On Saturday, Dec. 6th, Anchorage children will gather at St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church with hopes of spotting Saint Nicholas, the third century bishop of Myra and the inspiration behind much of the Christmas gift-giving tradition. The public is welcome to join in as the parish celebrates its patron saint with a Divine Liturgy followed by singing, dancing, gift exchanges, skits and a potluck feast.
The gradual decent into Christmas incoherence is not merely the fault of the unchurched masses. Practicing Christians, too, have failed to pass on many of the rich traditions that celebrate and teach the spiritual heart and meaning of Christmas. Reasons vary, but our once Christian-saturated culture has grown increasingly secular, and that affects us all, including how we celebrate Christmas. The answer to this malady doesn’t lie in pressuring Starbucks to baptize its red-washed holiday cups. Those are only the final fruits of a long chain of events. A “Merry Christmas” cup isn’t going to turn the tide. The renewal of Christmas will begin elsewhere…
I know some people find it difficult to believe that bread and wine change and become the Body and Blood of Jesus. In fact recent polls indicate that more than 35 percent of practicing Catholics do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I can understand their doubts. It goes against our logic to believe that here before me is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ — God’s only begotten Son and my savior. But anyone schooled in logic will tell you that it is not enough to say I don’t understand it therefore I won’t believe it.
As a practitioner both of American secular law and the canon law of the Catholic Church I observe differences and similarities between these two legal systems. One sharp difference is the clear acceptance by canon law of the natural law as a source of foundational legal principles, contrasted with the almost total silence and even hostility toward natural law in the modern American legal system. There is no good reason for this radical difference and that the rejection of natural law as a direct source of legal norms has detached American law from its foundational roots in natural justice.
Father Paul Edward Scanlon, the tall, prayerful Dominican priest who had a major hand in establishing Dominican friars in Anchorage, died on Nov. 19 of respiratory failure in Los Angeles, Calif. He was 82. He served as provincial leader over the entire Western Dominican Province from 1969 to 1977. During that time, he accepted an invitation by late Anchorage Archbishop Joseph Ryan to bring Dominican friars to Anchorage to care for and run Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Anchorage. At that time, Father Scanlon was impressed by the need for Dominicans to establish a presence in Alaska. They’ve been here ever since.
According to a new report by the American Values Atlas, Alaskans are far less likely than the general U.S. population to be affiliated with any particular religion or denomination. The report looked at a random sampling of 338 Alaskans across the state in 2014. Findings showed that 28 percent of Alaskans were unaffiliated. Nationally this number is growing, but Alaska is six percentage points higher than the national average.
The Catholic Hispanic population is one of Alaska’s fastest growing segments, and the recent arrival of two new priests has boosted outreach to this diverse group within the Anchorage Archdiocese with an eye to eventually serving pockets of Hispanic Catholics throughout the archdiocese.
The incoming priests are members of the Congregation of the Mission, popularly known as Vincentians. “This assignment is an international mission given us by our superior general in Rome,” Father Bellisario told the Catholic Anchor. The international aspect means priests can be called from various countries to help serve in Alaska.
“Being able to connect faith with academics makes the whole circle complete,” she added. “The kids are very aware of who Jesus is and what choices Jesus wants for us in life. I don’t ever have to worry about offending anyone if we talk about Jesus. That’s why I teach here…I honestly don’t know if I could work again in an environment where faith wasn’t included.”
Twenty-year-old Brendon Mezzetti is mastering the musical world at his fingertips and offering his growing talents to the liturgical service of the Catholic Church in Alaska. Mezzetti grew up performing in the Alaska Children’s’ Choir and local small theatrical venues. A Suzuki-trained pianist since age eight, his command at the keyboard was initially harnessed while participating in community theater as a pre-teen, where he was casually tasked with transcribing a 256-page score to accompany a stage production. He dove in, and has accumulated honors at every level.
The Anchorage Assembly passed an ordinance last month establishing “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as classifications of prohibited discrimination in the Anchorage civil code. The move places sexual orientation and gender identity on the same legal level as race and religion.
Religious liberty advocates are deeply concerned that the new ordinance compels local churches, faith-based groups and business owners to violate deeply held beliefs by forcing them to hire employees who are openly living a homosexual and/or transgender lifestyle, while also forcing service companies and rental organizations to promote, serve and facilitate causes and events which violate their moral beliefs, especially in the area of sexuality.