Heritage Girls to launch troop at the cathedral
Holy Family Cathedral is starting a scouting troop of American Heritage Girls — an explicitly Christian scouting organization with Alaska troops already stationed in Eagle River, Glennallen, Dillingham and Palmer.
On Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. troop leaders from Eagle River and Palmer as well as another troop in Anchorage will present about American Heritage Girls at the cathedral. The presentation is open to those who are interested in hearing more about the troop.
American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered leadership and character development program for girls ages 5-18. It is dedicated to the mission of ”building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.” For more information, go online to ahgonline.org.
Vocation discernment for all scouts
The Alaska Catholic Committee on Scouting has invited all scouts, ages 16 to 20, to a discernment gathering. This includes Trail Life Boys, American Heritage Girls, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Venturers. The event will include stories from people currently discerning God’s call on how to listen to and recognize God’s leading. The gathering will also feature testimonies from those who have chosen and practice a specific vocation. The event takes place Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage. The reflection time starts with Mass and ends with lunch. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Aug. 6 by contacting Mary Beth Bragiel at 727-7456, or at mb_oulliber@hotmail.com.
Children in need of coats, pencils
Catholic Social Services is seeking donations for the HUGSS (Helping Us Give School Supplies) & Coats for Kids campaign which benefits needy children. Gently used warm winter coats of all sizes with working zippers and packs of unsharpened #2 pencils may be dropped off at Lutheran Social Services of Alaska (1303 West 33rd Ave.) and Fireweed One Cleaners (500 Fireweed Lane). After Aug. 11 items need to be taken directly to the Sullivan Arena. Financial contributions may be made by sending a check made out to HUGSS & Coats to Lutheran Social Services of Alaska (1303 W. 33rd Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503. Distribution of all supplies will take place Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Sullivan Arena. To sign up to volunteer at the event, go online to cssalaska.org. For more information, email hugss@gci.net or call 644-8477.
Parish nurses & health workers to gather at cathedral
With the support of Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz, all Catholic parish nurses and health ministers are invited to an initial gathering on Aug. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. The intention is “to create a community which gathers regularly to share Catholic faith, values and moral principles, and to promote health in mind, body and spirit.” The meeting will be held at the Holy Family Center in the Saint John Room, on the corner of 5th Ave. and I Street. Participants will begin with Mass at 9 a.m. and then gather for brunch. For more information, contact Pam Kyzer at 360-9432 or Elizabeth Blair at eblair@gci.net.
Secular Carmelites discipleship group
From Aug. 30 through April 2015, the Secular Discalced Carmelites will meet in a group to discuss Scripture, explore the work of the Trinity in Christian discipleship and the role of contemplative prayer. The group meets on the last Saturday of each month at Blessed Sacrament Monastery in Anchorage. To learn more, email Phyllis Shepherd at carmel907@gci.net or call 770-3687.
Catholic school to host golf tourney
Lumen Christi High School will hold its first annual golf tournament on Aug. 30, beginning 8 a.m., at Anchorage Golf Course at O’Malley’s on the Green. The cost is $600 per team or $150 a person. For more information contact the school at 245-9231.
Gaming tourney to aid WYD pilgrims
A gaming convention is in the works to help raise funds for youth from St. Benedict Church in Anchorage to attend the 2016 World Youth Day gathering with Pope Francis in Krakow, Poland. The Aug. 30-31 gaming event will take place at Lumen Christi High School and is scheduled include a wide variety of games and sponsored events. For tickets and information go online to eventbrite.com and search for “AK Battle Brothers.”
Heritage Girls start troop in Palmer
American Heritage Girls — an explicitly Christian scouting organization with Alaska troops in Eagle River, Glennallen and Dillingham, has just recently launched a new troop at St. Michael Church in Palmer. For more about the American Heritage Girls, go online to ahgonline.org. For information about the new troop in Palmer, email Tonya Campbell at cntcamp97@gmail.com or contact Tiffany Borges at 717-7109.
Catholic club seeks members at UAA
The Cardinal Newman Club at the University of Anchorage, Alaska is a campus group for local college students. The club holds meetings every second Saturday at 7 p.m. in the UAA Student Union, Lyla Richards Room. The club is also open to high school seniors who wish to get a head start on meeting fellow Catholic students at UAA. For more information about the Cardinal Newman Club, call 727-7482 or email Jgalle2@alaska.edu
Alaska Mass times
Mass times for many parishes across Alaska can be found on the Catholic Directory website at catholicdirectory.com. The website is a free resource to find information about churches around the world. The website includes Mass times, contact information and locations. The directory also includes Catholic dioceses, schools, ministries and other official organizations.
The online database contains over 122,000 church listings worldwide (over 26,000 in the U.S.) and is updated daily.
Juneau bishop leading Alaska themed pilgrimage
Juneau Bishop Edward Burns has extended an invitation to Alaskans who wish to join him on a pilgrimage to Italy. He will be accompanying a group from Alaska, where Alaskan Catholic Jesuit pioneer Father Pasquale Tosi is buried, to Rimini — Father Tosi’s hometown. The pilgrimage will celebrate a partnership that exists between Alaska and Rimini similar to partnerships that exist throughout the world where visionary men and women from seemingly insignificant parts of the world help found and nurture faith in other areas.
The Oct. 28 to Nov. 6 trip includes four days in Rome with visits to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in one of the crypt chapels and a visit to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The Rome portion of the trip concludes with a guided visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, with liturgy, a visit to the Catacombs and the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.
The trip then heads to Rimini for two days with a focus on the Juneau-Rimini connection and a celebration of the Feast of All Saints on Nov. 1. The Rimini portion concludes with a morning Mass with the Bishop of Rimini and a guided visit to the Bridge of Tiberius and other sites in the center of Rimini.
On Nov. 3 the pilgrimage goes to Ravenna for one day to explore the Byzantine legacy of Ravenna. The trip includes two days in Assisi, hometown of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare before returning to Rome.
For more information, visit travelillume.com/trc/een or call Peggy Mattson at 586-2227 x 31.
Popular Catholic musicians headed for Alaska
The popular “Story & Song Tour” featuring internationally known Catholic artists Steven Angrisano, Sarah Hart and Jesse Manibusan is headed for Alaska in September.
The trio will both perform live concerts and offer workshops on the liturgy and liturgical music. All events will be free of charge.
Parish choir members and musicians will have opportunities to receive training through workshops and teenagers will be invited to join choirs and music groups in their home parishes.
Funded, in part, by a grant from Catholic Youth Foundation USA, the tour begins Sept. 4 with a workshop by Steve Angrisano at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. A second workshop takes place the next day at Lumen Christi High School, followed by an evening concert at St. Patrick’s. The tour concludes Sept. 6 with a night of music, story and audience participation at St. Michael Church in Palmer.
For more information contact St. Michael Church at 745-3229 or go online to st-mikesparish.org.
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Mat-Su Catholic school seeks new board members
Our Lady of the Valley School in Wasilla is seeking additional school board members to help in guiding the future direction of the Catholic school. The board is accepting applications for additional members from all three supporting parishes — Sacred Heart Church, St. Michael Church and Our Lady of the Lake Church. For more information, contact the school at 376-0883 or email
contactolv@valleycatholicschool.org
‘Why Catholic’ workshops offered
This September “Why Catholic?,” a scriptural and catechetical program for parish small groups will offer several workshops across the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Franciscan Sister Maureen Colleary, who also visited Alaska for five days in May, will again give mini-retreats in several parishes. The hour-and-a-half sessions feature prayers, Scripture readings, quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and personal sharing.
“Why Catholic?” is under the umbrella of Renew International, an organization under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. Materials are provided in Spanish, and the program is free although participants may be asked to pay for their books.
“Why Catholic?” is divided into sessions that cover topics such as prayer, Catholic teaching, the sacraments, morality and putting faith into action.
Sister Colleary’s upcoming workshops will take place Sept. 4 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Soldotna, Sept. 6 at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage, Sept. 8 at Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla, Sept. 9 at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. For more information contact Cindy Lentine at clentine@caa-ak.org.
Holy Rosary to host open house
Holy Rosary Academy will hold a final open house before the 2014-15 school year. Interested families are invited to attend the Aug. 7 gathering from 7-9 p.m. at the school (1010 West Fireweed Lane). A few spaces are available in each grade except 8th grade and 1st grade. For more information, call 276-5822.
