The following is a translation from the Latin, of Pope Francis apostolic mandate appointing Archbishop Paul Etienne as the new archbishop of Anchorage. It was read aloud at the Nov. 9 installation Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral by the pope’s ambassador to the United States, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre.
“I am Bishop Etienne, your brother Paul. I come as the new archbishop of Anchorage, and I seek to enter this fine cathedral,” Archbishop Etienne announced. It was his formal entrance to the seat of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, a homecoming to the universal church as it is manifest in Anchorage.
Just days before retiring, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz found himself surrounded by young Catholics, a group he says deeply inspired him during his 15 years leading the archdiocese.
In the immediate aftermath of a contentious national election, hundreds of Alaskans packed into Anchorage’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral to welcome the new spiritual leader of Catholics across Southcentral Alaska.
One day after stepping down from 15 years as head of the Anchorage Archdiocese, Archbishop Emeritus Roger Schwietz reflected on the joys and challenges of his episcopacy. In an interview with the Catholic Anchor, the now retired 76-year-old archbishop looked ahead to what the future might hold for his successor and what he plans to do as the self-proclaimed “grandpa” of the archdiocese.
Here are the Thanksgiving Mass schedules provided by several parishes across the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.
Catholic Men for Life take a stand for unborn life through prayerful, peaceful witness on the streets of Anchorage.
Students for Life of America is one of the country’s leading pro-life organizations for young people and draws several thousand people to its annual national conferences. Until this fall, no SFL presence existed in Alaska.
The foster care system is a huge challenge. Each year thousands of Alaska’s children are placed in out-of-home care, according to the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. On average approximately 3,000 children are in foster care in Alaska each month. Children often enter the foster care system because they have been determined to be unsafe or at high risk of maltreatment in their family home.
Here is the video of Anchorage Archbishop Paul Etienne’s installation as the new archbishop of Anchorage on Nov. 9 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage.