Anchorage Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley celebrated his 45th anniversary as a bishop on March 19 with a special luncheon at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. Attending the gathering were Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, Archbishop Hurley’s long-time secretary Joann White, two of Archbishop Hurley’s nephews and many of the priests of the Anchorage Archdiocese.
The Catholic Anchor welcomes letters to the editor. The following letters appear in our March issue.
CatholicAnchor.org The March and April issues of the Catholic Anchor are historically our most political, as they come out at the time when the Alaska Legislature debates scores of bills that invariably shape Alaska’s cultural landscape. As Christians, we cannot shrink from politics or view it as the purview of elected officials and political insiders….
A change to Alaska’s education tax credit program could have a big impact on the state’s Catholic schools, according to Alaska Catholic Conference executive director Mary Gore. And private schools are poised to get the word out. The program, in existence since 2011, provided tax savings to qualifying individuals and companies who donated to Alaska’s public schools and universities. Now, those same benefits have been extended to the state’s private schools.
The annual event honoring Alaskans who serve the Catholic Church in the spirit of Saint Francis, has received some updates for 2015. For starters, the event is now officially called the St. Francis Stewardship Awards to better reflect the stewardship aspect of the program. The event time has also changed from its traditional date in February to early October, closer to the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. Additionally, this year’s awards will highlight, specifically, the work of parish volunteers.
Here is a list of some upcoming liturgies, special events, volunteer opportunities and other happenings across the Anchorage Archdiocese in the coming weeks.
CatholicAnchor.org March 1-14, Sister diocese meeting, Archdiocese of Cotabato, Philippines March 16-19, AK Catholic Conf. of Bishops meeting, Juneau March 26, 9 a.m., Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe March 26, 7 p.m., Chrism Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe March 29, 9 a.m., Palm Sunday Mass, Our Lady of Guadalupe — Events in Anchorage unless noted.
Here is a listing of community events, presentations and liturgies across the Anchorage Archdiocese in the month of March.
A series of classes in Natural Family Planning (NFP) begins on March 24 in Anchorage. NFP is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. No drugs, devices or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.
“I believe that children are our future.” Whitney Houston sang it, but I think we all believe it. There are stories in the 24-hour news cycle all the time about young people in our country and in our communities making a negative impact. My experience though, is different. Time and time again, young people in Anchorage have made a positive difference everyday. Here is one account of amazing Anchorage young people.