Volume 4 Number 1 January 2014www.dioceseofjuneau.org

The Southeast Alaska

CatholicOfficial Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau

INSIDE

Catholic Schools Week

Continued on page 6

By Patricia ZaPor, catholic News service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Less than a year into his pontifi-cate, Pope Francis has become a phenomenon far beyond the Catholic Church.

As Time magazine observed in naming him Person of the Year, Pope Francis has captured the imagination of “young and old, faithful and cynical,” by placing himself at the center of important conversations of the times: “about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temp-tations of power.”

“At a time when the limits of leadership are being tested in so many places, along comes a man with no army or weapons, no kingdom beyond a tight fist of land in the middle of Rome but with the immense wealth and weight of history behind him, to throw down a challenge,” said Nancy Gibbs, Time’s managing editor, in explaining the choice.

By changing not the doctrine of the church but the tone and fo-cus given to everyday issues, Pope Francis has become a part of admir-ing dinner table and happy hour conversations among people who previously may have given little

thought to anything a pope did.“The reason what he does is

so powerful is he talks like Jesus and acts like Jesus,” said Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter and adviser to President George W. Bush and now a columnist for The Washington Post, author and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was among panel-

ists at a Dec. 2 program at George-town University sponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, on the topic of Pope Francis and the poor.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a political indepen-dent who is Jewish, has become fond of quoting the pope, more than once citing his remarks on

financial inequality on the floor of the Senate.

On the other side of the Capitol, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., a Presbyterian, indirectly quoted the pope’s call to help people who are persecuted for their religion, having the Congressional Record print the text of a speech on the topic by New York Cardinal Timo-

thy M. Dolan, delivered to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at their November meeting.

In a Dec. 4 speech on eco-nomic mobility, President Barack Obama quoted the pope’s ap-ostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gos-pel”), published Nov. 26.

Pope Francis captures imaginations well beyond

the Catholic Church

Pope Francis gives a thumbs up as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Jan. 15. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The year of Francis

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 2 • January 2014

CelebrationsJanuary 25:

feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Patronal feast of St. Paul’s parish, Juneau

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Church

Calendar

January Poverty in America Awareness Month

January 26 National Collection for the Church

in Latin America

January 26-February 1 Catholic Schools Week

February 2 Special Collection: Holy Name

Catholic School, Ketchikan

February 2 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

World Day for Consecrated Life

February 3 Memorial of St. Blaise,

Blessing of Throats

February 9 World Marriage Day

February 11 Our Lady of Lourdes, World Day for the Sick

February 7 - 14 National Marriage Week

February 14 St. Valentine’s Day

Special Collection January 25-26, 2014

The challenges and opportunity presented by non-believers Deacon Charles Rohrbacher discusses the Sunday Assembly Page 5

Whatsoever you doExecutive Director of St. Vincent de Paul - Juneau, on the needs of the poor Page 8

Catholic Schools WeekHoly Name Ketchikan plans celebration of Catholic Schools Week Page 16

In This Issue

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 3

BY BishOPEDWARD J. BURNs

Why Catholic Schools?By Fr. scott settimo

Just this past December, in a public school in southern California, the first grade assignment was to find something at home that represented a family Christmas tradition, bring it to school, and share the item in a classroom presentation. Six year old Brynn Wilson decided to bring the Star of Bethlehem that adorned the family Christmas tree. But as the child was giving her presentation the teacher stopped her and told her to sit down, because she was “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school.”

Whereas, at Holy Name School in Ketchikan the parish priest's recent religion lesson for the sixth grade was on the Fifth Commandment. The children learned that they are created in the image and likeness of God, comprised of body and soul, and that human life is therefore sacred and purposeful. One student's question led to a constructive discussion about sui-cide, which, it turns out, had already touched some of their young lives.

Will you help us keep Christ in the classroom? The diocesan special collection for Catholic Schools is Sunday, february 2. Your prayers, certainly, and any monetary gift would help. It might help to know that:

• average weekly compensation of a teacher = $835; • one month’s tuition = $352; and • keeping the lights and heat on for a day = $117.

Thank you for supporting Catholic Schools.

SpECIAL COLLECTIONfor Diocese of Juneau Catholic Schools

February 2

It was a surprise for me to learn that Pope Francis recently spoke about a priest in Alaska during a meeting with 120 major superiors of religious orders of men at the

Vatican. The meeting with the major su-periors was meticulously planned. It was to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Vati-can’s New Hall of the Synod. As the Holy Father walked in, he

was greeted by applause. As with many papal events, the schedule was well orchestrated in advance along with who would be addressing the Pope. But being true to what some have come to appreciate (or dread if you are part of the Papal entourage or security), Pope Francis changed the schedule and plans. The superiors had only requested a brief meeting with the Pope but he intended to spend the whole morning with them. Instead of giving a speech and listen-ing to their prepared remarks, he engaged in an “off-the-cuff” dialogue with them. He said that the Church must be attractive and that men and women religious are to “wake up the world!” He went on to speak of how this is to be done through humble ser-vice and their commitment to reach out to those on the “periphery.” He said, “It is the most concrete way of imitating Jesus, who went toward all the peripheries. Jesus went to all, really all. I would not really feel un-comfortable going to the periphery: you should not feel uncomfortable in reaching out to anyone.”

The Holy Father went on to say, “This is the way to proceed. This

is what the great re-ligious missionaries did. The extraordi-nary adventures of the Spanish Jesuit Segundo Llorente come to mind, a tenacious and con-templative missionary in Alaska. He not only learned the language but also the concrete way of think-ing of the people. Enculturating the charism, therefore, is fundamental, and this never means relativizing it.” While I’d heard of Fr. Segundo Llorente, S.J., this mention of him by our Holy Father prompted me to learn more about his life and missionary experiences here in Alaska.

Father Llorente was born near Leon, Spain on November 18, 1906. On October 1, 1930 he arrived at Gonzaga University, in Spokane, Washington to learn English. He was ordained a priest on June 24, 1934. He was assigned to the missionary territory of Alaska and served in such places as St. Mary’s Mission, Kotze-bue, Nome, Akulurak, Alakanuk, Fairbanks, Cordova, and Anchorage.

In referring to his time in Kotze-bue he said, “Three things kept me from going insane: the tabernacle, the typewriter, and teaching catechism.” He told Fr. Louis L Renner, SJ, “If you are a writer, there’s always something to write about.” As soon as he landed in Alaska, Fr. Llorente began writ-ing a steady stream of articles for a Spanish mission Magazine, El siglo de las Misiones. The articles were about the everyday life of serving the people in Alaska. These articles appeared over the course of years and were reprinted in a series of books but never translated into English.

He was also a regular contribu-tor and writer for the Fairbanks Daily News-Minor. He wrote about the Alaskan missions. After a flood wiped out the church and rectory, Fr. Llorente built a new wooden church

with his own hands and moved into the shed behind it. Thomas Merton even described him as “a remarkable person, a sort of legend” in Alaska. In November 1960, Fr. Segundo Llorente, S.J. made headlines across the nation —and history—when he was unanimously elected, without campaigning, by write-in votes to serve in Alaska’s House of Represen-tatives. TIME Magazine immediately sent a reporter to interview him. The magazine article was printed on Friday, January 13, 1961. It was entitled, “Religion: Maverick among Eskimos.” Fr. Llorente told the re-porter that he had decided to be a priest at an early age and joined the Jesuits at age 16. “I wanted to be a missionary,” he said. “I just put an Atlas in front of me and I spotted Alaska. The kid feels very holy. I thought, ‘Christ died for me on the cross, so I’ll die for him in the snow.’”

The article went on to describe how his Bishop was not initially pleased that he was getting himself into a political office but recognized that he was doing good in serving the people. To the reporter, Fr. Llorente said: “It’s a great testimony to the strength of American culture, when a Spaniard who is a Catholic priest is elected to the legislature by Eskimos.”

He was the first Roman Catholic priest in the United States to hold elected office of this rank. He served two terms in the State Legislature in Juneau beginning in 1961. He refused to run for a third term. He died on January 26, 1989 in the Jesuit infir-mary at Gonzaga University and he is buried among the Indian people of the Pacific Northwest, in the Mission Cemetery at DeSmet, Idaho.

Pope’s ‘off the cuff’ discussion includes a

priest in Alaska

Fr. Segundo Llorente, S.J., 1906 - 1989.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 4 • January 2014

World Day of Prayer forConsecrated Life

World Day for Consecrated Life will be celebrated in the Church on Saturday, February 1, 2014 and in parishes on the weekend of February 1-2, 2014. Please pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life, and be sure to thank them on their special day. May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation.

Prayer for Consecrated Persons

God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son’s Kingdom as sisters, brothers, religious priests, consecrated virgins, and hermits, as well as members of Secular Institutes. Renew their knowledge and love of you, and send your Holy Spirit to help them respond generously and courageously to your will. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My New Year’s Resolutions

Rejoice always.Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for thisis the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

By Katie BeNNiNg, JuNeau

In a casual conversation the other day, one word that was spoken by an almost stranger put my whole 2014 in perspective and affirmed my resolve. Possibili-ties. This woman said New Year’s ‘possibilities’ not resolutions. It’s not that I shun the word resolution, it’s just that I hardly ever make them. I saw a cartoon in the paper the other day where two friends were talking about what they were going to do for New Year’s. One friend asked the other if she would run a “Resolution Run” with her on New Year’s Day, and the other replied, “If you know me, you know two of my least favorite words are resolution and run.” My good friend Heather is laughing with me on that one because she knows me and knows how true that is for me! But to know that I have a year ahead of me that is open to possibilities, well that just fills me with tremendous hope! And hope is one of my favorite words. Not too challenging, not too overwhelming, not too tedious, just inspirational.

Despite my resistance to resolutions though, I do have a couple of possibilities that I am looking forward to. The first is to walk the dog. I’ve been longing for a dog to walk with for some time, and my husband has finally warmed up to the idea. So as of New Year’s Day, we have a new dog, and I firmly intend to walk her as often as possible! And if I should shed a few pounds because of it, all the better!

Secondly, I am going to read my Bible. The whole thing, cover to cover. I’ve tried to do this before, but I usually gave up out of boredom somewhere around the book of Numbers. There’s a lot of history in the Old Testament and history puts me to sleep sometimes, but I chose an approach this year where you read a little bit from the Old Testament and then a little bit from the New Testament every day. This seems to provide a nice balance for me. I thought it might be fascinat-ing to see if I could pick up any connections between the two moments in time that the books were written.

I actually got this idea on New Year’s Day. I had just recently read an intriguing book by Sue Monk Kidd titled “God’s Joyful Surprise…Finding Yourself Loved.” In the book she talks about her faith journey and how she got to a point in her life where she tried to stay in constant prayer. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). At first she didn’t think this was possible because her life was so full and so busy; how much more time could she spend in prayer? But her concept of prayer changed and with that her concept of God changed. I want that. I want a new concept of God in my life. I want a relationship with God that flows seamlessly with my life and vice versa. So that they are one and the same; so it is impossible for me to see

where one ends and the other one takes up. Where I am not setting my books down one minute and picking up the vacuum the next and not see God in all that I have to do. I want that kind of harmony in my life. As I was pondering on New Year’s Day that I would like to resolve to seek that kind of connectedness in 2014, it occurred to me that I could start by reading my Bible. I had already ordered more books of inspiring figures who had accomplished this in their lives, like Brother Lawrence, so it occurred to me that maybe a good way to get to know God better is to read more about Him.

I woke up one morning shortly after that with a thought left lingering on my mind from the dream that I had just had: “I want to dance to the music that has always been inside of me.” I didn’t really know what that meant, but I really liked the sound of it. And I wonder now as I commit myself to these resolutions if it isn’t my internal desire to go through my everyday life in perfect harmony with God. To dance the dance of the Prophet Miriam in the book of Exodus when God saves the Israelites from the Egyptians; she celebrates by leading

the women in dance and song. A celebration for the God who saves us and never leaves us, the same God who has constantly been inside me just as surely as He created the world in the beginning and just as surely gave us Jesus to show us His way in this world. Where every moment of my day is so full of His presence that anything is possible. I believe that God wants to be with me and help me match socks and play “Cootie” and walk the dog and pay my taxes…the list is endless, but so is God, so the two should be in perfect harmony.

Katie Benning’s blog ‘The Hood: Womanhood, Motherhood, Sainthood’ may be found at www.journeyingthehood.com.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 5

ROHRBACHER

Along the Way

Deacon Charles Rohrbacher

I’m member and preacher to that church where the blind don’t see and the lame don’t walk and what’s dead stays that way. Ask me about that church and I’ll tell you it’s the church that the blood of Jesus don’t foul with redemption. —Hazel Motes in “Wise Blood” by Flannery O’Connor

In the early 1950’s the writer Flan-nery O’Connor presciently wrote in her novel Wise Blood, of the deep hunger of modern men and women for meaning in their lives in a world where God is no longer perceived to be present or even real. The main character of her novel, Hazel Motes, having lost his faith, becomes an itinerant preacher and evangelist for the First Church of Christ Without Christ.

I was reminded of Hazel Motes and his despairing yet boisterously evangelical ‘church’ the other day. Driving into work I was listening to the news on public radio when a feature on a new social phenomenon, the Sunday Assembly came on the air.

Founded by two British comedians, the Sunday As-sembly is intended to provide the experience of church for those who do not believe in God but who long for the fellowship, community, shared rituals, communal singing, and good works that are a traditional part of (Christian) worship and religious practice.

One of the founders, Sanderson Jones has been quoted as saying: “The Sunday Assembly has been called the atheist church, but we prefer to think of it as all the best bits of church but with no religion and awesome songs.”

The organizers invite participants to join them in order to “live bet-ter, help often, and wonder more.” Leaving aside the thorny problem of agreeing on a definition of the Good, the True and the Beautiful, not a bad program on the face of it. Would that we all, believers and unbelievers alike, take their invitation to heart.

However, the charter of the Sunday Assembly then continues on with a cheerful but nihilistic declara-tion: “The Sunday Assembly is 100% celebration of life. We are born from nothing and go to nothing. Let’s enjoy it together.”

Which reminded me of this quote from Flannery O’Connor “At its best our age is an age of searchers and dis-

coverers, and at its worst, an age that has domesticated despair and learned to live with it happily.”

Although O’Connor was writing in the 1950’s, her observation has contemporary relevance and describes the spiritual condition of many of our friends, family members and neighbors who have lost their faith or who have grown up as atheists or agnostics.

It seems to me that as Christian believers we should pay attention to the phenomenon of these Sunday Assem-

blies which have sprung up in the big cities of Europe, Australia, and North America. We should do so for what they tell us about the deepest longings of the human heart, about the need to proclaim the good news, and how we might better understand and cherish our own Sunday assemblies (aka Sunday Mass).

Clearly all human beings long for communion, com-panionship and community. We want to be loved and cherished and to find happiness. On the deepest level we desire to know what our lives mean. Since the beginning of human consciousness, men and women have pondered

the fundamental questions about our existence: where do I come from? What is the purpose of my life? What is the meaning of suffering and death? What is my ultimate destiny?

These are fundamental spiritual and religious questions and it is natu-ral that those who are unfortunate enough to be bereft of religious faith would nonetheless seek to partici-pate in “the best bits of religion” even without God.

As Christians we believe that at the most profound level our deepest longing is spiritual, for communion with God. As St. Augustine has fa-mously stated, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You, O Lord.” Nothing else, no one else, can possibly substi-tute for God’s merciful, compassion-ate, forgiving and loving presence in our lives. The God revealed to us fully in Jesus Christ, who loved us to the very end by taking upon himself the burden of sin and death, the burden of our despair and hopelessness, is

the God who forgives sins, heals the lame, restores sight to the blind and raises the dead to new life.

Humanity, having come from God and then having turned away from communion with Him and each other because of sin, our destiny as men and women is to return to God through grace as His beloved sons and daughters.

Therefore our gathering each Sunday on the Lord’s Day is a continual celebration of life: our new life in Christ, who lived, died and rose from the dead for the life of the world. In Christ, the dead do not stay that way.

Each time we gather on Sunday for the Eucharist, it is not what we do, but what God does that is central. We assemble to thank and praise, adore and worship the God who has rescued us from the hell of despair and hopelessness. We gather each week in worship to renew our redemption from the futility and meaninglessness of suffering and death.

Everything that we do when we are called together by God as a Sunday assembly is centered on God’s living and saving presence among us. We are bound together in fellowship with each other because we are bound together in fellowship with Christ.

For me, the social phenomenon of non-believers gath-ering once a month for church in every sense except divine worship (and on a Sunday no less!) presents us with both a challenge and an opportunity. In an important sense, they do us the service of highlighting the significance and value of our weekly gathering on the Lord’s Day. They recognize (if for somewhat superficial reasons) the significance and the treasure of our Sunday gathering: so much so that they imitate it. Do we, who are believers, recognize and embrace the significance and value of our Sunday assembly for the Eucharist?

That’s our challenge.Our unbelieving friends and neighbors who par-

ticipate in gatherings such as the Sunday Assembly also highlight for us as disciples the deep hunger for meaning and transcendence in modern society. The movement’s invitation to “live better, help often, and wonder more” in a world they believe has no ultimate purpose or mean-ing, expresses, however inchoately, a hunger for the Good News, which it is our task and privilege to witness to as followers of Jesus.

That’s our opportunity. Deacon Charles Rohrbacher is the Office of Ministries Direc-

tor for the Diocese of Juneau. Phone: 907-586-2227 ext. 23. Email: charlesr@gci.net

Sunday assembly for non-believers both challenge and opportunity

Do we, who are believers, recognize and embrace the significance and value of our Sunday assembly for the Eucharist?

Deacon Vince Hansen serving at the Diocesan Synod 2013 opening mass.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 6 • January 2014

By Pat miNicK, JuNeau

I was serving as an usher for this year’s Epiphany Mass at our small church. My du-ties that day included helping to organize a children’s procession to bring up the statues of the wise men and their gifts. As usual, there were some grumbles from kids who didn’t get to carry their preferred king, but we sorted that out and sent them up the aisle to the crèche. After the last strains of “We Three Kings” had ended and the kings and their gifts had marched up the aisle (In order!), I set to my next task. On the first weekend of every month, the ushers at our parish give a head count of the congregation. I duti-fully checked the balcony, side chapel, and main seat-ing area. I even made sure I included Father Pat, Deacon Charles, the servers and the music ministers. The young, the old, the unbaptized, the nuns—I counted them all and wrote down the total, then settled in to celebrate Mass.

Somehow, though, I found my mind wan-dering. It wasn’t Father’s sermon—that was engaging as always. No, I kept thinking that I must not have counted right. I must have missed somebody. I glanced around, wondering if I’d skipped a row or if a family had somehow snuck in, but I didn’t notice anything amiss. Still, though, there was a nagging feeling that I hadn’t counted somebody. Then, stifling a snicker, I realized who I’d missed. I hadn’t counted myself! And in that moment, I learned something new about Epiphany.

In one sense, my error was totally logical. I didn’t include myself in the “head count” because I couldn’t see my own head. In another sense, it spoke to something deeper. The read-ings for Epiphany tell us that Jesus came for everybody, including the Gentiles. He came for the leper, the poor, the lonely, the sinner, and the outcast. As a modern Catholic, I have no problem grasping that. Yet the readings hint at another great truth. Jesus didn’t just come for them or even for us. He came for me, too. In this sense, not including myself in the “head count” meant a failure, however unconscious, to recognize this truth. I saw all the other people in that building as God’s children, and I forgot to count myself among them.

How could I do that? Why would I doubt

that Jesus is calling to me? I blame it on the wise men. They’re just too perfect. These guys were smart, rich, powerful, and visited by angels. And they brought fabulous gifts that were both symbolically important and amaz-ingly precious. How can I compete with that? A similar thing happens when I consider the congregation at my church. These are truly God’s people. Even in their struggles, I see a trust in God, a desire to live the Gospel, a love for Jesus that leaves me in awe. How small does my faith appear next to theirs, and how much

does this lead me to doubt my gifts. It’s no wonder that I sometimes doubt whether I should be counted in their number.

But Jesus had more birthday visitors than just the wise men. The first ones who came to see Him, the first people to whom the angels proclaimed the Good News of His birth were shepherds. They were

the exact opposites of the wise men—poor, uneducated, untraveled, bearing no gifts—with one exception. They, too, were visited by angels. They, too, were called by God to come see Jesus. The shepherds reminded of the kids who brought up the statues of the wise men. I, like those children, don’t always get to choose what gifts I get. I, like they, don’t actually “own” these gifts. My gifts are really God’s gifts. And I, like they, am still called to bring my gifts, no matter what they are, to Jesus. The wise men remind us that we should bring our gifts to Je-sus. The shepherds remind us that the gift Jesus really wants from us is ourselves. Christ came for the world, but He also came for me. Epiphany reminds me to remember to count myself among those He has chosen.

A child waves during the Three Kings Cavalcade parade in celebration of the feast of the Epiphany in Warsaw, Poland, Jan. 6. (CNS photo/Kacper Pempel, Reuters)

Counting ourselves among the chosen

In one sense, my error was totally logical. I didn’t include myself in the “head count” because I couldn’t see my own head. In another sense, it spoke to something deeper.

Observing that economic inequality has increased across the developed world and that “the basic bargain at the heart of our economy has frayed,” Obama added: “Some of you may have seen just last week, the pope himself spoke about this at eloquent length. ‘How can it be,’ he wrote, ‘that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?’”

Among the indicators of the pope’s broad popularity are polls showing “strongly favorable” views of Pope Francis among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Dec. 11 found 92 percent of American Catholics have a favorable impression of the pope, including 63 percent with a “strongly favorable” impression. It also found 69 percent of all U.S. adults have a favorable impression of him.

Pope Francis also topped the list of most talked-about topics worldwide in 2013 on the social network site, Facebook. Elections worldwide, the Brit-ish royal baby, Super Typhoon Haiyan, the Boston Marathon bombing, pop star Miley Cyrus and Nelson Mandela were among the rest of the top topics.

That interest is reflected in the wide range of nonreligious news orga-nizations that have devoted significant reporting to the pope. Websites such as HuffPost and Daily Kos, both often associated with liberal politics, have devoted considerable space to Pope Francis. Esquire and Us magazines, neither typically big on religion reporting, have featured him in recent weeks as well.

Within the U.S. Catholic Church, immediate effects of the new pope’s influence have been subtle. The Pew Research Center said that it has found no increase in church attendance over the last nine months, despite reports of such by Catholic clergy in Italy, Britain and other countries.

Pew also reported that there’s been no change in the percentage of Ameri-cans who identify as Catholics, which has been about 22 or 23 percent of the population since 2007.

Pope Francis: Continued from page 1

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 7

By DaN austiN Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul - Juneau

“The answer to poverty is not simply more income. The answer is choice and opportunity. The answer is freedom and dignity.”

Whether you are a poor farmer in India (the subject of the above quote from Jacqueline Novogratz, Director of Acumen), a homeless veteran on the street, or a single parent strug-gling with few skills and little preparation for parenthood, the an-swer is the same. Without choices and opportunity, life becomes a daily grind of survival. Without long term goals and dreams it is easy to discard pride, health, and personal responsibility in favor of satisfying one’s most immediate need for relief from suffering.

I like to tell people that after decades of working with the poor, I have learned a great deal. I have learned that poor people are not less intelligent, moral or wise than I. I pray that I have learned to listen.

I have learned that at least 25% of our brethren, our fellow citizens, live in a world apart. They do not participate in our democracy, or in any fundamental sense in our economy. I am always surprised that this fact does not seem to bother most of us. For me, it is like an eight cylinder car running on six. Sooner or later, particularly in this competitive global economy, that car will be stalled on the side of the road. Democracy requires a diverse, educated, involved electorate. Our nation’s

economic strength is ultimately about the in-genuity of our people. As a society we cannot afford to waste 25% of our human resources.

Choice and Opportunity. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Juneau works to find choice and opportunity for individuals to help them help themselves. We do not assume that we have a “program” that will meet each person’s need. We listen. We try to help in any way we can. Often it is permanent, safe, affordable housing.

Sometimes it is a ticket home to family. Sometimes it is a food voucher, a Holiday bas-ket, or help with a medical bill. Sometimes it is summer camp or music lessons to keep the light burning in a child’s eyes.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society (Juneau) is blessed because the vast majority of its financial support, about

70%, is generated by the local community. Pa-tronage of our Thrift Store and local donations by individuals and businesses are the majority of that, contributions from the people we serve make up the rest.

The annual Walk for the Poor is the one time of the year we ask you directly to sup-port our work. More important, it is a simple demonstration by those of us who enjoy choice and opportunity that we stand with all our brothers and sisters in need—that we will not forget them; that we will not rest until all have access to choice and opportunity. (The Walk for the Poor is held annually in September.)

The Answer to Poverty

“The answer to poverty is not simply more income. The answer is choice and opportunity. The answer is freedom and dignity.”

- Jacqueline Novogratz

By Joel DaviDsoN catholicaNchor.org

Alaska’s Commissioner of Health and Social Services defended the state’s new abortion regulation that requires abortion practitioners to ex-plain why they thought an abortion was “medically necessary” before they receive compensation for the procedure from Alaska’s public funds.

As in other states, Alaska is sub-ject to the long-standing federal law — the Hyde Amendment — which stipulates that federal dollars can only fund abortions in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the mother’s life. But if none of those conditions ap-ply abortion practitioners in Alaska have been able to simply claim that an abortion was “medically neces-sary” and general funds from the state would then pay for abortions of low-income women on Medicaid. The new regulation, however, re-quested by health commissioner Bill Streur and certified by Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell on Jan. 3, will require abortion practitioners to cite specific reasons as to why they think the abor-tion was “medically necessary.” The regulation takes effect Feb. 2.

HISTORY BEHIND PUBLIC FUNDING OF ABORTION

The Alaska Supreme Court is-sued a ruling in 2001 that required the state to pay for “medically necessary” abortions, when the procedure did not qualify for federal reimbursement under the Hyde Amendment stipula-tion which only allows federal funds for abortions in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the mother’s life.

According to Streur Alaska pays for roughly 700 abortions a year through the state’s Medicaid program for low income women with abortion practitioners simply checking a box

marked “medically necessary,” but with no explanation as to why. The result is that no federal dollars have paid for Alaska abortions over the past three years. Instead, the state was required to pay the bill.

According to Streur, the cost to Alaska has been about $450 per abor-tion, which works out to $315,000 annually.

“The last three years, out of an average of roughly 700 abortions a year, every one of those was the second box,” Streur said. “There was none for rape. There was none for incest and there was none for physical injury, physical illness or life-dangering physical condition caused by or arising out of the preg-nancy itself.”

He said it was unclear why the abortions were being performed and whether they even qualified for state payment under medical necessity.

The list of medically necessary reasons listed on the newly approved form come from consultation with physicians from other states who have attempted to define medically necessary, Streur said. He added that there was also legal involvement to ensure that the regulation was con-stitutional.

“The main intent of this whole thing is to try and identify what kinds of medically necessary issues were involved in the decision of the physi-cian to perform the abortion and to claim it under Medicaid,” Streur said.

PRO-ABORTION LAWMAKERS CRITICIZE CHANGE

Abortion rights activists and the Alaska Democratic Party issued a flurry of statements criticizing the ad-ministration of Gov. Sean Parnell for allowing the new regulation to pass.

Commissioner defends Alaska’s decision regarding payment for ‘medically necessary’ abortions

Responds to criticism from abortion backers

Continued on page 11

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 8 • January 2014 The Southeast Alaska Catholic 8 • January 2014

Whatsoever you do

By DeacoN charles rohrBacher

In his book, “The Works of Mercy: the Heart of Catholicism,” Fr. James Keenan SJ, proposes that mercy is the heart of our Catholic spirituality.

He writes: “Our entire theological tradition is expressed in terms

of mercy, which I define as the willingness to enter into the chaos of others. … Understood in such terms, the creation is an act of mercy that brings order into the chaos of the universe. The Incarnation is God’s entry into the chaos of human existence. And redemption is bringing us out of the chaos of our slavery to sin. Every action of God is aimed at rescuing us.”

From the beginning of the Church, Christians have embraced the imperative to reach out in mercy to those caught up in the chaos of material or spiritual poverty. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy engaged in by Christians transformed Greek and Roman society, and led to the creation of new charitable institutions such as hospitals and orphanages that were unknown in the ancient world.

Over the centuries and up to the present day, nu-

merous Christian movements have developed to relieve the suffering of the poor; the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in the 19th century, was such a movement founded by lay Catholics.

Although the SVdP takes its name from the great 17th century French advocate for the poor, St. Vincent de Paul, the SVdP has its origins in France at the begin-ning of the industrial revolution. As depicted in Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserables, the poor lived in horrendous poverty and neglect.

Frederic Ozanam, a young Catholic layman, was a student at the Sorbonne in Paris in the 1830’s. He was appalled at the indifference of French society and the Church to the poor and their plight. He witnessed the bloodshed of the uprising in 1830 that overthrew King Charles X. As a Christian he searched for a non-violent way to relieve the misery of the poor. He was impressed by the example of the Sisters of Charity, and saw in their work a way to make a positive contribution to alleviating the suffering of the poor. He identified with St. Vincent de Paul and with the philosophy the saint had outlined in his Rule two centuries earlier.

St. Vincent de Paul had asked ordinary Christians to identify what needed to be done to relieve the suffering of the poor and then to do what was possible as individuals, as a family and as a parish—and to do so in a personal way, to become neighbors and friends of the poor.

Since 1834 SVdP has grown and is now in 120 countries with five to six hundred thousand Vincentian volunteers. Because SVdP is a grassroots lay movement, all societies are locally based; the local societies support the national and international efforts of the SVdP.

Here in Alaska there is currently only one active SVdP, located in Juneau. St. Paul’s parishioner Paul Para-dis began the SVdP in Juneau when he called together a group of volunteers and contributed $5 and a can of beans to get it started. Since then SVdP has relied on a dedicated group of volunteers and a small paid staff. Located in the Mendenhall Valley, SVdP first purchased what had once been a carpet store to house a thrift store and since the 1980’s has expanded to meet the needs of

Dan Austin, General Manager of St Vincent de Paul, stands on property across from Smith Hall where he hopes one day to build more affordable housing for seniors. (Michael Penn /Juneau Empire)

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 9October 2013 • 9The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 9

Juneau’s poor, especially those who are homeless and in need of affordable housing.

For the past 16 years the Executive Director of SVdP has been Dan Austin. In December 2013 I had a chance to interview him about SVdP and his experience serving the poor and engaging in the works of mercy.

Dan, what brought you to SVdP?The bus-driver decided to stop here 25 years ago.

I had been working in resource management with the Alaska State legislature and the Governor’s office. I went to work as a grant writer for SVdP and later made a two year commitment to serve as the manager of SVdP and am still here 16 years later.

What led you to stay? It’s challenging work but I can’t give it up. Paul

Paradis, the founder of the SVdP in Juneau, taught me to have faith, to trust that God is in charge of all things and at all times. I came to faith at SVdP. I’ve been a wit-ness to tragedy here and to miracles.

I came to SVdP with some familiarity with the Catholic Church. During the 1960’s I was involved in civil rights and social justice movements. I believe in the gospel of Jesus – I’ve explored other spiritual tradi-tions but I came back to the gospel. Both of my parents’ families were broken up by the poverty caused by the Depression and their siblings were sent to orphanages. When I grew up, there was never any question in my house about welcoming strangers and relatives who were in need. We found room for them in our house. Why? Because we are all part of the same human family.

how does the SVdP in Juneau financially support itself?

Support from the commu-nity and especially from the two parishes and the diocese is our base. Our thrift store provides about 30% of the budget.

What are the primary needs of the people you serve?

By far, the greatest source of suffering for the poor and those in need in Juneau is the lack of affordable housing. The high cost of housing in this commu-nity results in homeless families and individuals. Over the past ten years we’ve seen a marked change in who is homeless. Initially, we provided shelter for families who were homeless. Now many of those we serve

are single seniors who can’t afford to stay in their apart-ments on their retirement or disability income.

What is SVdP doing to help relieve the suffering of those who can’t find affordable housing?

SVdP manages six dif-ferent buildings in Juneau to make affordable housing available. We try to be “landlords with a heart.” We also have a voucher program to help low income people in need of housing get into an apartment. We are always in search of resources to develop, manage, and maintain affordable housing. However what is really needed is permanent housing not only for families but for low income seniors. SVdP has some resources to build more affordable housing, but the challenge is to get units to market that can be rented for $500 a month.

Could you explain more about the changing demo-graphics of homelessness in Juneau?

The fastest growing segment of the homeless popu-lation is seniors. Single women are now outnumbering single men. Those who are homeless and/or vulnerable to becoming homeless right now are low income seniors and people with disabilities; 40% of the homeless will be 65 in 10 years. Why? Because many seniors just can’t

survive on Social Security when living alone. It’s the same for those living on disability.

What do you say to those who say there is no genu-ine poverty in Juneau or in Southeast alaska?

I’d be happy to take them on a tour of poverty in this community. I know of over

100 people who are living in the woods, in their cars, in tents, or under the bridge; 30% of the poor we serve suffer from mental illness. Another 15% of those we serve have been incarcerated, (5% newly released). One of the big changes we have seen in the SVdP family shelter has been that we have children, their parents and now their grandparents unable to find affordable housing. About 50% of those we serve are Alaska Natives. I’m grateful for the financial and other support we receive from Tlingit-Haida as well as from Goldbelt Corporation and SEALASKA. We also work closely with Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation (SEARHC).

Unfortunately, we are continually coming up short of the resources needed to help, despite our best efforts.

What are your final thoughts on the poor, poverty and the work of SVdP?

Being poor is not a crime or a sin, although society tends to treat poor people that way. What I have observed that is common across the board for those who are homeless is that the majority have been failed by our educational system.

One key intervention to prevent a new generation from living in poverty is early child-hood education that is high qual-ity, dependable and affordable. SVdP had a day care center but we could no longer continue to keep it open; closing it was the saddest day of my tenure here.

I’m grateful for the work we do together here in soli-darity with the poor and for the self-less commitment and faith of our staff, volunteers and board. Together we try to live out what Jesus taught us: “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me.”

Juneau Friends of the Poor begin the annual St. Vincent de Paul Walk for the Poor, September 14, 2013.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 10 • January 2014

By Barry schoeDel

Recently, the Holy Father named 19 Cardinal-designates. A theme that has become integral to the pontificate of Pope Francis re-emerged in his letter to them: the temptation to worldliness in the Church.

He wrote this: “The Cardinalate does not signify a promotion, or an honor, or a decoration. It is simply a service that calls for enlarging one’s vision and widening one’s heart... this ability to look far ahead and to love more universally with greater intensity can only be acquired by follow-ing the same way of the Lord: the way of abasement and humility, taking the form of a servant.” He even takes his counsel a step further, asking them to refrain “from any celebration that is foreign to the evangelical spirit of austerity, sobriety and poverty”.

His pontificate began with similar admonitions, an earlier homily includes a recognition that in the history of the Church we can see a spirit of worldliness manifest in the lives of “those who think that to follow Jesus is a career.” This admo-nition, while in this case directed toward clergy especially, is directed to each and every Christian. To be satisfied with a mere cultural Catholicism, or a type of Christian identity that seeks honor, self-praise, and promotion, is a betrayal of Jesus.

When meeting with the poor in Assisi the Holy Father reflected on the prophetic nature of St. Francis of Assisi’s evangelical witness: he reminded all present that there exists in the Church a grave and dangerous threat: a worldliness that the Pope connects to a type of idolatry of self and power. Then, during an audience of newly appointed bish-ops last September, the Holy Father sought to form them from the beginning through the lens of Christian discipleship—the lens of the Cross, urging the bishops: “do not fall into the trap of careerism! It is a form of cancer!” He goes on, “stay among your people. Avoid the scandal of being ‘airport bishops.’” And more recently in an audience with the

Papal Gentlemen he in-structed them that their service must be rooted in faith, in an “evangelical coherence unmarred by worldly attitudes.”

Ord inar i ly, one thinks of worldliness as a sign that a person is materialistic and shal-low, that they don’t value spiritual and moral matters, yet in Evangelii Gaudium, the Pope re-minds us that there is a spiritual worldliness that Christians are easily tempted by: “spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of piety and even love for the Church... Those who have fallen into this worldliness reject the prophecy of their brothers and sisters... they constantly point out the mistakes of others and are obsessed by appearances.”

The Pope is asking us to look within our own hearts prior to the discussion and assessment of the ills of modern cul-ture. He recognizes these ills, yes—they

are legion, but he is reminding us that the evangelical response, so different from the secular response to problems, is rooted not in mere criticism, ideol-ogy, or programs, but by radically uniting ourselves to Christ. An evangelical fidelity that contradicts worldliness is biblical, that is, it is

rooted in Jesus as revealed in scripture, especially the Gospels, interpreted from within the communion of the Church but applied uniquely to our individual lives and circumstances.

Worldliness is a manifestation of an ill within the Church: the overlooking of the prophetic heart of Christ by not really

knowing him or seeking to know him. By not fully embracing who Christ is, as he is revealed, we become spiritually and morally sterile. Indeed we personally may have strayed from the path of Life.

We may be experts on this or that teach-ing of the Church, but at the same time be perpetuating sin and evils within the Church —whether through commission or omission. What a danger it is to take credit for our own salvation and sanctification. For instance does the gift of faith make us proud; do we take credit for it? Does knowledge of the Church’s moral teaching make us feel superior to others?

When the People of God are not dis-ciples of Christ they become people of the World. Catholics become merely another culture seeking to maintain and preserve their identity, an institution fighting for survival among an ideological battlefield. We may still make a claim to the name Christian, but our witness lacks the fire of the Spirit of God—it lacks credibility because it doesn’t deliver what it claims to be —it is undermined by a spirit of worldliness. The prophetic heart of Jesus is a fire that frustrates, challenges, even

embarrasses those who seek to live lives of domination and self-exaltation based in sin and evil. It confounds the devil and liber-ates those enslaved to evil, darkness, and sin. In us, it may be that the Holy Spirit, through the teachings of Pope Francis, is rooting out duplicity and false witness by identifying and naming worldliness as alien to the gospel of Christ.

In his ongoing emphasis on worldliness in the Church Pope Francis is reminding us of two fundamental realities: 1) We are disciples of Jesus 2) We are missionaries

of the Gospel. This is who Catholics are prior to any other initiative or temp-tation. Apart from these we betray both God and neighbor as to the claims we might make about ourselves.

Barry Schoedel is the Assistant for Evange-lization and Technology for the Diocese of Juneau. Email: schoedel.doj@gmail.com.

Pope Francis on worldliness

...the evangelical response, so different from the secular response to problems, is rooted not in mere criticism, ideology, or programs, but by radically uniting ourselves to Christ.

Cardinal-designate Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano of Managua, Nicaragua, blesses a woman in Tipitapa Jan. 15. Cardinal-designate Brenes, 64, is among 19 new cardinals named by Pope Francis Jan. 12. (CNS photo/Oswaldo Rivas, Reuters)

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 11

Planned Parenthood, the largest pro-vider of abortions in the country, said Jan. 8 that the new regulation “is so restrictive that it’s essentially a nearly complete ban on Medicaid funding of abortion for low income women.”

Streur said such claims are “sensa-tionalism.”

“All we’re saying to the physician per-forming the abortion is tell us what the medical necessity was,” he said. “If Planned Parenthood decides to perform the abortion and it’s not medically necessary — in other words elective — they don’t get paid (from state funds). We’re not saying we’re not going to pay for abortions. We are going to pay for medically necessary abortions and we need a little more information to understand the medical necessity.”

In a Jan. 7 statement the Alaska Democratic Party called the regulation “an unprecedented intrusion into Alaskans’ medical privacy. Mike Wenstrup, Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party, added, ”This assault on women’s rights is an affront to our Constitutional protection of privacy.”

But Streur disagreed, saying that Alaska has a right to require a definition for a medical procedure for which it is mandated to pay.

Claims that the regulation is a “bu-reaucratic intrusion into women’s health decisions,” came from the House Demo-cratic Caucus on Jan. 7 via a press release by caucus press secretary Mark Gnadt. He noted that Representatives Geran Tarr, Beth Kerttula, Harriet Drummond and Senator Berta Gardner spoke out against the changes for “allowing government bureaucrats to determine which circum-stances determine whether a woman’s abortion procedure is medically necessary, a determination previously left to health professionals.”

Streur responded that the regulations do not usurp a medical provider’s role.

“I’m not asking a doctor to follow my rule of what determines medical necessity. I’m asking them to explain how the abortion is medically necessary,” he said. “I can ask that for any medical procedure that we do under Medicaid.”

“We turn down [payment] for hospital stays when they keep somebody in a hos-

pital because they don’t have anyplace to send them. We quit paying after a while,” Streur added. “It’s not extraordinary.”

DefINING ‘MeDICaLLy NeCeSSary’

With passage of the new regulation, abortion practitioners must submit a form that indicates one of 21 conditions defining what “medically necessary” means for each particular abortion they perform. Accord-ing to the new regulation, the form must then be signed, dated and a copy submit-ted to the state Division of Health Care Services, while the original must be kept on file for the patient with all supporting documentation.

To receive reimbursement from the state, abortion practitioners must affirm that the abortion was “to avoid a threat of serious risk to the physical health of the woman from continuation of her pregnancy due to the impairment of a major bodily func-tion.” The new regulation also permits the state to fund abortions that are performed to avoid “another physical disorder, physical injury, physical illness, including a physical condition arising from the pregnancy, or a psychiatric disorder that places the woman in imminent danger of medical impairment of a major bodily function.”

Despite the fact that the “psychiatric disorder” reason may be open to abuse, Streur said he believes it should be included.

Streur admitted, however, that there was nothing to prevent abortion providers from merely claiming that the abortion was needed to avoid depression because it could lead to behavior which may put a person in “imminent danger of medical impairment or a major bodily function.”

“There nothing to stop them from checking that, but if we see a lot of those boxes checked, I will probably end up send-ing nurses in to do a medical chart review,” he said. The review would be to determine what indications the doctor saw for claim-ing the abortion as “medically necessary.”

“I can also take a look in the Medicaid payment schedule,” he said. “Have we paid for depression drugs? Have we paid for oxycodones? What have we paid for?”

Medically necessary abortions: Continued from page 7

By FraNcis X. rocca catholic News service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On the morning of Jan. 25, 2013, participants in the Washington, D.C., March for Life received an unexpected boost in the form of a Twitter message from Pope Benedict XVI.

“I join all those marching for life from afar, and pray that political leaders will protect the unborn and promote a culture of life,” the pope wrote on his account, @Pontifex.

This Jan. 22, when marchers on the Mall again protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 decision legalizing abortion, Pope Francis might very well follow Pope Benedict’s lead by tweeting his support. If he does, those words will be among the relatively few Pope Francis has devoted to the subject.

Pope Francis’ decision to talk less than his predecessors about abortion has puzzled and distressed some supporters of the pro-life movement. Yet the pope has made clear his commitment to the defense

of unborn life and, thanks to his colossal popularity and gift for communicating across cultural divides, his pontificate could prove a boon to the pro-life cause in enormous and unprecedented ways.

The pope’s comparative reticence on abortion became evident to many observ-ers a few months into his pontificate. At a June Vatican Mass dedicated to pro-life causes, an event that had been planned under Pope Benedict, Pope Francis sur-prised many when he delivered a homily without any reference to abortion, eutha-nasia or any other specific threat to life.

During his weeklong visit to Brazil the following month, the pope said nothing about the country’s moves to liberalize abortion (or its legalization of same-sex marriage), explaining afterward to report-ers that the “church has already expressed itself perfectly on that.”

Among people used to regarding the pope as the world’s foremost advocate for the unborn, his silence was disquieting.

With few words on abortion, Pope Francis shows a new way to

be pro-life

Continued on page 12

Madeline Bauer of St. Paul, Minn., stands in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building during the March for Life in Washington Jan. 25, 2013. Tens of thousands of people marched against abortion for the 40th year since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in U.S. (CNS photo/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review)

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 12 • January 2014

New way to be pro-life: Continued from page 11

“Some people think that the Holy Father should talk more about abortion,” Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston said in a speech to the Knights of Columbus in August. But the cardinal added: “I think he speaks of love and mercy to give people the context for the church’s teaching on abortion.”

In a widely quoted interview pub-lished the following month, Pope Francis acknowledged that he had “not spoken much” about “issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contracep-tive methods,” and that he had been “reprimanded for that.”

“But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context,” the pope said. “The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

The day after that interview was pub-lished, Pope Francis spoke out strongly on abortion for the first time since his election, denouncing it as a product of a “widespread mentality of profit, the ‘throwaway culture,’ which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many,” and stating that “every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord.”

Just as strong were his words in the apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), published in November, in which he affirmed the church’s “particular love and concern” for “unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us,” and quoted Blessed John Paul II’s statement that “every violation of the personal dignity of the human being cries out in vengeance to God.”

A key element in the pope’s words on abortion is the link he makes between protection of the unborn and the wider cause of social justice.

“Defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right,” Pope Francis wrote in the apostolic exhortation. “It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situ-ation and at every stage of development. Human beings are ends in themselves

and never a means of resolving other problems. Once this conviction disap-pears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights, which would always be subject to the passing whims of the powers that be.”

It is nothing new for a pope to draw such connections, as Pope Francis knows, since he made a similar point in September by quoting Pope Benedict: “If personal and social sensitivity in wel-coming a new life is lost, other forms of welcome useful to social life will dry up.”

Yet such arguments are especially effective coming from Pope Francis, because his vehement criticisms of global capitalism, along with his concilia-tory attitudes toward some of the more contentious issues between the church and contemporary secular culture, have earned him a reputation as less of a conservative than either Blessed John Paul or Pope Benedict.

“It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life,” Pope Francis has written. Nevertheless, many now see support for legalized abor-tion as a progressive position. The idea of a pope who is at once progressive and pro-life is thus bound to strike them as paradoxical.

And there is nothing better than a good paradox for getting someone to question his assumptions, even on a topic as polarizing and long-debated as abortion. If any public figure today is capable of persuading large numbers of people outside the pro-life ranks to change, or at least open, their minds on the question, it is Pope Francis.

There is another way, at least as important, in which Pope Francis acts as a witness for life: the countless images of him embracing, kissing and caressing people with crippling or disfiguring in-juries or diseases. No verbal argument could more powerfully refute the eugenic mentality behind the culture of abortion than the sight of a pope passionately cel-ebrating human lives that many would insist are not worth keeping.

CNS News Briefs catholicnews.com

‘Extension Day’ video contest exhorts filmmakers to ‘make some noise’CHICAGO (CNS) -- Catholic Extension is encouraging young filmmakers to celebrate an “Extension Day” of their own choosing and to film the encounters as part of a video contest sponsored by Catholic Extension. The contest is called “Make Some Noise!” and will award multiple prizes of up to $1,000 for the ministry of the winner’s choice and the opportunity to have the winning videos seen by Pope Francis. Extension Day is meant to be a day dedicated to extending the gifts of the Catholic faith through acts of prayer, service or philanthropy. And, because Catholic Extension’s mission is to build the church in areas where challenges are great and resources are scarce, part of the intent is that acts extend beyond the typical boundaries of a parish or youth group or similar organization. Videos submitted for the contest should be less than two minutes long, explain the activity chosen for Extension Day, and complete the sentence: “Our Extension Day is extending the church’s presence by ...” Videos do not need to be polished; they can be recorded on whatever is available.

Pope names 19 new cardinals, including six from Latin AmericaVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Stressing that their role would be one of service rather than honor, Pope Francis named 19 new cardinals, including six men from his home region of Latin America. The pope announced the nominations Jan. 12 after praying the Angelus and said he would formally induct the men into the College of Cardinals Feb. 22. Although cardinals are traditionally known as “princes of the church,” Pope Francis, who has pointedly refused many of the trappings of his office, characteristically dismissed any element of pomp in the distinction he had decided to bestow. In a letter to the new cardinals, released by the Vatican Jan. 13, the pope wrote that a red hat “does not signify a promotion, an honor or a decoration; it is simply a form of service that requires expanding your vision and enlarging your heart.” Pope Francis instructed the cardinals-designate to “receive this new designation with a simple and humble heart. And while

you should do so with joy and happiness, do it in a way that this feeling may be far from any expression of worldliness, or any form of celebration alien to the evangelical spirit of austerity, sobriety and poverty.” The consistory will bring the total number of cardinals to 218 and the number of cardinals under age 80 to 122. Until they reach their 80th birthdays, cardinals are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope.

Archbishop: Staffer’s departure over marriage follows church teachingSEATTLE (CNS) -- Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain said a local Catholic school’s requirement that the vice principal quit after it learned of his same-sex marriage was not discriminatory but held to church teaching and the school’s Catholic mission. According to a statement from Eastside Catholic High School in the Seattle suburb of Sammamish, Vice Principal Mark Zmuda resigned in mid-December during a meeting with school officials “for violating his signed agreement to abide by Catholic Church teachings.” In the weeks since his departure, Eastside Catholic students have staged a sit-in protest and launched a petition not only in support of Zmuda, asking for his reinstatement, but in an effort “to change the Catholic Church’s opposition (to) gay marriage.” As of Jan. 17, the petition had more than 33,000 signatures of people around the country. Archbishop Sartain said in his Jan. 15 statement that he had received a copy of the petition that morning. “Leaders of Catholic schools are charged with the responsibility of both imparting and modeling” the Catholic Church’s teaching, he said, adding that the decision by the board and administrators of Eastside, an independent Catholic school, asking Zmuda to resign “was made after a great deal of prayer and consultation.”

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 13

ComPLEtiNg ChriSt’S SuffEriNgS

When I was reading evening prayer re-cently, I came across a quote about our filling up what is lacking in the suffering of Christ. For a few years in the early

1950s I was a Trappist monk at Gethsemani, and I have read a fair number of spiritual books since then. But now I am 80 years old and can’t seem to remember what that sentence means. What could possibly be lacking in the suffering of Christ? (Audubon, N.J.)

The passage to which you refer is taken from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians 1:24 and is translated in the Bible as follows: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your

sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.”

This does not mean that the sacrifice of Jesus was incomplete. In fact, the Letter to the Hebrews says in 10:14: “For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”

What it means is that, for whatever reason, God has chosen to involve us, as followers of Jesus, in the work of redemption. Pope Pius XII said in his 1943 encyclical “Mystici Corporis Christi” (in No. 44): “This is a deep mystery ... that the salvation of many depends on the prayers and voluntary pen-ances which the members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ offer for this intention.”

Paul was writing to the people of Colossae while he was in prison, one of his several forced confinements for the sake of the Gospel. Except for the night between Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Jesus never suffered that same indignity.

So in a real sense, Paul was adding his particular sacrifice to that of Christ. By accepting our suffer-ings and setbacks willingly, the mystery of Christ’s passion continues in us and our own lives become redemptive.

rELuCtANCE oN hANDShAkE

Sometimes I feel uncomfortable exchang-ing a handshake when it is time for the sign of peace, or I might have a cold and I don’t want to chance spreading germs. How do I -- politely -- not shake someone’s hand? (City of origin withheld)

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which is the church’s official guide to the celebration of Mass, has this to say about the sign of peace in No. 82: “There follows the rite of peace by which ... the

faithful express to each other their ecclesial com-munion and mutual charity before communicating in the sacrament.”

It goes on to explain that the particular manner of the exchange is left to the discretion of national conferences of bishops “in accordance with the culture and customs of the people.”

That guideline is worth quoting, not only in that it denotes the purpose of the gesture, but because it shows that the sign of peace is an ordinary and expected part of the Mass. In the U.S., the gesture most commonly used is a handshake (which is far less expressive than in the early days of the church, when the custom in the western Mediterranean world was to “greet one another with a holy kiss.”)

If you are under the weather and concerned about spreading germs, it would certainly be ac-ceptable for you to greet others simply with a word of peace, perhaps with a whispered explanation, “Sorry, I have a cold.”

It sounds to me, though, that in your case, you may feel uncomfortable shaking hands with a stranger even when you’re not sick. You should not feel compelled to do so. I would suggest, so that you’re not misunderstood, that you take care to greet those surrounding you with a warm smile and a wave.

Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@gmail.com and 40 Hopewell St., Albany, N.Y. 12208.

questions&answersBy Father KeNNeth Doyle,

CatholiC News serviCe

‘Great misunderstanding’ seen on church’s teachings

on end of life

By NaNcy FraZier o’BrieN, catholic News service

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- There is “great misunderstanding” among Catholics and others about the church’s teachings on whether and when life-sustaining medical treatment can be withdrawn when death is near, according to a leading Catholic bioethicist.

Marie T. Hilliard, director of bioethics and public policy and a staff ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said the Philadelphia-based center conducts about 2,000 con-sultations a year with “families in distress” who want to talk with an ethicist “about the church’s teaching in light of their (family) situation.”

Staff members hear from people who believe that “dialysis can never be discontinued,” for example, or that a feeding tube is obligatory “even when it is doing more harm than good,” she said.

“Persons who are dealing with crises need to be helped to understand in that situation what is the natural moral law,” Hilliard said. “The church always deals with the good and try-ing to reach the good,” even when that means accepting the natural process of dying, she added.

As outlined in the U.S. bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Di-rectives for Catholic Health Care Services,” the church teaches that patients “may forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means of preserving life,” defined as “those that in the patient’s judgment do not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or entail an excessive burden, or impose excessive expense on the family or the community.”

Survey results recently released by the Pew Research Reli-gion & Public Life Project found that 57 percent of Americans would tell their doctors to stop medical treatment if they had a disease with no hope of improvement and were suffering a great deal of pain, while 35 percent said they would tell the doctors to do everything possible to save their lives. Eight percent said it depends or they did not know.

But opinions varied greatly according to religion and ethnic group. Nearly two-thirds of white Catholics (65 percent) said they would stop medical treatment under those circumstances, but only 38 percent of Hispanic Catholics agreed. Most likely

Continued on page 14

In Service to One, In Service to All.www.kofc.org

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 14 • January 2014

St. Josephine Bakhitafeastday: february 8 (c. 1868-1947)For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. Born in the Darfur region of Sudan and kidnapped at age seven, she was sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was re-sold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Sudan. He took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine. When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. A judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885. Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. She assisted her religious community in city of Schio through cooking, sewing, embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She became well loved by the children attending the sisters’ school and the local citizens. She once said, “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!” She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.

A daily tidbit about the Catholic faith sent straight to your

inbox.Read that little bit each day & you’ll have covered the

entire Catechism of the Catholic Church in a year. Cool, right?

About this project: Catechism in a Year is powered by Flocknote and uses the YOUCAT - a more accessible, official Catechism of the Catholic Church in Q&A format. This is done in partnership with

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Read the Catechism in a YearDay 2 - Why did God create us?

Day 3 - Why do we seek God?

Day 31 - Why is God “Father”?

Day 30 - Do we believe in ONE God or THREE Gods?

Day 29 - What to do after coming to know God?

Day 28 - What does it mean to say that God is LOVE?

Day 36 - Is the world a product of chance?

Day 32 - Who is the Holy Spirit?

Day 35 - Does science make the Creator superfluous?

Juneau resident Burn Clair Thomp-son died after a courageous fight with cancer, October 21, 2013, in Juneau, Alaska surrounded by her loving Juneau family and friends.

Burn was born March 6, 1954 in Rich-mond, Virginia. Prior to making Juneau, Alaska her home, Burn was most happy in Roanoke, Virginia where she enjoyed friends and family and a genteel southern-belle lifestyle. Burn earned an under-graduate degree (BS in Physics) and two post- graduate degrees (MA and MFA) and numerous scholastic awards at Hollins University, University of Virginia, and the University of Arizona. Burn was even privileged enough to have her poetry selected for publication.

She leaves behind her adopted Juneau family, the Tweedys, and her brother Grant.

Burn was happiest in the midst of family and friends, her Carmelite family,

and when she was writing her poetry. She appreciated the small things in life. Burn never met a des-sert she didn’t love. She’d always “leave room” to sample two or three holiday desserts at family holiday events. Most recently, Burn made definitive promises as a Lay Carmelite; a natural progression of her life of faith and service. She studied

very hard and dedicated her life to service to the Lord, prayer, and showing God’s love to all who were privileged enough to know her. She will be desperately missed.

Burn Clair ThompsonMarch 6, 1954—October 21, 2013

to stop medical treatment were white mainline Protestants (72 percent); black Protestants were least likely at 32 percent.

The margin of error for the Pew survey was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.The survey also found that only 37 percent of adult Americans had given “a

great deal of thought” to their own wishes for end-of-life medical treatment, while 35 percent had given “some thought” and 27 percent had given “not very much” or no thought to the matter.

Even among those 75 and older, only 47 percent said they had given their end-of-life wishes a great deal of thought, while more than half said they’d given some, little or no thought to those decisions.

Hilliard said the recent attention given to the cases of Jahi McMath, a 13-year-old girl from Oakland, Calif., who has been declared brain dead but remains on life support at an undisclosed location, and Marlise Munoz, a 33-year-old pregnant woman who is being kept on life support against her family’s wishes, point up the importance of every person having “a good conversation” with a family member or friend about his or her wishes in a medical crisis.

A simple checklist of possible medical scenarios is no substitute for the desig-nation of a health care proxy and a thorough discussion of one’s beliefs with that person, she added.

“Because, as we ethicists often say, when you’ve seen one case, you’ve seen one case,” Hilliard said.

Misunderstanding: Continued from page 13

The Southeast Alaska Catholic January 2014 • 15

RON ROLHEISER, OMI

My Ten favorite Books of 2013

if you have any questions about the Diocesan

Policy for working with children in ministry

please contact:Victim Assistance Coordinator

and Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese:CALL: mS roBErtA iZZArD,

907-586-2227 ext. 25 EmAiL: robbiei@gci.net

Safe Environment Policies:www.dioceseofjuneau.org/victim-assistance-

coordinator

Protecting our Children

The Shrine of

St. ThereseJuneau, Alaska

Facility reservations online at www.shrineofsainttherese.org

De gustibus non est disputandum. That’s a famous line from St. Augustine wherein he suggests that taste is subjective and that what one person fancies might not be to another person’s liking. Under that canopy I would like to recommend the following books to you. Among the books that I read in 2013, these ten stayed with me in ways that the others didn’t. So, with no promises that your tastes will echo mine, here goes ...

Among the different novels that I read, I recommend:

Alice Munro’s, Dear Life - Stories: These stories won’t give you easy moral comfort, but will stretch you. They’re moral in that they name things as they are. Munro might have entitled these stories - It is what it is! Since publishing this novel, she has won the Nobel Prize for Literature, no surprise to anyone in Canada.

Barbara Kingsolver’s, Flight Behavior: This is a novel about global warming which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, though everyone will learn from it. More important even than her moral message is the flashlight she shines into ordinary life. Told from the viewpoint of a young mother, trapped in poverty and frus-trated by her lack of education and her lack of choices, Kingsolver brilliantly lays bare a human heart, with both its temptations and its virtues.

Toni Morrison’s, Home: Morrison isn’t easy reading, and her story line isn’t always the easiest to follow, but her writing is art, the best, and her language conveys a color and feeling that has few equals among novelists. She didn’t win the Nobel Prize for literature undeservedly.

Within the genre of biography and history, these books stood out:

Roger Lipsey’s, Hammarskjold, A Life: Lipsey, using mountains of material from Dag Hammarskjold’s journals and letters, reveals that Hammarskjold was all that was hinted at in Markings, and more. Hammarskjold, both as a public figure and in his private life, tried to mirror the greatness of life. Nearly 800 pages long, it’s worth the effort, the story of a great soul.

Brenna Moore’s, Sacred Dread, Raissa Maritain, the Allure of Suffering and the French Catholic Revival (1905-1944): Not an easy read, but anyone with an interest in the world of Maritains, Leon Bloy, Charles Peguy, and the French Catholic Revival at the begin-ning of the last century will be given a deeper insight into that world.

Kay Cronin’s, Cross in the Wilderness: An old book, published in 1960, and now available only in libraries, Cronin traces the history of the Oblate missionaries coming to Oregon and British Columbia

and opening churches there. I was truly inspired by the selflessness and courage of these men and what they accomplished. French in-tellectuals, many of them, they were sent into the wilderness with little preparation and survived there on ideals and faith, and flat-out toughness. Food, shelter, and doctors often weren’t available. Reading their story made me, more than ever, proud to be a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Mary Gordon’s, The Shadow Man, A Daughter’s Search of Her Father: We only understand ourselves when we understand our parents and how their virtues and weaknesses helped shape our own souls. Mary Gordon, better than most, has been able to do this.

Many of us are familiar with her brilliant book on her mother, Circling my Mother. Here she does the same thing with her father. How she understands her father will help us to understand our own.

In the area of spirituality, I much recommend:

Belden C. Lane’s, The Solace of Fierce Land-scapes, Desert and Mountain Spirituality: Very much in the genre of Bill Plotkins’, Soulcraft, Lane gives us insights into the important role that geogra-phy can play in shaping our souls, and hints of how we might more deliberately expose ourselves to that. For Lane, spirituality isn’t something that should be done only in air-conditioned prayer centers. Rather,

nature, the desert, the wind, and the sun need also to wash over our souls and bodies.

Jim Wallis’, Rediscovering Values - On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street, A Moral Compass for the New Economy: This book should come with a warning: It will upset you if you’re a fiscal conservative, but, if you are, you might want to give yourself this challenge. Wallis is as close to a “Dorothy Day” as our generation has.

Donald H. Dunson’s and James A. Dunson’s, Citizen of the World, Suffering and Solidarity in the 21st Century: Socrates once said that he was a citizen of the world first and only, after that, a citizen of Athens. How do we widen our hearts and our attitudes so as to live out a citizenship that’s wider than our own ethnicity, nationality, history, geography, self-interest, and natural affinity? Donald and James Dunson try to answer that, and they do it with remarkable nuance. This book is a genuine moral compass, what prophecy should be. Good prophets don’t spray you with guilt; they make you want to be a better person.

Again, de gustibus non est disputandum.

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com. Follow Fr. Ron on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 16 • January 2014

National Catholic Schools week, Jan. 26 through Feb 1, is the an-nual celebration of Catholic education throughout the United States. There are approximately 8,000 Catholic schools in our nation.

Our Holy Name students will begin the celebration by at-tending and participating in the Sunday Mass as readers and servers. Each classroom will make a banner which depicts the theme of this year; these banners will be displayed in the church and later in the halls of Holy Name School. Throughout the week we have fun activities planned: Monday – Career Day: What do you want to be?Tuesday – Superhero Day: Fact or Fiction Wednesday – Wacky WednesdayThursday – School Mass, Spirit Day, Student AppreciationFriday – Jersey Day

FAITH: Each month children are selected to receive the “Christ Skills” award. These awards exemplify how our chil-

dren have Christ in their daily lives.

SERVICE: Holy Name students collected food for the Salvation Army, Love Inc. and the homeless shelter. At Christmas every class gives books or toys to families in need. Our Sixth grade collected things to send to Africa. Our preschool visits the Pioneer home and grades K-6 visit the hospital each month. These are just a few of the many services the children do for our

community.

KnowlEDgE: At the end of our first trimester of school a majority of our third through sixth graders were on

the honor roll. To be on the honor roll one must maintain good grades and use the “Christ Skills” on a daily basis.

Special Collection for Holy name School - February 2

National Catholic Schools Week 2014January 26 - February 1

Holy name Catholic SchoolA Community of Faith, Knowledge and Service

Knowledge

Faith

Service