February 10 , 2006 - Issue #3
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
New church in Girdwood draws crowd
Girdwood Catholics opened a 6,360-square-foot Christmas present: their newly constructed Our Lady of the Snows Mission Church.
It is the first Catholic church ever built in Girdwood, the ski town at the base of Mount Alyeska about 45 miles south of Anchorage. And the first Mass in the log and stone church was celebrated on Christmas Eve, with about 150 worshippers filling every seat in the house.
Father Tom Lilly celebrated the first Mass and said he sensed a "great joy and a great spirit and a real sense of accomplishment" that night. A candle-lit rendition of "Silent Night" made for a "real down-home-country Christmas," added Father Lilly, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in South Anchorage. Our Lady of the Snows is a mission of St. Elizabeth.
Now, after the glut of Christmas worshippers, about 50 regulars have been gathering for the 6 p.m. Sunday evening Mass at the new church, located across the street from the Alyeska Prince Hotel.
For about the last three decades, Our Lady of the Snows parishioners have worshipped in homes, in the local Methodist church or the hotel, and, more recently, in the garage of an old fire station. They have never had a resident priest.
The community began to form when a Girdwood family requested that a priest celebrate Mass at their cabin. Before long, others were joining the liturgies.
"Occasionally a priest would be available, not even once a month, but that would cause all of us to come together," said Larry Daniels, one of the original parishioners.
It wasn’t until about 20 years ago that a Girdwood Mass schedule was set and priests began to visit regularly.
A religious sister based at St. Elizabeth further solidified the community by launching a religious education program for the children. Today, some of the 35 families currently registered in the parish are the same ones who enrolled their kids in that early program.
Still, Our Lady of the Snows parishioners have mostly been nomads.
Longtime parishioners Kevin and Patty Montague were married in the school gymnasium and had one child baptized in their Girdwood living room, another in South Anchorage’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish and the third in Girdwood’s Methodist church.
The partnership with the Methodists lasted for many years, with the Catholic community renting space for Mass. But structural problems in the building and lack of running water led both congregations about ten years ago to launch building campaigns.
By 2002 Alyeska Ski Resort, the premier downhill skiing complex in Southcentral Alaska, had offered the Catholic community a long-term $1-per-year lease on land near its hotel’s lower parking lot.
The new church, with its high-pitched roof and log and stone construction, has an "Alpine ski lodge feeling," according to Daniels. There’s a beaver pond out back and a stream that runs with salmon in the summer.
Already at least one person has cross-country skied to Mass.
The church has two levels, an upper worship area with seating for 108 and a downstairs area for meetings, classes and community events. Parishioners are calling the lower level the "Meadows Community Center" in hopes of it becoming a central gathering place for the town of 1,850.
Parishioners are also hoping the church’s proximity to Alyeska Resort Hotel will strike folks as a lovely and convenient place to get married. As of late last month, seven weddings had already been scheduled at Our Lady of the Snows.
Meanwhile, parishioners are learning how to live in their new church. Volunteers juggle the church’s schedule, empty the trash after Mass and have met to decide details such as the interior’s color scheme.
Montague took advantage of the Alyeska Prince Hotel’s furniture upgrade last summer and bought 82 rose-colored chairs at $10 each. They sat stacked in his garage while the car was parked outside until the church was ready.
Montague said he had the jitters at the first Mass, when he stepped into the roll of "greeter" for the first time too as people came streaming in.
"We’ve been running a mom-and-pop show," Montague said, referring to the worship services in various places over the last 30 years.
Now that they’re in a real church, they have some basic questions, down to how many collection baskets should be used.
"There’s so few of us to make everything work. It takes a little bit of practice," Montague said.
Parishioners are still unpacking boxes and raising money to furnish the proposed community center. They are also searching for an altar — a parishioner’s antique table suffices for now — and baptismal font and still have some exterior masonry work to complete.
Daniels and Montague praised parishioners, Girdwood neighbors, the wider Catholic community and some key benefactors for contributing so much of their finances to the $2.4 million project.
Fund-raising continues, but the parish has had "a lot of support" in the form of grant money and in-kind donations as well as financial aid from other parishes in the archdiocese, Daniels said.
The parish does not expect to need to take out a mortgage on the building, he said.
More than just weather drives people into shelters
Editor’s note: First in a series on homelessness in Southcentral Alaska.
The recent cold snap in Anchorage brought with it a rush on the city’s homeless shelters.
Why?
The obvious answer — people were coming in from the cold — is only part of the story.
The fuller answer includes cabin fever, city zoning rules and decisions made months ago in the sticky heat of Washington, D.C.
It’s true that a certain percentage of Anchorage’s homeless people attempt to live outdoors all year long, and when the temperature dips below zero, as it did each night for about two weeks beginning in late January, they abandon tents and cars for warmer shelter.
These folks are part of the reason Brother Francis Shelter and others like it in Anchorage have been near capacity, or in some cases, over capacity, for the past several weeks.
But other factors also play a role.
Brother Francis director Dewayne Harris said that numbers at the shelter have been creeping up the past five months or so, long before cold weather arrived, because of changes to the federal Section 8 housing program.
Section 8 is the HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) program that provides rental assistance vouchers for very low-income individuals and families. In Alaska, vouchers go to families earning less than half of the local median income. The families pay 30 percent of their income toward rent; the vouchers pick up the remaining 70 percent.
President Bush proposed in early 2005 reducing funding for the program and reorganizing the way its funds are distributed. As a result the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the main public housing authority in Alaska, stopped issuing vouchers altogether between February and August last year.
The voucher moratorium increased what was already a list of several thousand people waiting for Section 8 assistance in Anchorage, according to Jim Gurke, manager of policy and program development at the corporation. Last year Alaska Housing determined that almost 20 percent of those on the waiting list had been on it for more than two years, he said.
State housing authorities used to get a set number of Section 8 vouchers whose value fluctuated based on rent prices and tenants’ incomes. Under the new rules, the authorities receive a set dollar amount from HUD each year; when the money runs out, no more vouchers can be issued.
The changes made in Washington, D.C., have reached Anchorage, translating into about 200 fewer vouchers for city residents, Gurke said.
"It’s substantially slowed down our ability to house people coming out of shelters," he said.
That’s led to a backlog.
"We averaged about 131 guests on any given night (last fiscal year) and we’ve almost doubled," Brother Francis’ Harris said last week.
The shelter had 240 guests once in the past few weeks and hovered around 230 for several days. Its capacity is 240.
Brother Francis Shelter’s "nights of service" tally — the number of individuals served during a particular period — has risen 22 percent since November 2005. There are more people coming and they are staying for longer periods, Harris said.
Brother Francis is one of two emergency shelters Catholic Social Services operates in Anchorage; the other is Clare House, which serves only women and children.
Clare House director Lora O’Connor also attributed some of her shelter’s recent near-capacity numbers to loss of Section 8 housing; with fewer vouchers and longer waiting lists, some women "couldn’t leave the shelter because there’s nowhere else to go," she said.
O’Connor also said that sheer cold might force some women and children to Clare House, for example, if the family was living in a car. But she said she thinks a more common correlation between cold weather and higher numbers at the shelter has to do with cabin fever.
Women and their children who become homeless often stay with relatives or friends, but that doesn’t tend to go over well when it’s really cold.
"Everybody’s cooped up in the house because it’s too cold to go out, and that causes friction," O’Connor explained.
One family arrived at Clare House recently after two other families who were already sharing a place decided there wasn’t enough room for the third.
Clare House has been at or near its 45-person capacity for two weeks in late January and early February and had 46 one night until one guest arranged to go to a friend’s, O’Connor said.
A third less-than-obvious reason that numbers have been up at Anchorage shelters lately isn’t directly related to the weather, but it has resulted in fewer beds being available at a time when they are desperately needed.
Several months ago, Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission learned that one of its shelter dormitories was not zoned residential and therefore couldn’t be used as a shelter. The city shut that dorm down, and the mission’s capacity went from 110 to 64, according to operations manager Doug Mohn.
Staff are working with the city to get the building rezoned, he said.
On top of that, Rescue Mission learned a week ago that it can no longer let overflow guests sleep on the floor of its chapel because it’s a fire code violation, Mohn said.
"Now we just have to refer them to Brother Francis," he said. "We actually turn them away."
Since word got out about the shortage of beds, Mohn added, people have been showing up at 1 p.m. and waiting two hours in line until the doors open at the first-come, first-served shelter.
Despite the cold snap, which finally gave way to higher temperatures last weekend, there were no serious cold-related injuries among the homeless, at least none that Brother Francis director Harris heard about.
He praised Anchorage police officers and the city’s Community Service Patrol for getting people off the street and into shelter.
Next issue: A young mother has a new outlook on life after a stay at Clare House.
Korean Catholics have big plans for Year of the Dog
The congregation, which also marks 25 years in the Anchorage Archdiocese this month, hopes that by the end the year it will be nearer its goal of having its own church
The Korean Catholic Community celebrated the Lunar New Year with a Mass and traditional festivities Jan. 29 at St. Anthony Parish in Anchorage. For the tight-knit community, the advent of the "Year of the Dog" brings with it big plans for the next 12 months.
On Feb. 12, the congregation of approximately 200 families will commence events to mark its 25th anniversary in the Anchorage Archdiocese. By the time the celebrations culminate next fall, the Korean Catholic Community hopes to be well on its way to owning its own church.
Having their own church has been the dream of the Korean community almost since its inception in 1981, when the first Korean-language Mass was celebrated at St. Anthony.
Peter Chong, president of the Korean parish council, said he believes a Korean church would "revitalize" the community.
Although grateful to St. Anthony Parish for sharing the church worship area and parish hall, Chong said a separate facility for Korean Catholics would bring a "sense of freedom" and greater cultural identity.
The late Msgr. Francis Cowgill was pastor of St. Anthony when the growing Korean community in the parish asked him and Archbishop Francis Hurley, who has since retired, for a Korean-language liturgy.
By 1991, the community had built the Korean Center on the north end of the parish property, and a priest had been assigned on loan from the South Korean diocese of Cheongju. The diocese has continued to provide priests, including current pastor Father Min-Sung Peter Yoo, the seventh Korean priest to serve in Anchorage.
Religious sisters from Korea have also served the Korean Catholic Community since at least 1994. Two Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres from the order’s Taegu Province in South Korea, Sisters Hwa-Soon Dothilia Moon and Acella Lee, are in the first year of what will probably be a two- or three-year assignment.
The Korean Center has served as a priest’s residence and a venue for classes and daily liturgy. But for Sunday Mass and large celebrations, the Korean community relies on the parish church and its social hall downstairs.
At the New Year’s celebration, women preparing and serving traditional foods filled the church kitchen, and a capacity crowd, many in traditional dress, sat at tables in the hall.
Paula Kim, one of two vice presidents of the parish council, said it would be wonderful to have a Korean facility for just such events. Their own kitchen would be a dream come true, she said.
Her daughter, Hyojin Kim, spoke of the cultural benefits of an independent Korean church.
"Many of the younger children no longer speak Korean," said Hyojin Kim, a recent college graduate who teaches religious education along with her two sisters.
A church built to emphasize Korean culture and tradition would help the next generation maintain ties to its ancestral home, Hyojin said.
The community’s building committee is looking for property, either land to build on or a parcel with an existing facility that can be renovated into a church.
The Korean Center is entirely paid for and the community has "substantial cash" available for a new facility, said Phillip Lee, the group’s liaison with the archdiocese.
Archbishop Roger Schwietz was an honored guest at the New Year’s events. At the end of the Mass, which had been spoken entirely in Korean, he said a few words to the congregation that Lee translated into Korean.
"I have read that this is now the Year of the Dog," Archbishop Schwietz said, adding with a smile, "and that anyone born in the year of the dog always has money. I wish that this community will have lots of money so you can find your home in your own church."
The archbishop also said he hoped the community would make it one of their goals for the year ahead to "pray fervently" for vocations to the priesthood from among their congregation.
After Mass, Archbishop Schwietz changed into a "hanbok," a traditional Korean costume that the community gave him several years ago.
Youngsters came forward in a traditional bowing ceremony to honor the archbishop. Father Yoo also took part, prostrating himself before Archbishop Schwietz as well as before two Korean elders.
Father Yoo, who has served the parish for a year and has a conversational command of English, told the Anchor he plans to invite the bishop of Cheongju to this fall’s anniversary celebration, with hopes that the community can show him their new property.
Newly available program in archdiocese is meant primarily for youth ministers
The years since Vatican II have brought a great boon to the church in the growth of lay ministry. But at the same time, training for that ministry has often lagged and the term "minister" is sometimes applied without universal standards or definition.
Now, a new certification program, endorsed by the American Catholic bishops and designed to create standards for lay ministry in the American church, will be offered in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
According to Matthew Beck, a member of the archdiocese’s Youth Evangelization Team, the Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies is a comprehensive training program designed to educate Catholic leaders on the bishops’ document "Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry."
"It’s in-depth, and it meets national certification standards as well as the expectations of our U.S. bishops," said Beck, who also serves as pastoral administrator at St. Michael Parish in Palmer.
The program is distinct from another new educational opportunity that is in the works for Alaskans: Seattle University, the Jesuit institution, is planning to offer a master’s degree in pastoral studies.
The youth ministry certification program, by contrast, is presented by the Center of Ministry Development, which will send instructors to Alaska for the classes. Archbishop Roger
Schwietz has welcomed both programs.
Courses for the youth ministry training will be held in Anchorage on eight weekends beginning in late September of this year and extending into early 2008.
Participants who wish to earn the certificate must attend all eight weekends and do the necessary assignments, but anyone interested in a particular session’s topic can register for individual weekends.
Cost will be approximately $100 per weekend, depending on whether one takes the entire program or individual weekends.
Although the program targets youth ministers, Beck said much of it is apropos for anyone in church ministry.
The first two weekends are titled "Principles of Youth Ministry" and "Practices of Youth Ministry." But after that, subsequent topics include "Justice and Service," "Skills for Christian Unity," and "Prayer and Worship."
Julie Thomas, director of youth ministry at St. Patrick Parish in Anchorage, is excited about the program and hopes a team of volunteers from her parish will participate with her.
"It looks like a program that isn’t just learning out of a book," she said. "It will complement what you’re doing at your parish and link the program to your projects."
The parish will benefit, she said, from "a fairly immediate kind of response."
Megan Wohlers, the volunteer youth minister at Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Kenai, said she is "definitely" participating in the certificate program and is sure it will bring her more confidence in her role.
"I don’t have any formal training," she said, "and I really, truly want to learn more about what the U.S. bishops think youth ministry should look like in a parish."
Beck said that the same courses are offered at 37 other locations across the U.S., so a participant could continue the program elsewhere if he or she moves, or make up a missed session elsewhere.
It’s also possible, he said, to earn graduate or continuing credits for an additional fee.
Beck said organizers are still looking at the possibility of satellite classrooms in other locations around the state and at housing options in Anchorage for out-of-town participants.
Expect to see more information about registration this spring, but for any questions in the meantime, call Beck in Palmer at 745-3229 or visit the program Web site at www.cmdnet.org.
Anniversary Prayer of Thanksgiving
Editor’s Note: As was reported in the Anchor last month and noted in church bulletins around the archdiocese in recent weeks, the Anchorage Archdiocese turned 40 on Feb. 9. Here is a prayer that Archbishop Roger Schwietz has shared with parishes to be used at liturgies and other special events in the life of the church during this anniversary year.
Prayer of a Celebrating Church
God, our loving Father, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to bring us true freedom.
You created this Great Land, to which so many have come in search of their own freedom: We thank you.
We thank you for the abundant blessings you continue to give your people.
We give thanks for the holy men and women who have gone before us,
Upon whose shoulders we proudly stand in faith.
Open our eyes, that we might see the needs of others.
Open our ears, that we might hear your call of discipleship.
Open our hearts, that we might love without prejudice.
Open our mouths, that we might share the Good News.
Continue to guide the Church of Anchorage with your grace,
Enlighten us with your Word, strengthen us with your Holy Spirit in hospitality and stewardship as Disciples in Mission.
Amen.
People of faith communities dragged into conflict
Editor’s Note: When she visited Alaska in November, Maria Ida "Deng" Giguiento, who works for Catholic Relief Services in the Philippines, delivered a fascinating talk at Alaska Pacific University about her peace and reconciliation work in her country and in East Timor. Giguiento granted permission to reprint excerpts from the talk ("Building Peace in Multicultural, Interreligious Settings"); here is the third of four parts (click here to read part1 & part2).
How did religion exacerbate the conflicts in Mindanao and East Timor?
I can remember a time when I felt I was not affected by the conflict that was going on between the Muslim rebels and the government in Mindanao. Then I heard of massacres that happened in mosques. Then I heard of bombs being planted in churches. Then I heard of militias using the name of the Sacred of Heart of Jesus beheading those "infidels."
That confused me a lot. I went to church and heard one priest give an impassioned speech to a group of the Knights of Columbus that they should take up arms in the name of Jesus to defend the churches because this was their prophetic role. (I thought to myself, "But this is a police action!")
I visited a mosque and heard the preacher say it was time to launch the "jihad" against those who desecrated their mosques and killed their people. (And I thought to myself "This will start a cycle of killings!")
The conflict was and still is between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.
However, the conflict affects the civilians who happen to belong to the faith communities of either of these protagonists. And those who want to create instability to support the presence of troops and continue the war can easily instill in the hearts of the population that "zeal" to act to save their faith communities from "the other," and it is easy to do because of the history of these religions on the island of Mindanao.
The "creed" (or statement of faith) that supports this for the Catholics is going back to the Old Testament and picking up a line that can justify a "just war." An example: "The Lord guards His people like a shepherd guarding his flock."
Have you seen a shepherd guard his flock?
He has to be ready with his staff and his slingshot so he can scare off the wolf.
If the wolf gets killed in the process, then it will be skinned for its hide.
That is what we are supposed to do in this present time.
"Jihad" is the call to overcome your weaknesses so that you will become the perfect Muslim or follower of Allah. So it is an internal fight against internal forces that stop one from becoming a true Muslim, leading to perfection. This is encouraged.
"Jihad" is also the call for people to launch a campaign to protect their faith if they are stopped by external forces from practicing and believing in Islam. The belief is that if one dies while on a jihad, then one goes straight to heaven.
And so, one can say: "What did they do to us? Is desecration of our mosques not stopping us from worshipping? We have to rise up and kill those Christians! And when we die in the process, Allah said we will go straight to heaven."
And so, the situation breeds hate between Christians and Muslims.
The case in East Timor is a case of majority Christians and minority Muslims. The present-day conflict is often economic and political. But since the prime minister is a Muslim, actions from the people against decisions made by the prime minister at times take the form of attacking Muslim villages or the mosque.
And it is not just the prime minister. During the time of the presence of the United Nations peacekeeping force, the Jordanians (Muslims) were assigned in the city of Baucau. The Jordanians intervened in a conflict and arrested a couple in the market and the women happened to be pregnant.
In the arrest, it was not clear whether a woman was dragged or she stumbled, but there was a commotion and the troops were rushed. The troops defended themselves by using their shields and batons and then fired a shot into the air. Then the troops left the market and went back to their barracks.
Soon after, thousands of people marched to the Jordanian barracks in protest and that evening, the mosque was burned down. Three hundred East Timorese families who happen to be Muslims fled to the Catholic bishop to seek his protection.
It is not about Islam and Christianity. It is about people who happen to be Muslims and Christians and the way they interpret their beliefs and act on the basis of that interpretation. And often, they take a Scripture or Koranic passage and use that to justify their actions.
Since religion is so sacred to believers, it is a good instrument or tool to use to incite people to war in the guise of protecting their faith.
In East Timor, an Indonesian soldier who happened to be a Muslim came into a Catholic chapel, went forward to receive the Holy Communion, came out of the chapel, spit it out and tramped on it. And later he said it was to prove that there is no other religion than Islam and that the bread that people say is Jesus is nothing but bread, so he stamped on it to prove that no blood or water or flesh comes out of it.
In the early days of independent East Timor, the East Timorese Muslims were excluded from the rice distribution and they came to Catholic Relief Services for help. We intervened and asked for the president’s help and he came and opened the warehouse for the Muslims to get their rice in time for Ramadan.
Why were the Muslims excluded? According to the one who controlled the rice distribution in the village, because they are Muslims and they don’t belong to the land of East Timor, and they should go to Indonesia because Islam is the religion of Indonesia.
In the small town of Aileu, Protestant youths mocked the Catholic youths when they made a procession around the town and prayed the rosary. The Protestant youths said it was bad of the Catholics to pray to "idols."
That night, the Protestant pastor was beaten up and their church burned down. Two days after, the Catholic farmers found their pigs, cows and goats with rosary beads around their necks. Street fights broke out.
In the Philippines, when the military overran a Muslim area that they alleged to be a rebel camp, they slaughtered a pig and scattered the blood all over the area and the mosque.
The military also used the mosque as their headquarters while in the area.
The Rev. John Danforth, Episcopal priest and former U.S. senator from Missouri, said whether religion has been "hijacked" or simply injected into disputes with secular origins, "it still is an element in the divisiveness and bloodshed in the world."
Next: Can religion be a resource for peace?
News & Notes
Music ministers gather for workshop
St. Augustine’s words, "Those who sing once, pray twice!" raised the rafters Jan. 27-28 at St. Anthony Parish, Anchorage, as 74 music ministers from around the archdiocese came together to pray, to sing, to learn and to share. Participants traveled from Kenai, Homer, Seward, Big Lake, Wasilla and Palmer for the music workshop.
Sister of Charity Mary Jo Quinn of Oregon Catholic Press conducted the workshop, sponsored by the Office of Evangelization and Worship. According to Evangelization and Worship director Peter Zografos, she focused on how the assembly claims its voice, the liturgical role of the cantor and the musical demands of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Zografos said the workshop was such a success that his office is planning another one after Easter.
"Our music ministry is in very talented and dedicated hands thanks to all of our ministers of music who make the words of Psalm 98 come alive every week: ‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises,’ " Zografos said.
Editorial
Offensive cartoons can be a lesson about freedom
There is no excuse for the destruction and violence in some Muslim communities in response to newspaper cartoons that disrespect Mohammed. But there is also little justification for reprinting the offensive cartoons, and we hope American newspapers don’t jump on board.
The cartoon controversy started last fall when a Danish newspaper decided to spoof Islam. The paper ran a series of sketches that Muslims found deeply offensive; one showed a crazy-eyed Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, and another had the prophet turning suicide bombers back from heaven, saying, in effect, "Stop; we’ve run out of virgins!"
The reaction to the original series was nothing compared to what has happened since a slew of other newspapers in Western Europe and then elsewhere began reprinting the cartoons, citing freedom of the press.
Anger has swept like a brush fire across the Muslim world. Western embassies in the Middle East have been burned, and violent protests have resulted in several deaths.
Many Muslim leaders have condemned the violence but also condemned the cartoons as an unnecessary provocation and insult. Leaders of other religions, including Catholics, have reacted similarly.
"One can understand satire about a priest but not about God," said Cardinal Achille Silvestrini of the Vatican diplomatic corps. "With reference to Islam, we could understand satire on the uses and customs and behavior, but not about the Quran, Allah and the prophet."
The chief rabbi of France, Joseph Sitruk, explained that it would never occur to him to make fun of Christian or Muslim prophets.
"Our societies need to learn respect," he said.
One thing is certain: For all the shrinking of the world that has occurred in the modern technological age, huge cultural chasms remain.
Westerners are dumbfounded by the intensity of the protests over something as insignificant as a few drawings. And Muslims appear just as dumbfounded that people in the West can be nonchalant about blasphemy. To them, Mohammed is so holy that he is not to be represented at all by human hands; he is sacred as the Eucharist is to Catholics.
The fact is, deep feelings about religious beliefs transcend cultures, and it hurts when religious sensibilities are offended. Remember the outrage here over the use of "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"?
The Christmas imbroglio never turned violent, but the point is, it’s easy to get offended when religion is involved.
Now some in the United States are demanding that American media jump on the bandwagon and print the cartoons. To not do so is a form of appeasement, they say.
That may be true, but here are some other points to consider:
While the American press would certainly be within its constitutional right to run the cartoons, that doesn’t mean it should exercise the right.
Numerous Muslim politicians and clerics who don’t condone the violence of their brethren have peacefully expressed their disapproval of the cartoons. Responding respectfully to these folks is desirable, even if doing so also appeases the violent.
Finally, why inflame the issue, especially at a time when the West is trying to convince the Muslim world that freedom is a good thing? We need to show that true freedom is tempered with respect and sympathy for others, not utilized as a license to do whatever one pleases.
Letters to the Editor
Respect for Mass? Not quite
She comes to Saturday evening Holy Mass in jeans and sweatshirt that look like they have been worn awhile. Jacket has football team name spread across the back in 4-inch-high orange letters. Athletic shoes at half-life. Nothing hair. But that Saturday Mass she was transformed. Beautifully tailored wool suit. Smart ivory long-sleeve silk blouse. Matching pearl necklace and earrings. Perfectly manicured nails. Polished leather pumps, looking new. Coiffure styled to die for. I hurried over to compliment her, thinking "new leaf." "I am going to a wedding right after Mass," she said "so I put on my good clothes before coming here." Next Saturday she was in her grubbies again. Nothing hair. And every Saturday since.
Anchorage
Alaskans absent from march
On Jan. 23 I was watching the March for Life on EWTN. I was so excited to see all of the Catholics nationwide that gathered together at the nation’s Capitol. I was so proud of all the cardinals and bishops that had the courage to publicly make a stand to respect life. As all the cardinals and bishops were introduced, the crowd cheered. I was very disappointed that our bishops in Alaska were not present. Where were our bishops? Where were the Catholics from Alaska? Do we not participate in World Youth Day? Have the Catholics and clergy in this state forgotten the unborn?
Wasilla
Why can’t babies be saved?
February is the month of St. Valentine and love. A recent article in the newspaper spoke of the love of a family for a child born with "fetal anomalies incompatible with life" — a hole in his heart. The baby lived 32 days, part of that time in a nursery at home. Debbie Joslin’s story was published in the Jan. 21, 2006, Anchorage Daily News. I am grateful the baby was born into a loving family. However, I’m sad to think a baby cannot be saved in this day and age. If a teenager born with a narrow aorta was able to receive corrective surgery 50 years ago, why can’t our children today? Surely we have enough love.
Anchorage
‘Intelligent design’ is trouble
In his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI echoes the guarantee of freedom of religion that is assured to Americans in the First and 14th Amendments to the Constitution. The pope writes, "The state may not impose religion, yet it must guarantee religious freedom and harmony between followers of different religions." Some religious zealots are currently bent on getting local public school boards to require teachers to insert one of their pet religious convictions (intelligent design, creationism) into lesson plans. This fanatical attempt to use government to air the zealots’ particular religious beliefs should be troubling to all people who prize freedom of conscience. Science has and will continue to weather all sorts of misdirected and dead-ended efforts; however, our freedom of conscience may not fare so well. Its passing could mark the entry of our nation into an intolerant period in which all sorts of intellectual and spiritual pursuits are suppressed.
West Branch, Iowa