 Fr. Michael Shields By FR. MICHAEL SHIELDS
CatholicAnchor.org
Olga is a 22-year-old Native woman here in Far East Siberia. She volunteers on our parish pro-life program and has recently risen from the dead. Let me explain.
When Olga got pregnant her boyfriend told her to either get an abortion or leave. She chose to leave him but had no place to live. Eventually she had to move in with her relatives — six people in a one-room apartment.
In order to pay for her older daughter’s schooling, Olga worked all winter in the outdoor Chinese market, even when it was 30 degrees below zero. Ultimately, she contracted pneumonia and fell so ill that she was taken to the hospital. Doctors could not treat her for fear they would harm the unborn baby, so they put her in a medically-induced coma and performed a cesarean to try and save both Olga and her baby who was eight months along. more…
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 Pope Francis greets the crowd outside after praying the rosary at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome May 4. — CNS photo By EFFIE CALDAROLA
CatholicAnchor.org
During the Easter season, we hear the story of Saint Thomas, whose disbelief at hearing that Jesus was risen earned him the doleful sobriquet, “Doubting Thomas.”
That term implies one led by unnecessary skepticism. But honestly, can’t most of us identify with Saint Thomas?
He was skeptical, yes, but not just of Jesus, whose prophetic words about resurrection seem to have been lost on Saint Thomas in the days following Good Friday. Perhaps he was also skeptical of his friends who had largely scattered to the four winds after Jesus’ arrest, and were even now hiding behind locked doors for fear of the religious authorities. Were these claims about resurrection true or were they the result of group hysteria, induced by grief, fear, sleeplessness and remorse? more…
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 Fr. LeRoy Clementich By LEROY CLEMENTICH, CSC
CatholicAnchor.org
I am writing this column on the Feast of Saint Joseph, the very day Pope Francis celebrated his inaugural Mass and received the papal ring and pallium symbolizing his role as Bishop of Rome and Universal Pontiff.
I rose at 4 a.m. to watch that impressive liturgy, observing dignitaries and common folk from the entire world crowded into St. Peter’s Square. During a network break, a commentator pointed out the diversity of people who seemed quite at ease attending a high Catholic liturgy. He suggested that it all began because of the determined efforts of one man, Paul of Tarsus. It was Saint Paul along with his friends, Timothy, Silas and Barnabas who insisted centuries ago that Gentile people should be freely admitted into the body of Christians without any Jewish ritualistic assumptions. more…
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By SUSAN BOMALASKI
CatholicAnchor.org
As you can imagine, the news of the election of Pope Francis was received with great joy at Catholic Social Services. Two of our programs, St. Francis House Food Pantry and Brother Francis Shelter, are also named for Saint Francis of Assisi, who devoted his life to serving the poor. For Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to take the name of Francis has such a special significance to those of us who walk alongside our community’s poor and vulnerable. Several people have even suggested that we invite Pope Francis to come visit our programs!
Everything I have read about Pope Francis indicates that he is a humble man who lives an intentionally simple life and has great compassion for those in need. I have had the pleasure to meet many clergy and religious throughout my life who also strive to live quiet spiritual lives dedicated to Christ and to serving the poor among us. more…
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 Susan Bomalaski By SUSAN BOMALASKI
CatholicAnchor.org
Last fall I visited the webpage for the Catholic Social Services (CSS) Special Needs Services program and saw a video produced by the National Down Syndrome Congress called, “We’re More Alike Than Different.” This video had a deep impact on me.
Recently I participated in several events that reminded me of this message. One of these was a class called “Cooking without Looking.” This gathering, which was held at Hanshew Middle School, was a forum for blind and visually impaired children to learn about cooking. They were also interested in community service, and I talked about CSS and our programs.
One of the participants, Julia Gephardt, talked about a project she had done for CSS last October making “Manna bags” filled with snacks, socks and other items that she distributed to the homeless. more…
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 Fr. Michael Shields By FR. MICHAEL SHIELDS
CatholicAnchor.org
I have failed so many times in beginning and then dropping a Bible and prayer study. The desire though just increases each time to find a way to let God’s word work into every area of my life. In the last year I have begun to use a simple system, which at first may not appear to be so simple. But after awhile it becomes very natural. I have passed this on to the parishioners in the Nativity of Jesus parish here in Magadan, Russia and have found a great reception.
I think one of the great failures in spiritual formation is that we do not adequately equip people so they can make the Sacred Scriptures their home. I offer to you my friends who read this column the following introduction on how to begin an inspiring Bible and prayer study. more…
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By EFFIE CALDAROLA
CatholicAnchor.org
I grew up on a farm where my family once hired a man named Marty O’Neill.
Marty O’Neill is a distant childhood memory, one of countless memories I wish I had asked my mom more about before she died.
Marty was a wiry little Irishman who, in my memory’s eye, had a two-day growth of stubble at all times. His salt-and-pepper hair grew straight up in little spikes. He wore grey overalls and a blue workman’s shirt. I can’t recall his interactions with my dad, but he seemed to have a rapport with mom. Back in the 1950s, “the fights” were still a big sport, and Mom and Marty would bet on the televised boxing matches on Saturday nights. more…
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Fr. LeRoy Clementich CatholicAnchor.org
A whole lot of “religious” folks I have met during my life seem fascinated with “church,” with talking about their church. That is not so unusual, but whether these same folks actually are fervent “attendees” of a church is another matter. Nonetheless, religion and ecclesiology seem to be captivating topics for many.
I think this may be true not because these same people are bonded to church as such but because at some point in their lives they were deeply impacted by someone who was so convinced about the importance of God and the church in their lives that they simply beamed with piety and sincerity. So important was their personal faith conviction that it simply rubbed off on everyone around them. more…
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By SUSAN BOMALASKI
CatholicAnchor.org
I recently attended the Anchorage Archdiocese’s St. Francis of Assisi Awards banquet. This inspiring event is a joy to attend because it is such a wonderful celebration of the Catholic faith and an opportunity to visit with parishioners throughout the archdiocese. Many people at the event asked me for an update on the Clare House Replacement Project — so many that I thought I should dedicate this month’s column to Clare House. more…
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By EFFIE CALDAROLA
CatholicAnchor.org
My spiritual director handed me the book she wanted me to use as I made my way through the 19th annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola. When I flipped the book over to see the picture of the young Jesuit author, I thought, “Hey, this guy looks familiar.” more…
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