FEBRUARY 2017 • VOL. 7 NO. 2SERVING CHRIST AND CONNECTING CATHOLICS IN THE DIOCESE OF JUNEAU WWW.DIOCESEOFJUNEAU.ORGCATHOLIC

Southeast Alaska

Continued on page 3

A SPECIAL THANK YOU AND FAREWELL TO BISHOP EDWARD J. BURNS

BY MARY STONEMembers and friends of the Diocese of Juneau gathered

January 19 at St. Paul the Apostle Church to say goodbye and offer thanks to their Bishop, Edward J. Burns, following his recent appointment by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Dallas, Texas. But Bishop Burns, shepherd of the Diocese of Juneau since April of 2009, shared during his homily at the Farewell Mass that he had much in the way of gratitude and thanks of his own to offer Southeast Alaska Catholics — for their warm welcome, for their faithfulness, and for their

support as he himself grew in his role as bishop.Arriving in Juneau as a newly ordained bishop nearly

8 years ago, Bishop Burns recalls with fondness the events surrounding his installation as bishop and has never forgot-ten the excitement of that weekend and the gracious and warm welcome he was given.

Prior to his assignment as Bishop of Juneau, Bishop Burns had read about the explorers and missionary adventurers who first brought the Catholic faith to Alaska, comment-ing at his installation Mass, “I stand before you wanting to

continue the exploration, an exploration of my own soul and my relationship with Jesus Christ.” He followed by saying that he was looking forward to the “time of formation” to learn the new responsibilities and duties involved with being a bishop. At one point during that 2009 Installation Mass, Burns mistakenly said Pittsburgh (his hometown) instead of Juneau and caused a mild stir in the congregation. “You are looking at a rookie bishop!” he quipped as the assembly applauded and laughed.

(Above) Bishop Edward J. Burns stands on the float plane dock in Tenakee Springs, Alaska in June of 2011. (Catholic Extension photo)

Continued on page 4

Bishop Burns reflects on his 8 years as shepherd of the Diocese of Juneau

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 2 • February 2017

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USPS 877-080Publisher: Most Reverend Edward J. Burns 415 Sixth St. #300, Juneau, AK 99801Editor: Mary Stone email: juneaudiocese@gci.net(907) 586-2227, ext. 32 Staff: A Host of Loyal Volunteers According to diocesan policy, all Catholics of the Diocese of Juneau are to receive The Southeast Alaska Catholic; please contact your parish office to sign up or to notify them of an address change. Others may request to receive The Southeast Alaska Catholic by sending a donation of $30. Periodical postage paid at Juneau, Alaska.

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In This IssueBishop Edward J. Burns, Fifth Bishop of Juneau, has been appointed by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Dallas Texas. The Diocese of Juneau thanks him for his 8 years of ministry with us here in the parishes and missions of Southeast Alaska. Bishop Burns requests our prayers for him as he begins this new ministry to the Church in Texas, and has assured us of his own continued prayer for our diocese as well.

Church

Calendar&Celebrations

February 8 International Day of Prayer

and Awareness Against Human Trafficking

Febraury 7-14 National Marriage Week

February 9 Installation of

Bishop Edward J. Burns as 8th Bishop of Dallas,

Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Dallas

February 11: Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes;

World Day of the Sick

February 14: World Day of Marriage

February 26: Special Collection for

Black and Indian Missions

March 1: Ash Wednesday

(Day of Fast and Abstinence)

February is Black History Month

LENT 2017 March 1 - April 13

PRAY • FAST • GIVE

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 3

BY FATHER PAT TRAVERSAlmost anyone who has dealt with

Bishop Edward Burns to any great extent will comment before all else on his upbeat personality and cheerful manner of dealing with others. Indeed, among his fellow Bish-ops and those who are concerned with the affairs of the Catholic Church, he is known for the “sunshine” he brings to bear even in the most difficult situations. As one who

has had the opportunity to minister with Bishop Burns over the last eight years, I can attest that this positive approach is neither superficial nor artificial, but rather is deeply rooted in his relationship with God, the joy he has in his vocation as a Catholic priest, and his profound gratitude to those who help him to live out that vocation.

As a close assistant to Bishop Burns, I have been able to observe him in the good

times and in some really, really bad situa-tions. When things are going smoothly for Bishop Burns, just about everyone around him knows it. Indeed, he has repeatedly told us that he has had a “blast” serving as Bishop of Juneau. What has struck me, however, is that the upbeat optimism that he so effusively expresses when things are going well does not disappear in the tough times. Instead, it is transformed into a hopeful

confidence that, in some way, the Lord will bring good out of very unpromising events, a confidence that has regularly proven to have been justified. I have come to see that this, in turn, has a solid foundation in the Bishop’s firm commitment to and practice of prayer every single day, the time and ef-fort that he spends, as he describes it, “on my knees.” While many of us lamented the

Bishop Ed Burns: A joyful shepherd and brother in ministry

Continued on page 7

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 4 • February 2017

Bishop Burns reflects: Continued from page 1

Over the past 8 years, Bishop Burns has certainly left his ‘Rookie Bishop’ status behind and has continued his journey as a frequent homilist, catechist and retreat leader at state, national and international events, as well as holding key positions on USCCB committees and boards such as the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People.

Remembering the events of his 2009 Installation week-end, Bishop Burns summed up, “The joy ultimately is, no matter where we are, we are the Church and we welcome each other, as we bind together as disciples in the Lord to do His work. Whenever there is an opportunity to be excited about the work of the Church, I think that’s when the Church shines.”

As just one example of that in recent years, and as one highpoint of his time in Southeast Alaska, Bishop Burns reflected on the 2013 Diocese of Juneau Synod, and the opportunity he was given to visit each of the parishes in Southeast Alaska as preparation.

“I absolutely loved that experience -- not just the gath-ering of that weekend (of the Synod) but the preparation leading up to it. Going out to all the parishes equipped with questions to ask the parishioners, and to sit with them and really address what are the greatest attributes, assets, and blessings of this diocese, as well as the real challenges. I thoroughly enjoyed the Synod process and what occurred as a result.”

The byproducts of the 2013 Dioc-esan Synod were his Pastoral Letter, “To Know, Love and Serve Jesus Christ through His Body – the Church,” (June 2014) as well as a 2015 – 2020 Pastoral Plan for the Diocese.

In addition, Bishop Burns added, the Synod process helped him understand why people of the Diocese enjoyed and spoke of the ‘Institute’ so frequently – the Institute was a regular diocesan gathering that had been held in years past -- and he was very pleased that the new Southeast Alaska Catholic Conference was successfully organized and held in Juneau last October. “It was truly phenomenal,” he remembers.

One unfulfilled opportunity he regrets having to leave as he departs the Diocese of Juneau is the cause for canonization of Father Pasquale Tosi, an early Italian Catholic missionary to Alaska who is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Juneau.

“We have every opportunity to do that,” he emphasized, on initiating the canonization process. Bishop Burns re-called the 2014 Diocese of Juneau Pilgrimage to Fr. Tosi’s birthplace in Italy.

“To see how he is so revered there (Rimini, Italy), and to remember how he had been given the opportunity to become a bishop in Alaska by Pope Leo, but he humbly declined, saying, ‘In Alaska when we travel, we travel with dogs. If the weather is bad, we get into a hole with the dogs, and that hole is no place for the purple of the bishop…’” Bishop Burns said he would encourage the next bishop to look into the cause for canonization of Fr. Tosi.

One of the unique and learning aspects of his ministry as Bishop of Juneau that Bishop Burns has appreciated was the interaction with the Alaska State Legislature in the State Capitol through his work with the Alaska Catholic Conference of Bishops. Burns shared that this was his first experience in engaging with State legislators to build up the common good of society, and he sees this as something he hopes to bring forward to his ministry as Bishop of Dallas.

Also, Bishop Burns pointed to the aspect of learning about the governance of a Diocese as something he has gained dur-ing his time in Southeast Alaska. When he came to Juneau, he came as an Ordinary, not an Auxiliary Bishop, so it was an opportunity for him to learn how best to govern a diocese. “Learning how to utilize the host of faithful and dedicated people on various boards, committees and councils to gain their wisdom so as to make prudent judgments on governing the diocese was a great learning opportunity,” he related.

Bishop Burns departs feeling hopeful about the future of our diocese, and sees one of the strengths of the Dio-cese of Juneau as its potential for growth. “This diocese is poised for growth,” he affirmed. “With the desire stated in

the Pastoral Plan that we are going to grow our numbers by 50% — I truly believe it’s doable, especially because of the number of inactive Catholics that we have in the area. If we could reawaken in them a relationship with Jesus Christ, and invite them back to the celebration of God’s word and his sacraments, I think we can surely increase the numbers in our pews. I

think we just need to be intentional about doing it.” Burns continued by pointing out that the Pastoral Plan has identi-fied catechesis and evangelization as priorities. With those in place, and effectively executing and carrying these out, the diocese can surely achieve the goal of increasing its numbers, he emphasized.

In addition, with the recent growth at the Shrine of St. Therese – now a National Shrine – and with the possibility for the renovation of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with St. Paul the Apostle Church being identified as a Co-Cathedral, and coupled with the hope that the Diocese will have two seminarians next year, Burns sees a great deal of potential for our diocese.

Bishop Burns related with enthusiasm that he has thor-oughly enjoyed being a shepherd and pastor to the people of Southeast Alaska. When asked what he would miss most about the Diocese of Juneau, he replied, “The wonderful people here!”

“The staff of the Chancery is like family, and I have become endeared to the parish communities. It’s also going to be difficult leaving the beauty of this area … I’m already going through withdrawal.” In Dallas he will not have the opportunity to put on his raingear and backpack and walk

to the office as he was accustomed to doing in Juneau. While looking forward to learning about the people of

Dallas, and embracing the Hispanic culture and language, Bishop Burns will remember fondly the people of Southeast Alaska, the casual comfort level and close-knit aspect of life here. Burns recalled that in walking to work in Juneau on various occasions, he could truly be a ‘Shepherd of the streets’ and engage with the homeless and others in the community he met along his way.

He laughingly remembered one visitor at St. Theresa’s parish in Skagway who found him outside mowing the Church lawn on one sunny Saturday, and who expressed surprise that he was the bishop of the local Diocese. “What, your bishop doesn’t mow the lawn?” he jested with her, and politely declined to pose for the requested bishop-mowing-lawn Facebook photo.

Interactions like those, and the casual, relaxed atmo-sphere of Southeast Alaska will be greatly missed, he shared. “We are a cast of characters,” he says with a smile, “and we have a great love for each other.”

- Thank you, Bishop Burns, for your ministry here with the people of Southeast Alaska. May God continue to bless you and the good people of Dallas, Texas!

When asked what he would miss most about the Diocese of Juneau, Bishop Burns replied, “The wonderful people here!”

Bishop Edward J. Burns embraces newly ordained Father Michael Galbraith at the conclusion of his ordination as priest for the Diocese of Juneau at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau in October, 2015.

“The joy ultimately is, no matter where we are, we are the Church and we welcome each other, as we bind together as disciples in the Lord to do His work.”

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 5

BY DOMINIQUE JOHNSONIt was on January 19th, 2009, that Pope Benedict XVI

appointed Bishop Edward J. Burns to be the new bishop of the Diocese of Juneau. Eight years later, January 19th, 2017, the Diocese of Juneau gave thanks and said farewell to their bishop, who in December, was appointed the new bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, Texas.

Bishop Burns started the day by saying goodbye to the students at Holy Name Catholic school in Ketchikan by way of a video conference. He was joined by the school’s admin-istrator, Nicole Miller, who traveled to Juneau for the day’s events. The Bishop prayed with the Holy Name students and answered some of their questions, before the students extended their gratitude through song. At the conclusion of the thirty-minute video call Bishop Burns extended his hands to bless the students, teachers and faculty of Holy Name School.

That evening many of the parishioners and priests of the Diocese of Juneau gathered for Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau and via the internet to say thank you and farewell to Bishop Burns. Local community members and guests from outside the diocese made the trip to thank Bishop Burns for his work in the Diocese of Juneau and in Alaska, including Archbishop Roger Schwietz —Archbishop Emeritus of Anchorage, and Bishop Greg Kelly—Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.

During his homily at the Farewell Mass, Bishop Burns reminisced about his first radio interview with Juneau’s Pete Carron and how he asked if Bishop Burns was named the Bishop of Juneau “because of something you did right or because of something you did wrong.” The Bishop said looking back “God has done right by me in assigning me in the Diocese of Juneau Alaska,” and added that it has helped him grow in his vocation.

Bishop Burns continued his homily saying, “Being the pastor of this local church has been for me a privilege and an honor,... The Diocese of Juneau has trained me to see what is necessary in being a shepherd.” He expressed his gratitude for the ways in which the people of Southeast have challenged him.

The Bishop added that he has enjoyed the beauty and adventure that has come with working in the Diocese of Juneau, though he admitted, “Every time I got on one of those float planes I gripped my rosary beads because it wasn’t always easy for me with those bumps.” But, he said, he enjoyed the adventure of traveling to all the communities within the diocese.

Bishop Burns concluded his homily reminding everyone to continue to live out what God has called us to do which is, “Be the best disciple ever, the best disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Following the celebration of the Eucharist, the musicians performed “Pray with Confidence,” a liturgical song written in 2009 for Bishop Burns’ ordination as bishop, and before the final blessing Archbishop Schwietz and Bishop Kelly shared their words of appreciation for Bishop Burns.

Bishop Greg Kelly shared how he was impressed with Bishop Burns and the way in which he has already begun

evangelizing the people of Dallas by celebrating a Holy Hour with the faithful of his new diocese following the announcement of his appointment.

Archbishop Roger Schwietz thanked Bishop Burns on behalf of the Bishops of Alaska for his ministry in the State and wanted him to know that “our prayers and love are with you.”

In Bishop Burns’ final remarks, he thanked the bishops, priests, deacons and sisters who he has worked with while in Juneau and all of the parishioners and staff who he has worked with over the years. The Bishop also said, “I pray for you and remember you and want you to know that it won’t stop and I will continue to pray for you.”

Bishop Burns thought he had gotten in the final word and started his final blessing, when Deacon Mike Monagle presented the Bishop with a thank you gift, a limited edition print of “St. Therese of Lisieux” by Alaskan artist Byron Birdsall, on behalf of the diocese.

After the gift presentation Bishop Burns gave the final blessing and processed from the church to the narthex where those who attended the Mass had an opportunity to take photos and share their personal goodbyes with him.

The Farewell Mass and Bishop Edward Burns’ homily may be viewed online at the Diocese of Juneau YouTube Page.

The Diocese of Juneau says thank you and farewell to Bishop Burns

(At top) Bishop Edward J. Burns concelebrates at his Farewell Mass held on January 19th at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau. L-R: Fr. Edmund Penisten, Bishop Greg Kelly (Dallas), Fr. Steve Gallagher, Bishop Edward Burns, Fr. Mike Galbraith, Deacon Steve Olmstead, Archbishop Emeritus Roger Schwietz (Anchorage). (Above) Nicole Miller, Holy Name School Administrator, and Bishop Edward Burns share in a video conference witih Holy Name Ketchikan students from the Chancery office in Juneau. (Dominique Johnson photos.)

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 6 • February 2017

On behalf of the Cathedral staff and parishioners we thank you, Bishop Burns, for your service to us and to our diocese. May you be blessed in your new ministry.

Thank you!

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Juneau • Alaska

Thank you for the holy and life changing mission to Mexico City. Your witness to these sisters and the poor we visited was inspiring. Thank

you also for all the love and support you have given to me and my family. God bless you! - Deacon Steve Olmstead

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 7

My father Richard, died on January 24th. His last illness and death, and the prayers and rites by which we commended him to God and laid him to rest, have pretty much overshadowed for me everything else going on in the diocese and in the nation, as I suppose it should. He died six days after coming home from the hospital and truly had a peaceful, painless and holy death, dying only about fifteen minutes after his pastor anointed him, gave him the apostolic pardon and prayed the commendation of the dying. I’m grateful that I was able to be with him, both in prayer and in person during his last days, and for the opportunity to help care for him alongside my mother, sisters and the truly magnificent hospice nurses.

The deaths of our parents is both a com-monplace occurrence which cannot be evaded in the course of every person’s life, and yet a unique moment and a milestone in the life of a son or a daughter. As we accompanied him in his last days, I kept finding myself thinking of the parable of the sower. (Matthew 13:1-9). In that parable, the sower sows seed. Some falls on rocky soil or is eaten by the birds or choked by the thorns. But for the seed that falls on good soil, it yields a thirty, sixty or hundredfold harvest.

What a striking image of the life we receive as a gift from God! Our lives, which are not simply given once at birth, but a gift that God gives us in every circumstance and situation. In my father’s life, over each of our lifetimes, we experience the rocky soil, the birds, and the thorns that stand in the way of the abundant harvest that the Lord wills and desires for each one of us. Yet through the mysterious transformation wrought by God’s grace and our cooperation with it, the seed the Sower has sown take root and grow and yield an abundant harvest. I’m grateful that my father’s did.

As I stood by my father’s grave last week, I pondered the truth of what Jesus also taught his disciples, that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Looking down on my father’s body lying in the earth, I was reminded of how each of us must die in order to fully put on Christ’s resur-rected life, which will transform and transfigure us body and soul in the likeness of Jesus, “the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”(1Corinthians 15:20)

I thought too of how that dying to self which concluded in this life with his final breath, began with his baptism. This kenosis, this self-emptying love we are called to in imitation of Jesus, took a new form when he entered into marriage and only deepened and intensified when they brought their four children into the world. With her, he chose to love (imperfectly, as with all of us) which meant that he chose over and over to love us and let go of the outcome. The lives he generously planted in this world, my life, and those of my sisters, were a free gift, not his possessions. Imitating the Sower, he had no way of knowing or ensuring that the daily example of love he gave to us would take root in our lives or fall in vain. Or that the choice to live

and love with such vulnerability would not break his heart, which it did, especially when my sister Nancy died tragically at a young age.

A good father, a loving father, an authentic father, imitating the Father revealed to us by Jesus, lives, not through his chil-

dren, but for them. The seeds he plants in the hearts and lives of his children may remain hidden during his lifetime but he plants them in the confident faith in a rich harvest in the future. I am and remain grateful for having had a good and loving father and teacher in my father. I’m grateful for the life he shared with me, for his patience and forbearance and for his constant, generous love.

Although my attention these past two months has been primarily focused on my father’s final illness and death, I’ve been thinking about the departure of our bishop and reflecting appreciatively on his time here with us in this diocese. I am especially grateful for the kindnesses he has shown my parents, particularly my father, during this time for me and my family. His prayers (and those of so many others) have sustained us during these days. Thank you!

During these days I’ve been reflecting on all that the Bishop has done as our spiritual father during his time in Southeast. Let me suggest that as he leaves to take up his new assignment in Dallas, we try to identify the seeds of faith that God has planted in our hearts and lives through his example and ministry.

For me, these are two of the many seeds of faith that he has planted in my life.

First, I think of what he has taught me about prayer, that lifting up of the heart and mind to God that is central and indispensable for the life of faith. What I learned from Bishop Burns is that I need to ground my prayer in a deep confidence in the faithful love of God. The motto he chose for his coat of arms, “Pray with confidence” has challenged me to trust in God’s love and mercy and to persevere in prayer, in every circumstance and situation.

Second, and I think it is linked to that confidence in God’s compassionate love and mercy, is joy. The message of the gospel is a message of joy. Joy in the gift of our salvation in Jesus, joy in the new way of life he has given to us and that fulfills and redeems our deepest hopes and longings, joy in the saving Cross and lifegiving Resurrection of the Lord that has broken down every division and makes us brothers and sisters, now and for all eternity. Through his example Bishop Burns has modeled for me how to be a joyful follower of Jesus and thus, a faithful witness to the Good News.

May the seeds he has planted in each of our hearts and lives bear abundant fruit in our spiritual lives and for the building up of the Church in Southeast Alaska. May God continue to make Bishop Burns a blessing to all those whom he will be serving and may bless him abundantly in the days and years ahead.

- Deacon Charles Rohrbacher is the Office of Ministries Director for the Diocese of Juneau. PH: 907-586-2227 x 23. Email: charlesr@gci.net

ROHRBACHER

Along the Way

Deacon Charles Rohrbacher

Sowing seeds for an abundant harvestloss of a very nice guest room in the Bishop’s house that we had become accustomed to using on visits to Juneau, I can see in retrospect how important the transformation of that room into a chapel was for the Bishop’s nourishment of his relationship with the Lord, the relationship of love that lay at the basis of his service to God’s People.

Bishop Burns placed special emphasis on his relationship with the priests of the Diocese. One of the first practices he introduced after his arrival was a conference call taking place every Monday morning during which the Bishop and priests would exchange news before praying the Liturgy of the Hours. He always referred to us as his “Brothers,” and contributed to the development of a sense of brotherhood among us. In fact, his first pastoral letter had as its subject ordained priesthood in the Diocese of Juneau, and we all played a part in writing and signing it. As time went on, I and others came to see that all of this manifested the profound joy that Bishop Burns has in his vocation as a Catholic priest. He loves doing the things we do as priests, especially the celebration of the Eucharist and other Sacraments, and this love comes through for those who share with him in these celebrations. He finds great joy and satisfaction recalling the events of his priestly ministry, particularly those that have a humorous element. He makes special efforts to share that ministry with those in our Diocese who lack the regular opportunity to experience it, such as the inmates of Lemon Creek prison on Christmas, or the seasonal Catholic fish processing workers in remote Excursion Inlet.

Finally, Bishop Burns is a person who is very grateful for the people God has entrusted to his pastoral care, particularly those who actively col-laborate with him and share their own gifts with the community. How many of us have been on the receiving end of his generous expressions of thanks for some effort successfully completed or job well done? “Thank you! Thank you! You are such a gift to the Diocese of Juneau!” are words that so many have heard after what we regarded as simply doing our jobs. Bishop Burns truly rejoices in the gifts and talents that God has granted his People, and in their willingness to use them for God’s greater glory.

As Bishop Burns leaves us to shepherd the huge Diocese of Dallas, our sadness at losing him as our Bishop should be mixed with joy that so many people will now have their own experience of his wisdom and strength as a successor of the Apostles. Let us pray for him and for them, that the years ahead will be blessed for them, as those just past have been for us, by the leadership of the joyful shepherd and brother through whom God has worked in so many ways for the benefit of his People.

A Joyful shepherd: Continued from page 3

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 8 • February 2017 The Southeast Alaska Catholic 8 • February 2016 The Southeast Alaska Catholic 8 • February 2017

Thank you for your minisTry in souTheasT alaska, edward J. Burns, fifTh Bishop of Juneau

(Clockwise from top left) Bishop Burns with Diocese of Juneau priests and deacons at the Chrism Mass in March of 2015; Bishop Burns celebrates the Eucharist at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau; Burns with his first Alaska caught salmon; Bishop Burns processes with priests and assembly into St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau for the opening of the 2013 Synod; Bishop Burns visiting the community of Tenakee Springs by floatplane; Bishop Burns celebrates Mass at the Shrine of St. Therese chapel; Bishop Burns stands with the Alaska bishops in 2011 at an Alaska Federation of Natives Mass -- Archbishop Emeritus Francis Hurley, Bishop Donald Kettler of Fairbanks, and Archbishop of Anchorage Roger Schwietz OMI.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 9October 2013 • 9The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2016 • 9October 2013 • 9The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 9

Thank you for your minisTry in souTheasT alaska, edward J. Burns, fifTh Bishop of Juneau

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 10 • February 2017

February 26, 2017The Black and Indian Mission Collection (BIMC) exists to help bishops and dioceses to build the Church in African Ameri-can, Native American, and Alaska Native communities.

• Many people benefit from your support of the BIMC: • Students in the small mission school in the Deep South. • The Catholic community served by a native deacon in Alaska. • The Native American parish on the prairie. Your support helps all of them come to know Jesus.

• The BIMC helps get good teachers in schools that would otherwise struggle to stay open.

• Funding from the BIMC helps dioceses form lay ministers and catechists to spread the Gospel in their own communities.

• Supporting the BIMC helps encourage young African Americans and Native Americans to give their lives to the Lord as priests, brothers, or sisters.

Black and Indian Mission Collection www.blackandindianmission.org/nationalcollection

BY DOMINIQUE JOHNSONOn a windy Friday afternoon a few dozen people gathered

on the steps of the state Capitol building in Juneau for “Rally for Life” three days before the 44th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Roe V. Wade.

The event began in prayer led by Bishop Edward J. Burns, followed by a music performance by the St. Paul the Apostle wor-ship group.

The first speaker at the Rally was State Senator Cathy Giessel of Anchorage. Giessel said “the most important thing of all to defeat this issue of abortion is to change people’s hearts” and that it is our job to work at changing the hearts of others, because “at the end of the day laws don’t really change people’s hearts, because if that was the case no one would steal or murder and if facts persuaded people no one would smoke.”

The former nurse practitioner and board member of a commu-nity pregnancy center in Anchorage concluded saying that we can use new technology to change hearts. The senator held back tears and said “I know that mothers’ and fathers’ hearts are changed when they see the ultrasound and realize that this is a living baby and this is their baby.”

As the winds continued the featured speaker, Camille Pauley, the co-founder and president of Healing the Culture in Washington state walked to the podium on the steps of the Capitol. She started her speech saying that pro-life supporters are people who stand up for what is right despite opposition and “there is no wrong time for us to stand up for the weak and vulnerable.”

Pauley continued by reciting the preamble of the Declaration of Independence and said “that too many people in our Country have forgotten what these words mean and we in the pro-life movement are called to witness to the original meaning of these words” and that the right to life isn’t only for the strong, healthy and politically powerful. She added that it is our duty to share this vision of life with the people of Alaska and the people of the world. Pauley concluded her speech saying “I’ve read the book and I know who wins in the final chapter, so stay strong and stay faithful in your work.”

The Rally for Life was organized by Alaskans for Life.

Rally for Life

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 11

Continued on page 12

Dear Bishop Burns,

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon

your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

National Shrine of St. Therese Board of Directors:Mark Badger Dennis Brooks

Janis Burns-Buyarski Brian FloryHarold Heidersdorf Bill Peters

Nora Ann TonerJoe Sehnert, Executive DirectorLisa and Jeff Volker, Caretakers

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 12 • February 2017

Thank you, Bishop Burns, for all the ways you supported us, guided us and taught us! You are such a good shepherd to the youth! We will be praying for you and all the youth in

your new diocese!

Bishop Burns, a caring brother priestWhen a bishop retires or is transferred, I think about the contributions

he made during his episcopal years in that diocese. For Bishop Ed Burns, I am now reminded of his care for his brother priests, particularly his desire to stay in touch by Monday morning phone conferences, his visits to parishes and his emphasis on priests’ gatherings.

I applaud all the efforts he made in recognizing the Shrine of St. Therese as a national site for prayer and renewal. Bishop Burns provided an insight-ful vision and mission for the Diocese of Juneau in his daily ministry to his people and parishes and in the Synod he called.

Last, Bishop Burns was a strong supporter and example for the other bishops of Alaska. We were somewhat separated from the rest of the Church

in the United States. Bishop Burns cared for us, taught us and inspired us.

I offer my prayers for Bishop Burns as he begins his new episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Dallas and I continue to pray for and be grateful for the people of the Diocese of Juneau and Alaska.

Bishop Don Kettler,Diocese of Saint CloudFormer Bishop of Fairbanks

The communiTy of San ViTo, iTaly Send greeTingS and beST wiSheS To biShop burnS and we will alwayS keep in our hearTS The greaT honor of hiS ViSiT To San ViTo.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 13

Eternal rest grant unto them,O Lord.

And let perpetual lightshine upon them.

And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the

mercy of God, rest in peace.Amen.

National Shrine of St. ThereseColumbarium

(907) 586-2227 ext. 24 cell - (636) 628-7270

BY ANDREW SENSENIG OMI Leading up to the Super Bowl weekend (where

my team the New England Patriots won!), we were being bombarded with a saying attributed to Patriots’ coach, Bill Belichick; “Do your job.”

The quote struck me in an unusual way, because it is similar to how I would summarize the lesson that I learned from our Bishop Edward Burns as he leaves us and heads off to the Diocese of Dallas. I know that I am on dangerous territory, because our Bishop Burns completely loves his Pittsburgh Steelers, and being linked to a quote by a New England Patriot could be viewed as something not pleasant. So please, Bishop Burns, do not take offense, but you live out that statement of “Do your job” in a powerful way.

It is rare for a missionary priest, for I am a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, to know a bishop. OMI missionaries are often called to serve in a community, and when there are enough diocesan priests to replace us, we move on. We only serve in places where there is a need.

When I came to Southeast Alaska, I was struck with how Bishop Burns took the time to talk with me personally and offer advice on how to be a good priest here. The one thing that Bishop Burns stressed was that he wanted me to be a man of reverence for the Lord. Now that might sound a little “tiptoe through tulips” for some, but it hit me to the core that Bishop Burns was very serious.

He desired that I would not be your phony ba-loney pious “acting” priest, but a priest who knows what it means to be a priest from the inside out. It was a challenging and powerful conversation. After that encounter, I started to hold a Holy Hour at St. Gregory’s Church daily, which inspired me each day to take stock in what it means to be a priest before the Blessed Sacrament.

I am grateful to Bishop Burns for not only his encouragement, but how he would demonstrate to me what he meant by “reverence,” living it in everything he does. This way of reverence can be simply summed up in the phrase: “live your Faith… daily.”

It is a daring way to live, because you take advantage of each moment as an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel, because you might not get that opportunity again. Bishop Burns not only reminds me of Bill Belichick, but of another Bishop, who also challenged everyone to do their best for the Lord and that is the founder of our religious community, St. Eugene de Mazenod.

Thank you, Bishop Burns for being our Bishop, and for being a man of reverence for the Lord. Thank you most of all for helping me to be a better Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate. Safe travels and travel safe. You will always have my prayers.

Live your Faith... daily Lessons learned from Bishop Burns

LentenSilent Retreat

March 10, 11, 12

Retreat will be held at the Shrine of St. Therese Lodge

Deacon Steve Olmstead Retreat Master

Reserve your spot now!

Phone: 586-2227 ext 24

James Wallace , a seminarian for the Diocese of Juneau, completed his Bachelors degree in Philosophy at Mt. Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, OR, last year. He is in his first year of Theology at Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Illinois. On February 1st, James, together with 29 classmates, was installed as a lector.

Please join the Diocese in praying that James will grow in wisdom and love of the Scrip-tures through his new role as lector. Also pray for an increase in vocations for the Diocese of Juneau.

Seminarian James Wallace instituted as lector

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 14 • February 2017

ST. GREGORY NAZIANZEN PARISH, SITKA, AK

THANK YOU, Bishop Ed Burns — from St. Gregory the Nazianzen Church, especially the students of St. Gregory’s CCD Class with Ms. Anne Morris, DRE, Fr. Andy Sensenig OMI and Fr. Peter Gorges.

+Archbishop Paul D. Etienne Archdiocese of Anchorage

+Bishop Chad W. Zielinski Diocese of Fairbanks

+Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Anchorage

+Bishop Donald J. Kettler Diocese of St. Cloud,

Former Bishop, Diocese of Fairbanks

As Shepherd of the Diocese of Juneau, you have been a great leader, friend and servant to the faithful of the entire State of Alaska. Thanks for the blessings, support and encouragement you have given to all three dioceses. It has been

our gift to work with you over the last eight years. Please take our prayers and support to the good people of the Diocese of Dallas, Texas (our little sister).

The Southeast Alaska Catholic February 2017 • 15

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:

MS ROBERTA IZZARD 907-586-2227 ext. 25 EMAIL: robbiei@gci.net

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

coordinator

Protecting our Children

RON ROLHEISER, OMI

God’s power as powerlessnessThe French novelist and es-

sayist, Leon Bloy, once made this comment about God’s power in our world:

“God seems to have condemned himself until the end of time not to exercise any immediate right of a master over a servant or a king over a subject. We can do what we want. He will defend himself only by his patience and his beauty.”

God defends himself only by his patience and his beauty! How true! And how significant for our understanding of power!

The way we understand power is invariably bound up with how we see power exercised in our world. Our world understands power precisely as a force that can lord it over others, a force that can compel others to obey. In our world, power is understood to be real only when it can forcibly assert itself to make others obey it. For us, strong people have power, political rulers have power, economic systems have power, billionaires have power, the rich and the famous have power, muscular bodies have power, and the playground bully has power; power that can make you buckle under, one way or the other.

But such a notion of power is adolescent and superficial. Power that can make you buckle under is only one kind of power and ultimately not the most transformative kind. Real power is moral. Real power is the power of truth, beauty, and patience. Paradoxically, real power generally looks helpless. For example: If you put a powerfully muscled athlete, the CEO of a powerful corporation, a playground bully, an academy-award winning movie star, and a baby into the same room, who has the most power? Ultimately, it’s the baby. At the end of the day, the baby’s helplessness overpowers physical muscle, economic muscle, and charismatic muscle. Babies cleanse a room morally; they do exorcisms, even the most callous watch their language around a baby.

That’s the kind of power God revealed in

the incarnation. Against almost all human expectation, God was born into this world, not as Superman or Superstar, but as a baby, helpless to care for its own needs. And that’s how God is still essentially present in our lives. Pulitzer prize-winning writer, Annie Dillard, suggests that this is how we forever find God in our lives, as a helpless infant lying in the straw whom we need to pick

up, nurture, and provide with human flesh. She’s right, and her insight, like that of

Leon Bloy, has huge implications for how we understand God’s power in our lives and for how we understand God’s, seeming, silence in our lives.

First, God’s power in our lives: When we examine the biblical account of Adam and Eve and original sin, we see that the primary motivation for eating the apple was their desire to somehow grasp at divinity, to become like God. They wanted Godlike power. But they, like us, badly misunderstood what makes for genuine power. St. Paul shows us the antithesis of that in how he describes Jesus in the famous Christological hymn in the Epistle to the Philip-pians. Paul writes there that Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at, but rather that he emptied himself of that power to become helpless, trusting that this emptying and helplessness would ultimately be the most transformative power of all. Jesus submitted to helplessness to become truly powerful.

That insight can shed light on how we un-derstand God’s apparent absence in our world. How might we comprehend what is often called “the silence of God”? Where was God during the Holocaust? Where is God during natural disasters that kill thousands of people? Where is God when senseless accidents and illnesses take the lives of countless persons? Why doesn’t God forcefully intervene?

God is present and intervening in all these situations, but not in the way we ordinarily understand presence, power, and intervention.

God is present the way beauty is present, in the way a helpless, innocent newborn is present, and in the way truth as a moral agent is always present. God is never silent because beauty, in-nocence, helplessness, and truth are never silent. They’re always present and intervening, but unlike ordinary human power, they’re present in a way that is completely non-manipulative and fully respectful of your freedom. God’s power, like that of a new born, like the power of beauty itself, fully respects you.

When we look at the struggles within our world and within our private lives, it often seems like divine power is forever being trumped by human power. As the cartoon character, Ziggy, likes to put it: The poor are still getting clob-bered in our world. But, like David, standing with a just a boy’s slingshot before Goliath, a giant who looks overpowering in terms of muscle and iron; and just like the apostles being asked to set five little loaves of bread and two tiny fish before a crowd of 5000, God always looks underwhelming in our world.

But we know how these stories end.

- 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. Now on Facebook www.facebook.com/ronrolheiser

THE SOUTHEAST ALASKA CATHOLIC considers submissions for publication that may include: Letters to the Editor, interviews, stories, event coverage, photos and artistic response that represent a local Catholic viewpoint. Please submit content or questions to juneaudiocese@gci.net, or phone 907-586-2227 ext. 32.

Guidelines for Letters to the Editor:Letters to the Editor should not disparage the character of any individual but refer to issues, articles, letters and opinion pieces that have been published in the Southeast Alaska Catholic. Letters may not endorse a specific political candidate or political party. The Southeast Alaska Catholic does not publish letters that challenge established church teaching. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. To inquire about submitting a guest column, contact the editor at juneaudiocese@gci.net.Online at www.akseac.wordpress.com and Facebook • www.dioceseofjuneau.org

National Shrine of St. Therese

JUNEAU, ALASKA

Facility reservations online at www.shrineofsainttherese.org

907-586-2227 x 24

“The world’s thy ship and not thy home.”

– St. Therese of Lisieux

Real power is the power of truth, beauty, and patience. Paradoxically, real power generally looks helpless.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 16 • February 2017

Bishop Segher’s Council 1760 Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary (Cathedral) Parish, Juneau

Bishop Crimont Assembly 1992, Juneau

Holy Name Council 11321 Holy Name Parish, Ketchikan

Bishop Kenny Council 11757 St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Juneau

Our Lady of Loreto Council 13056 St. Gregory Nazianzen Parish, Sitka

The Knights of Columbus, District 3 Thank Bishop Edward Burns for his support,

for his leadership, and for his service to the Church of Southeast Alaska.

—May God bless you in your new assignment —