“At the Mass when this was announced, so many incredibly nice things were said, like what is said for somebody once they die,” Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz observed. “It was very nice hearing these things while I am still alive.”
Father Mark Francis has first hand experience of people confessing abortion in the confessional.
“The times that I’ve had a penitent come to confession and acknowledge an abortion, it’s usually after a very long time,” he said. “I immediately think to myself, ‘God be praised that this person has responded to the grace, that nudging, however long it took, and the person is seeking God, seeking forgiveness.’”
“By ‘long time,’ I mean years,” he explained. “At least a year. I can hear the physical sigh or tears beginning. A huge weight is gone.
Kathleen is quick to point out that deteriorating marriages don’t all look the same. The reasons for marital breakdown are many. “Retrouvaille isn’t just for those who are contemplating divorce. It’s for couples who are experiencing disillusionment, or even misery, in their marriages. They may be living with it and not contemplating divorce.” Marriage, according to Retrouvaille, consists of four stages: romance, disillusionment, misery and awakening to joy, with most couples getting divorced in the misery stage.
“I think I picked the right person, the perfect person for me,” Gilbert (known as “Gil”) conclusively stated. Sandra leafs through a book filled with photographs of her family. Gil sat in a rocking chair. Occasionally, he asked her to complete his sentences. After 54 years they are still in love.
Just prior to my fifth pregnancy, my husband Alex and I decided that we would close off our marriage to new life. With a vasectomy on the calendar, our daughter Bethany was conceived, and Alex went through with a sterilization that cost about $800 and took an hour. And that was it. No longer would we ponder the possibility of new life each month in our marriage; our family had grown even beyond what is considered a normal size and we certainly had plenty of children already, right?
“I hadn’t ever been to a Catholic Church before,” Glenn Crocker recalls. “I was interested in it and started RCIA, and it spoke to me. I really enjoy the classes. I’ve been going every Tuesday. I never walk away from it regretting that I came. I learn so much. It’s one thing I think you don’t get so much in the Baptist church or other denominations. Yes, you get some, but it’s more localized and less consistent.”
After more than a decade of planning and prayer, Catholics in Anchorage are mere months away from having a radio station of their very own. “Our slogan is ‘Changing hearts and changing lives,’” explained Brian Metras, lead coordinator of Holy Rosary Academy Radio.
After living as an atheist lesbian, Melinda Selmys converted to Catholicism and has authored several books, including “Sexual Authenticity: An Intimate Reflection on Homosexuality and Catholicism.” She writes and speaks regularly about issues pertaining to the church and the LGBTQ community. In May she traveled to Alaska in order to participate in two public forums…
CatholicAnchor.org After living as an atheist lesbian, Melinda Selmys converted to Catholicism and has authored several books, including “Sexual Authenticity: An Intimate Reflection on Homosexuality and Catholicism.” She writes and speaks regularly about issues pertaining to the church and the LGBTQ community. In May she traveled to Alaska in order to participate in two public…
CatholicAnchor.org Braving blowing snow and treacherous road conditions, approximately 30 people gathered Dec. 14 in Anchorage for “Conversations with the Archbishop.” The event took place at Holy Cross Church, where enthusiastic attendees showed up to hear Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz share his impressions of the current state of the Catholic Church. Joined by Father Tom…