CatholicAnchor.org As people quietly found their places in the pews of Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage on the sunny evening of June 19 a crescendo of voices rose just outside the sanctuary. Priests, deacons, Knights of Columbus, seminarians and alter servers took their places for the grand procession, which opened the Eucharistic Liturgy…
“The care for creation is a pressing issue, especially in the light of the great harm being done to the natural world of which we are a part, and the threat to the poorest and most vulnerable people worldwide because of environmental destruction,” Alaska’s bishops stated. “This encyclical invites each of us to prayerfully examine our consciences, and review not only how we have lived in communion with God and with others, but also with all creatures and with nature.
Learning to confidently speak English as a second language is challenging for many newcomers to the United States. This is especially so when attempting to communicate about deeply personal and emotional topics — like the state of one’s marriage. In such cases, many non-English speakers lean back on their more familiar mother tongue.
When Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz lays his hands on 47-year-old Deacon Arthur Roraff to ordain him a Catholic priest it will mark the second such ordination in the past three years for the Anchorage Archdiocese. This comes after an eight-year drought. But things are changing and several more men are in line for ordination in coming years.
“I think I picked the right person, the perfect person for me,” Gilbert (known as “Gil”) conclusively stated. Sandra leafs through a book filled with photographs of her family. Gil sat in a rocking chair. Occasionally, he asked her to complete his sentences. After 54 years they are still in love.
A long-time missionary servant to Alaska, Mercy Sister Arlene Boyd, died June 9 in Albany, New York. She was a Sister of Mercy for 59 years, spending most of that time teaching religious education and serving the poor and marginalized in Alaska. Sister Boyd lived through the earliest days of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, which was founded in 1967. Around that time late Anchorage Archbishop Joseph Ryan persuaded the Sisters of Mercy in Albany to send some of their sisters north to the new archdiocese.
The hike is open to priests, fathers and men who are Catholic, as well as those who are considering Catholicism or those who simply want to strengthen their commitment to fatherhood and family, Deering explained. The trek is not meant to be a “fathers and sons” hike, but intended to challenge adults physically and spiritually.
Eagle Eye Alaska is an innovative annual hike and retreat that takes young adults into Alaska’s backcountry in an effort to inspire and reconnect them to the practices, sacraments and prayers of the Catholic faith. The upcoming Eagle Eye retreat, for ages 20-35, takes place July 10-19. The yearly trek includes priests and religious from the Community of St. John who attend the backpacking trip and provide formation throughout the weeklong retreat.
On loan to the Anchorage Archdiocese since 2006, Father Brundage has been a close advisor to Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz and has maintained a number of important leadership roles during his Alaska tenure. Before his departure the Catholic Anchor asked Father Brundage to reflect on his time serving the church in Alaska and share insights he has gleaned about one of the northern-most outreaches of the Catholic Church.
“Sometimes, a person has such a deep and abiding sense of love and compassion that they are impelled to action. Doctor Cathy is one of those people,” said Provincial Councilor, Sister of Providence Jo Ann Showalter. “She has such a wellspring of love for the children of Alaska, especially those who have been abused, that she has used her prodigious gifts, talents and skills in many, many ways for the betterment of children.”