One of the final paintings of renowned Alaskan artist Byron Birdsall was a commissioned piece by the Anchorage Archdiocese in which he created an original watercolor of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the patron saint of Alaska.
When Archbishop Schwietz began his ministry here in 2001, the Alaskan priesthood was quite literally dying out. We had an aging group of hardworking clergy, but there were scarcely any young men following in their footsteps. The priesthood was simply not on the radar and in many parishes and families it was not encouraged.
Before stepping aside on Nov. 9 for incoming Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne, retiring Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz took care of some unfinished business by installing three pastors at major parishes in the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage.
The following is a translation from the Latin, of Pope Francis apostolic mandate appointing Archbishop Paul Etienne as the new archbishop of Anchorage. It was read aloud at the Nov. 9 installation Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral by the pope’s ambassador to the United States, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre.
One day after stepping down from 15 years as head of the Anchorage Archdiocese, Archbishop Emeritus Roger Schwietz reflected on the joys and challenges of his episcopacy. In an interview with the Catholic Anchor, the now retired 76-year-old archbishop looked ahead to what the future might hold for his successor and what he plans to do as the self-proclaimed “grandpa” of the archdiocese.
Alaskans from across the 138,000 square mile Anchorage Archdiocese packed into Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral on Nov. 9 to witness the installation of the new archbishop of Anchorage.
The Year of Mercy, called for by Pope Francis, ends on Nov. 20, at which time all designated Holy Doors around the world will be closed. Before then, Mat-Su Valley Catholics aim to ride what has been coined “The Mercy Bus” to take one last opportunity to pass through the designated Holy Door at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Big Lake and then visiting all Mat-Su parishes and missions throughout the final week.
With the upcoming Nov. 9 installation of Bishop Paul Etienne as the new archbishop of Anchorage, the unique role of a bishop will be visibly celebrated in the installation Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage. There, Archbishop Etienne will assume leadership of the archdiocese as the faithful acknowledge the ancient Catholic teaching that the fullness of holy orders, in all its powers and responsibilities, rests in the hands of the local bishop.
The next archbishop of Anchorage had a simple message for Alaska’s youth: “God wants to be personal with us.” This was the theme Bishop Paul Etienne highlighted in his first address to Alaskan youth during a recent Mass at Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage.
Two Alaska Supreme Court justices are up for election this fall. The judges are Justices Peter Maasen and Joel Bolger, who helped strike down a voter-approved law requiring at least one parent be notified before an abortion could be perform on a minor girl. On Nov. 8 Alaskans will decide whether to remove Maasen and Bolger.