I anticipate that his ministry will include a focus on supporting our schools as well as on church vocations. As he brings new energy and enthusiasm to the office of archbishop and to his focus on the new evangelization, I pray that God will render fruitful his ministry and bless the continued growth in discipleship of our family of faith.
If we are not careful, we can fall into the habit of thinking negatively of ourselves because of the gifts others have been given.
A recent reflection on the sacrament of confirmation by Bishop Robert Barron as published in the Catholic Anchor got me thinking back on my 26 years confirming Catholics. Conferring the sacrament of confirmation has always been a great joy in my ministry as bishop, but in looking back over the years I can see that my message changed at some point. That is, of course, because the world has changed a great deal since 1990.
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.”
Alaska, as we know, is a vast territory abundantly blessed by extravagant displays of nature’s beauty. Those living in Alaska never tire from experiencing the beauty of creation, which can be at the same time inspiring as well as dangerous. So it only makes sense that the origin of the Archdiocese of Anchorage is connected with the work of nature. It was a great earthquake of 1964 — Good Friday — that set in motion the process of establishing the archdiocese.
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.
I write to you regarding the church’s ministry of ensuring safe environments. I share the hope and confidence of the present and I reiterate my sadness of the past. I am sorry for any harm that has been inflicted on God’s children and their families by clergy and those in leadership who failed to protect. In November, the movie Spotlight will be released which portrays the struggle that reporters of the Boston Globe faced when shedding light on the problem of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy and how some in church leadership failed to respond justly. It has been over 13 years since the Boston Globe broke this story and exposed, nationally, this evil that penetrated our church communities.
I saw Pope Francis on the eventful day of Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C. and marveled at his determination to be fully present to us. Here was a man just three years older than me. He clearly suffered limitations of his mobility but never let that stop his ministry. It made me feel that my own little aches and pains of growing older are nothing in comparison with what he was experiencing. At times he seemed very weary but continued on courageously.