After seven years, Lisa Aquino, chief executive officer of Catholic Social Services (CSS), is moving on. Her new position as CEO with Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center allows her to continue in the field that aligns with her passion: accessing public health care. Throughout her tenure, Aquino oversaw an agency of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau which…
By Annette Alleva The North Star Catholic A spiritual and academic treasure can be found at Alaska Pacific University (APU) in the Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Theology and its newest assistant professor, Kevin F. Jones, Ph.D. Jones brings to this position academic and theological excellence, an impressive resume, and youthful enthusiasm. He has held…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic On the glorious spring morning of June 12, about 30 women, members of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA), Court St. Pius X #1866, gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe to celebrate 60 years of service. They were joined by family members, friends, supporters, and…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic After presenting a “virtual” camping experience in the summer of 2020, Saint Therese’s Camp will be fully open this year. With a COVID mitigation plan in place to keep campers, staff, and families safe, as COVID begins to abate, the camp is anticipating a return to traditional activities for…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic The sacrament of marriage is highly esteemed in the Catholic Church. It is the foundation upon which families are built and individuals are nurtured to reach their potential. As such, it is both necessary and wise for the Church to instruct, guide, and support married persons in their journey,…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic It has been a year since our churches, schools, and many businesses were shuttered, a year since a novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 shifted our lives, vocabularies, and ways of worshiping, learning, and socializing. It has been a year of challenges, adaptations, losses, hope and creativity. As the herculean…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic COVID-19 dashed many dreams, taxed our souls, took our lives. No one in the world has been left unaffected. Those planning to wed in the Catholic Church, preparing to commit to a lifetime with one they love, hit a huge bump in the road at the start of their…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic “I was in prison and you visited me.” These words of Jesus are a call to action for a number of folks in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, who minister to men and women in several area jails and prisons. This ministry of presence, primarily, has suffered a tremendous decline…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic The season of giving associated with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be one of great joy for those with means and a generous heart. For those whose needs for the most basic elements of survival know no season, it can cause hardship and anxiety. Traditionally, churches and social…
By Annette AllevaThe North Star Catholic If you have ever attended an archdiocesan liturgical celebration at the cathedrals in Anchorage over the years, you have hopefully indulged in the reception offerings provided, for many years, by the women of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. However, this local chapter, or court, of the larger organization—which…