As we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January, right after the feast of the Epiphany, we began Vocation Awareness Week throughout the dioceses of this country. The occasion marks ways in which members of the Catholic Church are encouraged to consider a call to service in ministry either in ordained or consecrated life. This week serves as an encouragement for us here in the Anchorage Archdiocese to renew our efforts at creating a vocation friendly atmosphere within our parishes and our families.
Another very concrete encouragement regarding our vocation efforts took place during Christmas week when all four of our seminarians who are preparing for priestly service in our archdiocese were present in Anchorage and assisted me at Mass several times. more…
JUNEAU — An expansion of school choice programs available to Alaskans is one step closer to becoming a reality, but a 4-3 vote by the House Education Committee this week and concerns raised by legislators suggest the road ahead for the bill could be rough.
Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, envisions in HB145 a program that would give state funded “scholarships” for students to attend private or religious schools.
For the first time in many years, the Anchorage Archdiocese is experiencing a boomlet in seminarians as four young men prepare for the priesthood. This is a welcome development for a diocese with one of the smallest Catholic populations in the nation, and one which has produced only one priest in the past nine years.
If all goes according to schedule, the archdiocese will have a new priest next year, another in 2015 and two more shortly thereafter.
Throughout the holidays, the four seminarians offered what Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz called a “special gift” by traveling to Alaska and assisting him with liturgies, including serving during the Christmas Midnight Mass at Holy Family Cathedral.
The new crop of seminarians comes in the wake of vocational outreach efforts by Archbishop Schwietz, who has worked with local priests to host frequent vocation dinners for both men and women discerning calls to religious life. About 20 men attended the most recent vocation dinner in Anchorage on Dec. 28 in which all four seminarians spoke about their spiritual journeys. more…
The 16th annual World Day for Consecrated Life will be observed in parishes in the United States across February 4 and 5. The annual celebration was established by Pope John Paul II in 1997, to be marked each year on February 2, the Feast of the Presentation.
The U.S. bishops voted to observe the occasion on the weekend following the feast, to highlight men and women religious during weekend Mass celebrations and to enable expressions of appreciation for the service of those who have chosen the consecrated life, as well as to pray for an increase of vocations.
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations (CCLV), heralded the role of religious.
“Many consecrated men and women share Christ’s light and love through their work in parish or diocesan ministries, education, health care, social services, spiritual direction and prayer,” he said. more…
The next first Saturday morning of reflection for women is Saturday, Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at St. Patrick Church. There will be a rosary, Mass, confession, a talk, time for reflection and light lunch. Father Dan Hebert will be celebrant. For more information and to register, call Kathy at 332-2335.
Friday, Feb. 3 to Sunday, Feb. 5, Catholic Social Services will host its adoption workshop, which provides information on the adoption process and helps prospective mothers and fathers clarify their views on adoption and parenting. There will be opportunities to talk to adoptive and birth families, adopted persons and an adoption attorney. The workshop is a requirement for those intending to adopt through the CSS Infant Adoption Program. The cost is $400 per couple. Workshop materials, lunch and snacks are included. Registration will open Tuesday, Jan. 3. For information, contact Sarah Blanning at 222-7373 or sblanning@cssalaska.org.
The Catholic Anchor is the official newspaper and news website of the Archdiocese of Anchorage. It publishes each month and is mailed directly to every Catholic home in the archdiocese for free. Total circulation is around 11,500.
The mission of the paper is to inform Catholics about the church and the modern world and their roles in both. The newspaper aims to provide true, complete and objective information, sharing the good news of the church without ignoring its shortcomings.
The Catholic Anchor carries local, national and world news, opinions and editorials, letters and paid advertising. The staff and several professional freelance reporters provide local news coverage.
The Catholic Anchor website (CatholicAnchor.org) is updated throughout each week and provides additional local and national news, beyond what is contained in the printed edition. Additionally, the Catholic Anchor maintains a Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account.
Those interested in receiving the Catholic Anchor can contact your local parish and ask to be signed up for free subscription. You may also contact us directly by emailing your name, address and parish affiliation to CatholicAnchor@gci.net.
Email a letter to the editor
