December 15, 2006 - Issue #25
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Hundreds gather to dedicate new church
Incense billowed through the air, holy oil glistened from the altar and holy water marked the faithful who gathered Nov. 30 to dedicate a house of God — the newly completed St. Andrew Church in Eagle River.
"Let my prayer rise before you like incense," the packed congregation sang as incense rose from the altar.
The event was the culmination of more than six years of planning, designing and construction. Hundreds of parishioners joined Alaska’s bishops as well as dozens of priests, religious brothers and sisters, and deacons to dedicate the 26,000-square-foot building.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz presided over the ceremony.
"Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a day of rejoicing," he said. "We have come together to dedicate this new church, built to the glory of God and named in honor of St. Andrew the Apostle, by offering within it the sacrifice of God."
The night was marked by high liturgy, Latin chants and joyful celebration.
While the newly finished church is large enough to accommodate considerable growth in the future, the faithful who gathered took time to recognize that the impressive building is an extension of an ancient church.
"We take pride in our past. We look eagerly to our future," Father Leo Walsh wrote in a special letter written for those gathered at the dedication.
At one point in the evening, members of the parish came forward to place relics of St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus the Apostle, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua and St. John Neumann beneath the altar. Those relics joined others from the old altar stone of the former church down the road, and included St. Silvius the Martyr, St. Prosperus the Martyr, Pope St. Pius X, St. John Vianney and St. Teresina.
In the dedication letter, Father Walsh recalled that the $11 million church wasn’t exactly what he envisioned when he took over as pastor of the congregation in 1999.
"I want a little country parish of about 200 families with no debt and no school," Father Walsh remembered saying when plans for the new church first began.
But with the reality of shepherding a burgeoning parish that adds as many as three new families a week, Father Walsh conceded that his initial desires were not paramount.
He expressed a desire that the new church be a witness of Christ in the Eagle River community for many years.
"Pastors come and go," he wrote. "What is important is that whatever is built is expressive of and suitable for the parish family who will live and worship in it for generations to come."
Deacons relish adventures of ordained life,
Five Anchorage men honored for their years of service
"Diakonia," from which the term "deacon" derives, is a Greek word meaning "service."
And 125 years of service was celebrated Dec. 6 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church when five Anchorage deacons were honored on the 25th anniversary of their ordinations.
Deacons Felix Maguire, Ken Donohue, Jim Hostman and Dennis Foreman were part of the first class of deacons ordained in Anchorage in December 1981 and early 1982.
Celebrating along with them was Deacon William Finnegan, ordained for the diocese of Memphis but now working part of the year at the Marriage Tribunal and at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage.
"It’s gone by in a whiz," mused Deacon Hostman, looking back on his ordained ministry. He works several hours a week at St. Andrew Parish in Eagle River while holding down a full-time job as an environmental engineer.
But the service that calls him most deeply is prison ministry. He travels to the Palmer Correctional Facility weekly.
"It’s rewarding, seeing how much it means to (prisoners) and seeing how people can turn their lives around, how the Spirit works to change their lives," Deacon Hostman said.
A deacon’s service includes witnessing marriages, baptizing, and preaching homilies. However, a deacon cannot offer Mass or the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Ask a deacon what moved him towards ordination, and you’ll most likely find someone who was very active in the church as a layperson, and who became increasingly active after Vatican Council II.
"I’ve been doing some of this stuff all my life," said Deacon Maguire. "I was in the choir, doing religious education. Dennis and I were holding a communion service at 6:30 in the morning on Elmendorf and we became friends. He told me, ‘I’ve heard about this new thing called diaconate’ and it was the first time I’d ever heard of it."
In many ways, the diaconate was a new thing. Although there had been deacons in the early church, by the fifth century the diaconate was confined to a temporary state on the way to priesthood.
It was only after Vatican Council II in the 1960s that a permanent diaconate was reestablished in the church. Archbishop Francis T. Hurley brought the diaconate to Juneau when he was the bishop there, and founded Anchorage’s diaconate after he became archbishop in 1976.
Deacon Maguire, a native of Ireland and former pilot with the Royal Air Force, became friends with the archbishop as fellow pilots.
"We flew to the Aleutians together, stopping in small villages asking if anyone would like to have Mass. Catholics would come out of the woodwork," Deacon Maguire said.
Soon a parish was established at Unalaska, and Deacon Maguire said it reminded him of St. Paul’s adventurous travels around the Mediterranean spreading the faith.
When Archbishop Hurley invited a group of men to his home to reflect on becoming deacons, Maguire was ready. It became something of a legend that when the archbishop counseled them to write him a letter if interested. Deacon Maguire scrawled his desire on a napkin and handed it to the archbishop.
Deacon Foreman has spent most of his ministry at St. Anthony Parish and assisting with liturgical events for Archbishop Hurley.
"When we came to Anchorage in 1972, there weren’t even extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist yet," he recalls.
He had served as an extraordinary minister on an Air Force base in Colorado where so many injured men were coming in from Vietnam that "the priest on base got me into it very quickly." He knew he wanted more.
"I like ministry to the people," Deacon Foreman said. "I like sacramental preparation, experiencing the sacraments with them."
Deacon Ken Donohue has served at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for several years, preaching, doing sacramental preparation and directing the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
At a celebration held for him at St. Elizabeth, Deacon Donohue praised the unsung heroes of the diaconate: the wives who go through the training along with their spouses, and often take a bac seat to the many hours of service which a deacon gives to the people of God.
Today, seven men in what will be the fifth class of deacons in the Archdiocese of Anchorage are studying for ordination. They have completed two years of a four-and-a-half year commitment to studies, prayer and discernment.
Deacons do not take vows, but promise to obey their bishop. The diaconate is open to married men, but candidates agree not to remarry if their wives die.
Dominican Father Donald Bramble, the convener of the diaconate formation committee, heads up a group guiding the candidates through the process.
"We need people who are focused on service," Father Bramble said. "Deacons bring a servant presence to the pulpit, the altar and out into the community. They serve in the image of Christ as the servant who washed feet."
According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the diaconate is especially prevalent in the U.S. Of the 30,000 deacons in the world, 15,000 serve in the U.S.
Nearly 10,000 deacons serve in Europe, while Africa and Asia count their deacons in the hundreds.
At those first ordinations 25 years ago, nine men were ordained. One, Deacon Lyle Welsh, who served at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, is deceased. Deacons Merle Albert, Ray Allor, Robert Larroque and Manuel Rivera no longer live in Alaska.
Homer’s St. John’s shares its bounty
The women’s auxiliary at St. John’s Catholic Church in Homer is a group of busy Santas at Christmas, giving out money and taking care of the community.
They do it every month, doling out cash raised by the humble means of a local cookbook and a Pick n’ Pay rummage room.
"At Christmas we seem to give out more," said Sister Carol Ann Aldrich. "Anyone we can possibly help, we do."
On Dec. 6, the group gave out $7,000, dividing it up between the Pregnancy Care Center for cribs, the long-term care wing at the local hospital, the Lions Club, an overseas mission in Thailand, the hospice center and a dozen other causes.
The group gives out money every month.
What’s remarkable about the women’s auxiliary efforts in Homer is that its main source of fundraising — the rummage room — is open only once a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In that short time, dozens of customers crowd into the old-fashioned cabin and find items they need for their homes or closets.
The Homer community proves generous. They fill the bins outside the store to such a degree that it takes five days a week for volunteers to sort and arrange it in the store, Aldrich said.
"The other day we had eight volunteers working all at once," she said.
Another fundraiser, a cookbook of recipes from parishioners on the Kenai Peninsula called "Recipes to Remember," has steadily raised money for the required handicapped access at the church. At a recent Christmas crafts fair, the women’s auxiliary sold 25 copies. Brisk sales also occur through the summer when tourists flood the town.
"On any Sunday in the summer, the church is packed by tourists," Sister Aldrich said. "They come from all over the country and fill up the church."
Homer’s population of barely 6,000 swells to three times that number on most any summer day. This too contributes to St. John’s ability to give its bounty throughout the community.
At Christmas, church members identify needs throughout the town. They decorate a Giving Tree with names of those in need, and church members take the names home as their personal giving projects. The church collects diapers and baby wipes to give to the Pregnancy Care Center for which the auxiliary also buys cribs.
One need that came to the auxiliary’s attention is at the LV Ark, a six-room home for people needing 24-hour care. A fire department inspection highlighted a need for the nonprofit facility to install a $7,000 water sprinkler system. The home keeps its costs down in order to avoid charging the residents as much as for-profit facilities require and so faced difficulty in funding the sprinkler system. This Christmas, the women’s auxiliary gave the Ark $1,500 for the down payment.
Another worthy project is helping Father Richard Strass in his Thailand mission. Strass is the former resident priest at St. John’s. Every month the auxiliary sends him a check.
They also support a mission in Honduras, and increased their monthly check from $175 to $250 this Christmas season.
How it all gets done is largely due to the efforts of an entire town and doesn’t rest solely on the 160 families of St. John’s.
"Homer is a wonderful place — the people here are so giving," Sister Aldrich said. "We couldn’t do this without all their help. It feels good to give back."
News & Notes
Deadline for St. Francis of Assisi Awards nears
The annual St. Francis of Assisi Awards was instituted in 2001 by the Archdiocese of Anchorage to honor individuals who have exemplified the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. The awards aim to publicly recognize individuals and groups whose actions have exemplified a spirit of love, humility and service. Award categories include: priest, deacon, individual sister or brother, individual layperson and youth or youth group (individual or group). To submit a nomination, contact Julie Alfred at 297-7700 or Carin at 345-3584. Deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Jan. 18.
Parish Nursing offers training
Parish Nursing and Parish Ministries of Health integrate faith and the practice of healing by focusing on the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of parishioners. Parish Nurses of Alaska and the Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries in collaboration with Providence Health System Alaska are sponsoring a Parish Nurse Health Ministry Preparation Course from Jan. 11 to March 3. For more information, contact Sister Jackie Stoll, OP, ANP at 297-7736 or jsckie.stoll@caa-ak.org.
Shelters seek donations
Catholic Social Services’ Anchorage-based emergency shelters, Brother Francis Shelter and Clare House need warm winter clothing for their clients. Items can be dropped off at 1021 E. Third Ave. for Brother Francis Shelter and at 225 Cordova St. for Clare House. Socks, hats, gloves, boots and coats of all sizes are needed. For more information, contact Ellen Krsnak at 297-7753 or ellen.krsnak@cssalaska.org.
Editorials
Interreligious dialogue requires catechesis
It’s been said that truly great conversations are only possible between those who can hold firm convictions and yet remain open to honestly exploring their beliefs.
These are the kinds of conversations in which both parties can walk away having learned something — maybe challenged to rethink an old assumption or perhaps enabled to see an ancient truth in a new light. Encounters like this can change people forever.
Unfortunately, in a world where firm convictions often give way to "personal preferences" and open-mindedness is reduced to "tolerance," great conversations grow increasingly rare.
There may be cause for hope, however.
Across the country, Muslims and Catholics are embarking on a fascinating project. They are beginning to hold conversations about the fundamental elements of their religions. These discussions aim to explore topics like the nature of God, sin, social justice and religious freedom.
Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his support for interreligious dialogue. It is crucial, however, to clearly distinguish between conversations that pursue truth and those that merely gloss over real differences in order to achieve a watered-down unity.
Interreligious dialogue should not be reduced to lowest common denominators. There is a difference between downplaying fundamental teachings versus mining them for universal wisdom.
In order to wade into the dynamic and sometimes volatile waters of interreligious discussion, people of faith must be grounded and well formed in their own tradition. How could the wisdom of a religious tradition come to bear when speakers can only speak in basic generalities about their faith?
You might say that interreligious dialogue begins with a strong catechesis within one’s own religion.
After this, crackling conversations can ignite and illuminate different faiths.
Thomas Merton, the great Trappist monk of the last century, is a prime example of someone who was so firmly rooted in the Catholic faith and therefore able to learn from other great religions. He could pray with and learn from Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims without losing his Catholic foundation.
If tentative plans for interreligious dialogue materialize in Anchorage, it will be important for Catholic priests and religious educators to meet this noble challenge by delivering meaty catechesis to the faithful.
We can learn the value of regular daily prayer from the practitioners of Islam, we can be inspired by their great respect for the Virgin Mary but we must not enter these waters without sailing on a well-built ship.
Happy Holy Day
It’s a shame that people can’t say "Merry Christmas" without feeling they might have just offended someone. Thanks to the so-called ‘Christmas wars’ of the past few years, however, a goodwill greeting is now considered divisive.
Ten years ago, who could have imagined that saying "Merry Christmas" would offend?
Activist organizations that oppose the use of Merry Christmas are often the same ones that oppose creche scenes, Christmas carols and other public expressions that equate the December holiday with the religious celebration of Christmas.
While the childlike innocence of saying Merry Christmas may be lost for some, this change could also serve as a fresh reminder about the true focus of this holy day.
It’s easy to forget the reason for the season amid the storm of stocking stuffers, discount sales and travel plans that often dominate December. As Christians, though, we ought to welcome the new emphasis on the expression "Merry Christmas" as a chance to acknowledge the true reason why we gather for the Christ Mass.
Human creativity in all forms is a sign of God’s ingenuity
In those long ago times when I grew up, I hardly ever remember a question raised regarding the size of families: It was assumed that they would all be large. Indeed, my own family of eight was at the edge of large, to say the least. Pregnancies and births among our neighbors’ families seemed to be the assumed norm. Numbers, of course, would eventually mean help in the fields. Who went to universities in those days?
I do, however, remember hearing snippets of "woman talk" conversations among the mothers such as: "I wonder if it will be a boy, we don’t have a boy yet!" or "I wonder what he or she will be like when they grow up."
Memories of such conversations came to mind as I read the familiar story of Mary’s visit with Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke, which we shall hear once again on this fourth Sunday in Advent. Only the most bare-bones version of that visit between the two pregnant women has been preserved for us in the written Gospels, but I can imagine other domestic issues also being discussed, perhaps similar to the ones that my mother and her friends chatted about as they waited for the arrival of their children.
Undoubtedly, there was likely little talk about the theological implications of Mary’s pregnancy. There were other more important issues to deal with.
However, to my mind, there is at least one interesting theological implication which arises regarding Mary’s pregnancy and the birth of the Messiah. It comes from an old proverb: "How odd of God to choose the Jews" (hardly a felicitous phrase, to say the least).
However, if we were to expand on it a bit, we might well say as (as theologians have said for centuries): "How odd of God to choose a human person, a young woman of childbearing age, to usher in the age of salvation. How odd of God to choose pregnancy and birth as a means to extend His presence among us for endless generations. How odd, how mysterious, that God should come among us in our very shape and form. How fortunate that God should, indeed, choose the human way of being to speak to us and remind us of the dignity of being human.
Of course, when one reflects upon it, one would need to ask, "What other way could it have happened?" If God wishes to meet us on our terms, then it would seem appropriate for God to choose whatever is human to engage us in that communication. We are not angels, obviously.
Furthermore, it occurs to me that the mystery of the incarnation (God in human flesh) calls on us to think a bit about the significance of human creativeness, what we do with our bodies, our minds, our imaginations, our emotions. We all bring something into existence. We are, each of us, creators and makers: We make families, meals, bread and wine, food and clothing, games and paintings, music and song, computers and space vehicles. All of this, it would seem to me, is a way of recognizing God’s incarnational genius, God’s way of dealing with human creatures.
I don’t imagine that Mary and Elizabeth (or my mother and her friends, for that matter) felt the need to delve into such theological explorations. They didn’t need to. They understood by intuition what they were being asked to do: nothing spectacular, just a good, human, creative deed. What would God do without us? Probably lots, but at the moment, I’m at a loss to know what that might be.
There is much to learn from Native culture
Something was different about the outdoor creche scene in the local newspaper. The icons of Mary, Joseph, Infant and lambs were conventional. But the calf was a moose that strayed in front of the creche long enough to get its picture taken. Apparently, like other Alaskans, the calf didn’t care how things were done in the Lower 48.
What about us? Do Houston, Alaska, and Seward, Alaska, worship just like Houston, Texas, and Seward, Nebraska? If so, why did Jesus call us to be Alaskans?
Now, I totally support our relationship with the Cotabato Archdiocese. But that doesn’t take guts. In 39 years in Alaska I’ve never heard any Filipino bashing, while I have heard lots of Native bashing by "experts" who have never set foot in a village.
Urban Alaskans, heavily subsidized by other Americans, complain about "subsidizing" villagers. Those who squawk about spending government money on the poorest of the poor demand zillion-dollar Mat-Su and Ketchikan bridges. The squawkers say villagers should solve their own problems by simply moving to Anchorage. Shouldn’t bridge-deprived squawkers solve their own problems by simply moving to Brooklyn or San Francisco?
I’ve also heard of Catholics, who collect state "oilfare" dividend checks instead of paying income or sales taxes, stereotype Natives as lazy, drunken, welfare moochers. If Alaska Natives are economically among the least of Jesus’ people, and if our treatment of the least of his people is how we treat him, do we stereotype Jesus as a lazy, drunken, welfare moocher?
Conversely, if we find our savior Jesus in the least of his people, can they be his means to save us? We can free ourselves from selfishness, greed, materialism, consumerism and other false gods by emulating Native gentleness, generosity, humility, spirituality and emphasis on family values.
Deacon Bob Aloysius, who calls himself a Yupiaq, said in an early 1990s radio interview in Bethel that the Kass’aq (Western European) culture is backwards.
Western Kass’at believe society prospers when individuals seek their self-interest, he said, while Yupiat believe individuals prosper when they seek the interest of society. Which approach comes closer to Jesus’ teaching?
Jesus loved us so much that he underwent a radical conversion by becoming human, like us, and then died for our sins. Do we love him enough to undergo the discomfort of converting our secular values to Christian values?
How will we answer Jesus’ call to apply the Gospel to our lives in Alaska? Will we settle for being clones of Lower 48 Catholics, or will our creches have moose calves?
n Geoff Qakiineq Kennedy welcomes dialogue. You can respond to his questions at alascats@gci.net or (907) 243-7106.
Letters to the Editor
Jesus chose only men
I read with interest the Nov. 17 letter entitled, "Why no female priests?". The writer lamented that he couldn’t honestly answer why his daughter’s potential calling to serve as a priest is denied.
I would suggest this line of reasoning offered by two past popes. Pope John Paul II said, "I declare that the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women." Jesus chose only men as his apostles. The apostles chose only men as their successors. That is how it has gone for 2,000 years. Pope Paul VI said, "Christ established things in this way. The church recognizes herself to be bound by the choice made by the Lord Himself."Whenever our pontiff makes a declaration of this nature, I am reminded of Christ’s words to his apostles: "He, who hears you, hears me." (CCC87).
Cordova
Kudos to Anchor columnist
I have so enjoyed Father LeRoy Clementich’s columns in the Anchor. He is a real gift to the diocese and all the church. I thought it would be excellent if a booklet could be published of his columns. It would be a meaningful fundraiser for the diocese. His columns have provided knowledge, wisdom and joy to me and I am sure to others over the years. Thank you, Anchor and Father Clem.
Anchorage