November 30, 2007 - Issue #24
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Catholic faith sustains one abuse victim
Two plaintiffs of Jesuit abuse speak out
Anger, betrayal and embarrassment are powerful emotions that James Niksik and Peter Kobuk say plague them every day.
The men say Joseph Lundowski, a church missionary, abused them when they were young boys in the Western Alaska village of St. Michael.
The men shared their thoughts and feelings at a press conference with the media on Nov. 19, after the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, confirmed a $50 million settlement between the Jesuits and more than 100 Native Alaskans.
Of all those victims, many, like Niksik, have left the church, unable to reconcile their Catholic faith with their emotions.
But despite the horrendous ordeal of being sexually abused as a 12-year-old boy, Peter Kobuk holds on to his Catholic belief. In fact, it has helped to sustain him in some ways.
"I pray the rosary every day — and if I need to, 15 decades. I’ll do that and read the bible," he said.
Kobuk said he recognizes that what happened to him is a result of man’s fallen nature and not a failure of God.
"Human beings are corrupt," he said, but that’s because they are human. Kobuk said he goes to frequent confession and Communion. He told the Anchor that he is able to look past the humanness of the priest and realize that God is still present in the sacraments.
If Kobuk were able to face his abuser, what would he say?
"I would ask him – ‘why?’ You gave Communion to Catholics, you prayed the rosary — why as a man of God would you do that?" he said.
Despite his hurt and pain, Kobuk said he would forgive his abuser if he were still alive and had asked.
While Kobuk is still an active Catholic, he says he does feel a sense of betrayal from some people in the church — especially from those who tell him he should put his abuse in the past.
"They say it’s in the past, let it be," he said. "It’s not in the past, it was like it was yesterday for me."
For Kobuk and Niksik, the settlement is a start towards closure, because they say it is an acknowledgement that the abuse happened.
But Kobuk says more must be done to help with the healing process.
Getting counselors to come out to the individual villages would be a start, he said. Right now it’s a minimum three-hour round trip flight into Anchorage for a 45-minute counseling session.
Also, more rigorous training for priests and religious leaders who come out to the villages would help, he said, especially a focus on what it’s like to work in a native culture.
"Victims of families are forgotten, my own children and family have been affected by my anger," Kobuk said, stressing that it is not just the victim who suffers from clergy sex abuse, but whole communities.
Above all else, these hurting communities need prayer, he said. There must be a return to deep spirituality and a more focused prayer life for everyone, especially priests, he said."Now is the time to come back to prayer and pray the rosary and have a devotion to the Blessed Mother."
Kenai pilgrimage offers ‘spiritual oasis’
St. John Neumann Mission offers sacred encounter
Mark and Dodie Wilson paused to catch their breath and take in the view. Far below them sat a small log Catholic church, nestled in the mountains near the turquoise waters of Kenai Lake.
"Here you go Mark," Dodie said to her husband, as she handed him a cross she made with two sticks and a string.
That moment in 2000 was when the idea of a "Way of the Cross" pilgrimage in Cooper Landing was born.
Today, a six-foot-tall white cross rises from the foothills of the Chugach Mountains and overlooks St. John Neumann Mission. The mission community is also home to a special shrine to the Blessed Mother, along with a grotto and a cemetery.
"It seems to work as a retreat destination. They say it’s the best kept secret in the Peninsula," Mark said.
In the summer, when fishing aficionado swarm the nearby Kenai and Russian Rivers in search of salmon, Cooper Landing Catholics take the Gospel exhortation to be fishers of men literally.
"Mass is standing room only. The place is really full in the summer," said pastor Father Dick Tero.
The lure of Alaska’s famed salmon also attracts a lot of clergy.
"A lot of bishops and priests come to visit all the time," Mark said. "Especially in the summer."
Dodie agrees. Since Father Tero is based out of Seward, the rectory is open for clergy to stay.
"They don’t have to pay or anything. My one requirement is that they have to say Mass," Dodie said.
Priests aren’t the only ones that flock to the parish in the summer. Cars, trucks and RVs constantly pull into the mission at all hours of the day to camp for the night, or for a walk around the Stations of the Cross, the Way of the Cross or the Marian Shrine, Dodie said.
One aspect that makes St. John Neumann mission especially unique is "Our Caring Mother of the Handicapped Shrine."
The shrine was the idea of the late son of Mark and Dodie, who had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
"He became very ill and ended up in a wheelchair," Mark said. "Most people don’t realize what handicapped people go through."
Mark said his son put a lot of thought and planning into the shrine, from its location to what it would look like. The Wilsons found a local stained glass artist to create the shrine and Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley, now retired, gave his approval.
"In the millennium year, Archbishop Hurley made this an official pilgrimage sight when he came to bless it," Mark said.
After blessing the shrine, Archbishop Hurley hiked up to the mountain cross and dedicated it there himself.
The Shrine and the area around it are a continual work in progress, parishioners say. A walkway around the shrine allows those with disabilities to follow along the Stations of the Cross.
Most recently, another dream of the community was realized — a cemetery.
"It’s a community burial ground for the entire community, not just Catholics," Mark said.
Just down from the shrine is a small platform overlooking a Marian grotto. It is marked with a silver sterling marker of the Sacred Heart, in memory of a young boy who lost his life in an ATV accident.
The memorials offer another spiritual dimension to the pilgrimage sight, Mark explained. They speak of the importance of the spiritual journey and that life on Earth is only temporary, he said.
"It’s beautiful in the winter when I have the lights on, with the snow and trees and everything," Dodie said.
Life slows down in the winter, but the community remains vibrant.
"The smallness of the parish makes it unique," parishioner Pete Ricca said.
Other parishioners agree and said the solitude and beauty of the location make it an inviting spiritual refuge.
"It’s good to come and visit the Blessed Sacrament, we can come in any time," parishioner Kathleen Freeman said. "Those who want it can have their own key."
Parishioner Mark LeMieux and others repeatedly commented about how blessed they are by the little mission.
"The camaraderie of the people involved and the friendship is the best part," LeMieux said. "This is one of the few places or missions that’s had Mass every Sunday on the Kenai."
He said the tight knit community and church were one of the main reasons he chose to make Cooper Landing his home.
But it goes beyond the small village. Parishioners say they want to share the blessings with the rest of the archdiocese and beyond.
"Someday we hope to have a hall and retreats to go along with the mission to share with others," Mark said.
His wife agreed."That’s the whole point, for this to be a place of solace, where anyone can visit."
Juneau bishop picked to lead Montana Diocese
Archbishop Schwietz to oversee Juneau Diocese
The Vatican has asked Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz to serve as apostolic administrator of the Juneau Diocese beginning Jan. 16, 2008. This work will include governing the diocese while the Vatican finds a replacement for Bishop Michael W. Warfel, who Pope Benedict XVI chose to become the new bishop of Great Falls-Billings, Mont.
The changes were announced in Washington Nov. 20 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop Warfel, 59, has headed the Juneau Diocese since he was ordained its bishop in December 1996. He will be installed Jan. 16 at Holy Spirit Church in Great Falls.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz extended congratulations to his fellow Alaska bishop.
"I am deeply grateful for Bishop Warfel’s dedicated and effective service to the people of the Diocese of Juneau and for the opportunity to work in collaboration with him in the Alaska Conference of Catholic Bishops," Archbishop Schwietz said in a written statement Nov. 20. "I am sure the people Bishop Warfel served will miss him but I am equally sure that the Catholics of Eastern Montana will welcome him joyfully."
Officials from the Archdiocese of Anchorage said it is unclear how long Archbishop Schwietz will lead the Juneau Diocese.
"The general idea behind the work of an apostolic administer is simply to keep the ministries of the archdiocese flowing normally during this interim period," said Father Tom Brundage, judicial vicar and moderator of the curia for the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Archbishop Schwietz has indicated that the Vatican is working to find a replacement as quickly as possible, Father Brundage said.
In the meantime, however, the new work will certainly entail more travel and time away from the Anchorage Archdiocese for Archbishop Schwietz, who plans to meet with leaders from the Juneau Diocese in mid-December.
Father Brundage said it is still too early to say exactly what the new assignment will entail or how long it will last.
"I know that when Bishop (Michael) Kaniecki died in Fairbanks it took almost two years to find a replacement for him. In Whitehorse in Canada, it took almost six years to find a new bishop there," Father Brundage said. "It is certainly hoped for that this appointment won’t take an extended period of time."
Retired Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley said he will also be available to provide sacramental service to the Juneau Diocese during this time of transition. Archbishop Hurley, who led the Juneau Diocese himself before being appointed to head the Anchorage Archdiocese from 1976 to 2001, had the privilege to ordain Bishop Warfel as a deacon, priest and archbishop.
"I’m very pleased that he is being recognized like this," Archbishop Hurley told the Anchor. "It will be a great loss for our state, though."
On the national level, Bishop Warfel is in the second year of a three-year term as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Home Missions. He is a former chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Evangelization.
Bishop Warfel said he never envisioned serving as a priest anywhere except Alaska, according to a statement from the Great Falls-Billings Diocese. He added, however, that he looks forward to serving in his new assignment.
The Great Falls-Billings Diocese has been vacant since June 2006, when Bishop Anthony M. Milone retired at age 73. Canon law requires that all bishops submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75.
Bishop Milone announced he was retiring early because of health reasons. He said his struggle with his health had hampered his ability to travel around the diocese, go to meetings or simply be "with the people of the diocese."
The diocese covers more than 94,000 square miles and serves about 51,000 Catholics in 66 parishes and 44 missions in the eastern two-thirds of the state.
In a statement released by the Great Falls-Billings Diocese, Bishop Milone said: "I am so pleased and grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for this appointment. I know that the Catholics of the diocese will receive Bishop Warfel with openness and great hospitality."
"It has been a time of great anticipation for the last 16 months, and I could not be more pleased with this new appointment," said Father Jay H. Peterson, who has been diocesan administrator since Bishop Milone’s retirement.
"Bishop Warfel will bring a unique set of gifts and experiences that prepare him well for ministry in eastern Montana," he said in a statement.
Michael W. Warfel was born Sept. 16, 1948, in Elkhart, Ind., in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Despite the Catholic and Baptist backgrounds of his mother and father, there was little religious practice in the Warfel home. As a youngster Michael decided he would attend church. He took catechism classes at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, where he was baptized at age 12.
He attended elementary and secondary schools in Elkhart and studied music for a year at Indiana University. He served an 18-month tour in Vietnam, followed by 13 months in Korea.
After completing military service, in 1972 he entered St. Gregory’s College Seminary in Cincinnati, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He completed graduate theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati in 1980.
As a seminarian, Bishop Warfel visited his sister in Alaska during the summers. After deciding that he wanted to live and minister in Alaska, he obtained permission to change from studying to be a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend to study for the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
He was ordained an Anchorage archdiocesan priest April 26, 1980. His assignments included parochial vicar of St. Benedict, Anchorage, 1980-85; pastor of Sacred Heart, Wasilla, 1985-89; and pastor of St. Mary, Kodiak, 1990-95. He became pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Anchorage, in 1995.
At Kodiak, then-Father Warfel encountered Spanish-speaking parishioners. He learned Spanish, becoming fluent through studies in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. He inaugurated a Sunday Mass in Spanish and began outreach programs to the Spanish-speaking in Kodiak.
In 1990, he earned a master’s degree in theology with a specialization in Scripture from St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vt.In the years he has been bishop of Juneau, he has periodically returned to Elkhart to visit family members and to help with confirmations throughout the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.
Secular conductor prefers sacred music
‘It is more profound,’ Hagen says
David Hagen is not a particularly religious man or a devout believer and yet you’d be hard pressed to find another person more passionate about sacred Christian music.
As the guiding force behind the Alaska Chamber Singers for the past 12 years, Hagen’s life is saturated in the renowned musical arrangements of Psalms, Masses and Requiems. In fact, the 45-year-old conductor has spent countless evenings and literally thousands upon thousands of hours directing rehearsals and performances in churches throughout Anchorage and across the country.
And yet, as Hagen maintains, "I’m not doing this music because it is sacred. I’m doing it because I think it is the best music and the most profound music."
The Chamber Singers mission is to bring high quality choral music to Anchorage and it just so happens that the best compositions come from the Christian tradition, Hagen said.
"The churches of both Protestants and Catholics have a tradition of singing together in worship services," he explained. "For many years, the only place where group singing happened was in the church."
Only within the past few generations, with the advent of glee clubs and community choirs, has choral music branched beyond the church walls. According to Hagen, much of this newer music, while technically impressive, lacks a crucial quality.
"I have a bent toward sacred music because I think in many ways it is more profound," he said. "Most secular music is not meant to be particularly profound."
This realization hit home one night several years ago, when the Chamber Singers were performing at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. Until then, the group rarely performed in churches and most of their music was secular.
"I remember at St. Patrick’s we did some secular and sacred music and as we were singing "Skip to My Lou," I looked up and saw the crucifix," Hagen recalled. "That just didn’t seem to fit."
Hagen now makes it a point to fit the music with the venue and increasingly the venues are large Catholic churches.
In recent years, the Chamber Singers have performed several concerts at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage. In December they will perform a Christmas concert there with a follow up the next night at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River.
"I have fallen in love with these churches in town," Hagen said. "Now we do the majority of our concerts in churches."
While historically the greatest choral music has been sacred music, Hagen said much of modern church music lacks the musical excellence of its forbearers.
"Much of modern church music, in the last 50 years, is not of a particularly high quality," he said.
That is largely due to the fact that some church leaders wanted music that was more accessible and popular sounding for the general congregation, Hagen explained. The problem is that the music suffers as it increasingly mirrors contemporary pop tunes and loses the long-standing tradition of sacred composition, Hagen said.
"That was a huge debate 25 years ago," he added. "In general, most churches today are not doing very high quality masterful music anymore."
And Hagen would know after spending much of his life in churches. As a child, his father directed music at a small Anchorage church. In his adult years, Hagen has worked as a music director for more than half a dozen Anchorage area churches in addition to his work with the Chamber Singers and other musical jobs.
Despite his passion for traditional sacred music, Hagen is quite to the point when asked how this music connects to his faith.
"There is no connection," he said. "I have no particularly strong religious belief system."
Yet he acknowledges that devout believers often have intense experiences during his concerts.
"I appreciate that for strong Christians, sacred music is a strong experience for them," he said.
Next month, after more than 30 hours of rehearsals, the Chamber Singers will once again fill local churches with the sounds of sacred masterpieces.
All the work that goes into one or two concerts is always worth the effort, Hagen said, even if it doesn’t last like a painting or sculpture.
"It is a special moment in time," he said. "You create this beautiful thing and then it is gone. It is a sparkling moment because you may never sing that piece again."
This year’s Christmas concerts include Franz Biebl’s "Ave Maria," John Rutter’s contemporary arrangements, and many traditional carols such as "In Dulci Jubilo" and "The First Noel."
Archbishop: New documents will assist Alaska Catholics
On Nov. 12-15, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz joined his fellow Catholic bishops from across the country for the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Baltimore. The Anchor caught up with Archbishop Schwietz to talk about how several of the bishops’ decisions will affect Catholics in Alaska. He also spoke of his recent election to chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family life and Youth.
It is the folding together of four different committees. It is basically a committee on the lay people. We talked about just naming it a committee on the laity but we wanted to stress the issue of family life, especially, because the family is so beleaguered today.
One of the things is trying to find ways we can support family life because it seems to be getting beat up on more and more in our society. The other urgent area is youth ministry and particularly, World Youth Day, which is coming up fast. We are going to have to try and encourage English-speaking bishops to sign up to do the catechetical sessions in Australia. Those will be major concerns from the very beginning.
Bishop Kettler got up and said he supported it because it was needed. In fact, the document originated, in a sense, from Alaska. When Bishop Donald Trautman (of Erie, Pa) was up here in Fairbanks giving a seminar, he noticed that many of the parishes didn’t have a priest for weeks on end. They have deacons or lay leaders who do their best but they don’t always have good guidance. That is how this document got its beginnings.
What we welcome here in our diocese, is that it provides a tool for people who are leading the various communities. It is also certainly a relief for the bishops to know that there is a common way of celebrating around the dioceses. That way we know there is good content and structure to weekday celebrations. So both of these documents "Sunday Celebration in the absence of a priest" and this one are going to help us unify our practice around the state.
Editor’s note: "Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest" is a newly updated document, issued by the U.S. bishops which provides a structure for how to celebrate a Communion service in the absence of a priest. The document seeks to clarify the distinctions between a Mass and a Communion service, in which there is no sacrifice at the altar because there is no priest to celebrate the Eucharist. A task force is currently working on ways to implement this document in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
There have been some strong reactions to these documents here and across the country but they are not an effort to upset anyone or cause difficulties. They are really an effort to make it very clear that these are celebrations without a priest. It is very human to get used to a way of doing things and to not want to change. In some situations, people might take the changes personally but these documents are not meant to be a putdown to anybody. They are just meant to reflect reality. We will get used to the changes and there are ways to be pastorally sensitive and to adapt to our unique situations.
The document gives publishers a guide as they produce catechetical texts for high schools. It will help ensure that we have texts with substance to them and texts we can trust. After publishers make the texts, they come back to us to make sure they are doctrinally sound.
The question was asked about how long this process will take. Some publishers are ready to go to work on this immediately and hope to begin within the next six months. So, Lumen Christi (Jr./ Sr. High School) might have some new texts available to them by the fall.
I like that it is so thorough. It is really a move away from the era when they were making banners and there wasn’t a lot of content to catechesis. This document will help publishers get more Scriptures involved with the text. I think that is going to be a great help to us. In other words, I think we are going to have more literate Catholics.
I think that it will give us something objective to refer to in judging hymns. There are many of hymns, a lot of new hymns coming out and a lot that have been around for 20 or 30 years. We want to do a kind of quality control and start looking at hymns to ask which are the better ones to use.
What do you hope to accomplish Dec. 10, during the town hall meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage?I think there are a lot of people who don’t really understand how the U.S. Bishops’ conference works. A lot of the guys who come in as bishops for the first time don’t even know how it works. The town hall will be an education about how we operate as a bishops’ conference. I think the meeting will be an eye opener.
Jesuits settle Alaska Native lawsuits for $50 million
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The attorney for plaintiffs in more than 100 claims of clergy sex abuse announced Nov. 18 a $50 million settlement with the Society of Jesus for cases involving more than a dozen Jesuits posted in Alaska between 1961 and 1987.
The Diocese of Fairbanks is a co-defendant in the cases. Separate lawsuits against the diocese remain unresolved.
The Associated Press reported that Anchorage attorney Ken Roosa gave the news service copies of e-mail correspondence he exchanged with the Jesuits’ attorney, including one message sent Nov. 16 by Dick Hansen, the lawyer representing the religious order. It reads: "This e-mail will confirm that a settlement has been reached. ... The settlement calls for $50,000,000 to be paid to the plaintiffs/claimants in exchange for releases of all claims against the Jesuit defendants."
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner newspaper Nov. 20 quoted Jesuit Father John D. Whitney, superior of the Jesuits’ Oregon Province, as confirming the announcement and saying he hopes "that it can be the beginning of some real transformation."
The newspaper quoted Father Whitney, as saying the province, which includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, is involved in 11 more lawsuits and some cases not yet filed. Father Whitney was quoted saying, "Mistakes were certainly made by predecessors, but the allegation that Alaska is a dumping ground (for pedophiles), that simply is not true."
The AP said the settlement does not require the religious order to admit fault and none of the priests, deacons and volunteers involved has been charged with criminal offenses.
Robert Hannon, special assistant to Fairbanks Bishop Donald J. Kettler, told Catholic News Service Nov. 20 the statute of limitations has passed, barring criminal prosecution in what he said were 150 cases against the Diocese of Fairbanks.
Hannon said Superior Court Judge Niesje J. Steinkruger, who is presiding over the civil lawsuits against the diocese, has called the parties together for a Dec. 14 attempt at mediating a settlement.
"She seems pretty intent at trying to find a solution," Hannon said.
He confirmed that filing for bankruptcy remains an option for the Fairbanks Diocese, which last year hired the same law firm that helped the Diocese of Tucson, Ariz., with its Chapter 11 reorganization, forced by the expenses of settling sex abuse lawsuits.The Alaska cases first came to light in 2002 as attention focused nationwide on sexual abuse by priests. In Alaska, most of the reported incidents occurred in rural villages, although some reports came from Fairbanks, Bethel, Barrow and other towns.
Alaska abortion ruling reflects other laws nationally
Parental involvement debate heats up nationally and internationally
ROME — The authority of parents in caring for their children received a blow recently when the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that underage girls can seek abortions without parental consent. The ruling upheld a Superior Court decision finding the 1997 Parental Consent Act to be unconstitutional.
In explaining the 3-2 decision, Chief Justice Dana Fabe stated that while the court did agree that the state constitution permits a scheme that provides for parental notification, the law in question violated a minor’s right to privacy.
By contrast, Justice Walter Carpeneti, who wrote the dissenting opinion, said that the act did balance the right to privacy with the state’s interest in protecting children and the parents’ right to guide their children.
Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, described the judgment as "outrageous," according to the Associated Press. "The State Supreme Court has failed Alaska by separating parents from their children during such a critical decision, moving in the exact opposite direction from the law’s intent," she commented.
According to a study by Stateline.org, a Washington, D.C.-based news service, states have passed two types of laws regarding abortion and parental involvement. The first requires one or both parents to approve the procedure, while the second merely requires doctors to notify parents before performing an abortion for a minor.
Overall, as of June 11 when the information was last updated, 22 states enforce parental consent laws requiring at least one parent to sign a statement approving the procedure. Another 12 states enforce parental notification laws. Utah enforces both consent and notification laws.
The laws have, however, run into legal problems in some states. In nine states, courts have rejected parental involvement statutes for violating privacy and equal-protection clauses in their state constitutions.
The usefulness of the parental consent laws on abortion was analyzed in a report published Feb. 5 by the Heritage Foundation. Michael J. New, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, found that laws requiring the involvement of parents reduced the abortion rate of minors by an average of 16 percent.
Another type of pro-life legislation, restricting the public funding of abortion for underage girls, also notably reduced the abortion rate.
New argued that the importance of such pro-life legislation is often overlooked in explaining the decline of abortion among adolescents. Between 1985 and 1999, the minor abortion rate fell by almost 50 percent, compared with a 29 percent decline in the overall abortion rate. "While a number of factors may have contributed to this decline, the impact of pro-life legislation on the incidence of abortion among minors cannot be overlooked," he stated.
Many countries are increasingly making it easy for schoolgirls to receive contraceptives, without informing parents. In England, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Oct. 30 that almost one in six 15-year-old girls received contraceptives last year, even though at that age they were too young to legally have sex.
According to the article, 50,000 girls aged 15 attended contraception clinics in 2006-07, along with another 31,000 aged 13 or 14. The data came from the Information Center for Health and Social Care.
Mike Judge, a spokesman for the Christian Institute, commented on the statistics in the Telegraph. He urged giving them moral guidance and support, instead of distributing contraceptives. "Most women who look back on their teenage years regret starting sexual activity so early," he added.
Another report by the Telegraph, published July 9, explained that girls as young as 11 can obtain the morning-after pill at school without telling their parents. The pills are available at sexual health clinics in secondary schools in England, which are being set up as part of a drive to cut teenage pregnancy.
In the United States, meanwhile, school officials in the state of Maine defended their decision to allow children as young as 11 to obtain contraceptives, reported the Associated Press on Oct 18. Portland’s King Middle School will become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available, including birth control pills and patches.
Although students would need parental permission to use the city-run health center in the school, they wouldn’t have to tell them they were seeking birth control.
Bishop Richard Malone of Portland said he was shocked by the decision, reported the Boston Globe on Oct. 20. The Catholic prelate argued that the move would inevitably lead to more sexual experimentation among younger children.
He also expressed concern over the undermining of parents: "When contradictory messages are given to children from important authority figures such as parents and school officials, it can create more confusion and difficulty for children themselves in making this important life decision."
Apart from undermining parents, the move to spread contraceptive use among schoolchildren comes when many question marks exist over their safety.
An advisory panel of gynecologists, obstetricians and other experts told the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that manufacturers should collect more data on the potential side effects of birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives after they reach the market, reported Reuters on Jan. 24. Nevertheless, panel members added that drug companies were unlikely to initiate such studies because of high costs and the potential to uncover negative effects.
In an article published May 2, Andrea Mrozek, manager of research at the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada, wrote about the cancer risks of contraceptives. A meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, a Pennsylvania-based internist, show that being on the pill at a young age, before having children, increases the chance of developing breast cancer by an average of 44%, Mrozek wrote.
Kahlenborn’s work was published late last year in the peer-reviewed journal of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
Ironically a Stateline.org report dated March 27 noted the tendency toward laws banning minors from activities such as smoking, drinking, and going to indoor tanning salons, due to health concerns.
This year, Utah and Virginia joined 25 other states in placing limits on teens using tanning beds, due to worries about cancer. Most of the laws, Stateline.org reported, require underage teens to get a parent’s permission, but some states completely ban the salons for minors.The article added that a number of other states are considering similar legislation. A culture that bans tanning, but gives the green light for contraception and abortion for school-age girls has indeed lost sight of what is important.
Anchorage pro-life group closes doors after 30 years
After more than 30 years of helping to serve pregnant women, a landmark local pro-life agency will close its doors in December.
The good news is that the work of Birthright will continue through the Pregnancy Support and Adoption Services program of Catholic Social Services.
CSS’s pregnancy support services will move into Birthright’s old office on East 20th Avenue.
Susan Bomalaski, executive director for CSS, said it’s a "win-win" situation for both agencies. Former Birthright volunteers will continue to provide material support, such as diapers and baby clothes like they have in the past and CSS will provide full-time staff to serve women in need of counseling and referrals.
Jan Lipinski, the director of Birthright in Anchorage for the past 10 years, said the all-volunteer organization has suffered from a lack of volunteers which has made it increasingly difficult to keep the doors open more than 12 hours a week.
It’s part of the "graying of volunteers" – the pool of young volunteers has shrunk as more women have entered the paid labor force. The availability of inexpensive, over-the-counter pregnancy tests also ended one of the big draws that brought worried women into Birthright, which offered free tests to anyone needing one.
The combination of dwindling volunteers, shorter hours, and the resulting loss of clientele makes the move, while sad for Birthright supporters, perhaps inevitable.
Birthright was founded in Anchorage in 1972, before the landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, was issued in 1973. Two local Catholic women, Pam Albrecht and Kim Syren, started the local affiliate after hearing about the work of Louise Summerhill, who founded Birthright International in Toronto, Canada, in 1968.
Summerhill, according to Birthright’s website, felt women were "belittled and ostracized" for pregnancies outside of marriage, and she wanted to guarantee that every woman had the right to bear her child with dignity.
Albrecht said she and Syren saw Summerhill’s message as a "positive thing" in a time when young women were often "wounded by society’s attitude" toward their pregnancies.
"It was a turning point in my attitude, when I saw the damage often done to these women by the time they came to us," Albrecht said.
Birthright was often described as pro-child and pro-woman. A Birthright volunteer would go with a woman to doctor’s appointments, help her with paperwork, and basically walk with her through her pregnancy journey.
Lasting friendships were often established, and over the years Birthright’s modest offices were covered with baby pictures and letters of gratitude. For a few years, Birthright provided housing for pregnant women, and often volunteers remained on call through the night to take desperate calls from worried women.
Although Birthright is not religiously affiliated, it was supported to a large extent in Anchorage by local Catholics. Beginning with Archbishop Francis Hurley, now retired, and continuing today, the Anchorage Archdiocese provided office space for Birthright, and Birthright’s mailing list of over 400 local supporters contains a majority of Catholic names.
"It’s sad to see it have to close," said Albrecht, before adding that just as some religious orders die out and others are born, she has hope that there will be new ways to support pregnant women.
Bomalaski sent a letter to all Birthright supporters, urging them to continue their support through CSS’s Pregnancy Support.
"We hope people realize that Pregnancy Support’s function is joining with what Birthright has done – helping a woman to choose the life option for herself and her child."
Playtime meets Catechesis
Local alternative program rooted in Scripture and liturgy
A small room next to St. Patrick Church is almost identical to the larger parish, except for one tiny difference.
All the furniture and items are child-size, from a tiny altar — complete with little candlesticks, cruets and chalices — to a small baptismal font and other items found in Catholic churches.
It is an intersection between the playground and the world of Catholic catechesis.
"It’s a place that allows children to gain a sense of wonder at the presence of the divine in the world," St. Patrick pastor Father Scott Medlock said.
The room, called an atrium, is part of the Good Shepherd Catechesis program, an innovative approach to faith formation based on the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori.
"The program allows hands on experience, where children get to touch and manipulate objects that would normally be taboo, like a chalice," said Julie Thomas, director of faith formation for the parish.
The theory behind the program is to allow children to explore the objects and signs and come to a sense of wonder about what they mean.
"We tell the children that everything in the atrium is regarded as a gift," catechist Brigitte Youngblood explained. "Gifts are an important first step in building a relationship with God. He courts us with gifts."
The program is rooted in the bible and the liturgy with a particular focus on stories. The idea is for students to learn through using objects and playing with them as they explore parables, Scripture and church teaching.
"It is a way for children to visualize and work with the Bible story in a non-verbal way, through signs," Youngblood said.
Adults have a capability to re-read scripture and to meditate on their meanings and symbols in a prayerful way, like the method of Lectio Divina. Children haven’t quite developed that level of thinking yet, so the program looks at using what tools students already have.
"Students learn the stories through play," Thomas said. "The catechists do a lesson and then children learn through exploring and by doing it."
St. Patrick’s decided to offer the Good Shepherd program as an alternative option along with other traditional faith formation programs.
"It’s an option out there because different people learn in different ways," Thomas said. "It fulfills what we need, but with a different approach."
Some parishioners have even opted to use both catechist programs, Father Medlock said. Since the program started four years ago at the church, he has seen interest in it grow.
Nearly 30 students are enrolled in the program, including 14-year-old Leanna Pope, who enjoys the pedagogy of the program.
"I like the fact that you are constantly exploring and learning more about the church…in a way you can have fun while doing it," Pope said. "Once you think you learned it all, you find more…I always seem to have more questions for Ms. Youngblood."
Students also enjoy the communal side of learning together.
"We’re all comfortable around one another and good friends," Pope said.
Catechists say that they know they are successful when they see community forming in the students. It is something that can be encouraged, but not taught, Youngblood said.
"But this program makes it more natural," she added. "It’s a discussion among a group of friends."
To work, the program requires a commitment from the parish and the catechists.
"It’s labor and dollar intensive to start up," Thomas said.
"It also takes extensive training, and a major commitment on behalf of the catechist," Father Medlock said. "Brigitte is a highly trained expert…it’s been her initiative and passion for Christ that has caused her to invest her own time in it.
But Youngblood said the investment has a payoff.
"Going to the training is like a retreat experience," she said. "And when you teach this program and make all the materials, you become very intimate and knowledgeable on the subject yourself."
Youngblood and the staff at St. Patrick said the program might fit well in other parishes as well.
"We don’t invest enough in our youth — we need to make more of an investment," Father Medlock said. "St. Patrick’s is blessed to have this as a second learning option."To learn more about the Good Shepherd Catechesis Program, email Brigitte Youngblood at blyoungblood@gmail.com.
News & Notes
The Filipino Community in the Archdiocese of Anchorage invites all Catholics to join them in the popular, centuries old, tradition of Simbang Gabi (pronounced "sim-BONG guh-BEE), a special novena to the Blessed Mother in preparation for Christmas. The novena begins Dec. 16 and culminates with the "Misa de Gallo" on Christmas Eve to welcome the birth of Christ.
Simbang Gabi traces its roots to Mexico when, in 1587, the pope granted the petition of Fray Diego de Soria, prior of the convent of San Agustin Acolman, to hold Christmas Mass outdoors because the Church could not accommodate the huge number of people attending the evening Mass. The novena and celebration became very popular and widely celebrated in the Philippines.
Margaret Eagan Sullivan, 1925-2007
Anchorage Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley incense’s the body of Margaret Mary Eagan Sullivan during the Mass of Christian Burial, at our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage.
More than a thousand people filled the church to the brim Nov. 19 as they came from across Anchorage to pay their respects to Margaret Mary Eagan Sullivan, wife of former mayor and state legislator George Sullivan. Her children said throughout her life, no matter what happened, Sullivan maintained a strong Catholic faith and did her best to pass this gift along to all her children.
Archbishop Hurley said Sullivan was a confident women, confident in herself, her husband and family and her faith.
"That confidence continues when she dies," Archbishop Hurley said during his homily. "Love never ended for Margaret, neither should ours. Love was the source and summit of Sullivan’s life."
Hundreds support Covenant House vigil
Participants slowly help light others’ candles at the Covenant House’s Candlelight Vigil for Homeless youth in Town Square Park Nov. 16 in Anchorage. Hundreds of youth and others joined the nation-wide vigil to raise awareness and solidarity about the problem of homelessness among teens. In addition to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Soldotna also held vigils. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that there are more than 1.3 million homeless youth and runaways in the nation, a large percent of which face physical and sexual abuse/exploitation while on the streets. Covenant House has 21 emergency shelters across North America, including the 40-bed facility in Anchorage. The agency estimates that it serves tens of thousands of youth each year in the U.S. Evening candlelight vigils were held in 150 locations across the United States this year, including Times Square in New York and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Washington.
What does it mean to subdue the earth?
Work — even manual labor — is something that can perfect a human being. This will be the topic of discussion at the Dec. 12 Theology on Tap presentation in Wasilla at the Hacienda Restaurant.
Dominican Father John Thomas Mellein will speak on the redemptive aspects of work, a theme that is an important part of his theological reflection over the past 10 years. He will base his talk on practical experience and the encyclical "Laborem Exercens" by Pope John Paul II.
The presentation and discussion runs from 7-9 p.m. with options to purchase dinner and drinks from the restaurant. People from all faith backgrounds and walks of life are welcome to attend Theology on Tap, a young adult ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage that is geared to people between the ages of 20-40. The event is free of charge.
Father Mellein grew up in Ventura County, California as the oldest of 10 children. He completed a B.A. in liberal arts at Thomas Aquinas College, where he worked for four years on grounds and maintenance. He considered a career in landscaping, but felt the Lord’s call to enter religious life. He was drawn to the Dominican order by the community life, the choral office, a desire to preach, and desire to continue studying St. Thomas Aquinas. During his years of studies he was able to continue landscaping on the 5-acre property of St. Albert’s Priory. After completing studies in philosophy and theology at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley (with a residency year in Anchorage), he was ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 2007 and now serves as a Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage.
For more information about Theology on Tap Mat-Su, call Rick at (907) 745-3498.
Theology on Tap with Archbishop
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will speak Dec. 13 for Theology on Tap at the Snow Goose Restaurant in Anchorage. The presentation runs from 7-9 p.m. For more information, call Arthur at 360-2323.
Parish nursing training offered
Parish Nurses of Alaska and the Northwest Parish Nurses Ministries in conjunction with Providence will offer a new upcoming training course for nurses interested in helping out in the parish nursing ministry in their local church communities. The program takes a holistic approach focusing on the patient’s spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
Classes begin Jan. 10 and run through March. For more information contact Sister Jackie Stoll at or 297-7736.
Learn more about engaging Muslims
In response to feedback from previous events in the "Engaging Muslims: Religion, Cultures, Politics," Dr. Regina Boisclair, Cardinal Newman Chair of Theology at Alaska Pacific University and members of the Islamic Community Center of Anchorage will offer a two-part program, "What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam." The Dec. 2 event will run from 2-4:30 p.m. in the first floor Wilda Marston Theater of the Loussac Public Library. Part one (2-3 p.m.) will address the foundational beliefs, practices and understandings of Islam. Part two (3:15-4:30 p.m.) will feature a panel to answer questions from the audience.
Alaskans head to Philippines
The Global Solidarity Partnership delegation is visiting the Archdiocese of Cotabato Nov. 27 to Dec. 7. The delegation from the Archdiocese of Anchorage has asked for prayers for a safe trip as they work, pray and gather with fellow Catholics in Cotabato City for the "Week of Peace" in the Mindanao Region of the Philippines. Archbishop Roger Schwietz is also traveling with the Alaska group.
Public meeting with Archbishop
On Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will host a town hall meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage to discuss the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore. Attendees will have a chance to ask the archbishop questions about the meeting.
Archbishop celebrates ordination
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will celebrate his 40th ordination anniversary on Dec. 20 with a Mass at Holy Family Cathedral at 12:10 pm. A dessert reception will immediately follow. Cards and letters can be sent to the chancery at 225 Cordova St., Anchorage, Alaska, 99501. Mark 40th on the lower corner of the envelope to ensure the envelope remains sealed.
Religious retirement appeal
On Dec. 9, Catholic parishes throughout the Archdiocese will conduct their 20th annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious. Last year the fund distributed $23 million to more than 515 of the nation’s Catholic religious institutes of women and men, one of the year’s most successful appeals. However, organizers say there is still a gap between what is collected and what is needed. For more information visit www.retiredreligious.org.
St. Anthony honors parish history
Photos and other memorabilia are now on display at St. Anthony Church in Anchorage in the parish hall, in honor of the parish’s 50th anniversary. For more info call 338-1210.
Supplies needed at Clare House
Clare House, an emergency homeless shelter for women and their children needs paper products. The house is looking for toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, cups and paper plates. Donation can be dropped off at the facility located at 420 West 54th Avenue in Anchorage. For more info call Kim Williams at 563-4545.
Remembrance Mass honors dead
St. Patrick Church’s Ministry of Bereavement will hold a candle lighting ceremony and Mass of Remembrance on Mon, Dec. 10 at 6:45 p.m. to honor and remember loved ones who have died.
"The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those of us who have lost a loved one. The candle lighting ceremony is a symbol of love, life and hope for those people," the Ministry of Bereavement said in a written statement.
Male role models needed for teens
The Charlie Elder House, a group home for teenage boys, is looking for adult men to serve as role models for the residents.
"Most of these kids came from single parent families and have never had a positive role model in their lives," said Cindy Sena-Martinez, program director of the Charlie Elder House and McAuley Manor. Sena-Martinez said she would love to see a group of men form that could assist the teens with homework or just be someone to talk with.
She said a group of professional women already volunteer their time with girls at the McAuley Manor, and call themselves the ‘McAuley Moms’.
"They come over and cook meals occasionally. Recently they had a high tea for the girls, to teach them what to do, how to act. The girls had a blast, they got all dressed up," she said.
Catholic Social Services is looking for a commitment of at least six months. Mentors will be required to have background checks, including finger printing and will receive support and supervision from the program director. For more information, call Sena-Martinez at 250-5020 or email cindy.senamartinez@cssalasak.org.
Archdiocesan-wide teen night
Teens are invited to come to an Advent offering with the Community of St. John for the "Ascend the Heights of Truth and Dodge the Ball." The evening includes a spiritual talk in preparation for Christmas as well as volleyball, dodge ball and pizza during Dec 13-16 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. For more info call 345-4466.
Advent class to explore St. Paul
Father Joseph Mary and Brother Fabian, from the Community of St. John, will offer a special Advent class on the teachings of St. Paul at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Anchorage from Dec 13-16. For more information call 345-4466.
Spiritual healing and growth talks
Dominican Father Emmerich Vogt will offer a special series of talks Dec. 10-13 about spiritual healing and growth at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage. The same conference will be offered twice a day — one after the 12:10 p.m. Mass and one in the evening from 7-8 p.m. For more information call 276-3455.
St. Francis nominations sought
Volunteer and staff organizers of the annual St. Francis of Assisi Awards Banquet are inviting people from throughout the Anchorage Archdiocese to submit nominations for the 2008 St. Francis of Assisi Awards. The awards, to be presented at the 6th annual banquet in February, will recognize outstanding service to the local church in three categories: clergy or religious, lay person, and youth/youth group. Nominations are due no later than Jan. 7.
Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz announced the institution of the St. Francis of Assisi Awards in 2001 in honor of Archbishop Emeritus Francis T. Hurley on the occasion of his retirement and in honor of his patron saint. "The awards," Archbishop Schwietz says, "are an opportunity to recognize those who strive to live St. Francis’ realization that ‘it is in giving that we receive,’ and the banquet’s a great time to gather as a family to celebrate those working especially hard to make our Church and community all that God intended."
A committee comprised of community volunteers and local clergy reviews nominations. Recipients are not told before the banquet that they have been selected to receive St. Francis of Assisi Awards, a tradition that leads to a moment of surprise.
For more information and nomination forms, contact local parishes or contact Julie Alfred in the Stewardship and Development Office at 297-7718 orjulie.alfred@caa-ak.org.
Feast of St. Andrew
St. Andrew Church in Eagle River invites everyone to celebrate with them the feast of St. Andrew’s on Nov. 30. The special 7 p.m. Mass will be followed by a reception. For more details call 694-2170.
Columns
The secret is out
Well, Father J is off basking warmly in Numidia, so I guess it’s ok to talk about him. He’s been visiting our parish for a few years, but it was last year that he showed me a secret.
I had long wondered about a line from the Mass. At the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, the priest finishes with, "…and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ."
My quest had been to find someone who looked like they were waiting in joyful hope and siphon their wisdom. It’s a very subjective task, but after meeting Father J the first time, I knew he had what I was looking for. I just needed an occasion and two minutes.
The occasion came when we were invited to have our Thanksgiving meal at a friend’s house and Father J was on the guest list. I planned my ambush for the post meal coma when dueling chemicals compete for attention in the food processor portion of our bodies, leaving the brain all but defenseless to any well-reasoned argument. I ate lightly in preparation.
Then, at an opportune moment, placing myself in front of the pumpkin pie, I opened my salvo with, "So Father…I was thinking of writing a little essay on finding our way to joyful hope…you seem to have found your way…care to share some insights?"
He just smiled and said, "Well, you know…there’s no shortcuts" and spying my father behind me added with a head tilt, "He knows."
That was the end of that, a shared giggle between two seasoned saints.
Oh, but he gave it all away the very next Sunday during the homily. Actually, all I remember of his entire homily were these four words, "Christ is the King." The words themselves may seem an unremarkable repetition of the feast day, but to hear the words was something else. As a teacher and a speechwriter I know when someone is sending subtext through their delivery. Or to put it closer to reality, the tone was the subtext. The tone was that of children playing in a sandbox, confidently humming and chanting the great deeds of their fathers. What I heard was this, "Oh y’know Christ is the King and so I’m not very worried about all that noise and heat going on out there. He’s the King. Get it?" Whenever I remember those four words from that homily, my perspective zooms out a little and I can’t help but give a sigh of relief.
We are entering the season of Advent. The time when we think about the last things while looking forward to the incarnation of Christ and maybe catching a few moments of joyful hope for His return. Juxtaposed against this is the fact that our political system is about to hit high warble as we head into caucus season.
Despite the noise and heat produced by our democracy, it is the best governing system available. Advent reminds us that we are not long for this world and we will pass into a kingdom, not a democracy. Our king is Christ and He beckons us to have joy and wait for Him.
The writer teaches church history at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River
Igmar Bergman and Advent
On July 30 of this past summer the world of film lost two of its greatest artists on the same day: Igmar Bergman and Michaelangelo Antonioni. The New York Times described them as "poets with camera."
Of the two, I have always preferred the works of Bergman, despite the fact that his films consistently dwell on the shadow side of life, the dark, cold and claustrophobic setting of Sweden’s unending nights.
Nonetheless, what has kept me coming back to such classics on DVD as "The Seventh Seal" and the great trilogy of faith, "Through a Glass Darkly," "Winter’s Light and The Silence," is Bergman’s personal effort to explore that mysterious phenomenon known as the human condition, particularly the struggle to experience God in a world where God seems unexplainably silent.
I often find him describing my own (and perhaps others’) efforts to make sense out of the problem of evil as it is described, for instance, in "The Seventh Seal," an allegorical tale of the Medieval Black Plague wherein life competes with death on the world’s chessboard.
"Winter’s Light" portrays a Lutheran pastor’s fruitless efforts to dispel a parishioner’s intent to commit suicide. Nonetheless, he begins the service of vespers in a cold, Medieval church knowing all the while that he has failed. Again, we note the struggle between life and death and the seeming ineffectiveness of the preacher’s task to offer a ray of hope in the midst of despair.
In short, Bergman, who was born into a Lutheran family, (his father was a pastor in the local church) was never a serious practitioner in that Christian denomination. Nonetheless, this did not prevent him from exploring, in film, peoples’ attraction to a God without church. He seemed to have that deep sense of what people of faith are up against, struggling to validate an intuition of the sacred in their lives, all the while facing the daily reality of loneliness and the knowledge of their own mortality.
In short, over the years Bergman, has accompanied me as a sort of tutor in the background of my own faith journey. With Block Buster only a short distance away I will undoubtedly continue in my attempts to discover the deeper meaning of life’s light in those fictional characters whose own lives often resemble the dark landscape around them.
It may seem like a bit of a stretch, but each year as the season of Advent returns, this darkest time of the year, I think of Bergman and his efforts to elucidate (bring light to) the human condition. That, to my mind also, is what Advent season is mainly about, a calendar-reminder that, despite the dark moments of this past year, we are once again offered a new beginning, with Christ our Light ever leading us onward in a spirit of hope.
It strikes me, therefore, that the Church, in its eternal wisdom, always seems to invite us to consider the Christian life in a circular, never a linear (flat out) fashion. Despite our dark moments, we know that there will surely be another year of grace to guide us on the way to self-discovery, the recovery of faith, if we have gotten lost or sidetracked in the world’s shadows.
We already know from past experience that we can expect to be introduced once again to that scruffy-looking, insect-eating, wild, desert preacher reminding us to get at the root of things, to change our habits and reform our lives. Like a Bergman film, John invites us to explore more deeply the condition of our times, those dark places to which only Christ can bring His light.
The writer is Anchorage Archdiocese director of Pastoral Education. He also serves as canonical pastor and coordinator of parishes without resident priests.
World Youth Day invigorates pilgrimage
Since the early centuries of our church, Christians have journeyed to holy places to connect in a deeper way to the life of Christ, his Apostles, and his saints.
When John Paul II became pope he realized that young people from around the world would respond to an invitation to reinvigorate the tradition of pilgrimage.
The pope knew that the vigor and idealism of youth would be drawn by the adventure of a pilgrimage. With this insight and his desire to connect more intimately with the young church, he invited the world’s youth to meet him in Rome in 1985. In 1987, he youth to begin the international World Youth Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These gatherings have occurred every two or three years since the and John Paul’s words before the 9th WYD continue to inspire the young church.
"Once again, young people from all over the world are summoned by Jesus Christ, the center of our lives, the basis of our faith, the reason of our hope and the source of our charity."
Jesus is calling the Church, young and old, to pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey that nourishes a person on his walk with God. It allows for time away from the noise of daily living, time to pray and fast, share with others and to sacrifice. Pilgrimage is a time to live the Gospel. Most who attend a WYD encounter Christ’s words, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
The pilgrim also encounters the consolation and abundant grace that God offers during a pilgrimage. The encountering of the cross, God’s love, and the sacraments tend to lead to one end — spiritual growth and a deepening relationship with God and his church. That is why we are going to WYD in 2008, to help our young church encounter God in a more intimate way. We go because, as John Paul II pointed out during WYD 2000, Jesus Christ is looking to encounter young people.
"Yours is not just any journey: if you have set out on pilgrimage it is not just for the sake of recreation or an interest in culture. Well then, let me ask again: what have you come in search of? Or rather, who have you come here to find? There can be only one answer to that: you have come in search of Jesus Christ! But Jesus Christ has first gone in search of you."
Please keep those preparing for World Youth Day in your prayers. Those interested in attending should email Bob McMorrow soon at rmcmorrow2@aol.com.
The writer is a member of the Anchorage Archdiocese Youth Evangelization Team
Margaret Eagan Sullivan kept the faith
Margaret Eagan Sullivan was the essence of a Catholic mother who lived her faith daily. Upon moving from her childhood home in Fairbanks in 1959, we soon met at a neighborhood coffee party in Anchorage. With our growing families we found much in common. We car-pooled children to CCD classes, participated in First Holy Communion, Confirmations and much later — family weddings.
We served as a lifeline to one another. When the older children went off to school, we would barricade the little ones in each of our kitchens as we talked, talked, talked on the phone.
In the 14 years that her husband, George Sullivan, was our city’s mayor, she steadfastly shepherded their children through the ups and downs of childhood with humor and great reliance on our Holy Family.
As her family responsibilities lessoned, she was free to accompany George on business trips. One outstanding memory was a trip to the Holy Land with George leading a group of mayors from various parts of the country. One of the highlights for them as Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher was to meet the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Catholic education was very important to Margaret and she supported her children and grandchildren wherever it was available to them.
Margaret attended nursing school at Providence Hospital in Seattle, and had a great love and respect for the Sisters of Providence. She was proud to "give back" to them as a member of the Anchorage Providence Hospital Foundation Board. She believed deeply in the Sisters of Providence mission in Alaska.
During the illness that eventually took her life, this Catholic mother relied on daily Holy Communion during her final journey. The times that I brought her communion, she seemed so prepared, prayerful and accepting of what was happening. She kept the faith that her parents had handed to her and in the end it sustained her.
Her funeral mass was Nov. 19 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where hundreds of friends and admirers came to pay their respects to this remarkable Alaskan woman.
The writer is a life-long resident of Anchorage where she shared a long friendship with Margaret Eagan Sullivan.
Editorial
Life without priests
As far as any of the old-timers can tell, a priest had always come to St. Michael Church in Palmer to celebrate Sunday Mass. After 72 years, no one could recall even a single Sunday when a priest failed to preside at the Alaska colony-era parish.
That stretch finally ended Nov. 11, when the reality of ever-dwindling ranks of Catholic priests hit home.
Resident pastor, Father Tom Brundage, was already stretched thin from multiple archdiocesan duties and on Nov. 11 had already committed to celebrating Mass at Holy Family Mission in Glennallen. A substitute priest came to St. Michael’s every three weeks, which allowed the Glennallen mission to have Mass once a month with Father Tom.
The priest who planned to fill in for Father Tom on Nov. 11, however, was forced to leave the state for a family emergency.
With all other priests in the archdiocese unavailable, St. Michael’s finally got a first hand taste of what some people have called a "new or emerging paradigm" — parish life without a priest.
Instead of Mass that morning, St. Michael’s held a Communion service, which Deacon Bill Frost celebrated with grace and much reverence.
He began the service, however, with the observation that there was no priest to celebrate Mass.
There would be no consecrating of the host or the cup, no sacrifice at the altar and no priest standing in persona Christi (in the place of Christ). The faithful took Communion but without celebrating the Eucharist.
This reality is increasingly felt across the country with many Alaska Catholics having experienced life without a priest for years. Valdez, for instance, hasn’t had a resident priest for nearly 20 years and sometimes goes weeks on end without celebrating Mass.
Alaska’s deacons, religious sisters and lay leaders have stepped up to lead parishes and missions that don’t have resident priests. Their tireless work is commendable and yet the fact that many Catholics must soldier on with only occasional visits from traveling priests is regrettable.
There are many reasons for the declining priesthood. A great many priests are aging and as they retire or pass away, their replacements are simply too few to keep pace.
Religious commitment is another factor. Study after study shows that most U.S. Catholics do not attend weekly Mass, they fail to regularly participate in sacraments and don’t hand the faith onto their children. It’s no wonder, then, that generations of young boys grow up with little thought of ever entering priesthood.
Some view the priestly shortage as a "new or emerging paradigm," which will require more lay participation in shepherding Catholic churches. A robust church certainly needs dedicated lay workers. There is a definite line, however, between the role of a priest and the role of the laity. The lay vocation works toward the same end of building up the church and yet it functions differently.
A priest is a man of God, charged to give his whole life to the church. He gives up the dream of a wife and family to answer a call that often requires him to move from town to town as he brings Christ to the world. He must rise in the middle of the night to visit the sick and dying. He marries, buries, baptizes and instructs the faithful. In short, he is a special representative of Christ to the world. Ordained through a 2,000-year line of apostles, he lays down his life for the church – his only bride.
With this calling, God grants these men the power to absolve sins, perform last rites and call forth the sacrifice of Christ on the altar to feed and strengthen the faithful.
If our churches are to regain the fullness they deserve, we must do two things at once. First off, our deacons, religious brothers and sisters, and lay leaders must continue to step forward and lead communities in the absence of a priest. At the same moment, these leaders and all the rest must also actively encourage young men to consider whether Christ is calling them to take up a special kind of cross and join the adventure of priesthood.
Lay vocations are crucial to this task. Faithful families, teachers and mentors must step up to the great challenge. We cannot settle for a so-called "emerging paradigm" where priests gradually become obsolete. We need these men of God. Without them, Catholics suffer a great loss and we long for wholeness.
Letters to the Editor
Thanks for the Kenai Peninsula Oblates
Thank you for featuring "Men on a mission to serve" in the Nov. 16 Catholic Anchor. As a member of St. John the Baptist Church in Homer, I am truly excited about having Fathers Joe, Andy and Tony and Brother Craig as part of our religious community on the Kenai Peninsula.
The article points out the importance for the priests and brothers to be able to communicate and exchange ideas with each other. The fact that they can live together addresses a spiritual need often missing as resources are thinly stretched.
They all came down together for Masses one weekend so we could meet them all earlier this fall and I think it helped reassure us that we could continue and strengthen our stewardship effort, which has been developing in Homer. I also sensed a strong collaborative effort with our community and with Sister Carol-Ann who continues to be a wonderful asset to our little parish.
The priests range in age and experience both in and out of their roles as clergy. This, to me, is exciting as well. Laity often need someone they can just connect with to help strengthen their faith.
I also would like to thank all the priests who came down to Homer on the "circuit" when they could. While we didn’t always have a priest, we did benefit from the variety of clerics who offered varied views and insights into the Gospels and other liturgy.
Thank you Archbishop Schwietz for your vision and for helping to facilitate this. This is a special Thanksgiving for us.
Homer
Back home, soldier gives thanks
More than a year ago, my unit based out of Fort Richardson, Alaska, deployed to Iraq in support of "Operation Iraqi Freedom." My deployment had its challenges and my unit dealt with the adversity of combat with courage and faith.
I cannot speak for all the brave paratroopers that I deployed with but I know that my Catholic faith sustained me during my deployment and even allowed me to grow spiritually.
During the time away from my family in Anchorage, the faith, hope, and love dispensed by the church carried me through the challenges of wartime deployment. These blessing also supported my family who carried on with the challenges of everyday life, while keeping the faith of Job as they awaited my return.
St. Patrick Church in Anchorage and the school my children attend, Holy Rosary Academy, always kept my wife, Patty, and children, Durante, Lucia, Abra, Vianney, and Francisco close with their prayers and support. To St. Patrick’s on Muldoon, I give my warmest thank you — especially, Fr. Ron Licayan who went out of his way to support my family while Fr. Scott Medlock was away on sabbatical. "Maraming Salamat" to Fr. Ron and his guitar! And to Holy Rosary Academy, I thank you for being the best school a Catholic could have.
While I was deployed, I looked forward each week to mail call because I knew that the Catholic Anchor would be there. The Catholic Anchor kept me close to the church in Anchorage. It did what I hope to do always: strengthen the Body of Christ. It kept me informed, while objectively sharing the good news of the church without ignoring its shortcomings. It strengthened my Catholic faith. I particularly enjoyed columns by Fathers Armand Nigro (of the Holy Spirit Center) and Ron Rolheiser and also, Mr. George Weigel. Thanks for having such a strengthening Catholic newspaper available to the Catholics of Southcentral Alaska!
Thanks for the grace that comes from reading a faithful Catholic newspaper. Peace of Christ to the Catholic Anchor and the Catholics of the Archdiocese of Anchorage. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
Anchorage