulated national government project. Boys Nation is a continuation of the American Legion Boys State program that teaches government from the township to the state level. In June, Alaskan high school junior boys convened for Boys State in Wasilla, where they were “elected” to various government offices and participated in legislative sessions, court proceedings and law enforcement presentations.
In conjunction with the all-expense paid trip to D.C. for Boys Nation, Berube received a $500 college scholarship and a photo with President Barack Obama.
Ashley Beach, also a Lumen Christi High School junior, attended Girls State in June. She served as Sergeant of Arms for the week.
ARCHBISHOP’S CALENDAR
August 9, Copper Valley School Association Reunion Mass, Copper Valley
August 13, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Archdiocese of Anchorage Schools’ back-to-school faculty workshop and Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
August 15, 11 a.m., Parish 40th anniversary Mass and celebration, Our Lady of the Lake Church, Big Lake
August 16-19, Vocations seminar, Chicago
August 22, Fishing trip with fund-raiser auction winners, Homer
August 22, 5 p.m., Mass, St. John the Baptist, Homer
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
August 7, 7-8p.m., Christ in the City eucharistic adoration, Holy Family Cathedral
August 9, 11 a.m., Native Mass, Alaska Native Medical Center
August 13, 11 a.m., Native Kateri Circle potluck and faith formation, St. Anthony Church
August 13, 6:30 p.m., Talk on Code of Canon Law (marriage), Holy Cross Church
August 15, 11 a.m., Our Lady of the Lake 40th anniversary celebration, Our Lady of the Lake Church, Big Lake
August 15, 5:30 p.m., Native Mass, St. Anthony Church
August 16, 11 a.m., Native Mass, Alaska Native Medical Center
August 20, 10 a.m., Catholic home-schoolers’ open gym play and eucharistic adoration, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
August 20, 6:30 p.m., Talk on Code of Canon Law (Mass), Holy Cross Church
August 22, 10:30 a.m., Tridentine Latin Mass, St. Michael Church, Palmer
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted.
Columns
Desperate measures
Sometimes, it’s hard to stop thinking about work. Such was the case this month.
My assignments were to report on Mary Magdalene Home Alaska, a group that helps prostitutes and other sexually exploited women – and on the practice of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the far north.
In an interview, Nancy Cole, the director of Mary Magdalene Home, spoke of one teen girl whose pimp had listed her and others in personal ads on Craig’s List. The girl told Cole that men who liked the profiles, “just order us.”
Meanwhile, Cole said, other young women are fetching big money for themselves as “exotic” dancers in the shuttered clubs we nonchalantly drive past on the way to work everyday.
For the IVF story, I spoke with Dr. John Nels Anderson, a practitioner in Soldotna who mixes women’s eggs and men’s sperm in the lab, creating human embryos. Sometimes he creates 40 embryos at once, for one couple.
The embryos lie there under the microscope as Dr. Anderson judges which to transfer to the womb for a chance at seeing the light of day nine months later.
Those he thinks have the greatest possibility of making it are saved “as much as possible,” he told me.
A few go to the womb, but there are many more “spares” who don’t make the cut. They die in the Petri dish or are frozen to face an uncertain future.
“At the point I retire, we are going have to decide what to do with them and I don’t have a good answer for that, to be honest with you,” he said. That means there may be no one there to pay the monthly bill for the refrigeration that keeps these littlest humans alive.
However dissimilar are the settings, both stories are unsettling for the same reason. People are ends in and of themselves. They should never be used as a means to an end, however compelling or urgent that end is.
In sexual exploitation, often the end is someone’s rent or drug money. For the Johns and the more socially-acceptable strip club customers and private pornography viewers, it is gratification of lust. Those are powerful compulsions. But the women who use themselves or who are used by others to pay for these “goods” are incomparably priceless.
And in the case of IVF, the end is parenthood — perhaps the most powerful and noble desire anyone could have. But however difficult it may be for well-intended doctors and people eager for a family, it is not ethical to place the life of a child and the desire to be a parent on opposite ends of the same scales.
When we weigh a good – however laudable – against the life of a human being, someone becomes a something. So in IVF, the tiniest boys and girls are manufactured, intentionally exposed to risk, manipulated, weeded out and treated as “spares” – in order that others become parents. Such utilitarianism will trickle down. Some consider the littlest “spare” humans biological raw material better off used up in destructive stem cell experiments.
Someone once said that desperation lowers one’s standards. The desperation for drugs or rent or even parenthood can cloud our vision. I wonder how everyday life might be if we saw people as God sees them.
The writer is assistant editor of the Catholic Anchor
‘The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus’ — the Cure of Ars
Many years ago, when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school, I would regularly walk by our parish church on my way from the bus stop to my house. One late spring afternoon, I happened upon my old pastor (who was probably the age I am now) as I walked past the church. We walked together and chatted for a while when he suddenly asked me what I was going to do with my life. I talked about various possibilities and he responded, saying: “I think you are called to be a priest. Go to the seminary.” (He was not one to mince words.)
Well, that was it. From that time on, I began to look seriously at the possibility of being called to priesthood.
That memory of my childhood pastor came to me as I read what Pope Benedict XVI wrote on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, explaining his decision to establish the Year for Priests. As the year of St. Paul came to its conclusion, the pope chose the 150th anniversary of the birth of St. John Mary Vianney, the Cure of Ars, to call for a year meant “to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world.”
The above quote is taken from Pope Benedict’s letter regarding the Year for Priests. In that letter, the pope celebrates the many dedicated and inspiring priests who have been a part of his own life, beginning with the first parish priest with whom he served as a young priest, who “left me with an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person.”
Pope Benedict also points to many priests who have suffered greatly in the course of their priestly ministry through misunderstanding, persecution or even death. On the other hand, he also acknowledges those situations in which individuals and the church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers.
Most of us can think of examples of priests who fit into these various categories — so important is the reality of the priesthood in the lives of Catholics. It is for this reason that the pope has called the whole church to take this year to reflect on the gift that the priesthood is to the church and to pray for all priests. The model the pope gives all of us priests in his letter is the example of St. John Mary Vianney who “was quite humble, yet as a priest he was conscious of being an immense gift to his people: ‘A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy’.”
I invite all of us to pray during this Year for Priests throughout the world, but especially here in Alaska, that after the painful experiences of these past years, we as priests might pick up the challenge with renewed energy and joy.
Pray, especially, that we may take the challenge of our Holy Father seriously: “The first thing we need to learn is the complete identification of the man with his ministry.” Our priesthood is our life, not a profession or a function. That life is focused on bringing together the objective holiness of the ministry with the subjective holiness of the minister.
That holiness, I am convinced, involves a genuine collaboration with and reverence for the laity with whom we serve. Their gifts and generosity can certainly support our efforts at organizing our lives to be what our priesthood calls us to be. As Pope Benedict reminds us: “Here we ought to recall the Vatican Council II’s hearty encouragement to priests ‘to be sincere in their appreciation and promotion of the dignity of the laity and of the special role they have to play in the Church’s mission. ...They should be willing to listen to lay people, give brotherly consideration to their wishes, and acknowledge their experience and competence in the different fields of human activity. In this way they will be able, together with them, to discern the signs of the times.’”
Let us pray together during this year, then, for priests throughout the world, but especially here in Alaska. In partnership with laity, and invigorated by their prayerful support, may we as priests renew our efforts to be holy servant priests, who know how to care for ourselves as well as our flocks.
With this goal in mind, we will be experiencing several organized opportunities for renewal this year. Starting with our clergy retreat in September, we will pray for one another, and will continue to reflect on our vocational call both at a December day of renewal and at our late winter convocation. I have also asked our Anchor to feature a priest in each issue to introduce us all to them and encourage personalized prayer for them. The Year for Priests will end for us at retreat time next year. May this year create an openness in us priests that the words of the bishop at our ordination bear fruit: “May God, who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment.”
The writer is Archbishop of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
True satisfaction for true hunger
Most people around the country said that the incident was a terrible tragedy. Folks in Alaska said it was the dumbest thing a person could do.
It’s the story of a brilliant, idealistic young man named Chris McCandless. Born into a moderately wealthy suburban Washington, D.C. family, educated at Emory University, he decides after graduation to pursue freedom from so-called middle-class society and the trappings of the modern world by embarking on a journey through America to the land of his dreams, Alaska.
However, being unacquainted with the dangers of wilderness travel, he is not properly prepared and ultimately finds himself stranded on the far side of a raging river, unable to return to the place from which he began. A small diary tells of his last days as he slowly starves to death. Some local moose hunters eventually find his body in an abandoned bus. Idealism gone askew! One might imagine that even a few scraps of bread would have given Chris McCandless great satisfaction in those last few moments of his life.
The story of Elijah the prophet in the Book of Kings, tells a similar story, but with a happier ending. On a forty-mile trip through the desert of Mount Nebo, he too runs out of bread and water. Fortunately, God’s messenger provides him with sufficient sustenance, a hearth cake and a jug of water, and with that he is able to finish the forty-mile hike.
The Scriptures: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Ephesians 4:30-5, 2 John 6:41-51 |
This “bread for the trip” theme is continued in the accompanying Gospel. Jesus runs into opposition from some Jewish scholars when he claims to be “bread from heaven,” which will assure a hungry person of eternal life. “What’s this brash talk about being heavenly bread,” they ask, “we know this man; he’s a human person, after all, a man just like the rest of us.” So, of course, the Jews had little faith in this “heavenly bread” speech.
Idealistic and impossible as it may seem to us, however, free bread for the journey of life can be a distinct reality. The question is, what sort of bread are we talking about? Rye, wheat, barley? None of the above, of course. The Scriptures speak about a type of bread that we direly need, but which is not to be found in bakery shops. So, what does keep the whole person alive on this wilderness trek we call modern life?
I can think of several things that have kept me alive during my life’s days: The discovery, for instance, of God in nature, the practice of Lectio Divina, a deep, contemplative reading of the Scriptures; the support of friends; the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist with Christian communities. Add to that the satisfaction of knowing that, despite my lack of training, I have helped a few trusting souls get through troubled times in their lives. Sure, I know this is not bread in the material sense but it has been true sustenance for me on many occasions.
Jesus’ reference to the bread of life is a clear reference to the Eucharist. But we also know that Jesus did many other things that gave people sustenance on their life’s journey.
The clue to all this is that life is more than rye bread and water; it is not just satisfaction for the stomach. The bread Jesus speaks of is the kind that feeds the whole person, whatever it is that we truly hunger for.
Unlike young Chris McCandless, therefore, there is no need for Christians to starve. Bread surrounds us in abundance.
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives in Notre Dame, Indiana.
DNA tests would fix some court mistakes
The house was only a couple of blocks from mine, but economically it’s on another rung of the ladder. Basically, it’s your two-working-lawyers house with a terrific view of the ocean. That’s in comparison to my “we-work-for-the-Church” house with a tiny view of the water if you stand on your tippy toes in the winter when all the leaves are off the trees.
Nevertheless, I happily made my way down to these neighbors I didn’t know for a fund-raiser for the Alaska Innocence Project. My good friend, Deborah Fink, sits on the board of the Alaska Innocence Project, and is a key supporter. She invited me not for the huge check which she knew I wouldn’t write, but for the ability a writer has to spread the word.
And indeed, as I slipped my check into the basket I noticed that some checks had a few more zeros than mine did. I hope the Innocence Project did well, because it’s a very valuable addition to justice in our community, and it’s a costly undertaking.
There are “Innocence Projects” throughout the U.S. Most of them are affiliated with law schools (cheap and enterprising labor), and Alaska used to be helped by the University of Washington School of Law. But their work load is too great to offer our state help now. Hence, the Alaska Innocence Project was born.
With new DNA technology, literally hundreds of unjustly convicted people have been exonerated through Innocence Projects. DNA is a critical piece of information which wasn’t in the cards several years ago. And, sadly, innocent people are convicted and sometimes sent to their death in the U.S.
Besides collecting checks and offering some outstanding salmon and shrimp, the fund-raising event featured a talk by Beverly Monroe.
Beverly is like someone you’d see lunching at Simon’s or the Southside Bistro on any given day. A slim and elegant career woman, she speaks with a soft Southern accent, the kind that makes you lean in closer to listen. She’s a mom and a youthful grandma.
Sounds like someone you know – but you probably don’t know anyone who spent over seven years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit.
How did this lovely, educated woman end up in prison? The story’s too long to repeat here, but chalk it up to police incompetence, evidence that was disregarded (like gun residue on the fingers of her boyfriend, who actually committed suicide) and a determined and seemingly obsessed state police investigator.
Thanks to her daughter — a pit bull attorney who went on to found an Innocence Project in Colorado, and a cadre of family and friends, she was eventually exonerated — at great personal cost.
The moral of the story: If someone with these economic and educational resources can be railroaded into jail, think what happens every day to the poor and disadvantaged.
Another creepy thought: If the wrong person’s in jail, where’s the bad guy? And what bad things is he doing while the innocent spend time in jail on our dime?
Representative Bob Lynn attended this fundraiser. Hats off to Bob for sponsoring House Bill 174, which allows for post-conviction DNA testing in Alaska. We’re one of only three states which do not allow for this. Basically, this legislation, if passed, will allow the criminal justice system to fix its mistakes. Let’s keep our eye on this legislation in the next session.
Just ask Beverly Monroe: the justice system does make mistakes.
William Oberly is executive director of the Alaska Innocence Project. Their Web site is alaskainnocence.org, or email at info@alaskainnocence.org.
The writer is a stewardship and hospitality coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage.
What is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for?
Q — So how is life in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops? What is the USCCB anyway? What goes on there?
So far D.C. is great. Traffic is different. It seems like half the intersections are like Lake Otis and Tudor! By and large, the people are great.
Great question about the Bishops’ Conference. According to their Web site, “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States.”
“The purpose of the conference is to promote the greater good which the church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the universal law of the church and applies to the episcopal conferences which are established all over the world for the same purpose.”
The bishops of the U.S. and its holdings themselves constitute the membership of the conference and are served by a staff of over 350 lay people, priests, deacons and religious located at the conference headquarters in Washington, D.C. There is also a small Office of Film and Broadcasting in New York City and a branch Office of Migration and Refugee Services in Miami.
The mission of the USCCB is “to support the ministry of bishops with an emphasis on evangelization, by which the bishops exercise in a communal and collegial manner certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus of sanctifying, teaching, and governing (see Lumen Gentium, no. 21).”
“This mission calls the conference to: act collaboratively and consistently on vital issues confronting the church and society (see Christus Dominus, no. 38.1), foster communion with the church in other nations, within the church universal, under the leadership of its supreme pastor, the Roman Pontiff, offer appropriate assistance to each bishop in fulfilling his particular ministry in the local church (Cf. Apostolos suos, 1998.)”
In short, the conference is there to help U.S. bishops fulfill their role as bishops on a national scale. For example, the bishops have been in dialogue with Muslims in this country since 1996. As the Interfaith Specialist at the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, my job is to take care of all the logistical and theological details which make that dialogue possible.
As you can imagine, it’s a good thing we were in dialogue for some time before the events of 9/11. I, and all the other staffers at the conference, help the bishops to do what the Second Vatican Council calls them to do in their universal ministry for the church, for our country and for the world.
The writer is an Interfaith Specialist for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. To send Father Walsh a question, e-mail him at lwalsh@caa-ak.org.
Anchorage ordinance is reminder to defend church teaching
Guest Column
The fate of the proposed sexual orientation discrimination ordinance is unknown at this writing. Introduced just after the Anchorage mayoral election so it couldn’t be an election issue, supporters intended it to be passed quickly before the new Mayor Dan Sullivan took office. The plan failed as opponents came in droves to testify before the Anchorage Assembly. David Bronson and Jim Minnery of the Alaska Family Council, of which I am privileged to be a director, get most of the credit for alerting and mobilizing citizens.
The ordinance is a serious threat against individuals and religious institutions. For the first time, behavior would be added to the definition of a protected class. For no other class — race, religion, national origin, etc. — is behavior protected. It will be illegal to discriminate against a person, not because of who he or she is, but because of what he or she does. As a result, no religious institutions could deny employment or services to practicing homosexual couples.
The prime example for a Catholic institution is the Catholic Social Services adoption program. CSS cannot place children with homosexual couples, and therefore would have to cease all adoptions or move the program out of the Municipality of Anchorage.
Proponents falsely claimed at various points in the process that religious institutions were exempt. On the contrary, the municipal attorney refused to add religious institutions to the exemption sentence. Individuals are offered no protection. As an attorney, I would have to cease my adoption law practice.
Across the country in this era conscience is under attack on many fronts. The sexual orientation ordinance is only one example. Sex education in schools is also a concern. What mandates will the Anchorage School District or the Alaska Department of Education impose? Will parents be able to opt out? Will Catholic schools be able to create their own curriculum? Ominously, the local teachers’ union is a prime supporter of the sexual orientation ordinance. Given the fact that conscience protection there was adamantly refused, the prospects are poor in other areas as well.
Christians are on the defensive everywhere in this secular age. In many cases, the defense is unsure or weak because Christians are divided. Many Catholics on the left dissent from church teaching on homosexual behavior, sexuality in general, abortion and of course, authority. Unless our Catholic principles, held through the ages and taught by the successors of the apostles, are vigorously propounded, we will find ourselves in a position similar to St. Thomas More, giving up our career, wealth and place in the world for our principles or giving up our principles. Fortunately, we do not face the supreme price as he did.
There are Catholics who argue that the “common good” requires the church to bend to the dictates of the modern world so we can continue good service in other areas. The Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities in Boston wanted to arrange adoptions for homosexual couples for that reason, and seven resigned when the Holy See forbad it. Note that “common good” applies only to Catholics, requiring us to abandon church teachings, never to the opposition. Indeed, it can be asked if those who want to give up principle for the common good ever held the principle in the first place. “I believe, when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties. . . they lead their country by a short route to chaos,” More replied to Cardinal Wolsey. That applies to us all.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz has made the church’s opposition to the sexual orientation ordinance clear. It is up to us — board members, leaders of Catholic agencies, clergy and laity — to rally to the defense of the church and its teachings.
The writer is a private attorney, practicing in Anchorage.
Contemplative prayer: Just relax and let God do the talking
Guest Column
Editor’s note: Jesuit Father Armand Nigro has spent more than 40 years teaching in Jesuit universities and seminaries in the United States and Africa, and more than 50 years directing retreats and parish missions. On Aug. 18-26 the former spiritual director of Holy Spirit Center returns to Anchorage to join Jesuit Father Vincent Beuzer in leading a contemplative prayer retreat.
Contemplative prayer is the easiest, most peaceful and most fruitful way to pray and experience personal union with God. In contemplative prayer, God reveals himself to us, embraces us in his compassionate love and communicates with us. It is totally personal — initiated and sustained by God alone, not by anything we do, except gratefully receiving it.
The following five short phrases summarize what we can do to prepare for and dispose ourselves to God in contemplative prayer:
Be aware of God, alive in you and in every person and thing around you. Relax in him.
Desire to be with God, who desires to be with you.
Listen to God speaking to you in Scripture or in a sacred way or in the beauty of creation coming through your five senses.
Let God be and do and say whatever he chooses for you.
Receive gratefully all that God loves into your life and be yourself — be honest in your responses.
Prayer is any of the ways of communicating with God.
Human prayer is talking aloud or silently to God in any way, about anything at anytime and anywhere. It is our human effort and activity. Jesus cautions us, “Don’t multiply words.” The fewer words the better.
Contemplative praying is letting God do all or most of the talking and communicating, while we attentively listen and gratefully receive.
God speaks to us in the words of sacred Scripture, especially when prayerfully read aloud or whispered. We slowly savor the words and phrases which most affect or speak to us. We can repeat them and linger on them.
God speaks in the goodness and beauty of creation, from the tiniest creatures to the vast expanses of the universe, especially in human persons. He speaks in the teachings of God’s church, especially its ecumenical councils, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal encyclical letters.
God speaks in the beauty and power of the church’s liturgies and celebrations and sacraments. God speaks in our ministries for people, especially the neediest.
Whenever we are aware of God, alive in us and in persons and things, (even before we react or say anything) we are in prayer. Remaining in and savoring that awareness is contemplative prayer.
When St. Paul wrote: “Pray always!” he had that habitual awareness in mind.
To consciously sense or feel or be aware of anything can and ought to be an experience of God, who creates and continually sustains everything in existence. Not to be aware of God’s loving presence is not to realize fully who or what we really are. It’s not facing up to the full reality in us.
Finally, contemplative prayer is being aware that God our Father and Jesus, his son-become-human, and the Holy Spirit are continually loving personal human life into each of us — soaking us with their own divine personal life and “making us,” as St. Peter writes, “partakers in God’s own nature.”
Contemplative retreats are for those who long for deeper union with God with a child-like trust that he will accomplish this in us if we let him.
If at the end of the retreat you feel physically and emotionally more rested and peaceful; if God our Father and Jesus and the Holy Sprit are more real and alive for you; if praying contemplatively is more simple, easy and delightful for you; and if you are more aware of God in the people and things around you, then it will have been a very fruitful retreat and you will be more loveable and easier to live with and relate to. Now, how about that?
Editorial
The cost of Catholic schooling
A desperate plea for help came to the Anchor offices earlier this summer, when we received a letter from a young student who explained that her family could no longer afford to send her to a local Catholic school.
The letter, which read as though the daughter and the family together composed it, spoke highly of Catholic education, while lamenting the inability to afford the tuition.
The mother followed up the letter with a call to the Anchor offices, asking if we could publish the letter in hopes that fellow Catholics might assist in raising the necessary funds to continue her daughter’s Catholic education.
While the Anchor does not publish letters seeking private donations, the girl’s plight does merit some comment.
In Southcentral Alaska, we are blessed with four quality Catholic schools, which operate under the guidance of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
These schools will begin classes in a few weeks and are now enrolling students. The cost to educate these children is substantial and while Catholic schools make every attempt to offer scholarships and financial assistance to families, there are limits to financial aid.
This is where the larger Catholic community must step up.
The Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education issued a letter to the bishops of the world this spring, in which it emphasized the invaluable mission of Catholic schools, especially as they offer parents a faith-based environment in which their children can grow into a mature faith.
The letter states: “A form of education that ignores or marginalizes the moral and religious dimension of the person is a hindrance to full education, because children and young people have a right to be motivated to appraise moral values with a right conscience, to embrace them with a personal adherence, together with a deeper knowledge and love of God.”
It continues: “Catholic parents ‘are to entrust their children to those schools which provide a Catholic education’ and, when this is not possible, they must provide for their Catholic education in other ways.”
For many families, Catholic schooling is not an option due to the lack of nearby schools. For others, however, Catholic schooling is ruled out solely because of finances. This is not the fault of the schools, which work tirelessly to keep costs down and aid families as much as possible.
In an age of growing moral confusion, it is laudable that parents would seek out faith-based schools for their children’s moral and educational formation, but when these families cannot secure all the finances to fund this education, we as fellow Catholics have a duty to assist where we can.
Some parishes and Catholic organizations offer scholarships to students, others hold auctions, raffles and other events to help defer costs for families that desire Catholic education.
In the private sphere, some people choose to donate to Catholic schools or to found scholarships. Others provide needed services for these institutions.
These efforts and more are needed to ensure that families who actively seek Catholic education for their children are able to achieve this noble goal.
As opening day approaches for local Catholic schools, we all need to reflect on what we might do to assist the Catholic Church in her efforts to provide children with a profound education that includes inspiring a deeper knowledge and love of God.
The mission of Catholic schools
The Vatican’s latest letter on the purpose and mission of Catholic schools is a short and informative read. It is online at vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/index.htm
Anchor publication schedule
Through the summer, the Anchor has published once a month. Our regular publication schedule resumes in September with two issues a month.
-Joel Davidson, editor
Letters to the Editor
Bible Institute was an honor
I wish to thank the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Cardinal Newman Chair at Alaska Pacific University for sponsoring the June 17-19 Bible Institute. To have such internationally renowned biblical scholars as Dr. Irene Nowell, OSB and Dr. Vincent Smiles from the St. John’s University School of Theology in Minnesota speak here in Anchorage at the Midsummer’s Light Bible Institute, is an honor for all Alaskans.
So many lingering questions were addressed from attending this event. Thank you.
Anchorage
Catholics have duty to support life
You may not like what I am about to say. As Catholics we are not here to be in a popularity contest but to serve God. If you voted for a “pro-choice” candidate (pro-abortion) in the election, you may have to go to confession before going to Communion. On what do I base this argument? The Catholic Catechism states that anyone who aids or assists in an abortion is guilty of committing a mortal sin. By voting for people who support abortion you have assisted in an abortion. You are responsible for the death of those little children. Some people try to rationalize why they vote for pro-abortion candidates. They would argue there are many areas of concern that their candidate works for. Are there any more important than the 4,000 babies that are killed each day in the United States? The next time you vote, please remember that you are Catholic and you have a moral obligation to make sure that you do not aid or assist in an abortion.
May God forgive us.
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.