Golfers turnout in the pouring rain for 7th Archbishop’s Golf Tournament

In the early morning of August 8, pros, novices, and hackers peppered the Moose Run Golf Course for the 7th Annual Archbishop’s Golf Tournament for Seminarian Formation. Despite the early morning hour, and their various levels of play, 50 of the 64 registered golfers set out on the course amid bouts of heavy rain to support current and future seminarians in their formation as they prepare to serve the local Church.

Currently, there are two seminarians who benefit from this fund, Deacon Ed Burke and Daniel Kemper. Deacon Burke from Kenai, Alaska, is beginning his 9th year as a seminarian and studies at Mount Angel Seminary in Saint Benedict, Oregon. When asked what he enjoys most about the seminary, the deacon shared, “Getting to live under the same roof as Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. My room is about six feet from the chapel, and it’s such a huge blessing to have such close access to Our Lord any time of the day or night and to lift up those entrusted to my prayers.”

Kemper, from Anchorage, Alaska, is currently in his second year at Mount Angel. In his reflection on the seminary, he shared, “I really enjoy the amount of time I am able to spend with the Blessed Sacrament. The study, the fraternity, and the formation are all essential parts of seminary, but falling in love with Jesus in the Eucharist has been the greatest of joys. Centering my life around the Eucharist has animated the other parts of my formation. Being surrounded by 60 other men who are doing the same thing is truly something special. We are influenced by each other and can learn so much just by sharing our joys and difficulties. I am so blessed to live in such an environment.”

Both seminarians said they were extremely grateful to all those who supported the event.

From left, Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., Matt Meggs, Seminarian Daniel Kemper, Seminarian Deacon Ed Burke, John Harmon, and Amber Morrison-Waters played a round of golf together at the Archbishop’s Golf Tournament in Anchorage on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.(Courtesy of Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M.)

Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., greeted the golfers in the morning. And both of the seminarians greeted golfers on the course and participated in golfing with the Archbishop for a few holes in the golf classic. As one of the largest annual fundraisers for seminarians, the tournament includes a few unique perks that set it apart from other golf tournaments.

At the first hole tee box golfers could take “selfies” with Pope Francis — or at least a cardboard cutout likeness of him. In addition, participants purchased “Divine Intervention” golf aids, such as mulligans, putting string, and “holy hand grenades” to improve their final score, which tremendously helped many of the teams.

The golf classic began with a welcome and prayer from the Archbishop. Although rain dogged the golfers throughout the event, there was sunshine in their spirits. And the teams pressed on with special instructions for golfing in the rain, such as to keep all carts on the paved trails and only one golfer on the fairway at a time.

Similar to last year, approximately 25 community organizations, businesses, and parishes supported the tournament through hole sponsorships and in-kind gifts for each golfer’s goodie bags.

“Initially I was concerned about the rain, but I was very grateful for all of our volunteers and golfers who didn’t let that hold them back,” said LeAndra Childs, who coordinated the event. “As with last year, I am very happy with the amount of support for our seminarians and look forward to next year’s tournament. We are very grateful to all of golfers, volunteers, and sponsors for their generous support!”

The Saint Daegon Kim team who won the 2024 Archbishop’s Golf Tournament meet seminarians Daniel Kemper and Deacon Ed Burke on the golf course (Julianne Estes/North Star Catholic)

Moose Run’s digital scoreboard app allowed teams to track their score from their phone, and the live updates encouraged friendly competition. It was close at the top of the scoreboard, but the Saint Daegun Kim team held the lead and won the tournament.

When asked about the day, Archbishop Bellisario, C.M. said, “Despite the rain, it was a good day of fun and fellowship for all. It was nice to visit with those in attendance and I’m grateful for everyone who helped make this year’s Annual Golf Classic for our seminarians a success!”

Although the 7th Annual Archbishop Golf Classic is over, there is an opportunity to help plan next year’s event. If you have any recommendations on improving the tournament or are interested in joining the golf committee to help plan next year’s 8th-anniversary event, please contact LeAndra Childs, Director of Stewardship & Communications for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau at lchilds@aoaj.org or (907) 297-7789. Additional donations for the Seminarian Formation Fund can be made online (www.aoaj.org).