A tourist riding one of the fleet of buses exploring Alaska this summer might be surprised to learn that the personable young tour director enthusiastically reciting the state’s attributes is actually a seminarian studying for the Catholic priesthood.
The founding charism and signature trait of the Dominicans would be born of Saint Dominic’s dedication to preach the truth to ordinary people, wherever he found them. “If Dominic were alive today he would probably say ‘go to the mall,’” said Dominican Father Anthony Patalano, outgoing pastor of Holy Family Cathedral.
Growing up, I loathed going to Mass at St. Paul Church in Juneau. This began to change, however, during my sophomore year of college at University of Alaska, Fairbanks when I began attending a …
The annual Cardboard City event in Palmer aims to raise awareness of homelessness and raise money for Family Promise to support the homeless in the Mat-Su. A number of churches including St. Michael’s in Palmer and Sacred Heart in Wasilla support Family Promise and take shifts in opening their parishes to house the homeless.
The Catholic Anchor was recognized six times for excellence in journalism by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada. The awards came for work published in 2015 and were announced in June at the Catholic Media Convention in St. Louis, Missouri.
If donor giving is any indication, then Alaskan Catholics value priests and want to see many more. The first of several events to support the Archdiocese of Anchorage’s growing seminarian population kicked off on June 9 with the “Seminarian Endowment Challenge” at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. Sold out weeks in advance, some 200 Catholics packed the parish hall in support of their future priests.
Catholics and many other Christians disagree with legalizing same-sex marriage and enacting laws that force organizations and businesses to publicly affirm homosexuality. These laws run contrary to human flourishing and we must oppose them. But that is where it ends. In a civil society we must be free to disagree with someone because of their life choices or beliefs without being blamed for inciting hatred and murder.
In a world saturated with virtual reality and online distractions, a diverse group of men, joined by Catholic priests, will soon be headed to the mountains for adventure and inspired conversation in Alaska’s backcountry.
Sitting before some 150 teenagers and recounting the most awkward moments of senior prom might rattle the average guy, but not Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz.
The oldest parish in Anchorage — Holy Family Cathedral — has just been dedicated. In a June 5 Mass, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz blessed the 100-year-old parish, its altar, walls and stained glass windows.