Millions of Americans have watched Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar display the joys of life in a large Christian family through the popular reality show “19 Kids and Counting.” In February the couple heads to Alaska to speak at Alaska Right to Life’s annual convention in Anchorage.
Gov. Bill Walker praised Alaska’s pro-life advocates for their work, stating that “all life is precious and singular.” In a statement read by a representative from his office, the governor thanked the gathering of crisis pregnancy center workers, abortion recovery volunteers, religious leaders and others who braved sub-zero temperatures to participate in the Jan. 24 annual Interdenominational Prayer Service. The 15th annual event took place at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States.
Pre-filed legislation for the current session of the Alaska Legislature aims at repealing the state’s constitutional understanding of marriage, which is now defined as the union between “one man and one woman.” While Alaska’s constitutional definition of marriage was struck down by a federal judge last year, the state has appealed the decision as it awaits a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court (in a separate case) on the constitutionality of any state being able to limit the legal definition of marriage to “one man and one woman.”
Two nearly identical house bills have been pre-filed in the Alaska Legislature with the aim to establish “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes under Alaska’s current nondiscrimination law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin and several other classifications. The proposed legislation would require state agencies, private employers, non-religious schools and other nonprofit groups to legally recognize and accommodate the preferred “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” of employees, customers, teachers, students and others regardless of their actual physical biology.
Despite numerous academic studies showing negative outcomes for young children who spend extended time in daycare and pre-school programs, five Alaska legislators have introduced a bill to launch universal state-run pre-kindergarten. If passed, House Bill 36 would launch a voluntary state-run program for Alaskan parents of children as young as four years old.
On Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m., the 14th annual Anchorage Interdenominational Prayer Service marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade takes place at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery on 9th Street and Cordova. The event marks the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the U.S. Under Roe and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, abortion is legal through the ninth month of pregnancy for virtually whatever reason.
Holy Rosary Academy is presenting two performances of their annual high school play, Jan. 23-24. This year students will perform Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s “The School for Scandal,” a comedy of manners set in the 1920s. Performances will be on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. at St. Patrick Church’s Deacons’ Hall. The Saturday evening show will begin with dinner served at 6 p.m. and the play starting at 7 p.m.
Catholic schools across the Anchorage Archdiocese will join in the annual National Catholic Schools Week this month to celebrate Catholic education in the United States. The theme for this year’s Jan. 23-31 celebration is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.” Area schools will mark the weeklong observance with Masses, open houses and outreach for students, families, parishioners and the wider community.
Alaska is among a handful of states in which local Catholic dioceses seem to have dramatically underreported the overall number of Catholics in the state. This comes from an article published by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).
On an overcast December day, two women were in the process of making the hand-off of a very important job for the Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage. Susan Bomalaski, who had served as the executive director of Catholic Social Services for nearly nine years, was cleaning out her office on her final day. Meanwhile, Lisa Aquino, who took over the position on Dec. 1, was continuing to learn the nuts and bolts of one of Alaska’s premier social service agencies.