During my time in the 1980s, “hi, beautiful lady,” and other unsolicited comments were how a man who shined shoes expressed interest to young women walking by 8th Avenue and 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. This was and continues to be a very common experience in many American cities for teenagers and adults. There are…
“Why should I participate in a synod dialogue session?” This is a question the synod committee has heard the past two months as the synodal process moves forward in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. The synod asks everyone to discuss about how the Church can best live out its mission of witnessing the love of God to…
Dear Fr. Leo, I’m sorry but those bishops’ hats (mitres?) seem just goofy to me. Where did they come from? What is the meaning behind the headgear worn by bishops, archbishops, the pope, etc? – Q Dear Q, In one sense they are kind of silly, but then so is just about every other kind…
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The beauty of our liturgical year is that the seasons guide us to clarify meaning in our very human lives, which are in constant flux. With each season we have the chance to refocus and renew our faith. We have a tendency to loosen our focus and relax our spiritual drive when…
By Effie Caldarola Imagine you’ve been assigned to minister as the only priest in one of the world’s most remote spots. There’s no road system, and the only way to serve thenearly thirty villages in what is called, unofficially, the largest parish on earth, is to fly a single-engine plane over rugged terrain to a…
What is the purpose of the synod? “We recall that the purpose of the synod, and therefore of this consultation, is not to produce documents, but “to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another…
The poet Mary Oliver wrote this: “It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world.” Consider all she packs into that statement. It’s great to be alive, but it’s serious. The morning is fresh, perhaps glorious, but the world is broken. What will I do with this…
Dear Fr. Leo, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of purgatory. I believe in a just and merciful God, but this doctrine feels like it forgets that God’s perfect justice was shown by Jesus’ sacrifice, thus also showing His perfect mercy toward all men. While, ultimately, I do believe there…
After seven years, Lisa Aquino, chief executive officer of Catholic Social Services (CSS), is moving on. Her new position as CEO with Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center allows her to continue in the field that aligns with her passion: accessing public health care. Throughout her tenure, Aquino oversaw an agency of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau which…
Dear Fr. Leo: Will I see my dog in heaven? – M Dear M: Roy Rogers once famously quipped, “If dogs don’t go to heaven, when I die, I want to go where they went!” Not a bad thought, but to help answer this question, I like to invoke the theological principle: “Lex orandi, lex…