As mentioned at the front doors of the cathedral this evening, I come to you as your new Archbishop. I come to you as a pastor, a brother, a friend. I come with an open heart; a heart filled with gratitude for the wonderful and surprising ways of God.
The following is the homily that Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne delivered at his installation Mass on Nov. 9 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage.
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 following events are scheduled for the month of November in the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
In an effort to equip parents with the tools to tackle difficult issues related to bringing up faith-filled Catholic children, St. Benedict Church is hosting its second installation of the “Catholic Parenting Discussion Group.”
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.
Adding to the more than 70 national shrines in the United States, the St. Therese Shrine in Juneau was added by the U.S. bishops to the national list on her Oct. 1 feast day this year.
Project Rachel is an international pro-life outreach with a chapter in Alaska that helps women find healing after abortion. Here Father Michael Shields, a missionary priest from Alaska to Magadan, Russia, talks about the importance of this outreach to suffering women.
A coat of arms, or heraldic achievement, is a centuries-old tradition of creating graphic representations of significant persons, families or countries. Catholic bishops adopted the practice centuries ago when an increasing number of nobles received appointments to the episcopacy, bringing with them their family heraldry. Now, every newly elected bishop receives a coat of arms.
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.