September 9, 2005 - Issue #18
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
CSS battles shrinking budget to serve area’s poor, in-need
Editor’s Note: This story kicks off a three-part series exploring the mission of Catholic Social Services, the Anchorage Archdiocese’s social outreach agency. The first installment looks primarily at how the agency "compassionately serves the poor and those in need," which is part of its mission statement.
The first line of Catholic Social Services’ mission statement states that the organization compassionately serves the poor and those in need as well as strengthens individuals and families and advocates for social justice.
St. Joseph of Peace Sister Charlotte Davenport, Catholic Social Services’ interim director, said that the "poor and those in need" is a broadly defined group by Catholic standards.
"We have a preferential option for the poor, which means they come before we worry about some other things … not just the economically poor but the alienated," Sister Davenport said.
That includes virtually everyone that Catholic Social Services assists through its 11 programs, from displaced refugees resettling in Alaska to homeless families to women with unplanned pregnancies.
Two weeks ago at Anchorage’s Mountain View Boys and Girls Club, Catholic Social Services’ collaborative HUGSS (Helping Us Give School Supplies) campaign outfitted 4,831 schoolchildren — more than ever before — with donated coats, backpacks, hats and notebooks.
Ellen Krsnak, Catholic Social Service’s director of community development, said the mission of serving the poor and in-need spurs the organization’s involvement in partnership efforts like HUGSS.
Being prepared for school helps children continue their education, a key factor in becoming financially stable as adults, Krsnak said.
"We’re looking on to the next generation," she said.
Self-inspecting
With a shrinking budget and growing needs in recent years, Catholic Social Services is also looking anew at how it can more efficiently carry out its mission to serve the poor and needy.
"Our mission statement is so broad that it’s really hard to do that, but as we keep learning and listening to our programs and keep reflecting, I think we’ll be able to articulate that more clearly," Sister Davenport said.
One way that Catholic Social Services is attempting to evaluate itself in light of the mission is by seeking accreditation.
For about a year, Catholic Social Services has been reviewing policies and developing standards of service according to guidelines of the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children Inc. Catholic Charities USA, a membership association of Catholic social service organizations, sponsors of the council.
The hope is that the accreditation process will lead to improvements in the quality of service and ways to measure the success and efficiency of the programs — which is especially important in the face of budgetary belt-tightening, Sister Davenport said.
"Financially we have served more people than we had the finances to and we have to do some stabilizing and … further cutting," she said. "Ideally we’d like to be able to serve everyone that came to the door but none of us can."
Also, she said, there are more people seeking out Catholic Social Services’ help now — more homeless people utilizing Brother Francis Shelter or Clare House, more people looking for food and clothing at St. Francis House.
The combination of fewer dollars and increasing needs is beginning to affect the agency’s mission, Sister Davenport said.
For example, she said, Catholic Social Services lacks the case management support to help more than just a handful of Clare House’s 35-45 women and mothers with children as they transition out of the homeless shelter into a place of their own.
Catholic Social Services also phased out legal representation for immigrants three months ago. The organization’s refugee assistance program is still active, however; it is the only Alaska agency contracted by the U.S. Department of Justice to resettle refugees.
"There’s increasing numbers of people who are being left out of the cycle, and we’re seeing it every day in the city," Sister Davenport said. "The economy, it sounds really great in the big picture, but there are a lot of people being left out of where the dollars are flowing."
Every food pantry report she’s read recently has indicated a large, higher-than-expected increase in the number of people accessing food aid across the nation, she added.
Anchorage’s St. Francis House is the largest food-distributing pantry in the city, according to program manager Sofia Gomma.
During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 36,480 people arrived at St. Francis House in need of food, clothing or furniture. And, in recent months, the pantry has been serving about 500 more people per month than it did the previous year, according to Gomma.
Most recipients of aid are working families earning minimum wage, seniors with fixed incomes, immigrants or refugees who haven’t secured a job yet, or, increasingly, military families with a wage earner in Iraq, Gomma said.
Recently there has been another group of people that St. Francis House has not traditionally served: Moderate-wage earners saddled with medical bills. She has even served people who used to donate regularly or volunteer at St. Francis House; they are "shocked and upset … but grateful" to find themselves accessing aid, Gomma said.
Also, she said, in summer, large families need to supplement their food stocks until the children can eat at school.
St. Francis House is also the only place in Anchorage that people can get free furniture — an important need for formerly homeless folks, Gomma said.
Businesses that find themselves in financial difficulty can move into more lucrative fields, but the church doesn’t play by those rules.
Serving the poor and in-need is a main mission of Catholic Social Services because "by our faith, we are mandated to serve them," Sister Davenport said.
Archdiocese sells land once considered for new basilica
The Archdiocese of Anchorage has sold a parcel of land in midtown Anchorage that once was being considered as a site for a new basilica.
The archdiocese purchased the land, almost 13 acres located on the northwest corner of C Street and International Airport Road, in 2001. The big Anchorage development firm JL Properties bought the property from the archdiocese in a deal finalized late last month.
Archdiocesan officials declined to discuss how much the land was purchased for and how much was acquired in the sale, but chancellor and chief fiscal officer Sister Charlotte Davenport did say that "certainly there was an increase in the value of the land from the time we purchased it."
She also pointed out that "we don’t make profits in the nonprofit world," and that "almost all" of the money received for the land has already been dedicated to specific purposes aimed at furthering the mission of the local church.
Three local families donated money to the archdiocese so it could acquire the land.
The property was purchased explicitly as an investment, with no set purpose. Reselling it was an option from the beginning, but there was a significant amount of internal and public discussion about making the land the site of a new basilica, a large church that has historical or cultural significance.
The archbishops commissioned a statistical analysis, completed in March 2004, to determine the land’s "highest and best use."
Selling the land was determined to be the "highest and best use," according to a report based on the analysis.
"It is the finding of this investigation that the alternative that best meets the archdiocese’s goal of providing increased mission-related services is to take advantage of the current real estate market by selling the property and using the proceeds to directly pursue the mission objectives," the report says.
The study concluded that the basilica project was "not recommended given (that) the anticipated expenses associated with building the structure and site improvements will only be partially offset by the predicted income generated from the project."
The feasibility study also ruled out several other possible building projects, including new "support facilities" for Catholic Social Services, a Catholic high school, or a long-term care and assisted living center.
The donors who provided the funding to purchase the land in 2001 — Larry and Wilma Carr, Ed and Cathy Rasmuson, and Mary Louise Rasmuson, widow of Anchorage businessman Elmer Rasmuson — have been invited to "redirect" their donations to other church projects of their choosing.
The monies are being redirected to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Holy Family Cathedral, Holy Spirit Center, the Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Thought and Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage and to Our Lady of the Snows Mission Parish in Girdwood, according to Jim Caldarola, director of the archdiocese’s Office of Stewardship and Development.
The archdiocese is using the rest of the proceeds from the land sale to settle debts and fund reserves, according to Sister Davenport.
Some of the money will be used to pay off the loan the archdiocese obtained to meet the obligations of a legal settlement reached late last year with the Podvin family, two members of which were sexually abused 20 or more years ago by Msgr. Francis Murphy, a priest of the archdiocese.
"We said we wouldn’t take money for sex-abuse settlements from parish collections, and this is an avenue that allows us to do that," Sister Davenport said.
Proceeds will also be used to fund clergy education and faith formation programs in the parishes, to retire loans that were used for social outreach operations, to adequately fund self-insurance accounts and to pay down the line of credit that the archdiocese has needed for many years to meet monthly expenses, according to Sister Davenport.
Any remaining funds will be invested for future needs, she said.
South Anchorage Catholic school celebrates 25th anniversary
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in South Anchorage is celebrating a milestone this fall.
Next month marks 25 years since a group of parents moved surplus desks from public schools into the newly completed structure behind the parish on Huffman Road and launched a brand new Catholic school.
For parents, teachers and students alike, it’s been 25 years of faith-filled education.
Although tuition costs may limit the family vacation this year, "it’s money well spent," according to Kelley Mills, who has four kids enrolled at St. Elizabeth.
Mills, who jokes that her family has its own line item in the school budget, said "education based on faith" pays off when she sees her children inventing games about the nativity or first Communion.
Wanting "education based on faith" for their children is one of the main reasons parents have been sending their children to St. Elizabeth’s for 25 years.
"There’s a strong contingent of people who want their kids to have an education like they did," principal Jim Carden said, citing the school’s high number of Catholic-school-educated parents.
"I don’t think I’ve seen any place where parents can be and are as involved as they are here," added Carden, who has spent more than 30 years in teaching and school administration posts across Alaska. He became assistant principal at St. Elizabeth in 2003 and was named principal a year later.
Enthusiasm for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School seems to stem from a combination of quality education, pervasive spirituality and a sense of community engendered by the school’s small size.
"I never made a better decision in my whole life," Pat Kennish, the school’s former librarian and computer lab director, said of working at St. Elizabeth. "God led me there."
When Nancy Alzheimer and her husband, Dave, moved to Anchorage, they planned to put their daughter in public school.
"But after we visited (the public school) we were passing St. Elizabeth and Dave said, ‘Oh, let’s just take a look.’ And that was it."
All three Alzheimer daughters went through St. Elizabeth from 1985 to 1996, and Dave Alzheimer eventually became the school board president.
"Faith was part of the education, not compartmentalized," Nancy Alzheimer said. "It’s the only reason I would send a child to Catholic school."
Today, Lisa and Tony Orizotti share similar feelings about the education their three children receive at St. Elizabeth.
"Tony went to Catholic school in Montana," Lisa Orizotti said. "He wanted that faith exposure for the kids."
Orizotti, who has taught elementary school herself, praises both "the wonderful education" and the community experience.
"We feel it’s an addition to our family," she said.
"We’re comfortable with the family values of the other parents," added Tony Orizotti.
And Steven Orizotti, who will be entering fourth grade this fall, said the teachers "are fun to be with" and that he enjoys the chance to lector at the weekly school Mass.
Plus, he said, the school helps you "have good relationships with other people because Jesus brings us together."
The late Father Ernest Muellerleile was the school’s founding pastor, and the first principal was St. Joseph of Peace Sister Andrea Nenzel.
Other principals were Sister of Charity Patricia DeCosta, 1981-83; Mercy Sister Kathleen O’Hara, 1983-87; Dr. Mary Margaret Snyder, 1987-1993; Patricia Wagner, 1993-95; Jan Lipinski, 1995-96; John Fleming, 1996-2000; Jerry Balistreri, 2000-02; and Michael Murray, 2002-04.
The school was built with funds donated by the August F. Reetz Foundation. Augie Reetz was a well-known Anchorage businessman and civic leader, and when he died at age 44, his widow, Eileen Reetz Trimble, determined that his vision for Catholic education would be fulfilled. The foundation continues to support Catholic education throughout the archdiocese.
Without a mortgage, St. Elizabeth was able to maintain lower tuition rates than many other private schools in the area. When the school opened with grades kindergarten-4th in fall 1980, 110 students were enrolled. Class size was, and is still, limited to 25 students.
Eventually the school grew to a kindergarten-8th grade format, but in the late 1980s, the seventh and eighth grades were eliminated because of a lack of enrollment. Today, those classrooms are well used, with music, Spanish and a computer lab filling out the school. The parish multipurpose room is used for physical education.
All of St. Elizabeth’s current classroom teachers hold Alaska teaching certificates, and this year the school was granted full accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and of Colleges and Universities.
Once nearly full, the school’s enrollment took a dip a few years ago. Now it’s climbing again and is over 150 out of a potential 175. A good sign for the future, Carden said, is that there is now a waiting list for kindergarten.
Enrollment is open first of all to current student’s siblings and to parishioners, then to members of other Catholic parishes in town, and then to other members of the community.
The school plans a 25th anniversary gala dinner and night of remembrance Sept. 17 in the parish multipurpose room. For more information, call 345-3712.
World Youth Day: Pilgrim Reflections
Editor’s Note: Last month 147 youths, parents, clergy and other church workers traveled from points around the Anchorage Archdiocese 4,594 miles to Cologne, Germany, for World Youth Day, the premier Catholic youth event that happens in a major city every few years. In Germany the Alaskans visited religious sites in six different cities and towns, walked more than 100 miles, spent the night in a field with more than 1 million other pilgrims and got to see the book that St. Boniface was holding when he was martyred in the area 1,300 years ago. Of course, the group also saw and heard Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders in person, including their own Archbishop Roger Schwietz, who hiked and ate and rode the buses right along with them. Here are some reflections from a cross-section of the archdiocesan delegation, and pictures taken by Oblate Brother Craig Bonham, archdiocesan vocations director.
When I left for World Youth Day I had no idea what to expect. I had read Bob McMorrow’s "A Pilgrim’s Guide to World Youth Day," but I still did not know what exactly the celebration would include. The first week gave me a chance to get to know the other Alaskan pilgrims; I made many friends. At the kick-off celebration I was filled with a feeling of amazement the moment I walked through the stadium doors and saw 50,000 other youths celebrating and praising God. Seeing all those people unified in faith gave me a sense of community. Our first opportunity to see Pope Benedict XVI was during his arrival to Cologne. People who have seen the pope before say it is such a powerful experience and I was worried I would not feel it. However, the moment the popemobile came into view I knew what I was supposed to be feeling. That feeling of such awe and respect cannot be fully described; it can only be experienced. The vigil and the Mass with the pope are definitely my most memorable experiences from World Youth Day. Being in a sea of people who share the same faith is amazing. I plan on taking more people from my parish to World Youth Day 2008 in Australia because I want others to be able to experience what I did.
World Youth Day was one of the most eye-opening and spiritual awakenings I could ask for. This wonderful celebration made me realize that there are so many Catholics, and that we really are a unified church. The Mass with the Holy Father was the Mass that seemed to open my eyes as to how big of a celebration this really is, and made me realize how important it is to attend Mass. I also couldn’t have asked for better people to be on this trip, and I have made relationships that I know will always be there to help me on my way to find happiness in my faith.
I am certain that a real understanding of the impact of our Pilgrimage to Cologne Germany will not be fully apparent to any of us so soon after our return. However, I believe that no such journey, in the company of so many wonderful young Catholics, can fail to yield good fruit in each of our lives.
One event in particular stands out very clearly from our first catechetical site where our speaker was none other than Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect for the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The clarity of his instruction and the welcome response the young adults from many nations gave both to him and to his clear instructions regarding so many elements of Catholic life was very encouraging. I plainly hope that all those involved in the education of our young Catholics heard clearly his instruction and will recall that in all things we are to keep Christ at the center of our lives, particularly in every liturgical celebration of the Eucharistic, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
For, as Cardinal Arinze asked and answered:
Q: "What is better than Mass?"
A: "Another Mass!"
The pilgrimage in Germany was a meaningful experience where I learned more about myself and gained deeper understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Church. I discovered through the physical demands of the pilgrimage such as the endless walking to and from pilgrim sites that things are more easily accomplished when done in the name of faith.
Having met people from various parts of the world, I have come to appreciate the freedom of religion that we enjoy in the United States as compared to other countries where participation in religious services is discouraged or prohibited.
World Youth Day also showed me that the church is very much alive, as Jesus is alive in her. Seeing about a million young people who have bravely and joyfully "come to adore Him" despite all the issues and criticisms that the Catholic Church is facing gives me strength and inspiration to continue on with my faith.
I think the World Youth Day is in itself a message to the world that our church is still here, so full of hope, and that we are not about to give in to any adversity.
Reflecting back on World Youth Day, the foremost thought that comes to mind is how fortunate I am to be a part of this glorious church.
The history of the place stays with you. If you listen carefully, the echoes of the saints can be heard. It is not difficult to imagine Thomas Aquinas arguing with Albert the Great, or to see Boniface traveling through the same forests for the sake of the same Gospel.
I marveled at the glorious Cologne Cathedral that took over 630 years to build, wondering what the generations of people thought , knowing that it would never be completed in their lifetimes.
I arrived at the conclusion that man is at his best when working for the glory of God.
Dachau was a stark reminder of what happens when we forget that God is at the center of our existence. All that ails the world can be traced to forgetting where we belong in relation to the Almighty. John Paul II said, "Young people, you are my hope."
After celebrating Mass with over a million young people who were visibly in love with God and His church, and hearing the exhortations of the Holy Father, I have a great deal of hope that the 21st century will be reclaimed for Christ.
Before my pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2005, in Cologne, Germany, I had no idea how many teens are committed to the church.
When I attended the Alaska Catholic Youth Conference earlier this summer, where 600 teens participated, I felt this was a considerable number present. With over 1 million teens at the World Youth Day vigil it struck me: I am one person in this big picture of commitment to the church.
It is clear to me that we are the youth of today and if we are not interested or ready to be part of the church then there will be no church for tomorrow.
Pope John Paul II’s message to youth of the world: "You are the future of the church. You are the future of the world."
Although John Paul II was not physically present at this World Youth Day I could feel him present in spirit. His words were spoken to me through my pilgrimage at World Youth Day.
I challenge all Catholic teens to be involved with their church and to start youth activities. We as youth need to continue the dream of Pope John Paul II so the church will live forever.
We, as a group of pilgrims, and I, personally, gained a lot from our World Youth Day in Germany. We got to see many things most people will not be able to see their whole life. Friendships were made and in the end I believe we did not leave as a group but as a family.
Seeing the pope, the Black Madonna and having Mass with two cardinals is an experience I will not forget. Being on the move every day of the trip let us see many different cathedrals, churches and monasteries. It was like stepping into a different world, showing me a different side of the Catholic Church. It helped me put my faith in the wider perspective of the world.
Sleeping in a field of a million people was enlightening also. It was incredible to be around that many believers. Meeting people from all over the world was definitely one of the most memorable parts. Watching the pope go by while literally everyone around me went crazy brought life to the holy occasion.
Although it was hard to take the whole trip in at once, after being home for a while I have been able to think. I have learned of the importance of doing something bigger for my church and that there are many people who appreciate it. The first night I got home and I was lying in my own bed I felt a bit strange. After thinking about it I realized it was quiet for the first time in two weeks for me.
Even though the trip was a bit stressful and tiresome, I can’t wait for World Youth Day in Australia.
Singing Mass shows our reverence and solemnity
It has often been said of Roman Catholics that, in comparison to other religious bodies, they are reluctant to sing in church.
Indeed, some years ago a Catholic author, Thomas Day, wrote a book on that very topic: "Why Catholics Can’t Sing." We did not come out of those pages looking or sounding very good, unfortunately.
It is true that not all of us are very emotionally expressive when we pray our liturgy. Perhaps that is because we don’t like the way we sound, or, for so many centuries, other folks — choirs or soloists — did our singing for us.
But this is not true for the entire history of our church. For thousands of years the church has been singing, indeed, some would say, ever since the moment of resurrection of Christ.
The Vatican II document "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" tells us that our musical tradition "is of inestimable value, greater than any other art … because sacred song is closely bound to the (prayer) text" (no. 112).
We sing what we pray, or as St. Augustine put it so eloquently, "When we sing we pray twice."
"The General Instruction of the Roman Missal" also stresses the importance of song. It insists that when we sing we recognize ourselves all the better as a praying community. We do all this together, no matter how we may sound! We support one another with our voices.
There is always room for soloists, of course, but not when the assembly is singing in unison.
So, how do we know what to sing? There is a guideline for this called "progressive solemnity." This simply means that some parts of the Mass are more important than others and therefore they should be sung.
Which parts? First of all, the church tells us that the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia) and the acclamations within the Eucharistic prayer are most important because these parts of the Mass proclaim Christ’s presence in word and sacrament. These acclamations should be sung at every Mass (even on weekdays).
Ranking next in solemnity are two processional hymns: The gathering song and the Communion song. The gathering song helps to bond us as a community at the very beginning of the liturgy, and the Communion song helps us to recognize our union with Christ and with one another as we approach the altar.
Following next in solemnity is the responsorial psalm. It is a sung response to the words of Scriptures that have just been proclaimed. The psalm changes at each Mass to accommodate the accompanying Scripture passage. To simplify things, many communities choose to sing a seasonal hymn that accentuates the particular season of the liturgical year being celebrated.
Further down the list are so-called "ordinary chants," such as the Gloria, the Lord’s Prayer, the Lamb of God and the profession of faith. These may or may not be sung, depending on the solemnity of the Mass and the nature of the liturgical season.
Finally, there are supplementary songs or hymns that are sung at various times in the liturgy, such as during the preparation of the gifts, after Communion or as the assembly leaves the church. These are considered of lesser importance and may or may not be sung depending on the custom of the individual community.
Finally, it should be stressed that Catholics do not so much sing songs at Mass as they sing the Mass. What is of ultimate importance is that our singing gives voice to our desire to pray and worship our God as a community.
In all this, of course, we have the model of Jesus on the night of the Last Supper when he and his disciples sang a psalm as they left the upper room and made their way to the Mount of Olives.
News & Notes
Outside experts to speak at Alaska event
Three Outside experts will be the keynote speakers at the upcoming all-Alaska Discipleship Days event.
Paulist Father John Hurley’s talk is titled "Making and Sustaining Disciples for Mission," which is also the subtitle of the event itself. He served for eight years as executive director of the Secretariat for Evangelization in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, during which time he oversaw implementation of the bishops’ document, "Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States." He was recently appointed assistant to the president for strategic planning for his religious order, the Paulist Fathers. Father Hurley has a doctorate in ministry.
Daughter of Charity Sister Paule Freeburg has been a teacher in parishes and schools for many years and has written books about celebrating the liturgy with children. She traces her vocation with her religious order to her days as an undergraduate, when she was so impressed with the way a community of sisters worked with handicapped children that she became Catholic and later joined the Daughters of Charity. Sister Freeburg’s presentation at Discipleship Days is titled, "Who Witnessed the Resurrection?" She has a masters in theology.
The third keynote speaker is Conventual Franciscan Father Joseph Kruszynski, director of the Office of Evangelization for the Chicago Archdiocese. Father Kruszynski’s talk is entitled, "Spreading the Holy Fire," which is also the name of plan and study guide the priest developed for his archdiocese. The goal of the program is to create among Catholics an enthusiasm for their faith so that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others. Father Kruszynski also holds a doctorate in ministry.
Archbishop's Column
Pilgrimage to World Youth Day fostered change in all of us
When I arrived at "Das Mutter Haus," a former woman’s student residence turned into a hotel by the owner, Lutheran deaconesses, I found my World Youth Day backpack and registration already in my room.
There, among the many items given to the pilgrims, was a special gift to the bishops attending World Youth Day, given us by the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany. It was a small bronze casting of the Catholic Symbol of Cologne, the Three Wise Men (or Magi) with Mary and the Christ child. The inscription in Latin read: "We have come to adore him."
That image and inscription summed up for me the experience I had had over the previous week, in the days before the official start of World Youth Day in Cologne. Our Alaska contingent (and a group from Arlington, Wash.) had gone to Germany a week early in order to journey together through the beautiful towns and shrines of Bavaria in the southern part of the country.
So, although World Youth Day itself was just beginning, with the excitement of the opening Masses in Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf (where our group was staying), Pope Benedict’s arrival, the vigil and closing Mass all yet to come, I felt that the purpose of our pilgrimage had already been accomplished.
Our wonderful group of youths and adults had already pulled together through the joys and trials commonly experienced throughout the pilgrimage. We had prayed together, laughed and sang, suffered and perhaps shed a tear. We had gradually grown fond of one another and become a traveling community, journeying to Christ and learning to care for one another, just as the Magi must have done.
Those experiences in the week before World Youth Day continued for our group as the pilgrimage continued. Bonds that began forming the first week became stronger and richer in the second.
I was truly proud of our youths and adults as I lived these days of discovery with them. I was even more proud of Bob McMorrow and the other youth ministers who so carefully and generously planned for and carried out this pilgrimage experience. I am deeply grateful to all of you.
Commenting on the Magi, our spiritual companions throughout our pilgrimage, Pope Benedict XVI, remarked at the Saturday Vigil that their arrival at the place of the Christ child was just a beginning: "Outwardly, their journey was now over. They had reached their goal. But at this point a new journey began for them, an inner pilgrimage which changed their whole lives. This mental picture of the infant King they were expecting to find must have been very different."
Pope Benedict went on to reflect on the strange and difficult experiences that brought them eventually to the holy family. All of this gave them pause as they encountered the child-King. "They had to change their ideas about power, about God and about man, and in so doing, they also had to change themselves."
Perhaps this is the greatest gift of our pilgrimage to World Youth Day — that like with the Magi and our group, pilgrimage can foster change, which is the work of God’s grace.
In our shrine visits we encountered holy people, both great and ordinary. In Dachau we encountered the unspeakable evil that results from rejecting God’s truths and adhering to the relativism that powered the totalitarian regimes of the last century.
In the end, we encountered the Lord Jesus who, as Pope Benedict declared, "contrasts the noisy and ostentatious power of this world with the defenseless power of love."
May that same love continue to band together our little pilgrim community as well as all of us of the archdiocese.
Editorials
Church offers help for Katrina victims
The seriousness of the Hurricane Katrina disaster caught America off guard, just as the hurricane itself caught so many storm-experienced New Orleans residents off guard. But now America is gearing up for a massive relief effort, and the Catholic community should play a major role in it.
Parishes across the archdiocese have taken up special collections or will soon. All donations for hurricane relief efforts will be sent directly to Catholic Charities USA.
Catholic Charities is the member association for domestic diocesan social service agencies such as Catholic Social Services in Anchorage. The association is already helping with immediate needs such as food and temporary shelter. If past disaster responses are any indication, Catholic Charities will also provide longer-term assistance such as housing, counseling and job training.
If you missed the collection plate in your parish, you can donate to Catholic Charities directly or via the archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development. For more information go to www.catholiccharitiesusa.org or call (800)919-9338 or (907)297-7704.
AK Right to Life still trashing Catholics
Catholics who wandered down the wrong path at the Alaska State Fair discovered that Alaska Right to Life is still spewing deception about Providence Alaska Medical Center, the Anchorage Archdiocese, the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
Among the offerings at Alaska Right to Life’s booth at the fair were copies of a "special edition" of The Defender, the organization’s newsletter, that is dedicated entirely to smearing Catholics and hospital workers because Providence performs a medical procedure that Alaska Right to Life objects to.
An Anchor staffer who happened upon the booth struck up a conversation with a woman who identified herself as a member of the Alaska Right to Life board.
Did the woman know, our staffer asked, that Archbishop Roger Schwietz and the National Catholic Bioethics Center consider Providence’s policies on early induction of labor to be in compliance with Catholic moral guidelines?
The woman said she was "looking at the big picture" and didn’t "know the details." Then she added that it was her understanding that the Vatican had condemned the practices at Providence.
We would be shocked by such foolishness from a board member, but the Alaska Right to Life board has been the problem throughout this saga. They hatched and nearly implemented a plan to hijack a Catholic prayer service for the unborn, they produced the deceptive Defender, and they continue to act with such brazen ignorance despite having been informed numerous times of the moral reasoning behind the Catholic positions they are trashing. These folks are impervious to any ideas other than their own.
The board’s actions have already caused the state’s Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters to sever ties with Alaska Right to Life. We recommend that individual Catholics withhold support as well until the board ends this belligerent, bizarre campaign.
For background, go to www.catholicanchor.org and click the "Archives" tab, where we have posted a timeline of events, Anchor news and opinions, and a list of Catholic resources for more information.
Letters to the Editor
Editor’s Note: In March of this year, Archbishop Roger Schwietz announced through the Anchor and the archdiocesan Web site that he and the other Catholic bishops of Alaska had elected to promulgate common gestures and postures for the celebration of Mass in the state. The gestures and postures officially became the norm beginning in May.
With that announcement the Anchor kicked off a series of catechetical articles by Holy Cross Father LeRoy Clementich, a liturgy expert who coordinates rural ministry for the archdiocese and writes a Scripture column for the Anchor. Father Clementich’s 13-part series, which concludes in this issue of the Anchor (see page 15), was aimed at helping the clergy and laity of the archdiocese understand the reasons behind the liturgical adaptations.
The adaptations and Father Clementich’s articles sparked public debate in these pages, lively debate.
Now, six months after the archbishop’s announcement, we believe that readers have had ample time to thoroughly discuss the issue in the Anchor. For this reason, and because Father Clementich’s series has now concluded, we will cease publishing reader comments on this topic after the Sept. 23 Anchor. Letter deadline for the Sept. 23 issue is Sept. 14.
Pope’s excerpts need context
Father Clementich attempted to negate a reader who quoted from the popes’ book, "God is Near," concerning the private, personal nature of the Communion rite, by taking a few excerpts from the pope’s homily on May 29 (Readers Respond, Aug. 12). "The Eucharist, let us repeat, is a sacrament of unity," and, "[W]e can encounter Him only together with all others... ." These quotes were misused to justify Father’s position that Communion is not the communicant’s "private moment with God." These sound bites are taken out of context in the pope’s homily, which was intended to help "unite" Orthodox Christians with Roman Catholics, who both believe in transubstantiation. I encourage readers to go to the Vatican Web site (www.vatican.va) and read his May 29 homily during the Italian National Eucharistic Congress. I challenge the editor to reprint the homily of His Holiness so readers can make their own conclusions.
Eagle River
We had unity when we all knelt
The priests and bishops have said that we need to stand. But I believe even though I am 9 years old that we should kneel. Why? Because we had unity when we were kneeling. Now that they have said we need to stand there are people standing and kneeling and now it looks very odd! I think kneeling is more polite to God than standing. When you stand you are waiting for Communion to be put away; when you kneel you are praying. I think that standing is not a way to have unity. That is why we must kneel.
Anchorage
Please use logic in arguments
The "intelligent people" Peter Cannava cites (Readers Respond, Aug. 12) address issues with empirical evidence, logic and statements from authorities, including those in Scripture, not with ad hominem and straw man arguments. Instead of accusing me of seeing things in "black and white," how about some figures in black and white that prove handouts to the rich create more jobs in the U.S. than those outsourced, or that more money goes into jobs than into fattening CEO pay? Instead of accusing me of being certain Jesus agrees with me, how about pointing out where He says, "Whatever you do to the most of my people, you do to Me," or citing the ex-cathedra dogma that companies whose offshore addresses shelter them from taxes deserve your paycheck more than you do? Peter supports government help only for the "truly needy." Which mega-corporations and billionaires are "truly needy"?
Anchorage
Another special year at Lumen
Lockers slamming, the rustle of backpacks and students grumbling that summer went by too fast: The first day of school last month at Lumen Christi sounded much like other high schools, but all of the students and staff alike know that this year will be another very special one. One subject of great importance at Lumen has always been sports. Basketball, soccer and volleyball mainly, but there is growing interest in track and field and cross-country skiing. Lumen Christi is also expanding its class offerings to include biological forensics and art classes. I’m thinking of pursuing a career in science, so being able to apply what I learn in forensics is interesting but solving the mystery is also pretty fun. Lumen teaches a little bit more than your average "readin’, writin’, and ’rithmetic." Students can take biology, chemistry and physics, along with math selections from pre-algebra to calculus. There are also several English and history classes plus theology, which is required for all grades at our Catholic school. Additionally Lumen students attend Mass four times a week. I personally enjoy Mass; worshipping God is good and I don’t have any problem with His homework.
Anchorage
Corrections
In the Aug. 26 issue we misnamed the feast day on which Perpetual Adoration Sister Maria Martha Luciana Barba died. That day, Aug. 15, was the Solemnity of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
We mistakenly identified Peter Zografos, director of the archdiocese’s Office of Evangelization, as having a Ph.D. His doctorate is in ministry, which is abbreviated D.Min.