April 17, 2009 - Issue #8
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Traveling ethicist discusses how human life should end
How ought we to live as life draws to an end?
This question is never far from the mind of Father Tad Pacholczyk as he travels the country helping untangle the difficult choices that arise in the rapidly changing world of medical science.
As one of five medical ethicists at the renowned National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, Father Pacholczyk spends much of his life living out of a suitcase. He speaks at Catholic hospitals, universities, diocesan events and myriad other functions. As he travels, he tackles tough questions on how one can make medical decisions that are in harmony with Catholic teaching about the dignity of human life.
Last month, his work brought him to Alaska, where he spent several days discussing embryonic stem cells, in vitro fertilization and end-of-life ethics with priests of the Anchorage Archdiocese. On March 20, he also spoke about medical ethics with more than 200 people at a Theology and Brew gathering in an Anchorage restaurant. Additionally, he appeared on local radio and gave an interview to the Catholic Anchor.
“It turns out just about everybody is interested in these topics,” Father Pacholczyk told the Anchor.
As medical breakthroughs lead to more effective ways of extending and prolonging life, Father Pacholczyk’s presentations on end-of-life care are of particular interest to nurses, doctors and medical ethicists.
A number of medical professionals attended his presentation in Anchorage at the Snow Goose Restaurant, which focused primarily on difficulties that arise when people reach “the latter end of the human journey.”
This is the point when individuals and their loved ones face difficult choices about whether to have surgery, blood transfusions, feeding tubes, ventilators and other medical interventions which may extend life.
“There are many graces and blessings for those who are willing to struggle to make the right choices,” Father Pacholczyk told the Anchorage crowd.
On the flip side, he observed how the death of a loved one can also come back to haunt families when they do not believe they made the right decisions.
“This is a moment that we need to attend to and draw the graces that the Lord is offering during this time,” he said.
Deciding the type of medical care one should receive at the end of life is often a difficult process. The matter is increasingly complicated, however, by a growing moral confusion in the world generally, Father Pacholczyk said in an interview with the Anchor.
In particular, he spoke of the problem that arises as bioethicists abandon the religious and moral roots of their discipline.
“If you look at the history of bioethics, the whole field does have remarkable religious roots,” he told the Anchor. “They were basically religious men – Catholics and Protestant in particular – who were involved in founding the discipline.”
But the field has changed drastically over the past quarter century.
“Many of those who are in bioethics are now looking for other points of reference and they are trying to establish what is sometimes referred to as a secular bioethics — one which almost defines itself in contraposition to the traditional ethics and bioethics, which has been invoked when complex questions arise,” Father Pacholczyk explained. “That is a new phenomena in the last 15 to 20 years, but one sees that is becoming a stronger and stronger force.”
Ultimately, this shift has caused a certain arbitrariness, which winds up characterizing the entire field of bioethics, as society loses a common language about making ethical decisions, he said.
“This is a problem in society in general,” Father Pacholczyk added. “We see this loss of a common language and an overt attempt to exclude religion from the public square.”
Part of Father Pacholczyk’s ongoing work is to reaffirm a specifically Christian view of the human person, both body and soul. This perspective can then guide a person in making decisions about end-of-life care, either for themselves or loved ones who can no longer make decisions.
Father Pacholczyk emphasized that hospitals and medical care providers should strive to give a person as much personal autonomy as possible when it comes to making their own medical decisions. He cautioned, however, that in exercising personal autonomy, individuals should not fall into a “false notion of autonomy,” which holds that any decision is deemed good so long as it was made autonomously.
“It is not just a free for all,” Father Pacholczyk told the restaurant gathering. “We have real duties that must guide that decision making process.”
That duty includes an obligation “to preserve our life and to use it for the glory of God,” he said.
That being said, the duty to preserve life is not absolute.
“We may reject life-prolonging procedures that are insufficiently beneficial or excessively burdensome,” he explained.
In some cases, feeding tubes, surgeries and other forms of medical care and intervention might cause more harm than good, such as when a person can no longer digest food or when his health is so frail that additional surgeries might actually compromise their health even more than the underlying disease itself.
But refusing life-sustaining interventions ought never to be done with the intent of killing oneself or another, Father Pacholczyk clarified.
He gave the example that a person could not legitimately refuse a feeding tube in order to deliberately die of starvation or dehydration. Likewise, it would be immoral for a person to actively kill himself or others through euthanasia in order to avoid suffering or physical pain.
“We should die from the underlying sickness or pathology,” he said, not from the lack of care or reasonable intervention to address the sickness.
He noted, however, that Catholic teaching as found in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” does allow for care, which might ultimately cause a person’s death.
Pain medication, for example, may be given even when, as a side effect, it may lead to a person’s death, Father Pacholczyk explained, so long as the intent is to relieve pain and not to kill the person.
Learn more For more about Catholic teaching on end-of-life issues or other medical questions, visit the National Catholic Bioethics Center Web site at www.ncbcenter.org |
In other cases where patients experience suffering that cannot be alleviated, they should be “helped to appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering,” he said, again quoting the U.S. bishops’ document.
The idea that a person does not have the right to end his or her life might contradict increasingly popular notions that have given rise to state laws in Oregon and Washington in which people can legally kill themselves if they find their lives to be overly burdensome. That outlook, however, is contrary to Catholic teaching about the gift of human life, which often also includes suffering, Father Pacholczyk said.
Life can be burdensome, but that doesn’t mean we can intentionally shorten it, he added.
Father Pacholczyk also addressed the concern that some have in not wanting to burden loved ones.
“We all have a right to be burdens to each other at different stages of life,” he said.
As we get old we have to be willing to surrender to people, he said. “Each generation cares for the previous one.”
In navigating through end-of-life issues, Father Pacholczyk urged the Anchorage audience to utilize the U.S. bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Directives,” which he said provides a solid foundation for making medical decisions that are in harmony with Catholic teaching.
He also urged people to talk about these issues with their families and loved ones before death is imminent.
“Don’t get in the denial of death mode that is so prevalent in our culture,” he said. “Have a little courage.”
In discussing end-of-life options, Father Pacholczyk said it is a good idea to create an advanced directive, which explains the type of care one wants at the end of life, and to also choose a proxy who can serve as a decision maker in the event that one can no longer make decisions for oneself.
He said it is difficult to determine what kind of disease you will have five or ten years down the road or what the exact circumstances will be like.
“For this reason, one should not have just a living will,” he said. “Have someone you have chosen to be a surrogate.”
This would be a person who cares “deeply about the patient,” he said – someone who has their best medical and spiritual interests at heart.
In crafting a living will, he also cautioned against using the popular form, “The Five Wishes,” which he said oversimplifies end of life options. A better form is “A Catholic guide to end-of-life decisions,” which is available at the National Catholic Bioethics Center website.
Father Pacholczyk concluded his Anchorage talk by affirming the core reason why Christians should be concerned about end-of-life ethics.
“Dying well is so important because there is something that awaits us beyond the grave,” he said, “a life with God.”
A legacy of love
Departing religious sister spent 37 years serving Alaska
On a recent brisk spring day in Anchorage, volcanic ash threatened to fall on the city after another eruption from nearby Mount Redoubt.
Sister Kathleen O’Hara, a spiritual care provider at the assisted living facility Providence Horizon House, made sure that an elderly woman leaving the facility had her protective mask on.
It was a small gesture but the type that has characterized the spiritual and physical care that the religious sister has poured into the Anchorage Archdiocese for 37 years.
Everyone at Horizon House knows Sister O’Hara — the spirited, red-haired sister in the neatly pressed habit. For that matter, just about every Catholic in the Anchorage Archdiocese knows her, and when she boards a plane to return to the motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy in Albany, New York next month, she’ll carry with her the good wishes of many.
But she will also carry another intangible: a living history of a young archdiocese. Sister O’Hara is one of a handful of people left in Southcentral Alaska who have lived through the earliest days of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, founded in 1967.
The late Anchorage Archbishop Joseph Ryan persuaded the Sisters of Mercy to send some of their members north to the new archdiocese. Sister O’Hara arrived in 1972 and, like many post-Vatican II sisters, was highly educated and ready for anything.
With a degree in elementary education and master’s degrees in theology, counseling and education, Sister O’Hara quickly put her education to use in Alaska. She served as principal at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary School and founded the Family Life Office for the archdiocese, helping to introduce Marriage Encounter, Engaged Encounter, Natural Family Planning and other programs.
She has also served in numerous parishes and worked at the chancery offices.
But perhaps no position better exemplifies her skills than her work with the Joy Community — a group of physically and mentally challenged individuals — and her present position at the Horizon House facility.
Leading a recent tour of the facility, Sister O’Hara had a kind word and a little hug for everyone, staff included. As she led the way to the Alzheimer cottages, her brisk pace gave no indication that she has lived just as long as many of the residents and has been a member of the Mercy Order for 66 years.
Cheerful, energetic workers greeted Sister O’Hara with big smiles in the Alzheimer’s ward. The residents were more wary and obviously slightly confused but as she moved around a circle of seated ladies, greeting each one by name and taking their hands, eyes lit up with glimmers of recognition as wariness gave way to smiles.
“It’s good to wear my habit here because they recognize it,” Sister O’Hara confided as she headed towards the next stop, pointing out artwork along the way.
“It’s a great place to work. I get energized by working with the elderly,” she said. For years, she has also paid home visits, driving all over town to bring the Eucharist to the homebound.
As a young woman her parents hoped she would marry instead of entering the convent, but she told the Anchor several years ago, “I rebelled and entered.”
Sister O’Hara is not one to mince words. She has an Irish gift for a clever turn of phrase, and an honesty and forthrightness that have endeared her to many.
She also has a passion for the work of the church, especially as it relates to social justice efforts that are being carried out by programs like Catholic Social Services.
“It makes me want to be forty years younger,” she said.
Sister O’Hara concluded the Horizon House tour with a visit to the chapel, which she was instrumental in establishing. Clearly, it embodies her sense of faith – simplicity, a dedication to both Catholic tradition and ecumenical openness and an opportunity for silence and reflection.
For many years, Sister O’Hara did not want to leave Alaska, but now she is very peaceful about her return to the roots which nourished her years ago. Her close friends, Sister Patricia Collins and Sister Arlene Boyd, are back in Albany now, and with the completion of the Horizon House Chapel, she seems to sense that things have come full circle.
As she concluded the tour of Horizon House and led a visitor to the door, volunteers arrived to set up “Happy Hour” for the facility’s residents to enjoy a glass of wine and socialize. By the time the front door closed on her guest, Sister Kathleen O’Hara was back with her people, chatting with volunteers and continuing her ministry.
Chapel adds sacred space to assisted living facility
When retired Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley first visited Providence Horizon House, a pleasant assisted living facility in Anchorage operated by Providence Health Systems, he had only one complaint.
“A Catholic facility and no chapel?” the archbishop asked Mercy Sister Kathleen O’Hara, spiritual care associate at Horizon House. That was several years ago, said Sister O’Hara, and ever since then it was her dream to have a chapel for the residents and staff.
That dream came to fruition this year, when a simple but elegant 900 square foot chapel was completed.
“We wanted an inclusive space,” said Bill Goehring, business manager at St. Anthony Church in Anchorage, who served on the steering committee. “Everything is designed in a semi-circle fashion. Even the ambo and the altar have a curve to them.”
Goehring says the design speaks of “intimacy and warmth, a sense of sacredness.”
Indeed, everything about the chapel design conveys a sense of serenity. Wide windows look out in three directions behind the small altar. The second floor location means the view is mostly of trees and sky, particularly because a small city park is directly across the street.
Upholstered chairs are arranged so that there’s plenty of room for walkers and wheelchairs. This, and the windows, give an open, spacious feel to the small chapel.
On one wall, a plaque informs the visitor that the chapel is designed in the Catholic tradition. Around this plaque are five more, each one dedicated to one of the five major religious traditions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Sister O’Hara said the chapel was designed for staff as well as residents, and one of the employees, a Muslim, was thrilled when she saw the plaque and realized the chapel was for her also.
Episcopalians, Lutherans and Baptists have services in the chapel. Father Vince Blanco from Our Lady of Guadalupe offers Mass once a month there, and a lay minister from St. Anthony offers a prayer service with Holy Communion each Sunday.
Many of the residents are not members of a church, and Sister O’Hara is frequently called upon to conduct memorial services in the chapel for residents who die without a home church.
The simple chapel has a small round fountain for holy water. The tabernacle, newly completed, is in the shape of a globe. Local artist Cindy Shake created the tabernacle from inspiration given her by Sister O’Hara.
Taken from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, “Ecclesia de Eucharistia,” in which he speaks of the “cosmic character” of the Eucharist, the globe design is inspired by his words that the Eucharist is offered “on the altar of the world.”
The pope goes on to say that “the world which comes forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ.”
Shake said Sister O’Hara “had quite a vision of what she saw in this reading.”
The chapel came in at under a million dollars with the help of many private donors, including generous donations from Davis Construction who built the chapel. Providence Health System was the major donor.
Anchor honored by Alaska Press Club
The Catholic Anchor won three awards in the Alaska Press Club’s annual, statewide journalism contest that recognizes “journalistic excellence.”
For his “clear and engaging” writing, Anchor editor Joel Davidson placed third for the Suzan Nightingale Award for Best Columnist – a category judged by Samantha Bennett, president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
In the category of Best Crime or Court Reporting, Anchor assistant editor Patricia Coll Freeman won third for “Faith shapes lawyers’ professional work” – a profile of the Anchorage Archdiocese’s St. Thomas More Society. Chicago Tribune criminal justice reporter Steve Mills, who served as judge, said the story “goes beyond by-the-books reporting to give readers new insight into lawyers and the law.”
And in the category of Best Government or Political Reporting, Anchor contributor Sarah Anne Carter placed third for “Faith amid the war zone.” Category judge, University of Nebraska journalism professor and Denver Post reporter Carla Kimbrough lauded Carter’s piece for addressing issues “some general circulation papers avoid or rarely tackle.”
The Anchor competed in the Small Papers class, which includes 36 publications in the state plus reports from freelance writers. Winners of the 2009 awards were announced at the Alaska Press Club journalism conference banquet in Anchorage March 28.
St. Gianna: Working mom recognized as a saint in 2004
On April 28, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a mother and physician who, at the age of 39, sacrificed her life for her unborn daughter in 1962.
Gianna Francesca Beretta was born into a large family in Italy on October 4, 1922. As a girl, she generously embraced the gift of faith and, as a result, the Vatican’s News Services department explains, Gianna “experienced life as a marvelous gift from God, had a strong faith in Providence and was convinced of the necessity and effectiveness of prayer.” She was devoted to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, his Sacred Heart and his Blessed Mother.
In high school and at the university Gianna served in Catholic Action, a Catholic lay organization, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, where she cared for the elderly and poor.
After earning degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949, Gianna opened a clinic, specializing in pediatrics.
She considered working in the field of medicine, a mission to care for Christ himself.
She wrote, “Everyone works in the service of man. We doctors work directly on man himself...The great mystery of man is Jesus: ‘He who visits a sick person, helps me,’ Jesus said...Just as the priest can touch Jesus, so do we touch Jesus in the bodies of our patients...We have opportunities to do good that the priest doesn’t have. Our mission is not finished when medicines are no longer of use. We must bring the soul to God; our word has some authority...Catholic doctors are so necessary!”
To that end, Gianna sought to join her brother, a missionary priest in Brazil, where she hoped to offer her medical expertise in gynecology to poor women there. But certain chronic health problems of hers would make it impractical.
So Gianna continued practicing her mission of medicine in Italy, and she increased her charitable works. There, also, she would discern a vocation to marriage and enthusiastically dedicate herself “to forming a truly Christian family.”
In December 1954, Gianna married Pietro Molla and the couple was blessed with five children, including two who died in miscarriage. According to the Vatican, with “simplicity and equilibrium,” Gianna “harmonized the demands of mother, wife, doctor and her passion for life” – which expressed itself in interests like downhill skiing, fashion and hiking.
In 1961, Gianna and Pietro were happily expecting another baby. But towards the end of the second month of pregnancy, a fibroma tumor was discovered on Gianna’s uterus.
Gianna’s doctors presented three choices – an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children; a complete hysterectomy, which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child’s life and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications.
Wanting to preserve her child’s life, she opted for the removal of the fibroma. Before the operation, and conscious of the risk that her continued pregnancy brought, Gianna pleaded with the surgeon to save the life of her unborn baby and entrusted herself to Providence. She wrote, “Yes, I have prayed so much in these days. With faith and hope I have entrusted myself to the Lord…I trust in God, yes; but now it is up to me to fulfill my duty as a mother. I renew to the Lord the offer of my life. I am ready for everything, to save my baby.”
The operation was a success; her baby was saved.
Across the next seven months, Gianna prayed and performed her works as mother and doctor. But ahead, Gianna expected a difficult delivery.
That in mind, she instructed her family: “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child — I insist on it. Save him.”
On April 21, 1962 – Holy Saturday that year – her precious child was delivered via Caesarean section. The baby girl was named Gianna Emanuela.
But Gianna herself was experiencing terrible pain – and it continued. Despite all efforts and treatments to save her, on the morning of April 28, and after repeated exclamations of “Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you,” Gianna succumbed to septic peritonitis.
In 1973, Pope Paul VI described Gianna as “a young mother from the diocese of Milan, who, to give life to her daughter, sacrificed her own, with conscious immolation” – mirroring the “conscious immolation” of Christ on Calvary and in the Eucharist.
Pope John Paul II beatified Gianna on April 24, 1994 – during the international Year of the Family.
A few years later, in 2000, an expectant mother sought Blessed Gianna’s heavenly help. In the third month of gestation, the mother lost all the amniotic fluid in her womb and was told by doctors that the baby’s chance of surviving the pregnancy was “nil.” However, she prayed for Blessed Gianna’s intercession and the baby survived.
As a result of that miracle, on May 16, 2004 – in the presence of Gianna’s husband Pietro and their last daughter, Gianna Emanuela – who is now a physician, like her mother – Pope John Paul II canonized Gianna a saint. In his homily at the canonization Mass, the pope called St. Gianna “a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love.”
“Above all,” said Pietro Molla, “I remember her total trust in Providence and her full and perfect joy at the birth of each child.
St. Gianna is a patron saint for mothers, physicians and unborn children.”
-Sources: “Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962)” (vatican.va), “St. Gianna (Beretta) Molla” (priestsforlife.org), “Saint Gianna Beretta Molla” (catholiconline.org), “Love is a Choice” (DVD) (saltandlighttv.org), “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love - Book Reviews” (catholicaction.org)
News and Notes
Archbishop’s Calendar Apr. 13-17, Confirmations, Minneapolis and St. Paul Apr. 18-19, Meeting of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Denver Apr. 21, 10 a.m., Safe environment training, Chancery Apr. 23, 2 p.m., Mass, The Den, Student Union Building, UAA Apr. 23, 5:30 p.m., Farewell party for Sister Kathleen O’Hara, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Apr. 24-25, Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meeting, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Apr. 25, 5:30 p.m., Mass and confirmations, St. Andrew Church, Eagle River Apr. 26, 11 a.m., Mass and confirmations, Sacred Heart Church, Wasilla Apr. 27, 7 p.m., Mass and confirmations, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church Apr. 28, 7 p.m., Mass and confirmations, St. Benedict Church Apr. 30, 6 p.m., Crozier Society Mass and reception, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted. Community Calendar Apr. 17, 7:30 p.m., Theology and Brew talk on Jesus of Nazareth, Sal’s Diner, Soldotna Apr. 18, 12 p.m., Mass of Anointing for elderly and infirm, Holy Family Cathedral Apr. 18, 5:30 p.m., Native Mass and potluck, St. Anthony Church Apr. 19, 2:30 p.m., Divine Mercy Sunday prayer service, Holy Cross Church (Lake Otis and Lore) Apr. 23, 7 p.m., Lumen Christi High School “Science Night” open house, Lumen Christi H.S. May 7, 7 p.m., Lumen Christi High School “Parent Mixer” open house, Lumen Christi H.S. May 10, 5:30 p.m., Young adults Mass and social, Holy Family Cathedral Note: Events are in Anchorage unless noted. |
Mass for infirm
Holy Family Cathedral will celebrate a Mass of Anointing for the elderly and those with chronic or long-term illness on April 18 at noon. A lunch will follow in the parish hall. An elevator is available with the entrance on the H Street side of the church. For more information, call 276-3455.
Stillborn birth certificates approved
On April 8 – by a vote of 18-1 – the Alaska State Senate passed HB 2, a bill to allow the state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics to offer parents certificates of birth for children stillborn after 20 weeks of gestation (5 months). In a press statement, sponsor Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, said that a stillborn birth certificate helps recognize that a life was lost and provides parents a ‘measure of closure.” The House passed the bill on March 23. Now it moves to Gov. Sarah Palin for her signature into law.
Senators split on conscience rights
On April 2, the U.S. Senate rejected an amendment to recognize the conscience rights of medical workers who choose not to perform abortion. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R) of Oklahoma, aimed to “protect the freedom of conscience for patients and the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions.” It was defeated by a vote of 41-56. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski voted “yes” on the amendment. Newly elected Democratic Sen. Mark Begich voted “no.”
Divine Mercy Sunday April 19
A public Divine Mercy Sunday service is set for April 19, 2:30-4:30 p.m., at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage (Lake Otis and Lore). According to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the feast of mercy is “a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that mankind will experience in the years to come.” Divine Mercy services include recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet and litany as well as an opportunity for confession. For more information, visit divinemercysunday.com or contact Holy Cross Church at 349-8388.
Workshop for laity
The “Called and Gifted” workshop will take place at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church May 1-2. The free conference, hosted by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Andrew of Eagle River, aims to “equip Catholics to be lay apostles for their mission to the world.” For more information and to register, contact Marcia at 694-2170 x207 or marcia@aksaintandrews.org, or Effie at 644-9734 or effie@akseas.net.
Prayers for unborn
For the upcoming multinational “One Million Rosaries for Unborn Babies” campaign, the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters of the Americas are urging prayers May 1-3 for the end to abortion. To participate, a person should pray at least one rosary for the campaign’s intention during the period. May 1 is particularly intended for students to pray the rosary at school, and on May 3, the faithful are encouraged to pray the rosary before or after Masses in their parishes. To register, visit SaintMichaelTheArchangelOrganization.org.
Alaskans hit hard by STDs
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to infect thousands of Alaskans, particularly Alaska Natives. According to two new reports by the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the chlamydia infection rate among Alaska Natives was six times higher than for white Alaskans in 2008. For Alaska Natives, there were 2,018 cases per 100,000 people; for white Alaskans, there were 322 cases per 100,000.
Young women ages 15 to 24 have the highest rate of chlamydia infection. In women, chlamydia can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 19 million new sexually transmitted infections are reported every year in the United States. From 2000 through 2007, the most recent years for which national ranking data are available, Alaska has had the first– or second–highest chlamydia infection rate nationwide.
School enrollment underway
Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage is enrolling 7th - 12th-grade students for the 2009-2010 school year. Lumen Christi is a Catholic school of the Anchorage Archdiocese. On May 7, from 7 – 8:30 p.m., families are invited to a reception and tour of Lumen Christi. There will be opportunities to talk with parents of current students and activities for prospective students. For more information, call Rhonda at 245-9231. Lumen Christi is located off of Jewel Lake Road, directly behind St. Benedict Church.
NFP instructors’ course nears
A certification program for the Billings Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning will be held May 15-18. The program will recertify current teachers and begin the process those wanting to become teachers. There are 19 CEUs offered for this training. For more information, call Pam Albrecht at 333-8843 or Rachael Fogal at 770-0444.
Fairbanks Diocese to sell assets
The Diocese of Fairbanks has filed a plan for reorganization with the federal Bankruptcy Court after declaring bankruptcy last year. The diocese declared bankruptcy in February 2008 after negotiations failed to settle a number of sexual abuse claims that alleged misconduct by certain priests and church volunteers between the 1950s and early 1980s. The diocese’s bankruptcy plan proposes to mortgage or sell a number of assets – as well as raise funds from donors – to pay claimants and cover the costs of reorganization. The assets to be sold include the chancery, the Kobuk Center, a resident and conference site, a diocesan airplane hangar and several aircraft. In an April 2 press statement, Fairbanks Bishop Donald Kettler said, “We are looking forward towards reconciliation and healing,” adding, “I remain hopeful that we are on the road to closing one chapter on a sad part of our past.”
When the diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2008, about 150 abuse claims had been levied against it. Since then, the number of claims has nearly doubled, to about 300.
Youth Conference set for June
The Alaska Catholic Youth Conference (ACYC) is scheduled for June 1-4 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. The conference includes liturgies, opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation, service projects, a concert, workshops with local and national speakers and social activities. It opens with Mass on Jun. 1 with all four of Alaska’s bishops. Under this year’s theme, “Many Faces, One Alaskan Church,” the conference will address the “challenges that face us as a diverse church with many cultural and geographical differences” – while inspiring the attendees’ faith and commitment “to live as God’s disciples in their parishes and communities.” High school teens, young adults, parents, pastoral administrators and parish staff members are invited. For more, visit archdioceseofanchorage.org or contact Matthew Beck at 745-3229 x12.
Parental involvement bill moves on
A bill requiring abortionists in Alaska to inform and receive consent from a parent before performing an abortion on a minor girl passed the Alaska state House April 2 – by a vote of 22-14. According to the bill, sponsored by Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, a physician referring an underage girl for an abortion or the abortionist himself must notify and receive consent from one parent, a legal guardian or custodian before the abortion may take place. In cases where a girl is experiencing “physical, sexual or a pattern of emotional abuse” at home, a court could bypass notifying a parent. Currently, laws requiring parental notice and/or consent for a minor girl’s abortion are in effect in 29 states. The Alaska bill – which has the support of Gov. Sarah Palin – now goes to the state Senate for consideration. The legislative session ends April 19.
Stop sex trafficking
A conference titled, “Stop Sex Trafficking in the Last Frontier — A Community Awareness Workshop” will be held April 18, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at Lutheran Church of Hope, 1847 W. Northern Lights Blvd. The event is hosted by the ecumenical group Church Women United. Registration is $15. For more information, contact Linda Heim at 345-0204 or lindaheim@att.net.
Columns
Help needed in the journey between conception and natural death
The average human life span in the United States is 77.8 years. As Catholics we are called upon to cherish human life from conception through natural death — this deep respect for the sanctity of human life is often the focus of our passion and activism.
Efforts to protect life at the beginning and the end should be applauded, but let’s not forget the years in-between — the journey.
One of best known tenets of our faith is “Life and Dignity of the Human Person.”
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the fundamental principle of our social teaching. We believe that every person is precious. We believe that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
How is this key pillar of our faith lived out in the Archdiocese of Anchorage?
I am deeply grateful that state and federal agencies in partnership with non-profit organizations throughout our diocese are trying to meet the variety of needs that individuals face through bus tokens, food pantries, legal aid clinics and homeless shelters. I am also deeply grateful for the work of the Office of Children’s Services, the police departments, Adult Protective Services, Social Security Administration, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and the Veterans Administration to name just a few.
As Catholics we should be especially proud of one of the largest social service agencies in the state — Catholic Social Services (CSS). Catholic Social Services provides critically needed services in a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor. Our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
In 2008, Alaska had 2,116 children living in foster homes. That is 2,116 children who experienced trauma so severe that they had to be removed from their parents and guardians. Please remember these children in your prayers, and prayerfully consider if God is calling you to open your home to one of these children.
The state has a chronic shortage of foster homes. CSS operates two foster homes — McAuley Manor for girls and Charlie Elder House for boys. Five teenagers are served in each of these homes, which are staffed with residential coaching parents who provide structure, stability and warmth to these youths.
Another way that Catholic Social Services is addressing the foster care issue is by conducting home-studies, required by the state for people who are seeking to adopt foster children under the Special Needs Adoption program. CSS holds the contract for home-studies for Anchorage, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Each year, approximately 500 kids move from temporary foster placements to permanent homes through adoption because of the home-study work performed by CSS.
All people are created in God’s image with wide variations of individual abilities. As Catholics it is imperative that we practice the principle of inclusion when engaging people who have physical and developmental disabilities. Catholic Social Services provides care for individuals who experience physical and developmental disabilities and offers a support system for their families. Trained providers care for clients in their homes and out in the community.
Many of our parishes have reached out to support the work of the CSS Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services. This work is of critical importance.
Pope John Paul II said “The Church hears the suffering cry of all who are uprooted from their own land, of families forcefully separated, of those who, in the rapid changes of our day, are unable to find a stable home anywhere. She senses the anguish of those without rights, without any security, at the mercy of every kind of exploitation, and she supports them in their unhappiness.”
Catholic Social Services provides a bridge for refugees from their former life experiences to the new skills required for success in the United States, and it assists clients in obtaining a lifestyle that has sustainable financial support, and in which the family’s basic needs are fully met on a long-term basis.
Catholic Social Services serves more than 16,000 people a year and is best known for fighting hunger and homelessness. In fact, 12 percent of the population of Anchorage visits the food pantry at St. Francis House, and we anticipated this number only rising during these strained economic times.
Our social service ministry through Catholic Social Services will remain active and strong with your passion, activism and support. Continue to help the individual along the journey from conception to natural death.
The writer is Archbishop of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Dinner, wine and conversation with Jesus
It may seem odd, but it has been my experience that some of the best and worst experiences in life too often happen when you are sitting face to face across the table from someone or several people.
What may start out with a glass of wine or two and some pleasant conversation ends up with people yelling at each other or getting into a heated argument over some political or ecclesiastical issue. One or another eventually get up from the table and storms out of the house. The menu of prime rib, asparagus and apple pie is down the drain.
Ah, what a tragedy! It shouldn’t happen that way but it often does in the very setting and situation that should bring folks together.
Eating together at the same table has the power to open up some of the finest experiences one can imagine: Bread, wine and good conversation — what could be better? Eating and what goes with it can be a setting for so many other positive human experiences. Ah, but as we said, it sometimes falls apart.
I’m thinking about all this because if you have been following the Gospels for these last few Sundays after Easter you will have noticed that on many occasions the disciples recognize Jesus in “the breaking of the bread”…table experiences. It all began at the Last Supper, of course, where Jesus’ friends got some inkling of what was to come. It was also at table that they learned something about being a servant.
The Scriptures: Acts 3:13-15,17-19 John 2:2-5A Luke 24:2-48 |
All of this goes back to the many instances in Jesus public life when he sat at table with friends and “enemies” and conversed, argued, took positions, laughed
Now, get this: All these events didn’t just happen on a street corner somewhere. They happened where people were constrained to eat together, to listen to each other, to get along with each other, to learn something they might not have known before.
I am led to draw from all this that in Jesus’ life and career table-events were not simply coincidental. I think Jesus chose this venue (table talk) precisely because there is something transcendent about eating and talking; something happens there that does not happen in other, more ordinary circumstances.
It occurs to me also that Jesus may have learned this habit of table manners from his parents because he used it to his best advantage later in his public life. He loved eating, drinking and conversing. Incidentally, something good and positive came out of those occasions.
And here we are yet today, my friends, usually taking a meal with family or friends at least twice each day. What can come of it? Do we stick our head in our plate or in the New York Times and say nothing or do we look at each other and listen to each other in order to get some sense of the meaning of God’s world today? The option is right in front of us.
Oh, by the way, like those two disciples who ate with Jesus at the roadhouse in Emmaus, we too have the invitation every Sunday to come and sit at table with Jesus and be nourished with word and Eucharist. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone in the car on the way home would say: Wow, wasn’t that some meal? Interesting, isn’t it, how some seemingly simple events can just knock your socks off?
The writer formerly served the Anchorage Archdiocese as director of pastoral education. He now lives in Notre Dame, In.
Defining the American Dream
How do you define “the American Dream”?
The April issue of Vanity Fair magazine has a thought-provoking article about that concept, a term that wasn’t even articulated until 1931, when an historian named James Truslow Adams used it in his book, “The Epic of America.”
Adams’ purpose in writing the book, according to writer David Kamp, was to describe what made Americans unique. The American Dream has morphed throughout our history, but it has its roots in the egalitarian concepts of our Founding Fathers.
If I had answered this question — what’s the American Dream? — before reading the article, I’d have said the American Dream is about kids growing up in America to become anything they want, given their natural gifts and hard work. That’s idealized, I know, but I think it captures the dream. This year we applauded ourselves for electing a black man president, and giving a woman a good shot at it for the first time.
So equality and opportunity are still part of our dream, but after reading the article, I find that maybe our dream has veered, sadly, towards something else in the last few decades.
Maybe now we dream most, not about a comfortable life and educational opportunities for our kids, but having a bigger house than the Jones’ and getting our kid into a better school than that Jones kid. Mostly, we dream about more money and the stuff we can get with it.
Wanting to make money isn’t new to Americans. The dream, says Kamp, was identified by Adams as always being about lives being “richer and fuller” — and by richer, he meant materially, too. Who can forget the cattle barons, the oil barons, the castle-like mansions at Newport? We’ve never been a nation full of abstemious monks.
On the other hand, most Americans didn’t feel that somehow, no matter how much money they had, they always needed to have more. Money wasn’t always a god to the ordinary American. He might have to work long hours to put food on the table, but the pursuit of extravagant wealth did not keep him away from his or her family for sixty plus hours a week — until lately. And the credit card, now frighteningly overused, is a fairly new invention.
Picture the homes in a typical current TV show – maybe “Desperate Housewives.” Now remember the bleak New York apartment where Jackie Gleason lived in “The Honeymooners.” (If you’re young, maybe you’ve seen the reruns.) Can you see how our self-visualization has changed?
It’s ironic — and revealing of our current economy — that an article deploring our materialistic culture would appear in a magazine like Vanity Fair, which dedicates its first several pages to rich, glossy photos of vapid young models advertising Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Dolce Gabbana, products most of the readers aspire to but can barely afford.
It’s a sign of the times. The same issue devotes a lot of ink to Bernie Madoff. People are rethinking the pursuit of wealth, the kind of country where our best and brightest graduates go into “investment” rather than teaching or ministry or public service.
Like all important questions, materialism is at heart a spiritual question. “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” said Jesus, who spoke often about possessions and wealth.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field…” Jesus’ use of the word treasure challenges us.
Jesus also said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his very soul?” and that’s a good question to ponder in recessionary America.
The writer is a stewardship and hospitality coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage.
Unequal treatment — Eagle eggs and human embryos
A — First of all, the church is not opposed to all stem cell research. There is much promising research being done on pluripotent adult stem cells as well as those acquired from umbilical cords and such. There are literally dozens of diseases such as leukemia and other blood diseases, which are currently being treated using adult stem cells. In addition there are many injuries, including spinal cord injuries and heart muscles damaged in heart attacks, for which very promising research is being done.
The one type of stem cell research which the church opposes is that which is done using human embryos. These are human beings in their earliest stages of development. As a former embryo myself, I have very strong feelings on the matter and so should you. We are never allowed to use an evil means to a good end. No matter how much perceived good may be gained (and so far, embryonic stem has proven more problematic than promising), one is never allowed to exploit fellow human beings and kill them for purposes of medical research.
The horror of the exploitative medical research in Nazi Germany on gypsies and Jews is well documented. In effect, by saying that these little human embryos’ only value to society is that they be used for medical research and destroyed in the process, we are exploiting an entire class of people who have no voice.
There is also, I think, a more sinister agenda at work here, which reflects the larger culture of death in our country. Namely, if these little humans are given legal rights at the embryonic stage of development, then it would necessarily follow that all unborn children should be accorded the same rights. The result would be that our legal system would come under great pressure to give them the same protections under the law. This does not fit the social agenda of certain elements of society.
Laws are powerful things that help to shape our culture. Here is an interesting fact to give some perspective. In 1940, the U.S. Congress passed the “Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act” (16 U.S.C. 668-668c). It specifically prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from “taking” bald eagles, including their parts, nests, or eggs. A violation of the Act can result in a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for organizations), imprisonment for one year, or both, for a first offense. Penalties increase substantially for additional offenses, and a second violation of this Act is a felony.
It is distressing to note than an unborn eagle has more legal rights in our society than an unborn human. It certainly gives one pause.
The writer is pastor at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River and a lifelong Alaskan. To send Father Leo Walsh a question, e-mail him at lwalsh@caa-ak.org.
A journalist of abiding and joyful faith
When Bill Tobin died on April 5, the Archdiocese of Anchorage lost a humble and inspiring Catholic layman — a man whose eyes twinkled with a mix of curiosity, wit and a deep love of God and neighbor.
For the past two years, Tobin served the Catholic Anchor, first as an advisory board member and then as an associate editor. During that time, he drew upon more than six decades of journalistic experience in offering encouragement, insight and suggestions to improve upon the archdiocesan newspaper.
His 17 years working for the Associated Press and 45 years as editor of the Anchorage Times put him in an elite category among Alaskan journalists.
His passion for stories and an insatiable desire for local news have been reflected in the expanded News & Notes sections of the Anchor, as well as our efforts to strive to reserve the entire front page for local stories.
But Tobin leaves other marks on this archdiocesan paper.
Outside of the official advisory board meetings, he would also take time to send emails, call and go out for lunch to discuss local Catholic news, while offering journalistic pearls to an editor that was more than two generations his junior. He knew well the joys and stresses that come from editing a paper. But he also knew how to keep things in perspective so as to prohibit the weight of life from stamping out the spring in his step.
He was a strong advocate for local columnists and articles that help area Catholics understand the history, significance and real-world application of their great faith.
As his battle with cancer came to an end these last few weeks, Tobin drew upon his faith to the end. He will be missed — both as a wise recorder of our times and as a man of abiding and joyful faith.
-Joel Davidson, editor
New Juneau bishop is blessing for Alaska
Earlier this month, Alaskan Catholics welcomed Bishop Edward Burns as the newest bishop of the Juneau Diocese. This is great news.
For our Catholic brothers and sisters in Southeast, they once again have a fulltime shepherd, who can lead and inspire them in the faith. For the past year, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz generously took on added responsibilities to serve as apostolic administrator of the Juneau Diocese, while the Holy See found a replacement for former Juneau Bishop Michael Warfel. Bishop Warfel was named bishop of Great Falls-Billings, Montana in January 2008.
As for Catholics across the state, the arrival of the 51-year-old Bishop Burns is encouraging because he is yet another Alaskan bishop who will be a strong and creative advocate for fostering a culture of vocations. As former executive director of the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation at the U.S. bishop’s conference, Bishop Burns brings a combination of passion and insight into helping reinvigorate the call to the priesthood. During his time working for the U.S. bishops, he oversaw the popular “Fishers of Men” project that now helps dioceses — including the Anchorage Archdiocese — create an environment in which young men can test whether they have a call to the priesthood.
On April 2 in Juneau, Archbishop Schwietz handed the crosier (bishop’s staff) to Bishop Burns as a sign of his new office. In the months ahead, they will work together as members of the Alaska Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with Fairbanks Bishop Donald Kettler and Anchorage Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley. There is much to look forward to as these shepherds pool their gifts for the Catholics of Alaska.
-Joel Davidson, editor
Letters to the Editor
Calls for justice must include unborn
I read with interest the various articles in the April 3 issue in which Catholic community leaders lamented Governor Palin’s decision not to accept federal stimulus funds which could fund local charities and outreach endeavors, and asked readers to contact their legislators. It grievously saddens me to find Catholics forgetting our most vulnerable of all — the unborn — who, thanks to so many elected officials, including our president and congressional majority, now face an even greater risk of abortion. Where are (and were) the voices of Catholics to cry out for protection of these unborn children? Why have these precious unborn babies been forgotten by us? We Catholics know that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most powerful form of prayer, so why is the safety of the unborn and the conversion of the hearts of all those who legislate for, and participate in, their murder, not prayed for from the pulpit and/or altar at each and every Mass? It is a hidden holocaust, and we should be ashamed of ourselves for this neglect! We loudly protest that more needs to be done for the poor and hungry and our various social programs, yet we turn a blind eye to the slaughter of the innocents in the womb who have no “voice” but ours.
Pope John Paul II said it best: “A nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope.” Perhaps it is time we all took his words to heart and acted accordingly.
-Pam Brennan, Anchorage
Obama a good choice for Notre Dame
I read the article, “Despite protest, Notre Dame keeps Obama as graduation speaker,” in the April 3 Catholic Anchor, which reports the opposition to President Obama being the commencement speaker at Notre Dame University.
It concerns me that there would be such opposition to the president based on a very narrow focus on the president’s positions, i.e. those in support of legal abortion and embryonic stem cell research. The president holds many other positions and values that are in support of life and in support of assisting the poor; i.e. health care reform, education reform, and immigration reform, among others. I am totally in support of Father Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University, and his decision to invite President Obama as a commencement speaker.
-Vivian Finlay, Wasilla
Updated policy on Letters to the Editor
The Catholic Anchor welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 300 words and include the writer’s full name and city of residence. For verification purposes only, we also need contact information for each letter writer, which will not be published. Letters should not disparage the character of any individual but rather stick to the issues at hand and refer to articles, letters and opinion pieces that have been published in the Catholic Anchor. Letters may not endorse a specific political candidate or political party. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. The Anchor does not publish letters that directly challenge clear and established church teaching.