CatholicAnchor.org Here’s a Lenten question: what is simplicity? At first glance, embracing simplicity seems rather – well, simple. Decluttering is trending sharply in our culture. Perhaps as a reaction to the enormous amount of stuff we accumulate, books focusing on getting rid of junk are proliferating. The best-selling Japanese writer Marie Kondo explains how to…
CatholicAnchor.org The bible says, “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.” We need to pray for fear of the Lord more than the fear of people and what they think of us. It is a gift everyone receives at their confirmation. Do we believe we have this gift? What is the Fear of…
CatholicAnchor.org I have been asked more than once, why I serve in the role as Victim Assistance Coordinator for the archdiocese. My response is that I hope to show light in a time of pain and darkness for someone who is searching for the hope of healing and that they know they do not walk…
CatholicAnchor.org Last July, after 12 years of serving the parishes on the Kenai Peninsula, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate priests withdrew from ministry in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. Over the last seven months, Father Patrick Brosamer, Father Jaime Mencias and Father Michael Ko, KMS, have served as resident priests in Soldotna, Homer and Kenai. Though…
CatholicAnchor.org Catholic Social Services (CSS), with its emphasis on stewardship, begins the new year with its annual appeal to the Catholic community. CSS seeks to engage in the three tenets embodied in stewardship; an offering of time, talent and treasure. Among its many programs, CSS assists couples with unanticipated pregnancies and shelters the homeless, from…
CatholicAnchor.org The theme for Lent in 2020 is “Renewed by the Spirit.” Perhaps this theme could be a call to all of us to encounter God and allow Him to guide us. That can feel difficult, allowing ourselves to be guided with an open heart. There are so many influences trying to guide our lives…
CatholicAnchor.org I don’t love driving on dark rural roads. But several years ago, when I worked for Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, I found myself chauffeuring guest speakers around one-traffic-light hamlets as we campaigned to convince citizens to support repeal of our death penalty. I remember, especially the evening Sister Helen Prejean was…
CatholicAnchor.org When I was first ordained, I studied apologetics. It is equipping yourself with the best answers to questions of what and why you believe. Apologetics was practiced by St Paul and is best represented by the biblical passage of 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to…
CatholicAnchor.org Just a short month ago, we celebrated the birth of our Lord, born in a manger in a town where his parents traveled to be counted. This counting, or census taking, has long been a part of our human experience. The only change over the centuries is that we don’t have to travel to…
CatholicAnchor.org Kodiak is the first permanent European settlement in Alaska, dating back to the Russian settlement in 1784. In the 1800s, missionaries were able to serve it on rare occasions. With World War II and the establishment of a naval base, the population increased, and land was purchased for a church. The building of the…