CatholicAnchor.org Jan. 1, 5-8, 12, 15 – 9 a.m., Mass, St. Andrew Jan. 2, 9, 16 – 3:30 p.m., Reconciliation, St. Andrew Jan. 2, 9, 16 – 5:30 p.m., Mass, St. Andrew Jan. 3, 10, 17 – 10 a.m., Mass, St. Andrew Jan. 3, 10, 17 – 7 p.m., Mass, St. Andrew Jan. 18-21, Episcopal…
The retreat will be led by Benedictine priest Father Joseph McGilloway, who currently serves as pastor at Holy Cross Church in Anchorage. He will speak on the theme, “From Christ to Constantine: How We Became a Church.”
Should Alaskans approve physician proscribed assisted suicide? This is the next issue slated for public debate on Jan. 11 at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub in Anchorage.
On the evening of Dec. 24, Catholics in Alaska and around the world will gather in their local parishes to celebrate the traditional Christmas Midnight Mass. At Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz will celebrate the Midnight Mass beginning at midnight, and it will be broadcast live on KTUU Channel 2.
Here is a sampling of upcoming events and news briefs from across the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.
Simbang Gabi is a series of special Masses leading up to Christmas. The celebration of the nine-day novena is one of the longest-running and most popular Catholic Filipino religious traditions, enduring more than 600 years. At the Masses, the faithful especially focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary and ready their hearts to worthily welcome and receive the Child Jesus at Christmas.
The fallout since the attacks is what has been most surprising to my brother bishops and me. Here in America, a land of immigrants, governors from across our nation announced that they would refuse to take in Syrian refugees. Here in Alaska, Governor Walker has not supported this, for which I am grateful.
The funeral Mass and memorial Masses for Father Thomas Weise have been finalized. Father Weise, 46, served as a priest for the Diocese of Juneau, Alaska. He died on Dec. 6 after suffering a Nov. 25 heart attack while visiting with family in California for Thanksgiving.
Kathleen is quick to point out that deteriorating marriages don’t all look the same. The reasons for marital breakdown are many. “Retrouvaille isn’t just for those who are contemplating divorce. It’s for couples who are experiencing disillusionment, or even misery, in their marriages. They may be living with it and not contemplating divorce.” Marriage, according to Retrouvaille, consists of four stages: romance, disillusionment, misery and awakening to joy, with most couples getting divorced in the misery stage.
An update on the Diocese of Juneau’s website noted: “With heartfelt prayers of condolence and our sincere regret, Bishop Edward J. Burns and the Diocese of Juneau shares that our beloved Fr. Thomas Joseph L. Weise entered into eternal life yesterday evening, Sunday, Dec. 6th, at approximately 10 p.m. in San Luis Obispo, California.”
On his Twitter account Bishop Burns called for the faithful to keep Father Weise in prayer.