St. Therese’s Camp, an independent Catholic summer camp in Wasilla, spans 57 acres of forest, lake and campground facilities. The first summer camp began in 2014 and has been growing steadily ever since. Now in his third year operating the camp, Director Rudy Poglitsh expects attendance this summer to exceed 200 children.
When it comes to men training for the Catholic priesthood, the Anchorage Archdiocese has what many would consider a good problem. After years of few seminarians training for priesthood, there are now five men in formation with two more on the way. Over the past three years two other men have been ordained as priests. The challenge now is figuring out how to fund the extensive education of this growing group of future clergy.
For the second time in three summers, the Archdiocese of Anchorage will ordain a seminarian to the transitional diaconate which precedes his ordination to the Catholic priesthood. Fifth year seminarian Robert Whitney will receive the sacrament of holy orders on June 3, 7 p.m., at Holy Family Cathedral. The tentative date for his ordination to the priesthood is just over a year later, June 23, 2017.
A 21-year Marine, combat veteran and former Catholic school student in Anchorage has been tapped to lead Anchorage’s largest Catholic high school.
In two separate April letters to clergy and parish leaders across the archdiocese, Archbishop Schwietz announced that in Anchorage St. Benedict Church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral, Holy Cross Church will all be under new leadership effective July 1. Additionally, Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla, Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake, St. Christopher in Willow and the Catholic missions in Bristol Bay will all be under new pastoral leadership.
I write this column to young, 20-something Catholics. You are a treasure for the church, and in need of real answers to the hard questions you face. I also write to parents who suffer when a child leaves the church and perhaps even loses her faith in God. Today’s young people need clear answers to questions that come at them from friends, the culture and even family members. Parents need help answering questions children pose. We must do better in this regard because the church is hemorrhaging young people.
Churches have a particular challenge regarding the issue of out-of-wedlock pregnancies. On the one hand, the teachings of Christ and his church affirm that sex is to be reserved for the bond of faithful, lifelong marriage. Many churches have effective youth and young adult outreaches to help parishioners strengthen moral resolve in this area. And yet, a percentage of young people fall short. In some cases, this leads to a pregnancy. This is impossible to hide from public view — especially if mothers choose life for their unborn child and carry her to term.
Growing up, Daney remembers that Native heritage was an unspoken common denominator among his closest peers. They also shared a Christian faith, and the group’s desire to gather for Bible study somehow created a curiosity about drumming, which they would go on to explore.
Alaska saw a record low number of reported abortions last year. According to the state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics 1,334 abortions were performed in 2015, the fewest since 2003 when Alaska began recording data. Last year’s figures represent a 12 percent drop over 2014 and a nearly 32 percent reduction from a decade ago when 1,956 abortions were reported.
A former Catholic school student in Anchorage has been tapped to lead Anchorages largest Catholic high school. In April Lumen Christi High School announced that Brian Ross, of Anchorage, would take over the reigns from outgoing principal John Harman.