News & Upcoming Events around Anchorage Archdiocese

CatholicAnchor.org

The following is a round-up of news briefs and upcoming events from around the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

Natural Family Planning class to begin in Eagle River

The Marquette Method of Natural Family Planning is a fertility awareness program developed in 2000 at the Institute of Natural Family Planning in the Marquette University College of Nursing. Dr. Sarah Hennemann, of Wasilla, will be offering a training in this method at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River. The cost is $50 per couple. Scholarships are available. This training includes an individual follow-up session. For more information or to register, please contact Jen Syzdek at jen@syzdek.net or 218-839-5366.

Archdiocese to celebrate 50th

Established on Feb. 9, 1966, by Pope Paul VI, the Anchorage Archdiocese turns 50 years old this month. To mark the historic day a special Mass will be celebrated on Feb. 9 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage. The liturgy begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception following.

The event is part of the ongoing “Season of Blessings” in which the archdiocese is celebrating key milestones of the Catholic faith in Southcentral Alaska.

This past summer the archdiocese marked Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz’s 25th anniversary as a bishop. Then in October the archdiocese hosted an event at the Anchorage Museum on the history of the local church. Throughout the past year Holy Family Cathedral has been celebrating its 100th anniversary as a parish, which will conclude later this year with the installation of new stained glass windows.

In March, the archdiocese will release a book detailing the history of the local church. It will initially be available in a hardcover edition and later in paperback.

Later this year, on May 14, the archdiocese will celebrate 50 years of Catholic Social Services — the charitable outreach arm of the church in Alaska.

All of the upcoming events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Kenny Gerling at (907) 297-7790 or email kgerling@caa-ak.org.

Catholic schools Mass Feb. 3

Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will celebrate this year’s Catholic schools Mass on Feb. 3, at 1 p.m., at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage. The annual liturgy brings together hundreds of students, parents and educators from Catholic schools across the Anchorage Archdiocese. The public is welcome to attend.

Weekly children’s Mass in Anchorage

On Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Father Joseph McGilloway at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage is offering a Mass geared toward children. Attendees are encourage to bring homeschoolers, toddlers, nursing babes. People without children are welcome too.

Archdiocese hires vice chancellor of administration

The Archdiocese of Anchorage has announced that Mary Beth Bragiel will be its vice chancellor of administration, effective March 1. Holding a baccalaureate in business administration from the University of Southern Mississippi, Bragiel spent 14 years with Catholic Social Services in upper management and has more than 20 years of human resources management experience.

In this new archdiocesan position, Bragiel will join Eileen Kramer in the Office of the Chancellor. Her responsibilities will include being human resources director and the first point of contact with the public and media. She will also help develop and administer archdiocesan procedures and policies.

Popular speaker to address religious issues

Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, a world-renowned commentator on religious issues and guest speaker on EWTN, will be in Anchorage this spring.

Though a specialist in the interpretation of Scripture and tradition, D’Ambrosio’s teaching has covered a broad range of subjects from historical, dogmatic and sacramental theology to evangelization, ecumenism and Vatican II.

The public is invited to an evening presentation with D’Ambrosio at St. Benedict Church in Anchorage on May 23 from 7-8:30 p.m. For more information, call the parish at 243-2195 or visit stbenedictsak.com.

Catholic bioethicist headed to Alaska for presentations

Popular Catholic medical ethicist Father Tad Pacholczyk is making a return visit to Anchorage this month to speak with students, archdiocesan leaders and young adults.

Director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Conference in Philadelphia, Father Pacholczyk writes the column, “Making Sense of Bioethics,” that appears in diocesan newspapers across the country, including the Catholic Anchor.

Father Pacholczyk regularly travels the country speaking to Catholic hospitals, universities, diocesan events and other functions. As he travels, he tackles tough moral questions on how one can make medical decisions that are in harmony with Catholic teaching about the dignity of human life.

On Feb. 10 he is scheduled to speak in Anchorage with students from local Catholic schools. Later that evening he will celebrate a 7 p.m. Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River. Following the Mass he will hold a question and answer session with young adults around a topic of his choice and in the spirit of the Season of Lent. The evening will conclude at 9:30 p.m.

The next day, Feb. 11, Father Pacholczyk will lead a Pastoral Day at St. Benedict with archdiocesan clergy and pastoral leaders. That evening, 7-8:30 p.m., he will give a talk tailored for adults at St. Benedict’s.

Father Pacholczyk earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University and did post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School. He later did advanced studies in theology and bioethics in Rome.

He was last in Anchorage in 2009 discussing embryonic-destructive stem cell research, in vitro fertilization and end-of-life ethics with priests of the Anchorage Archdiocese. He also spoke about medical ethics with more than 200 people at a Theology and Brew event and appeared on live local radio.

For more information, contact Bonnie Bezousek, director of Faith Formation for the Anchorage Archdiocese, at 297-7732 or email bbezousek@caa-ak.org.

Dominican priest to lead silent retreat

The annual Legion of Mary Silent Retreat is set for Feb. 5-7 at the Holy Spirit Center in the mountains just outside Anchorage. Dominican priest Father Dominic David Maichrowicz, from Holy Family Cathedral, will lead the retreat. The event is open to all men and women, not just Legion members. Registration is required as space is limited. For information about pricing and registration, call Liz at (907) 947-8335.

UAA club connects fellow Catholics on campus

The Cardinal Newman Club at the University of Alaska, Anchorage meets in the Cuddy Hall cafeteria area for prayer and Scripture reflection on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and Fridays at 9 a.m. Students who wish to connect with fellow Catholic students on campus may contact the Newman Club chairperson Garrett Rossing at 715-0776 or   garrettrossing@gmail.com. Rossing is organizing a Mass on campus during Ash Wednesday for college students, staff and faculty.

Alaskans prep for global celebration of marriage

A World Marriage Day Celebration sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter will take place Feb. 5 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage.

A special wedding Mass will be celebrated by Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, followed by the renewal of wedding vows, dinner and dancing. Tickets are available in area parishes or online at alaskawwme.org. For more information, call James or Shaharriet at 644-8677 or (Espanol) Felipe y Ana at 929-8450.