Life is short — the years and decades, peopled with children and loved ones, recede into history before we have time to properly savor them . We know this — we feel the occasional pangs of life slipping through our fingers. But just for good measure, the church reminds us again, even as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.
Christmas is fast approaching — a time to be reminded of all we have and to prepare ourselves for a new birth. It is a time to celebrate with our family and community — to share time, joy, gifts and love. The coming together in joy reminds me of an event held at Brother Francis Shelter in October.
The adventurous and long-serving Sister Marie Ann Brent, of the Sisters of the Holy Family, died last month at the age of 83. According to her religious order, Sister Brent died suddenly on Nov. 22, while living at the order’s motherhouse in Fremont, California. A funeral service was held there on Nov. 29. A Memorial Mass for Sister Brent will be celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Church in Valdez on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.
Saint Catherine of Siena is the renowned 14th-century woman who played an eminent role in the history of the Catholic Church and in the life of Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne. On Dec. 12 Archbishop Etienne will share his own experience of how Saint Catherine influences his life and why she is still relevant and inspiring for people of the 21st century.
CatholicAnchor.org Editor’s note: This interview by Nikolay Syrov with Father Michael Shields was originally published in Moscow. It is reprinted here with permission. When and how did you come up with the idea of setting up a mission to Magadan? Father Shields: I didn’t. God did. I came to Magadan first in 1989 and fell…
Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne was installed as archbishop of Anchorage just eight months ago. As part of an ongoing effort to visit parishioners across his 138,000-square-mile archdiocese, he boarded several planes, including a small two-seater, and flew to the hinterlands of North America.
When children are young we rightly strive to guard their innocence and form a kind of protective sphere where they are somewhat insulated from the harshness and vulgarities of the larger culture. This period, however, is fleeting — the bubble will eventually burst and our children must face the difficulties of the world.
Catholic schools opened last month in Anchorage, Wasilla and Kodiak, where the schools are still accepting incoming students. The following is a short introduction to each school.
In an effort to better understand the challenges and aspirations of Alaska’s young adult Catholics, Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne recently spent an evening in prayer and conversation with more than 30 people, ages 18-35, at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage.
Alaskans once again turned out in impressive numbers to financially support young men training to become priests for the Archdiocese of Anchorage. The second annual Seminarian Night dinner fundraiser took place Aug. 10 at Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage. More than 175 attendees donated tens of thousands of dollars.