April 8, 2005 - Issue #7
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Vigils, prayers mark last days of Holy Father
Southcentral Alaska Catholics joined millions of people around the world in mourning the loss of Pope John Paul II and reflecting on his remarkable 26-year reign.
The Holy Father, who visited Alaska twice — the only pope to come here — died April 2 in Rome at 10:37 a.m. Alaska time. News of his death spread quickly, thanks to the swarm of journalists who had descended on the Vatican as the pope’s frail condition took a turn for the worse in late March.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz praised Pope John Paul as a "great pastoral leader and a great teacher" who will have "a powerful influence on the church and on the thinking of theologians for generations to come."
"He had a marvelous way of connecting with people and he had the energy to go out and meet them all over the world," the archbishop said. "And he certainly had a big influence on both Catholics and non-Catholics because of his personal connection with them during his visits."
The pope’s teachings on the dignity of the human person and the spirituality of the body "are only at the beginning point of being reflected upon and understood," Archbishop Schweitz said.
The archbishop was in Wasilla, paying a pastoral visit to Sacred Heart Parish there, when he received word of the pope’s death.
He returned to Anchorage and presided at a crowded Mass that evening at the Holy Family Cathedral. The liturgy initiated the "novendiales," a series of nine days of mourning observed by Catholic jurisdictions worldwide on the occasion of the death of a pope.
Four Polish Americans attended the April 2 Mass at the cathedral dressed in traditional Polish costume. They had been at a cultural event downtown and decided not to change clothes before Mass.
"Hopefully the Holy Father will appreciate this," Stan Niziol said, standing with his wife and two other women in colorful dresses and beaded jewelry.
Originally from southwest Poland, Niziol said that having a Polish pope made him "very proud."
"Our Holy Father showed that he respected everyone. He showed us in our country and outside that there is hope. There is no doubt that because of him and Reagan, Poland is a free country," Niziol said.
"He gave Poles a hope that yes, you can stand up and if you are strong internally, that strength will show outside as well," he added. "People were not afraid to go on strike and … even to give their lives. That was the message of the Holy Father: Don’t be afraid."
Joe Goodall and his girlfriend Carissa Pearce also attended the Saturday evening Mass at the cathedral. It was their week to go to Pearce’s Christian church, but they opted instead to go to the Mass for the pope.
Goodall, 32, said Pope John Paul II is the pontiff he grew up knowing about, and that for him the man "exemplifies a good Catholic." The pope reminded him, he said, about what is important in life: "living and giving and being a peaceful person."
"During times of war he spoke his mind and his stance," Goodall said. "He visited with Bush and let him know that he disagreed with the war in Iraq."
The death of Pope John Paul II brought back a flood of personal memories to Alaskan Catholics who were present for his brief 1981 visit to Anchorage. The pope stopped here for about four hours while his plane was refueled on a return flight from Asia.
In a state of under a half million, more than 40,000 people crowded onto the Delaney Park Strip that February day to hear the pope celebrate Mass. Thousands more lined the streets of Anchorage to see him drive by in a makeshift "popemobile" on the back of a pickup truck.
It was the biggest story to hit Alaska since the 1964 earthquake.
People from all over the state flocked to Anchorage for the event, filling hotels and relatives’ couches.
Among those coming into town was Marti Ressler, whose job with an oil company on the North Slope would normally have prevented her from seeing the pope. But when her employer offered to fly people to Anchorage for the event, she jumped at the chance and boarded a full plane.
She still has the photos and even the program from the day’s events.
Ressler, who grew up in the day when Catholics seldom entered Protestant churches, said she treasures Pope John Paul II’s ecumenism, his willingness to pray with all people and faiths.
"He was so open to everybody. He had everyone’s love and respect."
Jesuit Father Tom Gallagher chose to join the crowd that day, rather than vesting up front with the other priests. He remembers the sense of "presence" the pope brought. "He was serene yet clear in his focus," a man well grounded in reality, Father Gallagher said, adding, "I think that came from those years when he had to study in secret."
With only 16,000 Catholics in the archdiocese then — less than half today’s number — Father Gallagher knew many in the crowd did not share the pope’s faith.
"People seemed curious in a healthy way, almost a sense of wonder, like a child before a Christmas tree," the Jesuit said. "I sensed piety and the fear of God, two gifts of the Holy Spirit, in the crowd that day."
Eileen Kramer had a different vantage point. As a secretary in the office of Archbishop Francis Hurley, Anchorage’s since-retired archbishop, she was deeply involved in the frenetic preparations for the event.
"At the end, we were working 24-seven," she recalled.
But she was caught by surprise when she was asked to be among the 100 people to whom the pontiff would give Holy Communion.
"What an honor," she recalled. "Despite the cold, there was such a warmth that surrounded everything that day, such togetherness."
Jack and Jeanne Jordan, now parishioners at St. Michael Parish in Palmer, were far back in the crowd on the park strip.
But their daughter, Molly Marie, had what might have been the closest personal encounter with the pontiff during his visit.
The 5-year-old was among the 150 people with disabilities chosen to meet the Holy Father in the basement of Holy Family Cathedral. The pope made it a point to meet with the elderly, the sick, the disabled wherever he traveled, and the extra time he spent with the group in Anchorage was one reason his four-hour visit ran overtime.
Molly had cystic fibrosis, and despite having several surgeries before she was a year old, she was an independent child who tried everything, including hockey. She agreed to meet the pope — even though she wasn’t entirely clear about what a pope was and even though her parents weren’t allowed to accompany her in the cathedral basement.
Molly wanted to bring the pope flowers, and Jeanne remembers her heading into the cathedral "with her little bag and a bouquet of forget-me-nots," the state flower.
Later, Archbishop Hurley told the Jordans that the pope had been drawn to Molly right away, that he spent time with her and had to be prompted a bit to move on, Jeanne said.
Shortly after, Molly was once again in the hospital, where she recounted stories of "my pope" and told her parents that he had kissed her on the cheek.
Molly died around Christmas of 1981, and someone from Anchorage wrote to Pope John Paul about the death. When the choir from the papal visit traveled to Rome at the pope’s invitation, he mentioned the little girl with the flowers, and spoke of her again when he stopped in Fairbanks in 1984.
It’s a gift the Jordans will never forget.
"He was really a pope of the people," said Jeanne, who served as a Jesuit Volunteer at Copper Valley School near Glennallen in the 1960s. "He was especially for the poor, for social justice issues. How courageous he was."
Matthew Beck, pastoral associate and director of youth ministry at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Anchorage, noted that Pope John Paul II had a special relationship with young people as well.
"He made them feel like they made a difference in the world," said Beck, who traveled several times with Alaska youths for World Youth Day events. "I think my favorite line of his was, ‘Don’t be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium.’ "
Beck said that the pope was an "authentic leader" who just knew how to connect to young people, and that his message that youths "have an important place in the body of Christ" is something that teens desperately need to hear these days.
This pope used modern means of travel and communications technology to carry his message far and wide.
Up in Talkeetna, a town of about 900 people near the base of Mt. McKinley, Renamary Rauchenstein said she has been surprised by how many phone calls she’s gotten at St. Bernard Church, where she is the parish director.
"Most of them have been non-Catholics," she said. "They’re saying they just want us to know that they’re sorry for our loss and they hope the next pope is as good."
Rauchenstein said Pope John Paul II was "an incredible communicator" who "made the church more understandable and palatable to people."
But he didn’t just say what he thought people wanted to hear, she added.
"He held the line on things that needed a strong hand, like the life issues, euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment. That message is so evidently needed in our culture today."
New priests get first solo assignments
The Anchorage Archdiocese’s two newest priests are about to set out on their first solo assignments. Fathers Scott Garrett and Tom Lilly, who were ordained to the priesthood in a joint ceremony two years ago, are being made pastors.
Archbishop Roger Schwietz is sending Father Garrett to become the new pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Dillingham and Father Lilly to take the helm of the archdiocese’s largest parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in South Anchorage.Both priests have been serving since their ordinations as parochial vicars, Father Garrett at Eagle River’s St. Andrew Parish, Father Lilly at St. Patrick Parish in East Anchorage.
Both assignments take effect July 1. The priests announced the assignments at Masses last weekend in their current parishes.
"It’s my dream job," Father Garrett said of Holy Rosary. "I really can’t think of a better assignment."
Father Lilly was pleased as well, not because of where he was going, per se, but because of the opportunity to be part of a new community of faith, he said."I feel privileged to be asked to serve the needs of that community," Father Lilly said.
Father Lilly will replace Father Craig Loecker at St. Elizabeth. Father Loecker, a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Neb., is nearing the end of a three-year commitment he made to serve in the Anchorage Archdiocese. His archbishop has asked him to return and take a parish in the city of Omaha, he said.
The Dillingham parish is currently administered by a lay woman, Brenda Moscarella, while the canonical pastor is Holy Cross Father LeRoy Clementich, who is based in Anchorage and is pastor of all parishes in the archdiocese that do not have a resident pastor.
Moscarella said she accepted the assignment in 2003 with the understanding that when the archdiocese found a priest to serve the parish she would be replaced.
"I’m glad they have found one," she told the Anchor last week.
Moscarella, who came up from New Mexico to take the job in Dillingham, said she has not yet decided what to do next.
Years ago, young priests might have spent five or ten or more years assisting a more experienced pastor and learning the ropes. But the relative shortage of clergy precludes that luxury now.
But Father Lilly and Father Garrett — a few months shy of their second anniversary of ordination — both said they feel ready to become pastors.
Neither man has an easy assignment, to be sure.
Father Garrett is heading out to a remote assignment, where he will be the sole priest in a town accessible only by plane or boat.
He is the first priest assigned to Holy Rosary since the legendary Father Jim Kelley, the master pilot who used his airplane to minister to a network of Catholic parishioners spread from Iliamna to Unalaska. He called the 23 communities he visited — including some with just one or two families — the St. Paul Mission.
Father Garrett has a pilot’s license, but he hasn’t used it much in the last 20 years, he said. Still, he’s eager to start flying again and update his skills so he can begin visiting some of Father Kelley’s former parishioners, he said.
Father Kelley died in 2002 when he crashed in a snowstorm en route to a Bristol Bay village for Mass.
"I’m not going to be half the pilot he was, but I’m going to do the best I can and get out to see as many people as I can," Father Garrett said.
As for the remote location, Father Garrett doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact he’s looking forward to finally getting to live in the Bush, he said.
When he worked for the airline industry prior to entering seminary, he took every opportunity he could to visit remote areas of the state. He is also an avid fisherman and caribou hunter who has spent lots of time pursuing game and just enjoying the outdoors, he said.
The first year of priesthood was "really rough," Father Garrett said, noting that presiding at Mass was especially challenging at first, as was having to learn so many different aspects of parish administration and ministry for the first time, all at once, in a fast-paced, 1,200-family parish.
He said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to get to know all 50 of the families in Dillingham.
"I feel pretty confident that I’ve learned enough to do the job," Father Garret said. "It’s not like I’m taking over the largest parish in the archdiocese, like someone I know," he said.
Father Lilly is that someone. His new parish also has a school — an added responsibility for a pastor.
But Father Lilly is taking in his new assignment with the placidity of monk.
"I’m a collaborative person," he said. "My hope is to help call forth people’s gifts and to use them collectively for the greater glory of God."
He noted that his new parish already has a leadership team in place, including parochial vicar Father Ron Licaycon, parish administrator Matthew Beck and a number of other staffers. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School also has its own leadership structure.
Father Lilly was quick to acknowledge that he is inexperienced as a priest and has a lot to learn yet.
"In the seminary they told us to allow yourself to be formed by the people God places in your life," he said. "Formation doesn’t end when you leave the seminary."
Law firm works with clients of CSS immigration program
Clients of Catholic Social Services’ Immigration and Refugee Services program can rest assured that the agency is committed to finding means to follow up on and complete their cases.
That’s the word from Yvonne Chase, executive director of Catholic Social Services, who said that in light of a restructuring going on in the agency’s immigration program, there has been some "misinformation in the community."
"Clients have been calling in a panic," she said, as rumors spread that their cases were being dropped cold as the agency moved to eliminate most legal services it currently provides.
Chase said that Catholic Social Services has contracted with the law firm of Donnelley and Stahl, which will be working with existing clients and has already been in discussions with many who have upcoming court appearance dates.
Additionally, the law firm has agreed to review and close out files that have been inactive but kept open.
Chase also said that an attorney who worked for Catholic Social Services immigration program with a domestic violence contract will move with that grant to the Network on Domestic Violence, a state agency with federal funding. The attorney’s last day with Catholic Social Services was April l, and she will be taking her cases, probably about 50, to the new agency with her, pending Justice Department approval.
Additionally, Chase said that two attorneys who had been working for Catholic Social Services will continue to work on approximately 50 cases that "have especially heavy attorney involvement."
Catholic Social Services has been experiencing funding shortfalls and has made cutbacks in all their programs in the past year. The immigration component posed a special budgetary challenge because immigration issues often required legal services. These services, especially if they involve court appearances, often become long-term relationships for which funding is scarce.
Because of this, Catholic Social Services announced it will no longer accept new clients for legal services and will phase out all court work by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
Chase said that clients who have questions about their cases, or people with immigration issues who want a referral to a pro bono attorney, should call Betty Hassler at 297-7765.
Gathered in steadfast faith: What we do, why we do it
All of us, from time to time, find ourselves gathered in groups, large or small, to celebrate some event that is important to us as a community.
In order for such events to flow smoothly and make it possible for all to participate fully both as individuals and as a group, we assume that there will need to be certain rules or directions that will help us participate as a body. Indeed, we are even willing to give up some of our individual habits and preferences for the good of all. Otherwise chaos may ensue.
Our Catholic Church has a long history and much experience in gathering people together to celebrate liturgical events. Whether it is a small rural church, for instance, with a congregation of five families, or a papal Mass in the palazzo of St. Peter’s in Rome, accommodating thousands of people, both assemblies will assume that there will be certain rubrics, or directions, to assist the faithful in their prayer responses, gestures and postures so that they can truly say that their common faith is being expressed and that they are worshiping together as a family.
The rules that appear in our liturgical books are called rubrics. They are printed in red so as to set them apart from the prayers themselves. They are important inasmuch as they give the priest and the assembly directions for worship.
Because liturgical worship, like other human experiences, is a living experience celebrated by living individuals, we will often find that it will change from time to time, adjusting to the times and cultural circumstances in which we live.
The Vatican Congregation of Divine Worship and the Sacraments is the office that guides the church in its celebration of the Mass and sacraments.
You may ask, "Where can we find those rules and guidelines for Catholic worship?" You will find them in a special section in the front of the sacramentary, or prayer book, that the priest uses at the altar at Mass. It is called the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). It is also published separately in book form and can be purchased from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C.
The General Instruction was first published shortly after the Second Vatican Council. It has been modified several times since the council. The latest translation was published in 2002.
Because our church believes in adapting the liturgy to various cultures "for the life of the world," bishops of each country have been given permission by the Holy See to adapt certain parts of the General Instruction so that the celebration of Mass may be more fittingly celebrated in each land.
The bishops of the United States, therefore, have adapted some of these general norms to fit the needs of the Catholic Church in our own country.
The bishops of the three dioceses of Alaska have further adapted and specified these general norms for our use. These local norms we shall outline and explain more fully in forthcoming Anchor articles.
Why are these explanations on the General Instruction important?
Those of us who are middle-aged and older will remember the sudden changes in the liturgy shortly after the Second Vatican Council. Many Catholics, indeed, many priests and a few bishops, did not understand what changes were coming and why they were being made. There was very little explanation why all this was being done, why we were being asked to "change gears" so radically.
Indeed, some Catholics are still wondering about that today.
For this reason, the bishops of the United States are insisting that clear instructions and explanations (catechesis) be given regarding the latest changes contained in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal as adapted for our Alaska dioceses.
The order of our worship and the depth of our faith will depend upon a clear understanding of what we are asked to do and why.
Therefore, the bishops of the three dioceses of Alaska, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, Bishop Donald Kettler of Fairbanks and Bishop Michael Warfel of Juneau, after carefully studying the General Instruction, have promulgated a common set of rubrics for the use of both the priest and the assembly for the celebration of the Eucharist.
This is being done particularly because of the diverse population and the great number of Catholic visitors to our state each year.
In their introduction to the rubrics, the bishops say: "We share one Lord, one faith, one baptism as church. We implement these norms not to correct abuses, but rather because we are concerned about uniformity in gestures and postures in our liturgies. Our hope is that uniformity will help to build community and that together we shall grow as a Christian people, a people of faith."
It is in that spirit and intent that these explanations of the General Instruction are being offered.
New Liturgical Norms for the Archdiocese of Anchorage
Editor’s Note: Archbishop Roger Schwietz has directed that these norms be observed by the faithful of the Anchorage Archdiocese starting Pentecost weekend, May 14-15. The Anchor has launched a catechetical series by Father LeRoy Clementich to put the norms in context and explain more fully why Catholics do what they do at Mass. The series will run for several months. Your feedback is most welcome.
The church celebrates sacraments not as God intervening from the outside, but as a divine outpouring into what already exists in our world. As Catholic Christians, we must consistently demonstrate the power of signs and symbols in order to enrich our own faith when the assembly is gathered.
Therefore, Archbishop Schwietz has promulgated the following which are to be considered the norm within the Archdiocese of Anchorage beginning with the Solemnity of Pentecost (May 14-15, 2005):
At the words, "… by the power of the Holy Spirit … and became man," all make a profound bow (that is, from the waist).
The Preparation of the Gifts
The assembly remains seated throughout as the priest prepares and offers the gifts of bread and wine. When finished, he gestures for the assembly to stand while saying: "Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God."
People respond: "May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands… ."
In the United States, permission has been granted to kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer. Therefore, if kneelers are available and the people are not prevented from kneeling by reason of health, lack of space, the large number of people present or some other good reason, they should kneel from after the "Holy, Holy" until after the "Great Amen" at the end of the Eucharistic prayer, at which time the assembly stands once again.
The very nature of sacramental symbolism demands that the elements for the Eucharist be recognizable in themselves and without explanation. It is most desirable that the faithful, just as the priest himself is bound to do, may receive the Lord’s body from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and that in instances where it is permitted, they share in the chalice. Thus even through these signs communion will stand out more clearly as a sharing in the sacrifice actually being offered. The use of hosts from the tabernacle is strongly discouraged.
The faithful of the Archdiocese of Anchorage are to stand from the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer until the distribution of Communion is complete, unless prevented by reasons of health or lack of space. This is not to regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.
After the distribution of Holy Communion, all may observe a period of silence. Silence and true stillness can be achieved if all take part — assembly and liturgical ministers alike. This period of silence is not to be interrupted by the taking of a second collection (the second collection should be taken during the offertory) or by parish announcements.
It is recommended that each parish community initiate the use of the Book of the Gospels. This implies that the Lectionary or Children’s Lectionary will not be carried in the gathering procession but will be in place in the ambo (pulpit) for the first two readings.
The Book of the Gospels will be brought forward during the procession and placed on the altar by the deacon or lay reader (lector) until it is solemnly carried to the ambo for the proclamation of the Gospel by the deacon or priest.
The deacon should first receive a blessing from the presider, after which he proceeds to the altar for the Book of the Gospels, and then to the ambo.
It is also recommended that the Book of the Gospels be used at liturgies held in the absence of a priest. After a suitable sending forth by the presider, a catechist carrying the lectionary should lead the procession of catechumens for their own breaking open the Word or for children if they are dismissed for a children’s Liturgy of the Word.
West Anchorage parish’s new church is quickly taking shape
When Daniel Esparza drives past Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in West Anchorage, the new mission-style church springing up along Wisconsin Avenue reminds him of churches he once lived near in central Mexico.
"It’s just beautiful," said Esparza, who has been a parishioner there for 20 years. He now serves on the building committee and helps to plan fund-raisers for the $4.4 million building project.
Esparza said he gets a lot of feedback from the parish’s Hispanic community about the 16,576-square-foot church going up next to the existing worship center.
"We feel like a little part of home is in the church," he said.
Work started in August, but the structure’s frame is nearly complete and the exterior covered with plywood. Windows are in place, wiring is going in and the heating system is operational.
Two bell towers resting in front of the church will soon crown columns on either side of the arching main entrance. Once in place the towers will reach 55 feet in height, not counting the nine-foot-tall crosses that will rise from each of them.
The interior is a spacious, window-lit area surrounded by wall niches, rounded corners and curved walls. Beams of interlocking trusses form the ceiling 42 feet overhead.
Like the existing worship center and the parish office, a stucco exterior will coat the new church, and covered walkways will connect to arcades currently leading to the two older buildings.
"When they said ‘mission style’ we took them to heart," said principal architect John Crittenden of Architects Alaska.
The project is ahead of schedule, project manager Brandon Carlson of Hickel Construction and Engineering said last week as he walked through the expansive enclosure. He said he hopes the church will open for worship earlier than the originally scheduled Aug. 14 completion date.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish has four weekend Masses for its 565 registered families. According to parishioners, two of those Masses completely fill the church’s 360 seats.
Two nights a week, using sliding walls, the center’s main worship space is converted into three rooms where students gather for religious education classes. Up to 150 students fill the center’s rooms and flow over to the neighboring rectory for classes, according to religious education director John Fleming.
The new church will have seating for 560, plus a small chapel with a grotto-like atmosphere calling to mind the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe that St. Juan Diego saw in 1531 in what is now northern Mexico City.
The parish was founded in 1970 and named by its first pastor, Msgr. John Lunney, who wanted to honor the patroness of the Americas in this "far northern part of the hemisphere," according to Fleming, an original member of the parish.
The current church was built in 1976, but it was not meant to be a permanent worship space. It is actually a multipurpose center by design, intended to double as worship space only until a proper church could be built.
Our Lady of Guadalupe has not only attracted a large population of Hispanics, but also Filipinos. Building a church together has brought "more unity" to the different ethnic groups that now attend the parish, according to Esparza.
"All … can come to together in this new church," he said.
John Conway, chairman of the parish’s building committee, also hopes the process of building the church brings people closer together.
"If we come through this not only having a beautiful church but along the way having built community in our parish, that makes it a stronger place," he said.
So far the parish has raised about $3.49 million for the project. That includes $300,000 from more than 30 years of earnings from the parish’s One More Time Thrift Store, operated by volunteers.
The parish has also secured a $1 million loan from the Knights of Columbus, to be paid back over 20 years.
So far, about half of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s parishioners have contributed to the building fund, which is "extremely good," Fleming said. He attributes that commitment to a "great love of the patroness of the parish," noting that people living in 32 different ZIP code areas worship at the parish.
Spirituality ministry will lose some staff to new assignments
Holy Spirit Center, the spirituality ministry of the Archdiocese of Anchorage operated by the Jesuit Order, will bid farewell this spring to some longtime staff.
Jesuit Father Paul Macke leaves his position as pastoral counselor and spiritual director at the center in April to become the Washington, D.C.-based secretary of pastoral ministries for the Jesuits in the United States.
Father Macke said his new assignment will involve working to coordinate the work of Jesuit parishes and other pastoral ministries within the 10 provinces of the U.S. Jesuits.
Father Macke has spent 17 years in Alaska and came to Holy Spirit Center, then called Holy Spirit Retreat House, in 1996 after working at the Jesuit center in St. Marys in rural Western Alaska.
Father Macke, with a doctorate of ministry in pastoral psychotherapy, served as a pastoral counselor until becoming executive director in 1998, a post he held until 2004. During his tenure as executive director, Holy Spirit changed its name to reflect a broader mission as a spirituality center providing outreach for the archdiocese.
Dominican Sister Mary Noel is leaving her position as director of ministry at the end of April. The ministry director oversees retreats, spiritual direction and the center’s spirituality programs.
She will return to the motherhouse of her order, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Akron, Ohio, where she will be the motherhouse coordinator for a convent of approximately 30 sisters. She will also assist with a new prayer and preaching outreach, and has recently been elected to a four-year term on her community’s congregational council.
Rosemary Insley will replace Sister Noel with a slightly different title, coordinator of ministry.
Insley, from Michigan, has a master’s of social work degree and is a commissioned spiritual director who has served as a pastoral associate at a Michigan parish. Insley will begin her duties in May.
Jesuit Father Joseph Schad, who has served as a spiritual director at the facility since 2001, is leaving Anchorage in May to spend the summer working in parish ministry in the Diocese of Juneau. His assignment after that has not been determined.
Dacia Van Antwerp, Ph.D., the present executive director of Holy Spirit Center, said she has been assured that another Jesuit will be assigned to the center, but none has been selected yet.
Jesuit Father Vincent Beuzer, the only other Jesuit on staff, will continue as a spiritual director. Father Beuzer served as the center’s executive director before Father Macke and has helped create several Ignatian programs at the center, including a spiritual director formation program.
An April 14 Mass at Holy Spirit Center will honor Father Beuzer for 60 years as a Jesuit, as well as Father Macke for 42 years, and Father Schad for 25. Sister Noel, who has been a Dominican for 50 years, will renew her vows at the liturgy.
Archbishop Roger Schwietz will preside over the 7 p.m. liturgical celebration, which will have a reception afterward. Those who plan to attend are asked to call 346-2343.
Archbishop's Column
We have been praying for our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II in a special way this past week.
Now God has chosen to call our beloved pontiff home to enjoy the fullness of Easter on Saturday, April 2, 2005. I share my own reflections on this holy man of God who has truly influenced not only millions of lives but also the course of history in God’s plan for salvation.
Since I was first named bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1990, I had the privilege of visiting with him on several occasions. I personally grieve his loss and join with those around the world who mourn his death. He was truly an outstanding apostle and a great spiritual leader, as well as a personal hero of mine. He has fought the good fight and has remained faithful to the end. May he now join the Risen Christ, who he served so courageously in the joy of the heavenly kingdom.
Catholics from around the world and in the Archdiocese of Anchorage have entered a mourning period during which Masses are celebrated and prayers offered for the repose of the soul of our Holy Father. I have instructed the Office of Evangelization to provide each parish and mission a directory of procedures and liturgical resources for this special period.
After the pope’s funeral and after the official mourning period has passed, I ask Catholics of the Archdiocese of Anchorage to pray that the Holy Spirit guide the deliberations of the cardinals in conclave to elect the 265th successor of St. Peter.
Let us continue to remember the soul of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, as we continue the journey.
Editorials
Whole world is remembering John Paul II
In his final public appearance, looking down from his room above St. Peter’s Square, Pope John Paul II tried in vain to speak to the thousands of people gathered below. Unable to utter a word, the quintessential communicator raised his hand and let that suffice as a blessing. Three days later his 84-year-old body finally shut down altogether.
Having come to know him so well over the last 26 years, the whole world is now remembering Pope John Paul II, the brilliant scholar, pioneering evangelizer, fearless promoter of freedom and responsibility, the great reconciler.
Listen:
"I want to say that he was perfectly lucid, perfectly conscious, and I know he recognized me immediately, because he couldn’t speak, but looking at me with his eyes, and then nodding, you know, trying to say, you know, ‘Nice to see you.’ " — Cardinal Edmund Szoka, governor of Vatican City, recalling visiting the pope on April 1
"One of the things that he challenged young people on, and perhaps that’s a message for the whole church too, is ‘Do not be ashamed of being a Catholic.’ I think that he challenged us to live our Catholicism more openly, without fear." — Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, OMI
"Throughout the West, John Paul’s witness reminded us of our obligation to build a culture of life in which the strong protect the weak." — President George W. Bush
"He was a man of God who was not ashamed to come down and talk to the poor, like us." — Maria da Gracia Soares, a Brazilian street vendor
"Pope John Paul II reminded us to fight for the oppressed, be thankful for our religious freedom and seek peace." — Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski
"ADL mourns the passing of Pope John Paul II, whose compassion, leadership and understanding forever changed the history of the Catholic Church’s relations with the Jewish people." — Anti-Defamation League statement
"He ... (was) extremely concerned about the world we lived in, and like me, he also felt that in war, all are losers." — Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
"I will never forget his words about Europe. ‘Europe,’ he said, ‘must breathe with both its lungs.’ " — Mikhail Gorbachev, former premier of the Soviet Union
"Today we all prayed for him." — An usher at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius in Shanghai, China, where the communist government forbids allegiance to the pope
"His experience in Poland, then a communist country, and my own difficulties with communists gave us a common ground." — The Dalai Lama
"(Without him) there would be no end of communism, or at least much later and the end would have been bloody." — Lech Walesa, leader of Poland’s Solidarity movement
"People were not afraid to go on strike and … even to give their lives. That was the message of the Holy Father: Don’t be afraid." — Polish-American Stan Niziol of Anchorage, speaking of the pope’s influence on his native Poland
"He was a holy champion of the Filipino family and of profound Christian values that make everyone of us contemplate every day what is just, moral and sacred in life." — Gloria Arroyo, President of The Philippines
"An enlightened and inspired priest, he devoted himself to responding to the search for sense and the thirst for justice that is expressed today on all continents." — Jacques Chirac, President of France
"King Abdullah II expressed his deep sorrow over the passing of Pope John Paul II, who contributed to strengthening tolerance, dialogue, human rights and ties between monotheistic religions." — Statement from the palace of King Abdullah II of Jordan
"Yesterday, the world lost one of the most important leaders of our generation, whose great contribution to rapprochement and unity between peoples, understanding and tolerance will be with us for many years." — Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel
"How courageous he was." — Jeanne Jordan of Palmer, whose 5-year-old daughter, Molly Marie, got a hug and kiss from the pope when he visited Anchorage in 1981.
Letters to the Editor
Generous donation helps CRS continue to change lives
I sincerely thank Archbishop Roger Schwietz and the people of the Archdiocese of Anchorage for their recent gift in the amount of $5,275.45 to Catholic Relief Services designated for Iraq Humanitarian Response. For more than 60 years, CRS has served the poorest of the poor around the world, reaching millions of people in need, providing relief to communities affected by natural and manmade disasters, and assisting people to gain independence and sustainable livelihoods. Through our work in the areas of agriculture, health, education and micro-finance, we address the root causes of poverty, promote social justice and form bonds of solidarity among the peoples of the world. With your assistance, CRS is able to make a real difference. Your gift will not only save the lives of countless women and men, but also will bring peace and hope to communities all over the world.
Baltimore, Md.
Schiavo case a private matter
While I feel much sadness for Terri Schiavo, I must ask, by what rights do other interested parties, to include Congress, a governor, our president, and the Vatican, interfere with a personal matter regarding medical care? Whose privacy will these folks feel they have the right to invade next? How are we to believe that when we leave home we are to cling to our spouse, if our parents and/or other entities who do not know us or do not have the ability to make rational decisions in our best interest, feel they have the right to interfere in decisions we make as marital partners? If Ms. Schiavo’s parents or others involving themselves in this matter had prevailed, it would have opened a door that could have caused the validity of such marital contracts to become truly null and void.
Palmer
Partnership still going strong
The Global Solidarity Partnership that the Anchorage Archdiocese formed with the Archdiocese of Cotabato, Philippines, is still strong in Soldotna, thanks to a lot of hard work by Kathy Dunagan and Mr. and Mrs. Scott Earsley. They have had the children at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish make cards and write letters to the people in the parish that the three of them visited in the Philippines last fall. They also spoke of their experiences to the high school members who attended the "Twenty-Four Hour Fast." They are hoping that when Archbishop Orlando Quevedo comes to Alaska from Cotabato he will be able to come to Soldotna so all the people can meet the person the three of them have been speaking about.
Kenai
Media skew abortion fight
Play it again. Just play it one more time. Anti-abortion and pro-choice are words generally used by media in articles on the subject of life vs. death. It seems logical and equitable to speak of one group as anti-abortion and the other as anti-life. Similarly, one refers to a group as pro-life and another as pro-choice, and yet again, pro-life or pro-death; but no, media use anti-abortion and pro-choice. Why? Anti-abortion has a negative influence and pro-choice has a positive effect on the reader. Why would editors prefer the negative force for those promoting the life of the defenseless, and give positive sway to the sector nodding to destroy the least among us? Will this be edited to skew the point concerning media manipulation of words that seed views that are anti-Catholic?
Wasilla
Severing ties disappointing
The Knights of Columbus’ and Catholic Daughters’ dissociation from Alaska Right to Life disappoints me. Perhaps the group’s flier was imprudent, but who’s to judge, considering the gravity of the issue? I witnessed every meeting between Alaska Right to Life and Providence officials, and the picture of early induction given was/is not compatible with church teaching. They did not describe a procedure that was done to save the life of both mother and child, nor did they describe a double effect scenario. These direct inductions were described as ending a pregnancy in order to relieve the distress of carrying to term a child with a terminal disease. Since that time we have been told that the practice is unchanged by the guidelines. This heartbreaking situation is made worse by the Anchor’s public contempt of Alaska Right to Life for legitimate concerns that go unanswered except with vague platitudes.
Anchorage