What does it mean to be a “good Catholic,” not only in ordinary times but especially in the extraordinary times in which we now live? The primary duty of the faithful is “to preserve and foster communion with the Church,” (Canon 209 §1). But how does one do that when the ordinary means of grace…
“I don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that remains.”– Anne Frank Right now, this quote speaks to me. As I am writing, we are amid a pandemic. When this article is published, I don’t know if we will be past this pandemic, or if we will be at its worst…
CatholicAnchor.org On April Fool’s Day, a friend discovered empty toilet paper rolls in her bathrooms, the cardboard tubes covered with the words “Ha, Ha, Ha.” She searched for the precious paper while trying to maintain a sense of humor. After all, little kids held hostage to a virus need some fun. As I write this,…
CatholicAnchor.org It is inspiring that so many Catholics are rising to the occasion created by the Coronavirus. Many are using creative techniques for the work of evangelization and ministry, which continue amidst the pandemic. Staying in place, self-quarantining, and social distancing have become real, everyday practices for many of us, but they don’t mean we…
CatholicAnchor.org Let us have a spiritual conversation about hope. What is hope? Where do we find it? What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life. We need to live hope now more than ever. With all the trials we have been through and the trials that are ahead, hope…
Join Pope Francis on Friday, March 27 for a special Urbi et Orbi blessing live from St. Peter’s Square. The prayer and blessing will be broadcast on the Vatican News website (https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html) at 6pm Rome time, 9 a.m. Alaska Time. The Holy Father will grant to all participants who participate in the livestream a Plenary…
CatholicAnchor.org In our parishes and homes, we partake in Lenten traditions that help us prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. The Catholic Anchor asked our Catholic schools to share their Lenten traditions they foster to help students at all grade levels observe this liturgical season. St. Mary’s On Ash Wednesday, students gather…
CatholicAnchor.org Melanie San Angelo was moved to tears as she stood with fellow catechumens at Saint Patrick parish on Sunday, March 1, to begin the last leg of her path to full communion with the Catholic Church. At the Rite of Sending in the east Anchorage parish, her hands shook slightly as she promised to…
CatholicAnchor.org One of the best-known photos of Father Scott Garrett shows the priest baptizing a baby at a dining room table. Sunlight from a nearby window illuminates only three people: the priest and a young mother holding a tiny baby over a large bowl of water. A collection of coffee mugs hangs on the wall…
CatholicAnchor.org Almost 200 miles east of Anchorage along the Glenn Highway, you will find Holy Family parish in Glennallen, one of the smallest parishes in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. Since 2016, Deacon Jon Hermon has served the parish as Parish Life Minister. Holy Family doesn’t have a resident priest, but Hermon, who lives in Wasilla,…