A guy who wanders around the desert in camel hair, eating bugs and tenaciously speaking truth to those in power captures my imagination. And yet, this year I find myself thinking not only of Saint John, but of the poor guy who, with no warning, was given the grizzly task of beheading Saint John.
My friend’s ministry to the undocumented in prison had led her to befriend this man, who had been beaten and threatened by members of El Shabaab, a jihadist terrorist group based in Somalia. My friend offered her home to the man while he awaits another hearing on his asylum plea.
A solid education, strong discipline, small class sizes – these are some of the reasons parents in the Anchorage Archdiocese give for choosing Catholic school for their children.
I braced myself because I know many of my friends do amazingly good things and sometimes they ask for help. It’s a great blessing and example, but sometimes a challenge.
During his early years in Anchorage, Archbishop Roger Schwietz saw a vision for what he termed “mutual giving and a need to reach out” that led to a long collaboration with an archdiocese half a world away.
When people speak of Archbishop Schwietz, they invariably describe him as “pastoral.” I like to think of Pope Francis’ words: priests should be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.” Anyone who’s lived on a farm knows that’s a dramatic statement.
That commitment resulted in the establishment of a unified Catholic school system, the founding of a new Catholic elementary school in the Mat-Su Valley, and a measure of financial stability for Kodiak’s struggling elementary school.
Alaska parishes are home to countless men and women who go about the work of serving others in the name of Christ. Some of these Alaskans were recognized as embodying the servant’s heart of Saint Francis of Assisi during the Oct. 13 St. Francis Stewardship Awards at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage.
But I have another theory about this sudden burst of literary interest. People are desperate to escape from this election season. The good news: it’s over very soon. The bad news: Uncivil behavior may not go away.
Finding real community, even within a church, isn’t always easy. It takes effort. Fall is the time when churches are gearing up for classes and other activities. To find and foster community, take the chance and get involved with a parish committee or the class that’s exploring Scripture. Merely showing up on Sunday morning is not enough to forge community. It’s just a start.