The North Star Catholic / FEATURED Archives - Page 102 of 120

Alaskans to join Aug. 22 prayer campaign to shut down Planned Parenthood

On Aug. 22, pro-lifers in Alaska will join thousands around the nation in praying and fasting to end abortion and shut down Planned Parenthood. The gathering is part of a nation-wide effort to pray and protest outside Planned Parenthood clinics following the release of undercover videos showing the abortion giant harvesting body parts of aborted babies and then haggling over the value of each part with prospective buyers. In Anchorage pro-life advocates will gather outside the Planned Parenthood clinic at 4001 East Lake Otis Parkway from 9-11 a.m.

Inspiration, tears, friendship all part of Alaska Catholic Youth Conference

This year’s Alaska Catholic Youth Conference in Anchorage challenged me to dig deeper into my understanding of Catholicism and, as a result, how to practice my faith in daily life. This intense four-day spiritual journey featured a large variety of workshops, ranging from tech addiction to medical bioethics to human dignity, as well as keynote speakers after every meal.

Catholic radio launches in Anchorage

Catholics radio has launched in Anchorage and KHRM, 94.1 FM aims to evangelize, educate and inspire area Catholics and all others who tune in. The station’s vision is to “proclaim the truth of the Catholic Church with listener-supported radio in Anchorage that strengthens Catholics’ faith and acts as a voice and a resource for Catholic values and moral stances on public issues.”

Alaska teens have love-hate relationship with digital devices

Teens clamor clearly for two things they feel elude them: true solitude and authentic friendship. Alaska Catholic Youth Conference attendees directly named digital devices as threatening their interior life and distorting their social connections. They perceive their peers as inauthentic and distracted in face-to-face exchanges, leaving little room for the vulnerability and generosity required to build emotional intimacy.

Archbishop Schwietz: Despite challenges ‘it is a good time to be a priest’

I am deeply grateful for your presence here, joining me in thanking God for the privilege of serving God’s people as a bishop these past 25 plus years. The memories of the beautiful people I have encountered and the astounding experiences I have had, come flooding in on me as I reflect on these graced years.

Next up in America’s experiment with marriage: Polygamy

Some may point out that the number of American polygamists is so small that changing the law won’t impact the wider culture or the vast majority who support traditional marriage. So what real difference does it make when a society redefines marriage to fit a new cultural norm? Well it certainly impacts what is taught in schools and promoted and enforced by law.

McCarthy man faithfully commutes 260-miles for Sunday Mass

Some Catholics take the challenges of making it to Sunday Mass head-on, quite literally. Such was the case with George Cebula — a 75-year-old who lives in remote McCarthy at the foot of Alaska’s Wrangell Mountains. On a recent Sunday he left his home at 6 a.m. and began the 130-mile trip to the nearest Catholic parish. Cebula regularly makes this four hour trip, which sometimes includes dealing with flat tires, stubborn buffalo, moose and other Alaska wildlife, road washouts and come what may in the form of obstacles between him and Holy Eucharist.

Mahoney clan’s Marian grotto cut from Alaska, open to pilgrims

At first glance, to meet the Mahoney clan today is to encounter a winsome remnant of Mat-Su Valley history, with many still sporting fringed leather, western boots and quiet swagger. However, upon lingering in their company, it’s clear that the grit of this family’s bond is no bucolic theater. They are trappers, miners, steel workers, rodeo queens, storytellers, musicians, loggers, hunters, fishermen, bikers, painters, blacksmiths, woodworkers, builders and farmers. They all know how to cook. The Mahoneys’ Catholic faith is the bedrock which continues to shape their milestones, anchor their tragedies and propel them forward in unity.

Anchorage’s Dominican priests set for annual ‘Friar’s Fest’ at cathedral

Saturday, Aug. 8, rain or shine, will be a festive day at Holy Family Cathedral as parishioners and guests celebrate the 4th annual Friars’ Fest in the parish courtyard. The Friar’s Fest is part of a year full of events celebrating the centennial of Holy Family Cathedral, which started in 1915 with the purchase of two lots in the initial land sale in the then tent-city of Anchorage. The upcoming festival event coincides with Anchorage’s summer centennial festivities.

Religious brother was a savvy media point-man for Anchorage Archdiocese

Brother McBride initially came to Alaska in 1979 to work at St. Theresa’s Camp, the summer youth camp on the Kenai Peninsula. But then-Archbishop Francis Hurley tapped him to be the media point man for the event that to this day is still regarded as the largest gathering of people ever in Alaska: Pope John Paul II’s visit to Anchorage in February 1981. Brother McBride was communications director after that, a position he described as mostly “feeding and comforting the press.”