The North Star Catholic / Staff Reports, Author at The North Star Catholic

Public testimony rescheduled for bill to mandate “gender identity” legal enforcement

Due to the lack of a quorum, the Alaska Senate Health & Social Services Committee was forced to push the public testimony hearing on Senate Bill 72 to Wednesday, April 12.

The proposed law aims to establish “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” to the list of protected legal classes in Alaska. It was set for public testimony on April 10 and many groups and individuals had prepared to weigh in on both sides.

Archbishop’s blog: Holy Week reflections prepare the faithful for Easter

Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne has a very active blog. This week he is sharing his Holy Week reflections and homilies as the Catholic Church begins the high holy days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter vigil Mass on Saturday night.

Palm Sunday — branches, a donkey and the final week of Lent

Palm Sunday is April 9, the last Sunday in Lent. This day marks the beginning of Holy Week and a time when Catholics commemorate the triumphant arrival of Christ into Jerusalem, just days before his crucifixion.

Holy Week & Easter schedules across the Anchorage Archdiocese

The following includes the Holy Week and Easter schedules for parishes and missions across the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

Holy oils unite Catholics across 138,000-square-mile archdiocese

The annual Chrism Mass will be celebrated on April 6, 7 p.m., at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage. Archbishop Paul Etienne will lead this sacred liturgy, during which he will bless the sacramental oils to be used throughout the year across the Anchorage Archdiocese.

How doctor-proscribed suicide would hurt Alaska’s most vulnerable

HB 54 legalizes physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia…The bill is based on a similar law in Oregon, which has a near complete lack of transparency. If Alaska enacts HB 54…there will be a similar lack of transparency. The safely and welfare of individual patients will be unverifiable from Alaska State sources.

News and happenings across the Anchorage Archdiocese

The following is a list of notices and upcoming events across the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.

Archbishop’s April Calendar

Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne is scheduled to participate in the following events and liturgies in the month of April.

UPDATE: March 28 hearing on bill to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide in Alaska

Bill sponsor, Drummond, will give an overview of the bill at the March 14 hearing in the House Health & Social Services Committee, after which, committee members can ask questions. Though verbal testimony from the public will not be heard until later, written testimony can be submitted at any time. Such comments are sometimes used by committee members during the hearing.

Nationally known priest to address challenges & benefits of free market capitalism

How does a free market approach to economics take into account our Christian duty to care for the poor and marginalized? This is one of several questions to be explored when Fr. Robert Sirico, president of the Acton Institute, speaks in Anchorage.