Traveling thousands of miles, a unique statue of the Virgin Mary appeared in Anchorage in early March.
Rooted in four centuries of Catholic devotion, the statue — La Virgen de La Defensa (Mother of Our Defense) — is the centerpiece of lively celebrations, prayers and the preservation of Catholic identity for the residents of two particular villages in Mexico, Atemajac de Brizuela and Juanacatlan.
Christ indeed has risen from the dead. He has banished the darkness and taken away the terror of death. Forever now he rules all time and space and power. The forces of evil can fling their threats and stir up their violence, but never win. He is risen, our God is alive and with us. And his message: “Peace be with you.”
The Alaska Legislature is set to hear testimony on three separate bills this week dealing with religious liberty for clergy in performing marriages, the rights of a child born alive during an abortion and the mandatory expansion of contraception availability.
Religious liberty advocates are reportedly working on a plan to amend an Anchorage law that carves out new rights to those who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual. Those seeking to change the law hope to strengthen religious liberties so that business owners do not have to violate deeply held religious beliefs by being forced to provide goods and services for causes they cannot in good conscience support.
Bury the dead. The words may seem over-simplified in the pragmatic rush of everyday life, but not for those Alaskans who have taken on the task of honoring them as prescribed within the corporal works of mercy. For Dan Belanger, burying the faithful departed and looking ahead to what awaits them in the hereafter comes as an inheritance — an duty he admits befell him with the passing of his father, but not without a bit of preparation. In the context of the battlefield, Dan knows death all too well, but deeper down, he forges ahead in a legacy that honors death as the gateway to eternity.
The Chrism Mass, a profoundly sacred liturgy, with roots in antiquity and hopes in eternity, was celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage on March 16. Sacramental oils, used throughout the 138,000 square mile Anchorage Archdiocese were blessed by Archbishop Schwietz at the annual Mass. Two-dozen priests gathered with the archbishop and Bishop Renato Mayugba, visiting from Laoag Diocese in the Philippines. The clergy renewed their commitment to the priesthood and loyalty to the archbishop — an integral part of the ancient liturgy.
The following is a list of parish liturgies during Holy Week and Easter across the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.
A bill to restrict Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from teaching or distributing materials in Alaska’s public schools passed out of the Senate Education Committee and on to the Senate Judiciary, where it is not yet scheduled for its next hearing.
The annual liturgy is one of the church’s most ancient ceremonies — the blessing of sacramental oils. At the Mass, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will bless the chrism or holy oil used by archdiocesan parishes throughout the year for anointing the sick, confirmations and baptisms. Clergy and parishioners from around the archdiocese will be in attendance.
Hundreds of people are expected to take part in the annual Good Friday Faith Walk on April 3. The annual devotion begins at various points across Anchorage with groups of area faithful walking and praying the Stations of the Cross. As they wind through the city streets, the participants meditate on the steps Jesus Christ took through his Passion and death on the very first Good Friday. The various groups eventually meet together at Anchorage’s Town Square to pray the final stations together with Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz.