Dear Fr. Leo,Do we worship on Sunday because that is the day that Our Lord rose from the dead? In rising from the dead, did he cancel the Old Testament practice of observing the Sabbath on Saturdays? Is that why we call it the Lord’s Day? – S Dear S,These are three good questions. I’ll…
A friend in our group asked if we thought Mary, Jesus’s mother, had been present at the Last Supper. There’s much we don’t know about the Last Supper. We know that many women, including Mary, had followed Jesus into Jerusalem because Scripture records their presence at the Crucifixion. And let’s face it, someone had to…
“The food is falling off the shelves.” You can imagine my delight and gratitude when our AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), Katie Gordon, told me how crowded the shelves at St. Francis House Food Pantry were this week because we had so much food. The Catholic Social Services (CSS) staff have had to…
In the past thirty years, many of us have been exposed to Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Some of a certain age can remember PSAs from the 1960s and 1970s, especially related to campaigns against smoking, preventing forest fires and bringing awareness to care of the earth through littering prevention efforts. The message was to improve…
As the sun rises on spring and Alaskans begin to regain a sense of normalcy in a post-pandemic life, now is the time to check in with aging neighbors and friends. Catholic Community Service (CCS) has the great honor to perform corporal works of mercy on behalf of the Catholic Church in Southeast Alaska. Catholic…
Dear Fr. Leo: In the gospels, when Jesus called his apostles, they each just got up and followed him. What about the other responsibilities they had? Isn’t that abandonment? What about their other day to day life accountabilities? – S. Dear S:Yes, they did leave everything to follow him and yes, it is abandonment –…
How’s your Lent going? About this time of the season, we’re either well into a rhythm of observance, or we feel the time slipping by and think we’re not “doing” enough.
By Letha FlintThe North Star Catholic It was July 10, 1915. T.J. Wendler bid $175 for two lots in downtown Anchorage. As soon as Andrew Christianson acknowledged the bid, Wendler yelled, “These lots are for a church and a hospital.” Christianson dropped his gavel. Wendler had his lots. On September 14, construction began on Holy…
Dear Fr. Leo:My sister sent me something published by a Jesuit magazine that suggested Mary was illiterate. As I had not thought about that before, it occurred to me that perhaps Mary is the second smartest person ever in the world, the first of course being her Son. If Mary studied scripture, she would have…
My daughter lives in the old Italian neighborhood of South Philadelphia. Like all urban areas, the demographics are changing, but there’s still a vibrant Italian outdoor market and restaurants and delis which sell the best Italian food this side of Rome. She has a friend who works in a bar and restaurant in the area….