The year of St. Francis and respect for the value of human dignity

Early in the year, Pope Leo XIV declared 2026 to be a special jubilee year honoring St. Francis of Assisi. In particular, Catholics and Christians everywhere are called to renew our commitment to the sanctity of human life but also to uphold the dignity of every human being. Man and woman were created in the image of God, and we are called by Christ to serve the neediest and most vulnerable among us as the true path to salvation.

It was in this spirit that the former Archdiocese of Anchorage created Catholic Social Services (CSS) nearly 60 years ago to represent the Archbishop and the faithful of Alaska as we strive to live out the teachings of Christ here in the last frontier. In the proclamation of this special jubilee year, our Holy Father calls every faithful Christian to follow the example of St. Francis — known for his radical imitation of Christ and his love for all creation — to be witnesses of peace by boldly proclaiming the dignity of the human person and working for the protection of all human life.

When a young child and her mother, perhaps on the verge of poverty, are given a safe and comfortable temporary home at Clare House, that fragile family will have healthy meals and an environment where the child may securely continue her schooling. Access to essential services can help this family get back on their feet, find employment and permanent housing, and bring renewed hope to themselves and others. When a family struggling to pay their rent or electric bills cannot afford groceries, they may find assistance and food security at CSS’s food pantry named for St. Francis. When an adult suffering from years of trauma or substance addiction finds themselves in desperate circumstances, living in a car or on the street and facing an Alaska winter, CSS can give them shelter, a warm bed, a meal, and the simple human dignity of a shower. And when a refugee from a war-torn or poverty-stricken country finds themselves a long way from home, without family, clear understanding of the language and facing basic survival, our Refugee Assistance & Immigration services program can help connect them to the community, job training, language, housing assistance, childcare and even employment.

These are just some of the ways that Catholics here in Alaska, through Catholic Social Services, are reaching out to uphold the dignity of every human being. To live out the teachings of Christ to feed the hungry, provide shelter to the homeless, and to welcome the stranger. By doing all these things in a meaningful way and doing so from a place of humility and obedience as our Archbishop reminds us, we are growing in our love of Christ, we are seeing the face of the living God in the faces of our brothers and sisters. And we are honoring the life and lessons of St. Francis as we celebrate his jubilee year.