The adventurous and long-serving Sister Marie Ann Brent, of the Sisters of the Holy Family, died last month at the age of 83. According to her religious order, Sister Brent died suddenly on Nov. 22, while living at the order’s motherhouse in Fremont, California. A funeral service was held there on Nov. 29. A Memorial Mass for Sister Brent will be celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Church in Valdez on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.
Saint Catherine of Siena is the renowned 14th-century woman who played an eminent role in the history of the Catholic Church and in the life of Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne. On Dec. 12 Archbishop Etienne will share his own experience of how Saint Catherine influences his life and why she is still relevant and inspiring for people of the 21st century.
Brother Consolmagno’s talk, “God’s Mechanics: The Religious Life of Techies,” will look at how religion works in a society shaped by science and technology. How do scientists and engineers practice their religions?
CatholicAnchor.org Editor’s note: This interview by Nikolay Syrov with Father Michael Shields was originally published in Moscow. It is reprinted here with permission. When and how did you come up with the idea of setting up a mission to Magadan? Father Shields: I didn’t. God did. I came to Magadan first in 1989 and fell…
The annual Advent Concert at St. Patrick Church (2111 Muldoon Road, Anchorage) will take place Dec. 1, 7-9:30 p.m. The concert will include Advent music and reflection. Proceeds from the event will go to help support Catholic Social Service programs.
Restoring hope — this is our pledge at Catholic Social Services this winter and every year. As we look around our community now, we see a great need for hope and for a sense of home for so many. It is important to be connected with family and loved ones, to feel supported and able to make safe and healthy choices for yourself and for those you care about.
Social Security Disability Insurance is generally a permanent condition in that once in the program, only about 28 percent ever again engages in paid work. The concern involves those recipients seeking at some level to return to work and enjoy the simple human dignity of contributing towards their own needs.
Fifteen-year-old Jeni Lachance approached Covenant House in downtown Anchorage and peered through the glass doors for her first glimpse inside a homeless shelter. She stood in the bleak November darkness, uncertain what to do though she had no alternatives.
Jesuit Father Chuck Peterson is a big man with a big voice well known to generations of Alaskan villagers. As a young man he dreamed about being a priest in Alaska. Today, after a career spanning more than 50 years serving indigenous people, mostly in Alaska, he dreams of returning to the Last Frontier following a devastating illness.
Another image I have this time of year, especially when we hear of so many communities devastated by storms, is how people come together when a shared crisis occurs. Individuals and communities all over the country and the world have offered assistance and prayers to those suffering from destruction and loss. As Catholics we understand the need to offer relief to those in vulnerable situations. We try to give them hope that recovery is possible.