On a cold November day, I noticed on Twitter Sister Helen Prejean, the Catholic death penalty opponent, announcing that her friend Bill Pelke had died in Anchorage, Alaska, where he had retired. He was shoveling snow when he suffered a heart attack. I had heard Bill speak years before and had tried to schedule a…
Dear Fr. Leo:Jesus got one hundred percent of his earthly stuff from his mother…her blood type, her DNA, her good looks, etc. So, when we receive the Eucharist, which IS the body and blood of Jesus, aren’t we also receiving her? – M Dear M:An interesting speculation. The crux of the matter lies in the…
Catholic Community Service has the great honor to perform corporal works of mercy on behalf of the Catholic church in Southeast Alaska (formerly the Diocese of Juneau) with a mission of “serving the most vulnerable individuals and families in Southeast Alaska with dignity, care and compassion.” Last month we shared a bit of an overview…
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church’s history” (CCC 828). Encouraging and inspiring are the lives of the saints. It is also heartening to know that most endured great hardships and adversity in living out their…
It was an April day in 2014, just a few days before Jesuit Father Frans van der Lugt would celebrate his 76th birthday. The gunmen’s knock on the door was abrupt. The beating came first, then two bullets to the head. At least once a year, I like to write something about him. The call…
Catholic Community Service has the great honor to perform corporal works of mercy on behalf of the Catholic church in Southeast Alaska (formerly the Diocese of Juneau). We are excited to introduce ourselves as members of the new Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. We want to share some history and tell you how we have…
Catholic Social Services is excited and honored to serve and be a part of the newly formed Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Since 1966, Catholic Social Services has served the Anchorage area, working to end homelessness, combat hunger insecurity, and welcome the stranger. Although our services are centered in Anchorage, I believe that we help many, far…
Even in this time of uncertainty that individuals, communities and the world face, we have been given hope in a new Archdiocese. I am thankful for what the people of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau have been able to celebrate. We have become a new community of faith. The worldwide Catholic…
Matteo Ricci, a 16th-century Jesuit, told the story of two men walking together. One of the men was extremely rich and one was extremely poor.A passerby commented, “Those two men are very close friends,” to which an ancient sage was said to have replied, “If that is true, then why is one of them rich…
CatholicAnchor.org As summer 2020 comes to an end, and we prepare for fall, the realization that the COVID pandemic will not be going away anytime soon is evident. We all held the general belief that with a strong effort and response, we could quickly stop this illness, but beating this pandemic requires a strong effort…