August 26, 2005 - Issue #17
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 91, dies
Sister Maria Martha Luciana Barba, a cloistered nun of Pereptual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, died Aug.15 at Providence Extended Care Facility. She was 91.
The day of her death marked the 62nd anniversary of her religious profession and was also the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Sacrament.
Sister Barba was one of the original eight Perpetual Adoration Sisters who moved from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Anchorage’s Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament 20 years ago at the invitation of Archbishop Francis Hurley, who is now retired.
Sister Barba "felt called and volunteered to come to Alaska to help establish a monastery of perpetual adoration to praise and adore the Divine Eucharist in this faraway and beautiful land," Mother Maria de las Victorias Amezcua, superior of the Anchorage group, said in a statement after Sister Barba’s death.
"Sister always praised God for the beauty of nature," Mother Amezcua continued. "She had a deep faith. Even when she became ill, she tried to continue her life of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We know she will continue to pray for us all."
Sister Barba was born Jan. 7, 1914, in Terreros, Jalisco, Mexico, the eighth of 10 children. Despite the persecution of Christians by the Mexican government in those days, her parents educated their children in the Catholic faith.
In 1941, Sister Barba entered the Monastery of the Perpetual Adorers of Guadalajara. On Aug. 15, 1943, she professed vows, committing herself to a cloistered life of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
In 1983, Archbishop Hurley invited the Perpetual Adoration religious community to found a new monastery in Anchorage. Sister Barba and seven others answered the call and became the original members of the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament.
Kim Syren of Anchorage moved out of her home so the sisters could live there until the monastery could be built on land Syren had donated.
Syren’s daughter, Therese Syren, said that when the family would visit the nuns in a meeting room of the monastery, they would sometimes pass her young nephew through the metal bars that separate the cloistered area. Sister Barba would hug the child, reluctant to pass him on to the next Sister, she recalled.
"She had a special bond with children and we all loved her," Kim Syren said.
Father Dan Hebert, pastor of nearby Holy Cross Parish, called Sister Barba both "very prayerful" and "very happy."
"She had a great devotion to the Eucharist," said Father Hebert, who frequently celebrates Mass at the monastery. "You could tell that she was very happy. There was a joy in her life."
Archbishop Hurley said the Sisters at the monastery "devote their life to prayer on behalf of everybody."
"The monastery itself is a sign of the commitment to a special style of life and a special commitment to almighty God. It’s spiritually healthy for us to know that they’re there," the archbishop said.
After leading a contemplative life desiring to "spend time directly with the Lord," Archbishop Hurley said it’s as if Sister Barba has merely changed the location of her chair "from the monastery up to heaven."
A public viewing and vigil were held Aug. 17 at the monastery. The next day, Sister Barba became the first person to be buried in the newest Catholic section of Anchorage Memorial Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, 2645 E. 72nd Ave., Anchorage 99507.
Ministry that helps people navigate health care system gains foothold in archdiocese
Have you ever been so sick you’ve found it hard to pray? Are you sometimes confused by medical jargon? Do you ever wish someone you trust could hold your hand and explain your sickness in plain English?
Parish nursing, a growing ministry in Catholic churches nationwide, helps people, especially the poor and elderly, who are overwhelmed by the complex health care system. Now the ministry is taking root in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Providence Alaska Medical Center is facilitating an interdenominational program called Parish Nurse Ministry that trains parish nurses and other health professionals to provide consultation, education and referrals while integrating people’s spiritual needs, according to Linda Shepard, who coordinates the program.
There have already been two training sessions for parish nurses in Anchorage, and two more are scheduled for this fall.
The parish nursing concept originated nationally in the Lutheran Church, and several Lutheran and other Protestant churches in Southcentral Alaska have already implemented the ministry. A handful of Catholic parishes are beginning to move in that direction as well.
"Spirituality includes the whole person," said Katherine Bishop, pastoral director at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Big Lake. The mission parish recently sent retired nurse Shari Smole to the Parish Nurse Ministry training.
"We need to address the physical as well as the spiritual," Bishop said. "Sickness and the fear of sickness blocks our spiritual growth."
Parish nursing isn’t meant to replace professional health care, Shepard emphasized.
"A parish nurse doesn’t do anything invasive," she said. No giving shots or changing the dressings on a wound, for example.
Instead, parish nurses organize health fairs, blood pressure screenings and educational seminars. The nursing team can help people understand their disease or accompany someone to the doctor.
"You’re a safe person to ask intimate questions," said Shepard, who practices parish nursing at Community Covenant Church in Eagle River.
Twenty-five nurses of various denominations have gone through the Parish Nurse Ministry training sessions in Anchorage, including several Catholics.
Like Smole in Big Lake, Anne Gauthier of St. Patrick Parish in Anchorage is now working with her parish leadership to start a nursing ministry.
Carol Szopa of Anchorage, meanwhile, is applying what she learned to Project Rachel, the Catholic healing program for women who have had an abortion.
"The whole gist of parish nursing is healing," said Szopa, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. "It’s about incorporating spiritual and physical healing, about healing through grief, about education, being a resource, a referral, doing advocacy. We do all those at Project Rachel."
Annette Stixrud, director of Northwest Parish Nurse Ministry in Portland, Ore., conducted the first two training sessions in Anchorage. The organization’s Northwest region has trained more than 1,700 nurses in the United States, Canada and Swaziland, Africa.
The Catholic bishops of Swaziland adopted parish nursing as a response to the AIDS crisis, said Stixrud, who has traveled to the southern African nation and trained 33 nurses there.
Although parish nursing is a relatively new concept for local Catholic churches, it is big in other parts of the country, including Western Oregon.
At Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Pat Cary has a paid part-time position as director of nursing ministry.
Cary’s team includes volunteer nurses, a respiratory therapist, a social worker and a dietitian. Together they put on health fairs, visit and pray with the sick, and help people navigate medical situations. They have also gotten the parish elementary school to do art projects for the homebound.
Recently, several members of Holy Redeemer kept vigil for five days at the hospital with a woman who was dying.
Cary previously worked for a hospice organization. Although she highly values hospice, there is something special about her parish nursing ministry.
"It’s wonderful to do this work in the name of the parish," she said. "I’m connecting people to the church."
The next Parish Nurse Ministry training session in Anchorage will take place Jan. 16-20. Another session will begin Feb. 2 and will run for several weeks in the evening.
Also, a panel of parish nurses will discuss the ministry at the upcoming archdiocesan Discipleship Days event, which runs Sept. 15-17 in Anchorage.
For more information on parish nursing, call Shepard at 261-5053.
Before Mass formally begins, Mass has already begun
For most of us who regularly celebrate Eucharist together Sunday after Sunday, it seems only natural that, if we are on time, Mass will begin when the presider and minor ministers begin the entrance procession or the leader of song gestures to us to rise for the processional song.
However, if we wait for the entrance song and procession to begin, we may already have missed some important moments that could gradually lead us into the formal part of the celebration of the Eucharist.
In a sense, Mass begins before it begins. It begins, for instance, if we have put the Sunday morning paper aside and spent a few moments reflecting on the Scriptures assigned for the day.
Even rising a bit early so that we can arrive at church before the appointed hour will mean we are less stressed out and prepared to enter into the sacred rites with a calm and peaceful mind.
Many people also make a point of arriving early so that they can spend some moments in silence. It is sometimes the only time in the week they have for this purpose.
Others, of a more gregarious nature, like to spend a few moments meeting friends in the foyer, or the gathering space, of the church. This too could be considered more than simply the opportunity to catch up on the news of the past week. It’s all about acknowledging Christ in our neighbor, building Christian community.
The assumption is that we have come for that very purpose, that is, to celebrate liturgy not as individuals, but as a community of Christ’s brothers and sisters. So, truly, Mass does begin before it (formally) begins. It’s about being present with the proper Christian disposition or attitude. From that everything else follows naturally.
An important gesture that also precedes the entrance procession is our acknowledgment of the presence of Christ by genuflecting toward the tabernacle if the tabernacle is in the sanctuary, or profoundly bowing (bowing from the waist) to Christ’s presence symbolized in the altar if the tabernacle is not present.
Even though many of us Catholics are reluctant singers, the short song rehearsal before Mass is an appropriate time to get a sense of the theme of the day’s liturgy.
In short, how we gather before Mass prepares us for what is to come.
Once the entrance procession begins, the assembly stands and enters into the celebration with joyful (we hope!) song. The mood that is set at this time can have an important impact on our experience of the rest of the liturgy. If we are unified in song we will be able to express our unity in Christ by signing ourselves with the cross.
Once the priest has greeted the assembly, he then invites us to recall God’s mercy through an act of penitence. On many Sundays, particularly during the Easter season, we are invited to remember our baptism in Christ through the blessing and sprinkling with holy water.
On Sundays outside of Lent and Advent, we sing the Gloria, an ancient hymn of praise. This is immediately followed with the "collect," or opening prayer. After inviting us to pray, the priest remains silent for a few moments and then "collects" into one the prayers of the entire assembly.
So end the introductory rites of the Mass. If we have entered into them with attention and devotion we will be well prepared to listen to God’s word.
Editorials
Gaza withdrawal a difficult first step
Israel’s courageous withdrawal from the Gaza Strip could be a major step toward lasting peace in the Holy Land. But to take root the seed that has been planted needs support from within and outside Israel and the Occupied Territories.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, long a no-negotiations hard-liner and one of the architects of Israel’s settlement movement, has defied expectations by agreeing to the withdrawal and standing firmly by his decision in the face of settler protests and the taunts of Arab terrorist groups.
It must be said that leaving Gaza is only a beginning, and that it will take more concessions from both sides before the dream of a Palestinian state can be realized. But in light of the insane cycle of violence over the past five years in the Holy Land, it is a most welcome beginning.
This conflict often gets portrayed as having just two sides: Israelis and Palestinians, or Jews and Muslims. But unrest and violence in the Holy Land has major implications for the people of other nations and of other religions.
The Catholic and other Christian religions are rooted in the land of Abraham and Jesus as intimately as Judaism and Islam.
And because Israel is so strong an ally of the United States and other Western powers, what happens there almost directly affects the West. Indeed, U.S. financial and military support for Israel is one of the Muslim world’s main complaints against the United States.
But look at it this way: If violence and unrest in Israel spells violence and unrest elsewhere, then peace there should result in peace and stability far beyond the Middle East.
In his first term President Bush took a strong leadership role in promoting the "road map," a two-state plan for the Holy Land. His continued support, and the support of other governments and religions, is needed now more than ever.
A major push should be made to help the Palestinians transition peacefully back to ownership of their Gaza lands, and to help displaced Israeli settlers transition peacefully back within Israel’s pre-1967 borders.
Prime Minister Sharon is overseeing an important beginning step that, with adequate support and continued commitment, can lead to lasting peace in the Holy Land.
How much are good teachers worth?
When Gov. Frank Murkowski and his allies in the Alaska Legislature overhauled the retirement system for teachers and other public employees, they focused on expenses. They said over and over that the system was steering school districts and the entire state toward bankruptcy.
Such talk should have been balanced by another topic: How much are good teachers worth?
People don’t go into teaching — arguably the country’s most important field — to make money. But everyone — not just the state — has to be concerned about finances. A decent pension is one way to attract bright people to teaching.
The politicians may have saved the state money by switching from traditional pensions to retirement plans that present more risk to employees. But now they should work equally hard to ensure that compensation for teachers reflects the high value the public has for the profession.
Blood Bank needs your pro-life gift
Giving blood is a simple pro-life sacrifice people can make during their lunch hour or a trip to the mall. It’s always a good idea but right now the Blood Bank of Alaska is especially low on blood.
With its LIFEmobile truck temporarily out of commission, the Blood Bank reports that all blood, even O Negative, the most common type, is in very short supply.
Call (907) 222-5630 to make an appointment, or drop by a Blood Bank of Alaska site (locations and hours are posted at www.bloodbankofalaska.org).
Donating blood truly is giving the gift of life.
Letters to the Editor
Questions for the rule makers
I am one of those who is still struggling with the "stand-up" changes at Mass, and I have a few, if rhetorical, questions: Did the apostles all stand until everyone received the first Eucharist? Do the bishops now speak ex-cathedra? Do modern-day saints who go into ecstasy when they receive Communion now say, "Wait, Jesus, till I finish this song and am allowed to kneel/sit"? Why am I asked to give my time, talent and treasure but not allowed to express an opinion on something that is so very important to me? Almost equally hurtful is being called proud and willful for having an opinion other than that of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Anchorage
Together, alone, praise God
We are one body in Christ. When we receive him worthily we also receive our brothers. But we are each unique human beings, just as a body is made up of cells with its own nucleus; therefore we approach our Lord both individually and together where one is both in the singular and plural. Therefore there is both intensely private communication and joined praise to our God, who loves us each as one and together as one. Therefore let us join hands and thank God for each other as God sees us one and uniquely made. God bless you all.
Anchorage
Badgering the wrong people
The badgering about standing instead of kneeling still continues against those who, in their consciences, find it necessary to kneel in their worship of God. And still the silence toward those who, in their consciences, feel free to use artificial contraception, fornicate, cohabitate, practice homosexuality, which all are mortal sins. Sins against God, against nature, against life, against the church. Sadly, souls might find themselves in hell because of such pastoral silence about teachings so clear. And still the daily liturgical abuses in seeming outright defiance against the very clear and concise instruction from the Vatican ("Redeptionis Sacramentum"). The confusion is so thick, the truth is ever more difficult to know, and the lies seem ever more delightful to the ear, but woe to the soul who succumbs to the counsel of the wicked, even if it be in silence. "Let us not deter our conversion from day to day."
Anchorage
Communion offers much more
Father Clementich says that "in the breaking and sharing at the Last Supper Christ assured his disciples that he would be with them whenever they broke bread together and shared the common cup. As the priest breaks the loaf of bread in our sight at Mass, divides it among us and offers us the "wine poured out in our behalf," we receive Christ’s gift extended throughout time and proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes again" (Church at Prayer series, July 1). Perhaps Father Clementich transposed Christ’s promise to be present whenever disciples gather in his name (Mt. 18: 20) to the Last Supper. Actually, there Christ gave us even more; a sacramental presence "called ‘real’ … because it is presence in the fullest sense: … a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present" (Catholic Catechism no. 1374). Transubstantiation, not "consubstantiation" or "transignification" (Catechism no. 1376). After consecration, bread and wine are no more.
Anchorage
Editor’s Note: The author responds: The Catholic Church teaches in "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" that Christ is present in five ways: "especially" in the Eucharistic species; in "the person of his minister" (the priest who celebrates Mass); in the sacraments "so that when anybody baptizes it is really Christ himself who baptizes"; "in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the church"; and finally, Christ "is present when the church prays and sings, for he has promised ‘where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them’ " (Mt. 18: 20).