Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz expressed gratitude for his time leading the Duluth Diocese and his past 14 years heading the Archdiocese of Anchorage. He began the interview by recalling the events immediately preceding his appointment by now Saint John Paul II to become a bishop.
Scouts from Boy Scouts, Trail Life, Girl Scouts and American Heritage Girls are expected to be on hand for the annual Scout Sunday Mass with Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz on Feb. 8. This year’s gathering will take place with an 11 a.m. Mass at St. Michael Church in Palmer, where young scouts will receive religious awards for completing objectives related to spiritual development and growth in their faith.
Here’s a rundown of recent news and upcoming events in the Anchorage Archdiocese.
Here is a list of events and liturgies that Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz is scheduled to attend in January.
Here’s a list of some of the events and liturgies happening around the Anchorage Archdiocese in February.
Holy Rosary Academy’s first season offering wrestling proved a success when freshman Michael Lucas won the state title in the 132-lb division of the Class 1-2-3A state wrestling championships in December. In an 8-2 decision, Lucas defeated Cody Greene of Valdez to finish the season with a 35-3 win-loss record.
Parishioners at St. Anthony Church in Anchorage helped Father Fred Bugarin celebrate his 40th anniversary to the priesthood last month.
Describing their pastor as a “bridge builder between people,” parishioners held a community celebration on Jan. 24-25.
Part of a small handful of priest ordained in Alaska, Father Bugarin immigrated to Alaska from the Philippines with his father in 1963. He attended Anchorage’s first Catholic junior high school before graduating from West High School in 1967.
Anchorage Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley celebrated his 88th birthday on Jan. 12 with a gathering of friends at his private residence in Anchorage. He served as head of the Anchorage Archdiocese for 25 years, retiring in 2001 when current Archbishop Roger Schwietz was installed. Archbishop Hurley continues to live in Anchorage where he celebrates daily Mass in his home chapel, visits with friends and former colleagues and regularly attends major funerals and Catholic events in the archdiocese.
Millions of Americans have watched Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar display the joys of life in a large Christian family through the popular reality show “19 Kids and Counting.” In February the couple heads to Alaska to speak at Alaska Right to Life’s annual convention in Anchorage.
Gov. Bill Walker praised Alaska’s pro-life advocates for their work, stating that “all life is precious and singular.” In a statement read by a representative from his office, the governor thanked the gathering of crisis pregnancy center workers, abortion recovery volunteers, religious leaders and others who braved sub-zero temperatures to participate in the Jan. 24 annual Interdenominational Prayer Service. The 15th annual event took place at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States.