September 18, 2009 - Issue #16
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Chronic homelessness amid spiritual hunger
Anchorage groups see link between needs of the body and soul
The chill of fall is descending on Anchorage, along with bright yellow birch leaves – signs of a disappearing summer. But for the hundreds of city residents without a home, these are harbingers of their own dying season.
This year, 11 men and one woman have died — living homeless in Anchorage. As winter looms, Mayor Dan Sullivan is rushing to stem the tide, while advocacy groups and the public chime in with ideas, too.
But largely missing from the discussion is mention of the deep spiritual problems that often lie at the heart of chronic homelessness.
Based on the city’s annual, snap-shot survey, on one day this past January, there were at least 755 homeless people — including 147 with chronic substance abuse issues — in temporary shelters, like Brother Francis Shelter, which is run by Catholic Social Services. At the same time, the city identified at least 209 unsheltered people, including 52 who were chronic substance abusers.
Across a year, Brother Francis Shelter provides temporary shelter to more than 3,000 people. Roughly 300 of those are chronically homeless, and most have substance abuse problems.
Mayor Sullivan plans to combat homelessness by coordinating with community nonprofit groups to identify solutions. Also, using the state’s involuntary commitment law – Title 47 – Sullivan wants to move the chronically inebriated homeless temporarily off the streets and into rehabilitation programs. And under a new city ordinance in the works, the municipality plans to quickly shut-down homeless camps, where drinking and deadly violence go hand-in-hand.
Some have proposed establishing a “tent city” where the chronically homeless could legally camp in the city. The Cook Inlet Tribal Council suggests sending social workers into the camps and the downtown bus station. Others support first providing the homeless with permanent housing, then helping them grapple with substance abuse.
But often, substance abuse is just the tip of the iceberg of chronic homelessness, said Catholic Social Services’ executive director Susan Bomalaski in an interview with the Anchor.
“A lot of times, it’s a symptom of a deeper problem.”
“Behind some of these behaviors is a hopelessness and meaninglessness,” she explained.
And many times, “that hope is tied with something bigger, deeper — a more spiritual look at how you fit into the cosmos,” Bomalaski added.
So, in November, at the direction of Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, Brother Francis Shelter is bringing in newly ordained Catholic Deacon Mick Fornelli to help address some of these spiritual issues.
The first step, Fornelli said, is to develop trust and a relationship. He plans to wear his clerical collar, which he believes will bring a “little quicker level of acceptance” among the homeless than would jeans and a T-shirt.
“I just want them to develop a sense of comfort,” he continued, and to know that God is close to them. That’s important, he said, because when one allows God in, “miracles happen.”
Recognizing Christ’s presence and power gives a person – including the chronically homeless – the ability “to take the next step, to go beyond what we feel we can do, knowing that Jesus is walking there right beside us,” Fornelli explained.
Holly Lawson, executive director of the nondenominational Christian Downtown Soup Kitchen on Fourth Street, has seen the homeless find spiritual hope – and then homes.
The Soup Kitchen’s motto is “a full stomach and a hand up in the name of Jesus.” Daily, it serves 350 cups of soup with sandwiches to the hungry – including many homeless.
As to how some become homeless, “there’s obviously some spiritual warfare in their lives,” commented Lawson, who has a background in counseling.
Being displaced from family, losing a job, missing mortgage payments are like “arrows” in life, she said.
“The only thing I know about life is that it’s a battle – everyday, in some way,” Lawson said.
When hard times hit those who are not so well braced by faith or family, the struggles can “consume them, they lose themselves in them,” she added.
Spiritually-speaking, “without a shield, without a sword, without a helmet,” Lawson said, one is vulnerable to addictions, homelessness and a paralyzing hopelessness.
So beyond a hot meal, Lawson said the homeless need Christian hope — specifically, to know that “one, this is temporary and two, you have a better home waiting for you that’s eternal, so in the meantime, hang in there, you are loved, you are cared for.”
Lawson said that by embracing that well-founded hope, clients are freed to work on a new future and pursue sobriety.
For instance, she said, one man, who had been homeless through several Anchorage winters, has just secured an apartment with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. “Last week, he moved in.”
“For him, it was recognizing that he had too much on his shoulders as a man,” Lawson explained. “He needed to let go and let God.”
The conversation on homelessness must begin with the truth about the human person, explained Dominican Father Dominic DeMaio of Holy Family Cathedral, a parish where many homeless attend Mass.
“As Christians, especially as Catholic Christians, we always consider the human person in his full dimension – mind, body, spirit and emotion,” explained Father DeMaio. “Those are always going to be completely interconnected.”
For years, every Sunday, after Mass, 50-70 homeless people have come to the Catholic cathedral for coffee, doughnuts, companionship – and occasionally, spiritual songs in Yup’ik.
According to parishioner Tim Walsh, who serves the coffee, these homeless are from “every village,” like Barrow and Point Hope. Having worked in the Bush for three decades, Walsh knew some of these men “when they were kids.”
Each work day, about a dozen homeless people visit the church office.
“It’s the candy that brings them in – and the fellowship,” explained receptionist Teri Perez with a smile. She keeps a dish full of sweets at her desk – along with a resource list for food, shelter and clothing.
“I hope they come for the fellowship,” she added earnestly, “because I like their friendship.”
Food, housing and blankets aren’t enough for the homeless, explained Father DeMaio. He believes any approach that does not address “the fullness of the person is never going to completely address the problem.”
There is a need to heal the core spiritual problems, he said – self-hatred, the fear of being unlovable and alienation – that come from broken homes, abuse, disinterest from the world.
“We’re seeking, as Christians and Catholic Christians, communion with one another and communion with God,” Father DeMaio explained. Many of the homeless are “deeply hungering” for that, he added.
The solution, he said, is in “primarily, the encounter with the living Christ in his members.” For instance, Mother Teresa, he said, lived as “Christ to those people who are untouchable.”
“When they start to become touched by others,” he said, “they may start to awaken and realize, ‘Oh, okay, there is the warmth of love. There is God. God does reach out to me.’”
Icon honors Kenai’s Catholic, Orthodox roots
A new icon of the Virgin Mary hangs inside Our Lady of Angels Church in Kenai — one which is more historically connected to the religious iconography of the area.
The icon shows the Blessed Virgin in her glory, surrounded by 12 angels, as her Divine Son offers a blessing. The letters on the sides of Mary’s halo are the abbreviation for the Greek words meaning “Mother of God.”
The new icon replaces an older icon portraying Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The older icon, left by Redemptorist priests, reflects later Renaissance painting techniques, while the new icon is meant to be more representative of Kenai’s religious and cultural roots, which are Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox.
Oblate Father Andy Sensenig procured the icon when Sister Joyce Ross and Sister Joan Barina left for retirement this summer after serving the parish for more than 30 years. Meant to honor the sisters while also focusing on the parish’s identity, Father Sensenig hopes the patroness icon will inspire parishioners to think of ways they can serve the church.
“While reflecting on the icon, ask yourself, ‘Which one am I, of the angels,” Father Sensenig said. “Icons are in the true sense windows to a greater reality. They are not just a reflection of faith, but a window to heaven. We are challenged to become Our Lady’s messengers.”
Father Sensenig ordered the icon online through a company named Monastery Icons. A representative of Monastery Icons told the Anchor that very little is known about the artist of the icon, other than his name — Brother Simian.
Economy forces dioceses to assess ‘rock-bottom values’
U.S. bishops’ official sees ‘silver lining’ in hardships
Catholics across the country are finding ways to combat the economic crisis, according to an official working for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“I don’t want to sugarcoat this — this is very painful, but I’ve seen people step up to the plate because they have a great love for the church,” said David Suley, director of Catholic Home Missions for the USCCB.
Suley travels across the country visiting financially vulnerable dioceses and determining how much aid the USCCB can give them. And while times are hard, a silver lining has emerged through the pain.
“We are being purged — that is the major silver lining,” he told the Anchor during a recent stop in Anchorage to assess the needs in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Each year, Catholic Home Missions gives roughly $8 million to efforts that aim to strengthen the presence of the Catholic Church in missionary areas nationwide.
All three Alaska dioceses — Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau — receive support from Catholic Home Missions. Each year, Anchorage accepts about $125,000 to support various ministries.
This year, heavy financial burdens have forced already frugal parishes and dioceses across the country to carefully evaluate how they operate, Suley told the Anchor.
“It’s a time to strip away everything and determine our rock-bottom values — sort of like an examination of conscience,” he observed.
Many dioceses have cut personnel, reduced salaries and eliminated travel funds that normally allow rural church leaders to access training from national speakers and educators. Other dioceses have merged services and found new ways to collaborate and cut costs, Suley explained.
Suley said the current financial crisis has forced the church to assess the past and look to the future.
“We are 40 years removed from Vatican II now and we are being forced to stop and pitch tent and tell stories about the past, as we look to where we want to go,” he said. “We need to look at our vision.”
He compared the situation to the Old Testament Israelites.
“They pitched their tents when things got difficult and waited for the Spirit to give them a new direction,” he said. “We are in a position where we are pitching tent.”
As the church moves through the current economic crisis, it is important to continue building and sustaining a sense of trust from parishioners, Suley observed.
“People will come to the plate if a diocese has high credibility,” he said. “If people see that, they will aggressively support their diocese. Our laity are more educated today and they want to know where their money is going.”
In addition to financial giving, Suley said he has seen many unsung heroes step up to keep ministries and outreaches afloat through volunteering and sharing talents and skills.
“These stories will never make the front of Time magazine but they are happening all across the country,” he said.
Passion in the pews
Visiting priest looks at how to help parishioners discover deep sense of purpose in the church
The struggle for many priests and church workers is watching large numbers of Catholics attend Sunday Mass, but remain perpetually on the sidelines of their parish communities.
Father Mahan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, recently stopped in Anchorage to tackle this very issue with priests of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Before addressing priests at their annual fall retreat, Father Mahan spoke to the Anchor about the challenge of inspiring Catholics to more deeply engage their faith.
“How do we draw them in? Frankly, many of the alternatives the world offers are dismal and provide no lasting value,” he said.
“How do we go deeper, beyond the superficial, to the deeply spiritual?” he added. “How do we help these individuals to identify their talents? We don’t want to merely ask for their talent from the needs of the parish – ‘We need five ushers, would you be one?’ — This has limited results.”
The goal must be continued invitations — a topic he addressed with area priests.
Before taking the post as executive director of the Marian College Center for Catholic Stewardship in Indianapolis, Father Mahan spent a number of years as a parish priest in Indiana, where he dealt with these challenges first hand.
But it was in working on the campus of Marian College, where Father Mahan said he has seen the eye-opening experience of young people discovering what they want to study, what they truly want to “be.” This, he said, is how church leaders need to encourage parishioner participation.
At the Anchorage Archdiocese’s fall retreat for priests Sept. 8-11, Father Mahan’s aim was similar to that of his other speaking engagements, which have taken him as far away as Australia and the Philippines — to get people excited about what it means to be a true steward of the faith.
“A priest is able to communicate stewardship in a very unique way, from the very heart of his priesthood,” Father Mahan said.
Many Catholics are aware of terms like stewardship, time, talent and treasure. What Father Mahan tries to do is move people from a shallow understanding of those often used terms to discover their deeper meanings, which he says are intimately connected to what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
“Stewardship is what we do after we say we believe,” he explained. “Being a disciple is our identity; what we do with that identity is stewardship.”
Father Mahan called the publication of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 1992 document, “Stewardship – A Disciple’s Response,” a watershed moment in the stewardship movement. Afterwards, stewardship offices and ministries blossomed in dioceses and parishes throughout the country.
“Today, we need stewardship more than ever,” he said. “There are so many distractions in our world that pull us away from what is essential. When we develop that consciousness that everything we have is from God, we feel a sense of responsibility for taking care of God’s gifts. It becomes the basis for a way of life that brings the peace which this world cannot give.”
Archbishop Schwietz commends ‘Christian witness’ in upcoming pro-life campaign
In a Sept. 4 letter to parishes of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Archbishop Roger Schwietz expressed support for the upcoming 40 Days for Life pro-life campaign in Anchorage.
In the annual event, pro-life advocates pray, fast and peacefully “stand for life” outside abortion clinics across the country.
“Forty Days for Life calls the public’s attention to the evil of abortion through prayer and Christian witness,” commented the archbishop, who added, “I encourage our people to take part as members of the baptized community.”
Archbishop Schwietz explained that he has permitted 40 Days for Life organizers to contact the archdiocese’s parishes to invite participation in “this program of Christian witness.”
From Sept. 23 to Nov. 1, in Anchorage, participants will gather for the 40 Days for Life vigil outside the abortion facility at Planned Parenthood and Alaska Women’s Health PC at 4001/4115 Lake Otis Parkway.
In his letter, Archbishop Schwietz said he is assured that the 40 Days for Life program does not create confrontations with abortion clinic workers or women seeking abortions and that the group “respects the law and cooperates with the authorities.”
He went on to explain that the group “gathers in front of the clinic for forty days, to bear witness to their Christian faith through prayer. Counseling is offered to those who wish to talk to someone, but no one is forced to do so.”
Participants in the program sign a statement of peace, and participants under age 18 must have a signed parental permission form. Those younger than 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
For more information, contact Christine Kurka at 306-3263 or cekurka@mtaonline.net. See also, 40daysforlife.com/anchorage.
News & Notes
Polka at the parish
Every third Friday of the month, from Sept. to May, the Knights of Columbus of St. Patrick Church host a polka dance, with live accordion music by the Alaska Polka Chips and the Alaska Button Box Gang. The dances run from 8:30-11:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s parish hall. Families are welcome. Admission for adults is $9 and for children 12 and under is $4. The next polka dance is Sept. 18. For more information, call 440-7723.
Governor taps former aid to Fairbanks bishop
A former special assistant to Fairbanks Bishop Donald Kettler was tapped by Gov. Sean Parnell to serve on the statewide Council on Disabilities and Special Education.
Frederick Villa is one of seven new appointments announced by the governor’s office on Sept. 4.
Villa, of North Pole, is the father of a child with special needs. He is associate vice president for workforce programs for the University of Alaska system. Villa previously worked as special assistant to the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska from 2005-06.
Villa has bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of South Dakota. He was appointed to a seat reserved for a representative of higher education.
The 18-to-28 member committee supports Alaskans with disabilities by helping provide and promote rehabilitation and employment services and advising the state on ways to provide assistive technology and services.
‘Respect Life’ packets available
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pro-life office is offering a packet of informational articles, a flyer and liturgy guide to help parishes mark Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 4.
This year’s theme — “Every Child Brings Us God’s Smile” — comes from a homily of Pope Benedict XVI during a 2007 Mass on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Topics in this year’s packet include building a culture of life, human dignity, assisted suicide, contraception, infertility and same-sex marriage.
The materials are online at usccb.org/prolife and on a CD which may be ordered by calling 866-582-0943. For more information locally, contact Deacon Ted Greene in the Anchorage Archdiocese at 297-7734 or tgreene@caa-ak.org.
Native Masses and prayer group
Especially for Native Alaskan newcomers to the Archdiocese of Anchorage, the Catholic Native Ministry sponsors a Mass and potluck dinner at St. Anthony Church every third Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The next Native Mass is Sept. 19. In addition, every Sunday at 11 a.m., Mass is celebrated at the Native hospital for patients and families. And every Thursday, there is a meeting of the Native Kateri Circle prayer group which hosts a potluck and faith formation at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony Church’s parish hall. For more information, contact Pearl Chanar at 245-2024.
Tridentine Latin Mass schedule
The Anchorage Archdiocese provides regular celebrations of the Tridentine Rite Mass – a centuries-old rite, which is celebrated in Latin. The Tridentine Mass is currently celebrated at St. Michael Church in Palmer (432 East Fireweed Ave.) on the following Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.: Sept. 19, Oct. 24, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. St. Michael pastor Father Thomas Brundage, JCL will be the celebrant and will hear confessions prior to Mass.
Young adult dialogue
On Sept. 23, at 7 p.m., young adults are invited to “Dialogue” – an evening of socializing and conversation on a salient issue or article at Middle Way Café. For more, contact Holy Family Cathedral Young Adults at hfcyoungadults@gmail.com or visit holyfamilycathedral.org/hfc/ParishLife/Organizations/YoungAdults/tabid/71/Default.aspx.
New Dominican at cathedral
Holy Family Cathedral has welcomed Dominican Brother Dominic David Maichrowicz, who will spend a residency year at the downtown Anchorage parish. Brother Dominic – who entered the Dominican Order in 2005 – is expected to be ordained a priest in 2013.
Brother Dominic will work on catechesis in the parish, particularly continuing education for catechists, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, lectors and altar servers. In addition, he will work with Holy Family’s young adult group. And in October, will give a series of parish-wide talks on the “Gospel of Life.”
A computer engineer by schooling and trade, Brother Dominic is also a student of philosophy. He just completed a master’s degree in philosophy at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in California, where his thesis focused on the issue of individuality, according to St. Edith Stein and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Brother Dominic has a particular love of eucharistic adoration, the Divine Office and the rosary. “I firmly believe that praying together is one of the most important foundations of any community,” he remarked in an introduction to the parish Aug. 30.
Annual Red Mass for attorneys and politicians
On Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m., at Holy Family Cathedral, Archbishop Roger Schwietz will celebrate the annual Red Mass. Held annually in many major American cities, the Red Mass is a time when the church prays for all who practice law, especially attorneys, judges and politicians.
Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, a Catholic, will deliver the keynote address at a brunch at the Marriott Hotel, after the Mass. The mayor’s talk will be followed by a panel discussion on St. Thomas More’s final words: “I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first” – as they relate to the work of attorneys and politicians and the practice of their faith in today’s world.
The origins of the Red Mass are traced to the 13th century, when the first known Red Mass was offered on behalf of the supreme court of the Catholic Church, the Roman Rota.
Various traditions arose in England and France for a special Mass to be offered at the beginning of each term of a court year. Since the 1920s, a Red Mass is celebrated at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C. – just before the U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes in October. Many of the justices, along with government officials, attend.
Red is the color of the vestments for the Mass, since it signifies the Holy Spirit and is a reminder of St. Thomas More, the 16th century English lawyer and statesman who was martyred for the faith. He is patron saint of attorneys and politicians.
The Anchorage Red Mass is open to the public. To reserve a seat at the Anchorage brunch, contact Jenny Michaelson at 297-7729 or tribunal@caa-ak.org. The annual Red Mass celebrations in Anchorage are sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society of Alaska.
Adoption workshop
Sept. 25-Sept. 27, Catholic Social Services will host its biannual Adoption Workshop, which provides information on the adoption process and helps prospective mothers and fathers clarify their views on adoption and parenting. There will be opportunities to talk to adoptive and birth families, adopted persons and an adoption attorney. The workshop is a requirement for those intending to adopt through the CSS Infant Adoption Program. The workshop takes place at CSS, 3710 E. 20th Avenue. For information, contact Karen Hollar at khollar@cssalask.org.
Oktoberfest at St. Patrick’s
All are welcome to the Knights of Columbus’ annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 16 at St. Patrick Church’s parish hall. Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be dinner, a musical show and dancing. Tickets are $20. For more information, contact George Neuerburg at 440-7723.
Why is the Catholic Church pro-life?
During Respect Life Month, Holy Family Cathedral will host a series of discussions on the late Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, the “Gospel of Life,” and the biblical and philosophical foundations of the Catholic Church’s position on life.
The series — led by visiting Dominican Brother Dominic David Maichrowicz — will run Mondays in October at 7 p.m. at the cathedral (West 5th Ave. at H St.). The topics are, on Oct. 5: The principles of the Gospel of Life: Life, dignity and the person; Oct. 12: The Culture of Death; Oct. 19: The being of the unborn child; and Oct. 26: Common misconceptions about the Catholic position on life.
The discussions are free and open to the public.
Fr. Frank Pavone to attend Anchorage pro-life event
Father Frank Pavone, director of the national group Priests for Life, will be in Anchorage in October to serve as the keynote speaker for Alaska Right to Life’s “Proudly Pro-Life” dinner on Oct. 17 at the Anchorage Hilton. For more information, call 276-1912.
Secular Carmelites in Anchorage
Beginning Sept. 27, a group of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites will meet at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage on the last Sunday of every month from 12:15-1:15 p.m., following the 11 a.m. Mass. The group is comprised by laity and clergy who “live the charism” of Carmelite spirituality in the secular life. For more information, contact Phyllis Shepherd at juris83@yahoo.com.
Brother Francis Shelter needs clothes
Brother Francis Shelter’s client and community clothing room seeks interview clothes for men and women – especially suits, ties, slacks, dress shirts, dresses, skirts, loafers. Donations are accepted at the shelter at 1021 East 3rd Avenue.
Father Walsh manages misunderstandings with Muslims
Father Leo Walsh, former pastor of St. Andrew Church in Eagle River, is settling into his new job at the office of interreligious relations at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. His focus is communication between Catholics and Muslims.
According to the Alaska Star, in his first week of work, Father Walsh met with members of parliament from Yemen and addressed a social justice initiative from the Islamic Circle of North America. One of his tasks, Father Walsh explained, is to help Catholics and Muslims accurately depict one another in their respective educational settings.
“We present our curriculum to them and say, ‘This is what we’re teaching about you. Is this accurate?’ And they say, ‘Oh yes, this part is, but these parts need to be modified.’ We say, ‘OK, help us make it right because we want to faithfully represent who you are.’ And then they give us their curriculum and ask for our input so that they can teach an accurate picture.”
For more on the Star’s visit with Father Walsh, see alaskastar.com/stories/081309/New_flw.shtml.
Unalaska Filipinos celebrate Santacruzan
Catholic Filipino residents of Unalaska have celebrated the first ever Santacruzan procession there in the remote Aleutian Islands. The colorful, religious, Filipino tradition marks the finding of the True Cross of Christ by Queen Helena, the mother of the Constantine, the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. In its Aug. 19 report on the event, KUCB 89.7 FM interviewed Filipino Father Nelson Marilag, then-pastor of St. Christopher by the Sea in Unalaska. For the audio clip, which includes a taste of the lyrical Filipino religious music played during the procession, go to publicbroadcasting.net/kial/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1544749.
‘Radical’ Juneau teens take priestly vocation retreat
According to the Juneau Empire (Aug. 30), seven high schoolers participated in the Juneau Diocese’s first ever priestly vocation retreat – which was organized at the request of four of those teen boys. According to the Empire, one 17-year-old who attended had considered the priesthood since the age of 8.
“This retreat is a powerful reminder that the Lord still calls and that there are a number of young men being called to consider the priesthood,” Juneau Bishop Edward Burns said. “In many cases, young men feel called to married life,” the bishop explained, “but for some, they may be called to a radical way of discipleship, sacrificing much in order to follow the Lord. This radical discipleship, as Pope John Paul II called it, is the priesthood.”
Archbishop’s Calendar
Sept. 18-19, Discipleship Days 2009, Lumen Christi High School
Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m., Mass, Holy Family Cathedral
Sept. 22-24, Parish visit, St. Mary Church, Kodiak
Sept. 26-27, Parish visit, St. Francis Xavier Church, Valdez
Oct. 3, 9 a.m., Opening archdiocesan Catholic schools’ summit, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m., Red Mass, Holy Family Cathedral
Oct. 4, 2 p.m., St. Francis feast day Mass, Brother Francis Shelter
Oct. 6, Pastoral day, Holy Spirit Center
Oct. 7, 9 a.m., Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Oct. 8, 9 a.m., Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Oct. 9-11, Meetings, Fairbanks
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted.
Community Calendar
Sept. 18, 8:30 p.m., Polka dance, St. Patrick Church parish hall
Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m., Tridentine Latin Mass, St. Michael Church, Palmer
Sept. 19, 5:30 p.m., Native Mass, St. Anthony Church
Sept. 20, 11 a.m., Native Mass, Alaska Native Medical Center
Sept. 23, 7 p.m., Holy Family Cathedral’s young adult “Dialogue” group, Middle Way Café
Sept. 27, 11 a.m., Native Mass, Alaska Native Medical Center
Sept. 27, 12:15 p.m., Meeting of Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, Holy Cross Church (Lake Otis and Lore)
Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m., Red Mass, Holy Family Cathedral (brunch at Marriott Hotel)
Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted.
Parish profile series
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Anchorage
Editor’s note: This is part of a series on parishes and missions in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
About 2,100 parishioners and just over 700 families.
Father Vincent Blanco of the Philippines is resident pastor. He has been pastor since his arrival in the United States in 2001.
The parish was established on October 11, 1970 by Archbishop Joseph Ryan, the first archbishop of Anchorage. The first pastor was Monsignor John Lunney who selected Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness for the new parish. Prior to the construction of the any buildings, Masses were celebrated at Turnagain Methodist Church and later at Turnagain Elementary School. A new parish center was occupied and dedicated on Dec. 12, 1976 – the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The current church building was completed in 2005.
The One-More-Time Thrift Store (3934 Spenard Road) – operated by volunteers to raise funds for the parish and to provide low-cost clothing and household items. Another interesting fact: Parishioners are almost equally divided between Caucasian, Hispanic and Filipino ethnic groups.
The parish distributes nearly 20 food boxes to needy parishioners and non-parishioners every week. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, a similar number of food baskets are prepared. Clothing and vouchers for shopping at the One-More-Time Thrift Store are also distributed to the needy. Once a month, a group of parishioners cooks for the residents of Clare House and annually, the parish conducts food drives to stock the parish food closet and provide a donation to St. Francis Food Bank. At Christmas, the parish helps supply gifts for refugees and youth at Covenant House.
The rosary is offered prior to daily Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament occurs every Friday 7-9 p.m. Each November, the parish hosts a large multi-cultural dinner. There is also a celebration each year on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Peruvian parishioners conduct a special devotion in October and Filipino parishioners participate in special devotions in the summer and around Christmas. During Lent, the parish hosts Friday soup suppers and Stations of the Cross. Also, the parish celebrates “Fat Tuesday” before Lent, with a Mardi Gras night.
The parish has a different choir for every weekend liturgy and offers music for daily Mass. Regularly, one of the weekend Masses is in Spanish, and there are bilingual celebrations on major feast days. Also, during two Sunday Masses during the school year, the church celebrates a special children’s liturgy. The parish has adult and youth Hispanic prayer and reflection groups, and the church hosts vacation Bible school each June.
For more information about the parish call 248-2000 or visit home.catholicweb.com/olgalaska/index.cfm
Priest Profile
Editor’s note: In conjunction with Catholic Church’s worldwide celebration of the Year for Priests, the Anchor is publishing profiles of the priests serving in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Father Nelson R. Marilag was recently named associate pastor at St. Michael Church in Palmer. Previously he served at St. Christopher by the Sea in Unalaska. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 1987 in the Diocese of Butuan, Philippines.
What inspired you to become a priest?
There was an encouragement of my former pastor who was also my religion class teacher in high school. He really inspired me to serve the church.
Who is your favorite saint?
It is St. Joseph who bears the name of being a foster father of Jesus and a great worker, too. It is my confirmation name given by my parents.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
I like to walk and play basketball. I also watch news, movies and sports.
What is unique about being a priest in Alaska?
Working with a very unique place and people. Aside from the resourcefulness of the people, there are various ways of culture that one will encounter in serving the church. There is much to learn and to adjust to, in so many ways. But with this, it gives a sense of courage to be more independent. There are lots of challenges.
Local Columns
Moral recessions lead to economic ones
Personal disclosure: I don’t work for a living.
I’m a capitalist. My property works for me. That means I have lots of financial incentive not to write this essay.
If you steal from a bank, it’s called a crime, said a pundit on the public broadcasting program, Bill Moyers’ Journal, but if a bank steals from you, it’s called good business.
That’s the only time I know when someone actually applied the Seventh Commandment to our current recession, or should I say depression. Like all sin, this one really derives from violating the First Commandment.
Capitalism has been a strange god before us for quite some time. We treated it as not only impeccable, but also infallible. It’s a perfect system, we told ourselves; it needs no policing, no oversight. Just turn it loose and let it run wild.
Reporter Jim Hightower says, since 1868, we’ve started treating corporations like people. But when did we decide corporations have more rights and fewer responsibilities than people?
More and more, our politicians — and the corporations that give them handouts — work on laws to police our behavior, lock up the human crooks and lecture to us about the “personal responsibility” of the poor. But what about corporate responsibility? Or does being rich and powerful entitle you to a free ride?
I recently heard a talk-show caller argue against bailing out people who were lured into buying mortgages they couldn’t afford. But the caller didn’t complain about bailing out the banks that swindled them — and indirectly swindled those of us who already paid off our mortgages. Politicians who gripe about coddling criminals sure like coddling billionaire and corporate criminals.
Our capitalist culture has collided with Jesus’ teachings for more than a generation. Politicians and those who buy them have been feeding us the lie that selfishness is a virtue, not a vice. That’s why the 1980s “liberated” us from inhibitions over greed the way the 1960s “liberated” us from inhibitions over extramarital sex.
Turns out disregarding the First and Seventh Commandments liberated us all right — from our savings, our jobs, our homes. We teach toddlers that bad actions have bad consequences. How about teaching the same to CEOs and their politicians?
We humans aren’t perfect. We need cops and rules to protect us from human crooks. Corporations aren’t perfect either. We need cops and rules to protect us from corporate crooks.
Saviors rescue us; we don’t rescue them. So how is capitalism our savior?
Recently there has been talk of “privatizing” water in Third World countries so corporations control what we all need to live. The capitalism-worshippers are ready to say — in effect — to Third World pre-born babies, “Hey, enough of this entitlement mentality; if you want access to clean water, get a job so you can pay for it.”
What will we Jesus-worshippers tell those babies?
The author writes from Anchorage.
The priesthood is an offering to God — a sacrifice
Editor’s note: This is part two of a three part series entitled “The Priesthood of Jesus Christ and the Christian vocation.” The columns were adapted from talks given by Dominican Brother Isaiah Molano during his recent stay at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage this summer.
In the first column of this series, we looked at how the Mass is a sacrifice for all the Christian faithful. In the next two articles, we will discuss how members of the church can offer themselves up as a sacrifice to the Lord. We shall discuss the ministerial priesthood this time, and the consecrated religious and lay faithful next time.
“Lumen Gentium,” the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, articulates best how the Christian faithful can offer themselves to God. It uses the motif of the triple-office of Christ as priest, prophet and king. We too will use this motif.
Priests offer themselves up in their priestly office by the act of sacrifice. The ministerial priest has been chosen by Christ and the Holy Spirit to preside, first of all, over the eucharistic liturgy and offer sacrifice to God in the person of Christ and the church. It is the priest who leads the prayers for all of the sacraments.
The document reads, “Ministers, invested with a sacred power, are at the service of their brothers and sisters, so that all who belong to the people of God and therefore enjoy true Christian dignity may attain to salvation through their free, combined and well-ordered efforts in pursuit of a common goal.”
In the Roman Canon, the priest prays, “Father, accept this offering from your whole family. Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.”
The priest is first of all a servant-leader to the community.
In terms of a priest’s prophetic office, the priest’s way of life is, in itself, a prophetic act. Firstly, when the priest preaches, he is enacting his prophetic office, as Christ did on the mount or plain. In “Presbyterorum Ordinis” (Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests) of the Second Vatican Council, we read that “Priests…by their exemplary behavior . . . lead people to glorify God; or by the preaching proclaim the mystery of Christ to unbelievers; or teach the Christian message or explain the church’s doctrine; or endeavor to treat contemporary problems in the light of Christ’s teaching.”
In short, for the ministerial priest, the task of the prophetic office is to make disciples.
Also, for the Latin Church, the phenomenon of the celibate priesthood is an act of prophecy. By being celibate, the priest imitates Christ, who himself was celibate. He, in some way, imitates Christ the High Priest in awaiting the final consummation between the Bridegroom (Christ) and Bride (Church) at the end of the ages.
The priest also has a kingly office. This is a ministry of service and charity. “Lumen Gentium” says, “The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ govern by their counsels, persuasion and example the particular churches assigned to them, and also by the authority and sacred power which they exercise exclusively for the spiritual development of their flock in truth and holiness….”
Pastoral governing is done in conjunction with the flock. A parish is governed with the pastor as the head, but with the laity in an advisory role. Today, as we know, most parishes have pastoral councils, and every parish has a financial council. Priests are theologians, not economists, nor construction workers, nor community events coordinators. Thanks be to God that they have the lay faithful to help lead the people of God. Without the help of the lay faithful, the church would be a drier and colder place. Thank God that we have so many men and women offering their life in service to the church in so many ways. From here, we can easily discuss how the church-in-the-pews can offer their lives as a sacrifice of praise to God. This will be the topic of our next discussion.
Health care anecdotes
My brother Tom has had a frugal reputation for 50 years. Like most kids, my other brothers and I would munch through our Valentine or Halloween candy within days. Tom, on the other hand, had a locked suitcase under his bed where all kinds of goodies would accumulate indefinitely against some future need.
Today, Tom’s frugality extends to how money is spent by anyone, not just himself, so the health care worker who proposed to him that my mom, in her final days, needed a different hospital bed, met with healthy cynicism.
“But she has that kind of bed,” Tom protested to the worker, to which she, knowledgeable of all things Medicare, replied, “Why do you care? You’re not going to pay for it.”
Just another American health care anecdote.
There’s probably not an American alive who doesn’t think the system desperately needs some kind of regulation or reform. The conundrum is the complexity of it all, and what direction reform will take.
It’s instructive to look at what the U.S. Catholic bishops have proposed. Their comments are not terribly specific, but they are guidelines that should govern the process.
The bishops (usccb.org/healthcare/) advocate “a truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity,” including continuing the federal ban on funding of abortions.
The words of Bishop William Murphy, chairman of the committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, are striking: “Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation.”
Moral imperative. Those are strong and challenging words.
Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks is a favorite of mine. In his column, which runs in the Anchorage Daily News, he recently mentioned that if he could help Obama to design health care, he would first ask him to read, “How American Health Care Killed My Father,” by David Goldhill, in the September Atlantic Monthly (theatlantic.com)
Goldhill’s article is full of statistics to make you grind your teeth: Between 2001 and 2007, employer-based health insurance costs went up by 78 percent. Wonder why you received such a small raise, no raise at all or an increase that merely matched or was dwarfed by your health insurance premium increase? Because your employer is busy trying to cover health care costs.
In 1966, Medicare and Medicaid made up one percent of total government spending. Today that figure is a whopping 20 percent. For every two doctors in the U.S., there’s a health-insurance employee.
But Goldhill’s article isn’t just a bunch of numbers. It’s his interesting take on the problems and what the fixes might be — and they don’t include a “single payer” solution.
The fear I have is that people will disengage from the struggle for reform. “It’s too complex.” “I’ve got mine, let others worry about theirs.” Worst of all are those who went to town hall meetings and yelled others down. How un-American.
The bishops advocate “access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants, pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and a variety of options, and restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers.”
Here’s something else Bishop Murphy said: “Health care is not just another issue for the Church or for a healthy society. It is a fundamental issue of human life and dignity.”
When I wrote to my senators and congressman, I listed the bishops’ priorities as my own for reform.
If you’re curious about what killed Goldhill’s father, read the article. And did my mom get the new hospital bed? No.
The writer is a stewardship and hospitality coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage.
Never be afraid to question
It occurs to me that one of the benefits of having the better part of one’s life behind him is the opportunity to look back and say for instance, “Doggone, if I’d only had the good sense to really take my education more seriously, who knows what I could have done with my life?” I’m sure many of us who have come of age in this period of world history must often look back and say, “what if?”
I think, for instance, of my own time as a student and teacher: I missed so much of the wisdom that was dealt out because I had no real appreciation of the importance of learning. As a teacher, I often simply assumed that the students were eagerly waiting for my little portions of wisdom. In the process, I seldom gave students the opportunity to search for and profit from the wisdom that they could have discovered on their own. Time behind us is always the great wisdom teacher.
I wanted to reflect a little on wisdom inasmuch as many of the scriptures during these summer months are taken from the Book of Wisdom. All us, no matter what our age still have the opportunity not necessarily to become smarter but rather to ask questions, to be open to whatever the world sets before us, to treasure every new insight that comes along.
I remember a quote from a now long-forgotten author that went like this: “Our first step in wisdom is to question everything; the last step is to come to terms with everything.” Given that insight, it seems to me that much of the treasure of learning is not simply to become more intelligent but to develop an appreciation for the myriad experiences that life itself provides for the taking and not to be afraid of following one’s instincts.
The Gospel for this Sunday lays before us Jesus’ appreciation for little children. The issue arose because his disciples were arguing about who would be the most prominent in Jesus’ coming kingdom. In so many words Jesus tells them, “If you people had the wisdom of little children, this question about who will be greatest in the kingdom would never even enter your minds. Being first is a non-issue.
At other times in my essays, I have expressed my fascination with the wisdom of children. It is interesting, for instance, that from their earliest days, their minds are open for the great expectation of the “new,” the bright, the colorful — whatever excites the mind. They have not yet made any decisions about what this new thing might be. It’s sufficient that it is simply there for the touching, the grabbing, even “licking.” All of that is simply the longing for experience, nothing more. Their little minds are satisfied with the present, that which is now before them. Figuring it all out can come later. First comes intuition, and then comes examination. We learn from our human experiences, and those experiences are as valid at age 85 as they are at five weeks.
It is often said that we should not allow our education to get in the way of our learning. I think that is only partly true. Some of my greatest teachers have led me to wisdom without imposing it upon me.
So, I close as I began: Never be afraid to question, to doubt, to ask, to wonder, to be astonished, to be humbled. The sources of wisdom are infinite for those whose minds are attuned to its beauty.
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives in Notre Dame, In.
The proper care and feeding of your priest
Our parish is blessed to have a priest. He’s a great guy. However, he always seems to be on the go and we want to make sure that we don’t burn him out. How do we take care of our priest so that he will be with us for a long time? How can we folks in the pews help him be a better priest? – Pensive in Peoria
First of all, God bless you for caring about your priest! If he is as good as you say, your care, kindness and prayers towards him can help make all the difference. Here are a few short pieces of advice on “The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Priest.”
1. Have reasonable expectations of your priest. He is a man, sometimes all too human, but also called by name by Christ for service in the church. Take your priest for what he is, not for what you would like him to be. Each priest has gifts and each priest has shortcomings. Yes, the call to priesthood is a supernatural one, but the priest is not superman.
2. Make your wishes known to him. The ability to read minds is not a charism of Holy Orders. Nothing is more frustrating for the priest than to be held to expectations which have never been expressed. Let him know how he can serve and he will do so with his whole heart.
3. Let the priest know when he has done something right. That way he knows to do it again. If he has done something poorly, or if he has offended in some way, kindly take him aside in private and let him know the nature of the offense so that he may improve his life. This is at the heart of Christian charity. It is the soul of human kindness.
4. Feed your priest! Cooks in rectories are a rare thing these days. Your priest may not have time to cook, or he may just be a lousy cook. If he’s not eating right, he can’t be there for you. Have a family or two drop off meals once or twice a week to make sure he is properly nourished for ministry.
5. Finally, pray for the priest every day. Pray that his gifts will bless the church and the local community. Pray that he may have strength in the face of temptation and, yes, persecution. Pray that he may ask forgiveness for his failings. Pray that he may be a man of strong faith and fervent prayer. And give him time to pray for you.
Lay people sometimes don’t realize how much they profoundly affect the life and wellbeing of their priests. Keeping these few simple things in mind can make all the difference.
The writer is an interfaith specialist for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Our homes can be a gift to others
Guest Column
My husband Ken tends to accumulate things. Before we got married last year, I urged him — gently — to go through his stuff and determine what was useful and/or meaningful to him and should be kept, what was beyond repair and should be thrown away or recycled, and what should be donated for use by someone else. By making space for his new wife and step-daughter, Ken turned his bachelor pad into a home.
Ken grew up in a staunchly Catholic family, was raised by parents who are faithful stewards of their time, talent and treasure. They taught him to view stewardship as a way of life. Sometimes, however, we all need to step back and consider our stewardship of material possessions, including the places we call home.
Organizational experts offer all kinds of advice around sorting, storing and otherwise managing the stuff we bring into our homes — whether as renters or owners.
I read an online newsletter, “Just a Bite,” offering organizing tips from the book, The Clutter Diet: the Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. It’s very useful, and I often forward the newsletter to others. Missing from such guides, however, is that a home — and what we’re blessed to have in it —are to be objects of stewardship in order that they may be shared lovingly with others, just like all our gifts.
I began to wonder: What would it look like to truly, graciously receive and thoughtfully nurture the spaces we live in for the purpose of sharing them? Would seeing things from that perspective change how we maintain, repair and otherwise care for our homes? Would it bring about something new in how and how often we open our doors to guests?
According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, approximately 3.5 million people are likely to experience homelessness in a given year. With increased homeless in our community and a recession that has caused home foreclosure or near-foreclosure for so many, it’s easier than ever to regard a safe, well-maintained living space as an amazing gift.
Author Charles Dickens once wrote, “Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.”
It seems to me that living stewardship means including home as one of the gifts — along with our health, relationships, abilities and others — we tend for the benefit of more than just ourselves.
Friends of mine are renovating their house, adding a bigger kitchen, dining room, family room and deck. They’ve also built a more stable walkway and steps to their front door. Their home is where their large, multi-generational extended family gathers for birthdays, holidays and other celebrations. It’s also a home always open to friends from around the world. Because they perceive their home as a place to welcome and serve others, the renovation has been exciting for us all.
Ken and I continue to work to make our home a welcoming place for our small family and friends. Occasional clutter and an abundance of pet hair are realities, but so are our attempts to create a space that we’ve come to realize we steward for more than just us. Realizing that is in itself a true gift.
The writer is associate director of the Office of Stewardship and Development for the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Parental involvement supports a culture of life
Many Alaskans are not aware that in our state a young woman less than 18 years of age can obtain an abortion without the knowledge of her parents. They must have permission to go on a field trip or obtain an aspirin from the school nurse; however, current law does not require any parental involvement or even notification before a minor undergoes an abortion.
How did we get to this sad state of affairs? In 1997, the Alaska Legislature passed a law that required the consent of at least one parent before a doctor could perform an abortion on a girl under 17 years of age. However this law was immediately blocked from being enforced by a state judge. Ten years later, the justices of the Alaska Supreme Court, by a narrow 3 to 2 vote, agreed with the lower court’s decision and declared the parental consent law to be unconstitutional.
Fortunately, there is an effort underway that will at least partially remedy this situation.
Alaskans for Parental Rights is sponsoring a statewide signature gathering campaign with the goal of collecting the signatures of 40,000 Alaskan voters by Oct. 6. This will place the initiative on the August 2010 ballot. If adopted by voters, this initiative would change Alaska law so that parents would be notified before an abortion is performed on their minor daughter. Although a majority of three justices on the Alaska Supreme Court declared that a parental consent law was unconstitutional, their opinion suggested that a law requiring only parental notice would be upheld.
I encourage our Catholic population to support this important pro-life effort by signing the petition. I also encourage those who have time to become petition circulators and help gather as many signatures as possible to ensure the success of this endeavor. You can view the wording of the initiative online at elections.alaska.gov/petitions/09PIMA.pdf.
Alaska is one of only 14 states that do not have a law requiring some form of parental involvement, either notice or consent. Parental involvement laws protect the health and welfare of minors as well as the natural right of parents to rear their children. Such laws have proven to increase teenage sexual responsibility and lower birthrates among teens. Although parental consent laws are more effective than laws that simply require notice a parental notice law is better than nothing at all. At a minimum a parental notification law brings the abortion decision into the light of day, and ensures that a frightened girl does not make a life-changing decision without the benefit of her parents’ love and wisdom.
The purpose behind parental involvement laws is clear. Because of their age and inexperience, young people often lack the ability to make fully informed choices that take into account both immediate and long-range consequences. Yet the medical, emotional, psychological and spiritual consequences of abortion are grave and can last for a lifetime. I believe it is true that with an abortion, more than one life is lost.
Polls show that nearly 80 percent of Alaskans favor parental involvement in their daughter’s abortion decision. By signing this petition, you are sending a strong message that Alaskan parents should be involved in the health care decisions of their children. Thank you for your efforts to encourage a culture of life. For more information, please visit the Alaskans for Parental Rights Web site at AlaskansForParentalRights.org.
The writer is archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Editorial
Minors need ‘choices’
Imagine a situation in which a 16-year-old Alaska girl finds herself pregnant, sitting before her parents and on the verge of telling everything. She knows they will be saddened and disappointed. They might even be angry. She also knows that they love her and want the best for her. But in fear, she remains quiet.
It’s no secret that many pregnant teen mothers wrestle with whether to keep their unborn baby or end that life so that they can avoid an uncertain future.
In Alaska, a minor girl can legally bypass her parents’ counsel and emotional resources, and secretly head to an abortion clinic without their ever knowing.
It’s not that these teens rely on no one for advice. Rather, they turn to the recommendations of abortion practitioners, desperate boyfriends or others who may, in fact, have a vested interest in seeing the girl end the life of her unborn baby.
If she goes through with the secret abortion, she then must recover from the surgical procedure without her parents knowing. She would also need to hide any emotional trauma that she might suffer, while perpetually concealing this decision from the very people who have cared for her all her life.
In Alaska, several hundred teenage girls conceive unexpected babies every year and then go on to end those lives through abortions.
Last year, Alaska teens accounted for 353 abortions — one out of every five in the state.
Working to reduce teen pregnancy by empowering underage girls to delay sex until they are married is a laudable goal but one that does not address the reality of what happens when a teen first discovers she is pregnant.
A petition now circulating throughout Alaska is attempting to address that very issue. If successful, it will allow Alaska voters to decide whether an abortion practitioner must, at the very least, notify a girl’s parents before taking the life of her unborn child.
Opponents of the petition, led by the nation’s largest abortion provider — Planned Parenthood — say parental involvement laws only serve to coerce girls into keeping a baby against their will by giving parents the final say.
But looked at in a more comprehensive light, the law might actually empower teens by increasing their overall number of viable choices.
In the vast majority of cases, mothers and fathers love and care for their teenage girls more than any abortion practitioner, family friend or scared boyfriend ever could. If parents knew their daughter’s situation, they would have the chance to rally all available resources to her aid. Ideas that might never have occurred could have a chance to germinate. Grandparents could have a chance to help raise their grandchild. And the minor girl’s siblings could have the opportunity help care for their new niece or nephew. Family friends might be able to offer financial or material aid.
All of these options, however, are left unknown and unheard when a teenage girl gives into fear and quietly aborts her baby without involving her parents.
Alaska owes pregnant teens the chance to be supported by parents and families. Only then, will these girls be able to see and choose from realistic and viable choices.
— Joel Davidson, editor
Letters to the Editor
Changing words at Mass won’t bring us closer to God
The article on new Mass translations (“Bishops ready faithful for new Mass translations, Sept. 4) caught my eye. It states that there is an effort to be more faithful to the original Latin text and it is important to choose the right words when speaking to God.
I looked at the act of confession to be recited at the beginning of Mass and it sure did look familiar. I remember reciting that as a second grader and wondering just what it was that I had done so grievously as to beat myself up for it. I hadn’t started having thoughts about the girl in the next pew yet, or about getting even with the kid that wrecked my bike a few years later. And now as a “senior citizen,” I pretty much behave myself. I may sin, but “greatly sinned” and “grievous fault” — well, I guess I do drive a car and contribute to global warming and eat more than I should and need to spend more time contributing to ending the ills of the world ... okay I guess I can come up with some good Catholic guilt.
I just wonder if the return to the Latin text is to help appease, to some extent, the people who would like to return to Latin altogether and sit in oblivion to what is being uttered by the priest as the mystery of the Mass unfolds.
When I hear Jesus said this or that, I often wonder, “really?” Language changes — except for dead languages like Latin. The language of the people attending the Mass was implemented so people could better understand what is occurring, which is in fact a mystery and based on faith. Nonetheless, to understand the words surrounding the mystery draws us closer to it — not in solving it but rather in participating in it. If we pray, God will hear. We may not even have to use words. We can pray by our deeds, how we treat others and how we treat this place we live in and on. I doubt that changing the words we speak in unison in church is going to draw us any closer to God. I think we could be focusing our attention on many more real issues and save some angst and paper in the process. -Michael Murray, Homer
Clarification
In the July 10 issue of the Anchor, the Parish Profile of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church failed to identify, by name, Father James Van Hoomissen, who lead the construction of the first church building for the parish. According to “Alaskan Catholica” by church historian Jesuit Father Louis Renner, Father Thaddeus Dean, who was mentioned, arrived in August 1962, after Father Van Hoomissen, and assisted him in completing the church and Redemptorist monastery in Soldotna.
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.