DECEMBER 2016 • VOL. 6 NO. 12SERVING CHRIST AND CONNECTING CATHOLICS IN THE DIOCESE OF JUNEAU WWW.DIOCESEOFJUNEAU.ORGCATHOLIC

Southeast Alaska

Advent joy for imperfect Christians

BY DAVID GIBSON, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICEIt is not mysterious at all that the church lodges an

annual day of joy in the heart of Advent. The tone of this December day, called Gaudete Sunday, is set by the coming joyful days of Christmas, which the Advent season awaits.

But something is a little mysterious about joy itself. The entire notion of joy mystifies many. For joy is as dif-ficult to define as the happiness it resembles. Am I joyful if I do not feel wonderfully alive and excitedly hopeful at every moment?

Some judge themselves harshly against an imaginary standard for joy, perhaps joy as they imagine it to exist in other people’s lives. Here they suspect that they do not measure up.

Pope Francis gets this. He realizes that “joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty.”

In “The Joy of the Gospel” (“Evangelii Gaudium”), his 2013 apostolic exhortation on evangelization, the pope said that “joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.”

Note how Pope Francis made clear his conviction that joy can coexist with “great difficulty” in life. A problem-free life does not define “joy.”

He wrote, “The most beautiful and natural expressions of joy that I have seen in my life were in poor people who had little to hold on to.” He turned attention as well to “the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detach-ment and simplicity, a heart full of faith.”

It is lamentable, though, he said, that “sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we

could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met.” The lives of some Christians, he observed, “seem like Lent without Easter.”

The road to joy is not paved by “narrowness and self-absorption,” Pope Francis suggested. Neither is joy characterized by “naive op-timism.”

Instead, Christians are “challenged to discern ... how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds” and to remain confident that the light of the Holy Spirit “always radiates in the midst of darkness.”

Continued on page 14

Christians are “challenged to discern ... how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds” and to remain confident that the light of the Holy Spirit “always radiates in the midst of darkness.” - Pope Francis

December 12 • Day of Prayer for migrants and Refugees

CNS photo

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 2 • December 2016

Church

Calendar&Celebrations

December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate

Conception

December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

USCCB Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees

December 25: Christmas Day

December 27: Feast of St. John the Evangelist Patronal Feast of St. John’s-by-the-

Sea parish, Klawock

December 30: Feast of the Holy Family

Patronal feast of Holy Family Mission,Gustavus

December 31: Fr. Patrick Casey, OMI

36th anniversary of priestly ordination (1980)

January 1: Feast of Mary, Mother of God World Day of Prayer for Peace

January 2: Memorial of St. Gregory

Nazianzen, Patronal feast of St. Gregory

Nazianzen Parish, Sitka

January 3: Memorial of the Most Holy

Name of Jesus, Patronal feast of Holy Name Parish,

Ketchikan

January 8: Epiphany of the Lord

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In This Issue

Giving Thanks Page 4 St. Vincent de Paul Society distributes over 375 food baskets in Juneau

Devotional for Police officers one pastor’s goal Page 6 Fr. Gallagher fulfills the dream of publishing a spiritual guide for law enforcement personnel

The Catholic Church doesn’t just happen Page 7 Catholic Anchor editor Joel Davidson sees a need for greater involvement in the Church

Advocates for refugees calm post-election fears Page 11 Vulnerable populations of migrants and refugees assisted by Catholic Charities

Retirement Fund for Religious

Please give to those who have given a lifetime.

To donate:National Religious Retirement Office 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194Make your check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

Or give at your local parish.

“ Be faithful to your prayer life and have a sense of humor,” says Sister Rita Polchin (foreground), 87, a member of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius. This philosophy has served her well during nearly 70 years of religious life, especially as a teacher and principal in Catholic schools. Sister Rita is one of nearly 33,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who benefits from the Retirement Fund for Religious. Your generosity helps provide prescription medications, nursing care, and more.

Roughly 95 percent of donations aid senior religious.

Photos: (foreground) Sister Rita Polchin, SSCM, 87; (background) visit retiredreligious.org/2016photos for a list of names. ©2016 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Photographer: Jim Judkis.

www.retiredreligious.org

December 11, 2016 Special Collection

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 3

At the close of the Year of Mercy Pope Francis gave another gift to the Universal Church by providing a pastoral letter entitled Misericordia et misera (mercy with misery). Pope Francis begins the letter by describing its title which is a “phrase used by Saint Augustine in recounting the story of Jesus in meeting with the woman taken in adultery (CF. John 8:1–11). It would be difficult to imagine a more beautiful or apt way of expressing the mystery of God’s love when it touches the sinner: ‘the two of them alone remained: mercy with misery.’”

Pope Francis’ pastoral letter wants to make clear that we do not see the Year of Mercy as par-enthetical to the other years of our lives. Just as in the story of Jesus’ encounter with the adulterous woman, we are called to look to the future by embracing a new start on life. Advent gives us an opportunity for such a new start. This new start not only brings hope, but also acknowledges that “mercy gives rise to joy.” So we look to the future with joy, know-ing that we will always be lifted up by God’s mercy.

In demonstrating the need of God’s mercy and the very freedom that comes from it, Pope Francis extended the Year of Mercy provision offering priests the ability to forgive the sin of abortion. Pope Francis wrote: “I wish to restate as

firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life. In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”

The Holy Father describes how the mystery of God’s mercy touches the heart of the sinner. This outreach of love and mercy to the sinner is at the very heart of the mystery of the Incarnation, in which we celebrate the mystery of God becoming one of us in all ways but sin. Many times we pray the preface of the Eucharistic prayer which states: “For you so loved the world that in your mercy you sent us the Redeemer, to live like us in all things but sin.”

Just as St. John the Baptist was prepared by the Holy Spirit to herald the coming of the Messiah, let us pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we may be a reflection of God’s mercy. Let us pray for the spiritual gifts mentioned in the book of the prophet Isaiah, “a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.” (Is 11:2)

Here in the Diocese of Juneau, we had two jubilee doors of mercy, one at the National Shrine of Therese of Lisieux and the other at our parish of Saint Rose of Lima in Wrangell. I am grateful to Deacon Jeff and Lisa Volker for overseeing the holy door at the Shrine and I am also mindful that Father Thomas Weise, whose first anniversary of death we commemorated on

December 6, created the holy door at Saint Rose of Lima. In his pastoral letter, Pope Francis indicates that even though the door is now closed, the door of mercy is always open in our hearts. To illustrate this further, Pope Francis called on priests to preach on God’s mercy often from the pulpit. He stated, “I strongly encourage that great care be given to preparing the homily and to preaching in general. A priest’s preaching will be fruitful to the extent that he himself has experienced the merciful goodness of the Lord. Communicating the certainty that God loves us is not an exercise in rhetoric, but a condition for the credibility of one’s priesthood.”

Together as the faithful of the Diocese of Juneau, let us bring the light of Jesus Christ into the darkness of our world, that His radiance will shine through our charitable acts and that we will bind up the wounds of those who suffer. By the grace of God and with the gifts of His Holy Spirit, we can do this.

May this Advent season be a blessed time for you and your loved ones as you embrace the mercy of Emmanuel, God with us.

The end of the Year of Mercy and embracing the Advent season

BY BISHOPEDWARD J. BURNS

(Above) Participants in the recent silent Advent Retreat at the Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau gather inside the Shrine Lodge with Bishop Burns, retreat facilitator Deacon Steve Olmstead and Shrine caretakers Deacon Jeff and Lisa Volker. (At right) HAIRCUTS FOR THE HOMELESS: Bishop Burns recently began a monthly program to provide haircuts for homeless men and women in the Juneau area. Working with the Glory Hole Shelter, the haircut days were held on October 9th and November 13th. The participants were given the opportunity to receive a shampoo, hair cut, and even beard trimming. The Bishop provided a bag of personal items (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hand towels, socks, razors) and lunch. The next haircut day will be December 11th.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 4 • December 2016

BY DOMINIQUE JOHNSONFor the St. Vincent de Paul Society in

Juneau preparations for Thanksgiving start in mid-October following the organization’s annual Friends of the Poor Walk fundraiser. Some of the money raised from donations at the walk helped purchase food for Thanksgiv-ing food baskets.

Starting November 1st families in need of food baskets sign up at St. Vincent de Paul. The organization also coordinates with other agencies in Juneau that may need Thanksgiv-ing baskets, such as the Juneau School District.

St. Vincent de Paul then sets up donation centers where people in the community can drop off nonperishable food items that will help fill additional baskets. St. Vincent de Paul Society Board President, Theresa Har-ris said, “this year donations were collected at the Cathedral of the Nativity, St. Paul the Apostle Church, the Nugget Mall and the St. Vincent de Paul office in the Valley.” She added that “the community donated over 100 bags of non-perishable food items and over 200 turkeys.”

The Wednesday and Thursday before Thanksgiving volunteers moved donated and purchased food to the Riverbend Housing community hall to begin sorting food and preparing bags. Chuck VanKirk, member of the St. Vincent de Paul board of directors, said “we were grateful for the help of volunteers from the Thunder Mountain High School National Honor Society and St. Paul’s Confir-mation class.” With their help the bags were sorted in about one hour. VanKirk added, “it was good to see youth from the community volunteer and help with the project.”

Two days later the big weekend happened, Thanksgiving food basket distribution, and this year all involved were happy for a sunny, yet chilly weekend to help families pickup food baskets. Over 375 families in Juneau picked up food baskets prepared by St. Vincent de Paul, which included a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and pumpkin pie.

Harris said “being able to provide food baskets for Thanksgiving wouldn’t have been possible without support from the Juneau community, who donated food and helped prepare and distribute the baskets.” Approximately 60 volunteers helped in the preparation and distribution of the Thanks-giving food baskets and Chuck VanKirk said “for the volunteers who helped distribute

baskets, it was a good experience for them to encounter the people they were serving.”

Harris also thanked local businesses who made in-kind donations, including Western Auto who donated the use of a transport van, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation for the use of their building, and Alaska Marine Lines for proving a trailer to store the turkeys and pies.

With continued support from the com-

munity St. Vincent de Paul will be able to continue its work in Juneau at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Juneau is a faith-based tax-exempt non-profit organi-zation. If you are interested in volunteering with the organization or to learn more about the St. Vincent de Paul Society visit svdpju-neau.org or call (907) 789-5535.

Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving food baskets distributed to Juneau families by St. Vincent de Paul Society

Juneau community volunteers assist in the assembly and distribution of SVDP food baskets. (Above) Thomas Fitterer and Lynn Van Kirk; (Below) Mary Fitterer and Jon Winchester.

National Shrine of St. Therese

JUNEAU, ALASKA

Christmas Eve Mass at the Shrine

10:00 p.m. with Bishop Burns

Shrine Benefit Mardi GrasDinner Auction

February 3, 2017 6-9 p.m.Theme: Mardi Gras

Venue: Juneau Arts & Culture Center

AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED: Drop off auction items at the

Diocese Offices at 415 Sixth St, or call Joe @ 907-586-2227 ext. 24,

cell 636-628-7270

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Shrine Board: Janis Burns Buyarski, Nora Ann Toner,

Dennis Brooks, Bill Peters, Brian Flory, Mark Badger, Harold Heidersdorf

www.shrineofsainttherese.org

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 5

ROHRBACHER

Along the Way

Deacon Charles Rohrbacher

Making visible the mercy and justice of God“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin

will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. [God with us] - Isaiah 7:14

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and in him.” -Colossians 1:15

As I prepare during this Advent for the celebration of the great mystery of the Word becoming flesh, I find myself returning again and again to these two passages from the Old and New Testaments. The first, from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, is both the hope and the consolation of Israel. It is the essence of the Good News. God, who is always faithful, loving and merciful, has not abandoned us to the darkness and the folly of our own devising in this fallen world, but is with us, which is our re-demption and salvation and joy.

The second passage, from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, proclaims the way in which God chooses to be with us and to accomplish our redemption and salvation. The Son, the divine Logos, the Word through whom everything that is, that was and is to come, beyond all hope and expectation, was brought into being, by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin.

It was in this way, the way of humil-ity, frailty, weakness, vulnerability and suffering that the Word, through whom the cosmos came into being, the Lord of all, adored and worshiped by the heavenly hosts, fully and completely revealed the nature and character of God.

For the pagan philosophers, it was laughable to even suggest that the one God, who is pure spirit, and unsearch-able, unknowable mystery, would deign to concern himself with the fate of humanity, let alone love, and desire to be known and loved by his creatures.

For pious Jews, it was and remains inconceivable that God, who is so utterly transcendent that even the divine Name cannot be spoken, and whose saving presence was always veiled in signs, would be present to Israel and the world in the person of a human being.

But the incarnation is above all an act of love, not of logic. I recall reading something that Thomas Merton wrote in a letter, in which he said: ‘This love between God and mankind is as though an ant was to fall in love with a whale.’ True enough, understood from our point of view. But from God’s point of view, it is the whale which has fallen in love with the ant, and even more wondrous, in order to perfectly love the tiny ant, the great whale himself has taken on the very being of the ant.

What we behold in the person, in the teachings, in the life and death of Jesus is that “in him all the fullness [of

divinity] was pleased to dwell.” In gazing upon Jesus, we no longer have to speculate about the nature and character of God. Rather, he reveals to us fully and definitively the divine nature and character in a way that we can begin to understand and imitate.

It is while hanging on the holy Cross that Jesus, God-with-us, reveals most fully that his nature is love; that his character is faithful love unto death and that his will is mercy. This divine Love is the Light that not even the darkness of the tomb can overcome.

Jesus is the image, the icon, of the invisible God, he is the image and the instrument of God’s forgiving, merciful, sav-ing, redeeming and life-giving love. For he loves not only the righteous but sinners, not only those who do good but those

who do evil, not only his friends but his enemies. He seeks out the lost, the forsaken, those who are hated and despised, even those who by human reckoning deserve to be condemned and excluded.

The only limitations on his mercy are the limitations we place upon it, by refusing his love and forgiveness.

We understand justice, that is to say, everyone receiving what is due to them as a matter of fairness and equity. We rightly expect kings and rulers and presidents to be just, to be fair and impartial in enforcing the law. In this fallen world, so burdened with injustice, violence and hatred, justice and mercy are understood too often as opposites, and even those rulers who desire to act with mercy are frequently overruled by the iron laws of necessity.

But for the God revealed to us by Jesus, in the Kingdom of Heaven that God has established in his Son, God’s justice is his mercy. For it is “through [Jesus], that all things have been reconciled to himself, making peace through the blood of his Cross.” We struggle to grasp the infinite depth and

breadth of the Lord’s love and mercy. It is as expansive and mysterious and vast as the cosmos and its stars and galaxies beyond counting.

Or rather, we only begin to comprehend the mercy of God revealed in Jesus when we ourselves, through grace and humility, begin to realize our own urgent need for his mercy, his forgiveness, his pardon, his compassionate and life-giving love and extend it to our neighbor. All of the saints have this in common: keenly aware of their faults, failings, weaknesses and sins, they were grateful for the healing love and mercy shown them by Jesus and out of gratitude they strove to become the merciful, forgiving and compassionate presence of Jesus.

But it doesn’t end there. The Word became flesh to restore in each one of us the image of the invisible God darkened and defaced by the sin of Adam. Each one of us, through baptism, has been re-born, refashioned, transformed and transfigured by Christ, so as to become his image, his icon in this world. The incarnate God, Emmanuel, has chosen to be present in this world in and through his Mystical Body and all of its members.

At this moment in our his-tory, let us make Jesus, the icon of the invisible God, visible.

• Let us cherish and protect the weak and the vulnerable, especially unborn children, the elderly and those who are disabled.

• Let us remain faithful to our commitment to racial justice, reconciliation and the healing of memory.

• Let us reassure our Muslim neighbors that they have nothing to fear from those

who claim Christ as Lord and King.• Let us continue to welcome as we would welcome

Christ all those who are immigrants, refugees and migrants.

Our vocation is to be his face, hands and heart in a world crying out for justice and truth, for mercy and compassion. May others see in us the loving, merciful and compassion-ate face of Jesus.

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

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 6 • December 2016

Fr. Steve Gallagher of the Diocese of Juneau recently realized a long-held desire of publishing a Catholic prayer devotional specifically for Law En-forcement Officers.

Gallagher was a police officer for over 30 years in Port Angeles and Olympia, Washington prior to his seminary training and final ordination to the priest-hood for the Diocese of Juneau in April of 2011. He is currently serving as the pastor of St. Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell and St. Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg.

Fr. Gallagher originally drafted the prayer devotional during the 1990’s. How-ever, the unfinished project stayed on the ‘back burner” until recent years while he focused on more pressing matters such as his seminary studies and recovering from a series of health setbacks -- a bout with bladder cancer and a heart attack in 2012. Today Fr. Gallagher is already looking forward to future additions and revisions to the self-published booket.

The prayer devotional book in-cludes daily prayers ‘At the Beginning of Your Shift’ and ‘At the End of Your Shift’, prayers for courage, for mercy, for healing, for assistance, and for blessings upon all whom our ‘Men and Women in Blue’ serve, includ-ing the homeless, those in physical danger, for the lonely, and even for our enemies.

Through this devotional, Fr. Gallagher reminds all Catholic law enforcement officers, whether on the

job or retired, of the importance of using ‘spiritual weapons of prayer and receiving the sacraments to complement their calling to protect and serve.’

In a 2011 article in the Catholic Herald of Mil-waukee, Gallagher encouraged other Catholic cops: “Stay connected or re-connect to your faith,” he said. “There’s a lot of evil out there that cops have

to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and we’ve got the best partner to team up with.

When the Lord says, ‘Come, follow me,’ there is no despera-tion; it is simply hope. Be not afraid.”

Vercillo’s Catholic Book & Gift Inc is the exclusive distributor of this devotional that was compiled, written, edited, and published by Fr. Steve Gallagher. (They can be reached at 253-472-8399 or Toll Free 866-471-8399.)

Read more about Fr. Steve’s journey to the priesthood in the following article available online at: http://catholich-erald.org/news/local/cop-trades-bulletproof-vest-for-priestly-vestments/

Police Officer’s Devotional the the fulfillment of long-held goal

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICE

Light Up a LifeHOSPICE & HOME CARE FUNDRAISER

It is the season for giving and Light Up A Life Catholic Commu-nity Services Hospice program has holiday trees located downtown at the JAHC and in the valley at Nugget Alaska Outfitters where staff graciously offered to accept donations on behalf of Hospice throughout the holiday season. Contributions to the Light Up A Life campaign not only light up the holidays for someone you love, but also help support Hospice services in Juneau.

Hospice and Home Care of Juneau’s mission is to provide a variety of high quality services emphasizing compassion, patient choice and dignity for homebound and terminally ill patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay.

The Hospice and Home Care (HHCJ) of Juneau Light Up A Life fundraising campaign officially began last Tuesday, November 29th at St Paul’s Church with a Holiday tree Lighting kick-off and will continue through the month of December. The Light Up A Life event is the largest fundraiser of the year for Juneau Hospice & Home Care, and the most crucial for helping spread awareness and support for these vital services.

The Tree Lighting kickoff included live piano music per-formed by Tom Locher, and singing by Catholic Community

Service’s (CCS) own Anneka Morgan. Words of encouragement and inspiration were

spoken by CCS Executive Director Erin Walker-Tolles and HHCJ Be-reavement and Volunteer Coordi-nator Joni Gill Pico. Attendees also had the opportunity to mingle with

various CCS staff and board members, enjoy light food and refreshments, and add a loved one’s name to the holiday trees. The big finale was the lighting of the outdoor tree located at the corner of Mendenhall Loop Road

and Egan Drive, right in front of St Paul’s Church.

Special thanks to everybody who is helping us make the Light Up A Life Tree campaign and holiday season a success!

From Everyone at Catholic Community Service, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season!

For additional information regarding Hospice Light Up

A Life or another program offered through Catholic community Service, please call 463-6100 or visit

www.CCSJuneau.org(Above) Fr. Steve Gallagher is currently the pastor of St. Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell and St. Catherine of Sienna parish in Petersburg. (Above right) Newly printed copies of Fr. Gallagher’s Police Officer’s Devotional.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 7

Catholic Community Service welcomes Volunteer Support!

Help support and continue the work of Catholic Community Services by volunteering in areas of

need:

BASIC HUMAN NEEDS • WORK IN CLOTHING ROOMS AND FOOD PANTRIES

• ASSIST AT OUR RESOURCE FAIRS

SUPPORT SERVICES• ASSIST IN COMPUTER DATA ENTRY, ANSWERING TELEPHONES AND FILING

• PERFORM RECEPTION TASKS• HELP WITH MAILINGS

SPECIAL EVENTS• SERVE ON PLANNING COMMITTEES

• HELP AT HOLIDAY PARTIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

SERVING CHILDREN• READ TO CHILDREN AT ONE OF OUR

PUDDLEJUMPERSDEVELOPMENTALCENTER

• BABYSIT CHILDREN DURING PARENTING CLASSES OR OTHER MEETINGS WITH PARENTS

SERVING SENIORS• VISIT WITH SENIORS AT OUR ADULT DAY

PROGRAM OR ANY ONE OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS• ASSIST WITH SPECIAL EVENTS

• DELIVER FOOD AND MEALS TO SENIORS’ HOMES• PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION

• COLLECT CRAFT ITEMS AND TEACH CRAFTS

SERVING OVERALL AGENCY• SERVING ON SUB-COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND/OR OTHER ADVISORY COUNCILS.

www.ccsjuneau.orgor call 907-463-6100

JOEL DAVIDSON, CATHOLICANCHOR.ORGDespite being founded by Jesus Christ

and enduring for 2,000 years, the Catholic Church is not like a mountain range or old growth forest, which could endure even if all humankind were wiped from the face of the earth.

The church is dependent on human co-operation with God, through the centuries, to bring about the salvation of souls. Without us—without faithful human partnership with the Holy Spirit—there is no church.

It’s true, God promises that the church will endure and even the Gates of Hell will not prevail against her, but this will happen in concert with us, as God intended.

In some parts of the world it may be easy to miss this truth—places like Rome, or even New York or Boston, where colossal church buildings, dating back centuries, stand the test of time and form the backdrop for so many Catholic generations.

One might be tempted to think that the church has always been around and will continue being around regardless of what we think or do. This is only partly true.

Let me explain.If young men don’t answer the call to

become priests and bishops, there will be no sacraments — no baptisms (by a priest), no confessions, no First Communions, no confirmations, no anointing of the sick.

Christ entrusted the celebration of these sacraments to his apostles, the first bishops of the church. There are no scriptural or Catholic theological teachings suggesting that the sacraments can exist without these faithful servants.

Similarly there are no Dominicans, Franciscans, Benedictines, Jesuits or any other ancient and venerable order without men and women willing to lay down their lives and embrace a call to the religious life as sisters and brothers, monks and nuns.

Additionally, and this is where most Catholics come in, there are no Catholic marriages and no future generations of the faithful without the millions of men and women who comprise the Catholic laity around the world.

This, at last, brings us to the point.The time has come—and is long over-

due—for rank-and-file laity to rouse from the pews and begin assisting a church in desperate need of their talents, expertise and love of the faith.

For too long too many have relied on dedicated priests, overworked staff and a handful of inspired parishioners to keep our parishes afloat.

This is not a criticism of the many pa-rishioners who have dedicated large swaths of time and energy to help build up vibrant local churches. These words are tailored to

the many others who attend Mass regularly, but just leave it at that.

Can you play the piano (perhaps even the organ)? Are you a natural teacher of church history or theology? Can you refurbish an old statue or help bring in sacred art and stained glass? Maybe you’re a cook, a singer or a prison evangelist? Does the pastoral council need members? What about the liturgy committee or those who visit the homebound?

Perhaps there are saint celebrations and holy days that could be properly observed with rousing community feasts and com-memoration of the heroes of our faith? Might you help lead a Good Friday or Corpus Christi procession through the town?

Could the parish benefit from an in-spired book club or a specific outreach to boys or girls? Could dads benefit from a men’s club or moms find inspiration in a women’s group? What about sporting events and dances that bring everyone together?

In many places these projects will never get off the ground without an army of lay faithful willing to commit time, innovation and energy to them.

Maybe there is a glaring need or a simple lack of manpower? Rather than limp along—or worse, complain about it —why not get down to work?

In some of the most remote areas of Alaska the need for greater involvement is easier to see — places where the loss of two or three volunteers could easily devastate parish life.

We live in a time when many Catholics leave a church they think of as irrelevant to their daily lives. We cannot afford to passively sit by as one of the pillars of the community struggles to reach men and women who desperately need the love and life of God as expressed through the local parish.

The work is plentiful. Who will go?

- The writer is editor of the Catholic Anchor, the newspaper and news website of the Archdio-cese of Anchorage, Alaska.

The Catholic Church doesn’t just happen

Nicholas Cole, a young volunteer and parishioner, paints the gold trim on the interior of St. Rose of Lima Church in Wrangel l . Par ish volunteers have completely repainted the historic Church’s interior in recent months. To see photos of the project, visit the parish Facebook page: St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church - Wrangell, Alaska.

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

BY CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Following Christ the King, whose regal power is love and mercy, means the whole church and each Christian must “follow his way of tangible love,” Pope Francis said.

Celebrating the feast of Christ the King Nov. 20 and officially closing the extraordinary jubilee celebration of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis insisted, “we have received mercy in order to be merciful.”

On a warm, late fall morning, St. Pe-ter’s Square was filled with an estimated 70,000 people for the Mass, which was concelebrated by the new cardinals Pope Francis had created the previous day.

The pope and the new cardinals first went to the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica and gave thanks for “the gifts of grace received” during the Holy Year. Pope Francis then went to the threshold of the Holy Door and pulled each side shut. The door will be sealed until the next Holy Year, which is likely to be 2025.

In his homily, Pope Francis said that even if the Holy Door is closed, “the true door of mercy, which is the heart of Christ, always remains open wide for us.”

The power of Christ the King, he said, “is not power as defined by this world, but the love of God, a love capable of encountering and healing all things.”

Like the “good thief” who turned to Jesus on the cross and was assured a place in heaven, anyone who turns to God with trust can be forgiven, the pope said. “He is ready to completely and forever cancel our sin, because his memory -- unlike our own -- does not record evil that has been done or keep score of injustices experienced.”

Loving like Christ loves us, he said, means constantly seeking the grace to forgive others, forget the offenses com-mitted and be instruments of reconcili-ation in the world.

Following Christ the King also means accepting “the scandal of his humble love,” which can be difficult because it “unsettles and disturbs us.”

Christ’s love, the love Christians are called to imitate, is concrete and tangible and is not concerned with personal comfort, power and superiority.

Even in evangelization “the lure of power and success seem an easy, quick way to spread the Gospel,” he said. The Year of Mercy was a call to “rediscover the youthful, beautiful face of the church, the face that is radiant when it is welcoming,

free, faithful, poor in means but rich in love, on mission.”

Christ the king, “our king, went to the ends of the universe in order to embrace and save every living being,” he said. “He did not condemn us, nor did he conquer us, and he never disregarded our freedom, but he paved the way with a humble love that forgives all things, hopes all things, sustains all things.”

Christ’s followers are called to con-tinue his saving mission, the pope said.

At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis signed his new apostolic letter, “Miseri-cordia et Misera,” (Mercy and Misery), which a papal aide announced was written to affirm that the commitment to sharing the merciful love of God continues because it is “the heart of the Gospel.”

The pope gave the letter, which was made public Nov. 21, to a group of people representing different sectors of the church: Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, president of Caritas Internationa-lis; Scottish Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, on behalf of diocesan bishops; two priests who were “missionaries of mercy” for the Holy Year; a permanent deacon; two religious women; an extended family; an engaged couple; two women catechists; a person with disabilities; and a person who was ill.

Proclaim Christ the king of mercy, pope says at end of

Holy Year

Pope Francis closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the closing of the jubilee Year of Mercy at the Vatican Nov. 20. (CNS photo/Tiziana Fabi, pool via Reuters)

“...the true door of mercy, which is the heart of Christ, always remains open wide for us.” - Pope Francis

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

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne is seen Nov. 9 after his installation as archbishop of Anchorage, Alaska, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Anchorage. (CNS photos/Ron Nicholl, Catholic Anchor)

JOEL DAVIDSON, CATHOLICANCHOR.ORG

Alaskans from across the 138,000 square mile Anchorage Archdiocese packed into Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral on Nov. 9 to witness the installation of the new archbishop of Anchorage.

Archbishop Paul Etienne, the former bishop of the Diocese in Cheyenne, Wyoming, succeeded Archbishop Emeritus Roger Schwi-etz. More than 800 people were on hand including church leaders from various denominations around Anchorage.

A bishop’s installation is a time-honored tradition in the Catholic Church, and a vivid reminder about one of the faith’s central teachings —apostolic succession—which traces today’s bishops from an unbroken line down to the Twelve Apostles who were commissioned by Christ.

When a newly-reassigned bish-op — someone already ordained a bishop — is transferred from his former diocese, as with Archbishop Etienne, the bishop comes to “take possession” of his new diocese. In such cases the incoming bishop is solemnly received in the cathedral church by the clergy and local Catholics. This first step took place the night before the installation at Holy Family Cathedral in Anchor-age during an evening prayer vigil (or vespers) on Nov. 8.

The next day, Archbishop Eti-enne was formally installed. The installation began with the new archbishop entering Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral with a greeting from retiring Archbishop Emeritus Schwietz.

At the start of Mass, the papal representative to the United States, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre, read to the con-gregation the document from Pope

Francis appointing the new arch-bishop. It was formally shown to archdiocesan college of consultors for verification. At this point, the nuncio then led the new archbishop to the cathedra (the archbishop’s presiding chair) and handed him the crosier or archbishop’s staff. This is the moment at which he was installed, and the point when he officially became the new arch-bishop of Anchorage.

For the Mass, many dignitar-ies were in attendance, along with most of the archdiocese’s priests, deacons, seminarians, men and women religious and many lay faithful. The liturgy proceeded with Archbishop Etienne deliver-ing the homily.

Photos of the Installation Mass and the text of Archbishop Eti-enne’s homily are available at www.catholicanchor.org

Hundreds gather for installation of new

Anchorage Archbishop

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 10 • December 2016

CNA/EWTN NEWSIt’s a common sight at a city intersection.

A man or a woman holds a cardboard sign: “Homeless, Hungry. Please Give. Anything Helps.”

Most motorists, stopped at the light and eager to move on, just ignore the person.

But what should you do before the light changes?

The Denver-based urban ministry Christ in the City offers some advice.

“Ask the person’s name,” said the group’s tip sheet. “One of our friends on the street told us he went four months without hearing his own name. Ask the person’s name and remember it.”

Those with a regular commute should re-member that name and say hello the next time.

“You’ll be amazed how his or her face will light up that you remembered.”

“To love is to know and be known,” Christ in the City said. “And so, the chronically home-less become unknown, they become separated, not just from society but from the experience of love itself.”

The chronically homeless are the most resistant to social services and other help. They’re most likely to have substance abuse or mental health problems.

Erin McCrory, the ministry’s managing director, reflected on their situation.

“They’ve told us that once your reality becomes eating out of garbage cans and you don’t hear your name spoken for months at a time, you accept this is your reality,” McCrory told the Denver Catholic Register. “Their spirits are broken and they are lacking in hope and faith in people.”

There are other ways of making personal contact.

“Reach out and offer a handshake,” the group’s tip sheet advised. “This simple gesture

breaks a barrier and expresses that you recog-nize their dignity. One moment of awkward-ness for you can be the highlight of the day for him or her.”

Each year, a new team of Christ in the City missionaries gathers in Denver for efforts such as homeless outreach. About 25 young missionaries volunteer for two years, receiv-ing spiritual and academic formation in their time of service.

The group says one missionary alone reaches 500 homeless and engages 80-100 vol-unteers to engage in more than 62,000 hours of service for the homeless.

The group advises people to give more practical items in lieu of money, like socks, water, Gatorade, or gloves. Those who give food should keep in mind that people who live on the street often have teeth problems and can’t eat hard granola bars or apples. Soft foods like bananas or soft-baked granola bars are more edible.

“Giving money is a personal decision that requires discernment. Gift cards can be a bet-ter alternative to cash,” Christ in the City said. Items showing personal care are more likely to keep a focus on friendship.

“Your love and compassion is more effective than five bucks,” the group added.

The group’s final piece of advice?“Offer to pray for them, and mean it,” Christ

in the City said. “We try to be another Christ to our friends on the street, but we accept that we can only do so much. The rest we leave up to God in prayer. He loves our friends more than we ever could.”

The organization has had requests to ex-pand into five other dioceses.

A pedestrian gives money to a homeless man sitting outside St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City in 2009. Poverty is “more than an issue to be discussed or a problem to be solved,” the Catholic bishops of Washington state said in a joint pastoral letter Nov. 17. “When we stop and look into the face of poverty, we recognize that ‘the poor’ are not strangers. They are our sisters and brothers, members of our human family.” (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

What do you say to a homeless person? Advice from Catholic urban missionaries

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

Affirm your faith in your WillYou can express your commitment to the principles of

Christian stewardship by having the following statement included in your Will or Trust: “I leave the Roman Catholic

Diocese of Juneau (or Catholic Parish of _______) the sum of $ ________ or ______% of my estate.”

For more information on the needs of the diocese and of your parish, please contact your pastor. www.dioceseofjuneau.org

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 11

BY THERESA LAURENCE, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICENASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- As the American people

continue to unpack exactly what the election of Donald Trump means for the country, those who work with vul-nerable populations such as refugees and immigrants have serious concerns and questions about what the future holds.

President-elect Trump made the issue of immigration one of the foundations of his campaign. He promised to round up those in the country without legal permission and deport them, and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; he also talked about enacting a ban on Muslims entering the country until a system for what he called “extreme vetting” of refugees can be put in place.

In the days following Trump’s election as president, the Catholic Charities Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Diocese of Nashville began receiving calls from school counselors seeking assistance for how to talk with refugee children who are afraid of being sent back to the countries they fled. “These are calls we haven’t gotten before,” said Kellye Branson, Refugee Resettlement department director.

“We want to calm their fears,” Branson said, noting that anyone who arrived in the country through the refugee resettlement program is here legally and faces no imminent threat of deportation. However, “we’re kind of in a holding position, waiting to see what policy implications are for the future,” she told the Tennessee Register, Nashville’s diocesan newspaper.

The president has the authority to set the number of refugees accepted annually by the United States. President Barack Obama has raised it from 70,000 in 2015 to 85,000 in 2016 to 110,000 for 2017. Trump could reduce that number for future years.

Catholic Charities of Tennessee has decades of experi-ence resettling refugees in this state. Since its founding in 1962, it has assisted refugees and asylum seekers and helped them assimilate to American culture and the local commu-nity. Catholic Charities has helped resettle 637 refugees in the Nashville area so far this year, including refugees from Congo, Somalia and Syria.

While the world’s refugees wait and hope to be resettled in a more stable and secure country, those who work with refugees in Tennessee are taking steps to clear up miscon-ceptions about who refugees are and the rigorous process they must undergo to reach the United States.

Refugees are defined as individuals who have had to leave their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution. They are targeted because of their religious or political beliefs, or membership in a particular social class.

Branson pointed out that the refugee resettlement program “is the most secure way of entering the U.S. It’s a lengthy process.”

First, a refugee reports to a representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. If a refugee is seeking

entry into the U.S., he or she will undergo vetting from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the State Department. This involves extensive interviews and background checks, with a particular focus on any signs of radicalization or connection with a terrorist group, which would immediately disqualify that person from entry into the U.S.

Branson understands that Americans are concerned about national security and the integ-rity of the refugee resettlement program.

“We want it to be secure too,” she said. “The people resettling are fleeing the same people we don’t want to enter the country. We want to safely and humanely resettle the people who have been persecuted most throughout the world.” She also noted that less than 1 percent of refugees worldwide ever get resettled.

One positive outcome of the election so far, Branson said, is a surge in calls from people interested in volunteer-ing with the Refugee Resettlement office. In the two days following the election, her office received about 20 calls from interested volunteers, the same amount they normally receive in a month.

“Now more than ever, Americans and longtime residents are needed to reach out to our new arrivals and offer a hand of friendship and welcome,” Branson said.

If newly arrived refugees can make personal connec-tions with American volunteers, it can make for a smoother transition to a new culture, help them learn English and make them feel like a part of the community more quickly. “Developing those connections is a huge thing for our cli-ents,” Branson said.

Donna Gann, program coordinator of Immigration Ser-vices for Catholic Charities of Ten-nessee, said her clients are anxious as well. “There has been an increase in calls wanting to know what’s going to happen now,” she said.

Maggie McCluney, a casework-er with the agency’s Immigration and Hispanic Family Services, echoed Gann, saying that since the election, “it is especially difficult to keep up with inquiries. Many clients are concerned about depor-tation and separation of families.

There is a lot of uncertainty.”If clients have their paperwork in order and are applying

for citizenship, “we are hopeful that any process currently pending will continue without (increased) scrutiny,” Gann said via email. “The only clients we are really concerned about are the DACA recipients,” Gann said, referring to those who are currently protected under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Many immigrants in the country without legal permission who fall under that

Advocates of refugees, immigrants seek to

calm postelection fears

Continued on page 13

“The people resettling are fleeing the same people we don’t want to enter the country. We want to safely and humanely resettle the people who have been persecuted most throughout the world.”

Kellye Branson, Refugee Resettlement dept. director Catholic Charities Office of Refugee Resettlement Diocese of Nashville

An immigrant mother and daughter are seen in Los Angeles June 23. (CNS photo/Eugene Garcia, EPA)

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 12 • December 2016

After election, prayer precedes activism

The Wednesday after the presiden-tial election was a very emotional day in America.

Like millions of others, I was up way too late on election night, waiting for results to be clear before heading to a sleepless bed.

In the morning, social media exploded. No matter how one voted, passions pre-vailed. People exulted or were despondent; people were euphoric, depressed, angry, at times, simultaneously.

There was no in-between. Clearly my little Facebook page was a metaphor for a divided country.

Folks who had been all too happy to post partisan political rhetoric on their pages for over a year were suddenly whining that people were not being nice to them now.

Friends who normally posted kids’ pictures of sewing accomplishments suddenly laced remarks with profanity. People suspected others’ motivations. Folks took turns accusing or denying that a vote stemmed from racism, xenophobia or misogyny.

It was brutal, and that was on my Facebook page, a small group of “friends” comprised of actual friends and relatives, normally nice people.

Contributing to my Wednesday mood was the fact that Nebraska had voted to reinstate the death penalty. For three years, I worked as an organizer with an anti-death penalty group in our state. A legislative coalition, the majority Repub-lican, strongly supported by Nebraska’s three Catholic bishops, abolished the death penalty in our state legislature.

Not only did our legislators have the courage to abolish, they summoned the votes to override our governor’s veto. But success was short-lived. A petition drive resulted in the issue being on the ballot, and now, about 60 percent of the electorate had voted to reinstate execution.

So, Wednesday passed in fatigue and weariness. Then, I noticed an email invi-tation. I am on the mailing list for a local Methodist church, which I had worked with during my organizing days.

Their church was open Wednesday night for “Prayers for Peace.” They were offering a time “to process, reflect, and come together in the wake of the election.”

The thought of praying in community in a quiet, nonpartisan place was deeply appealing. Perhaps a Catholic Church in town was offering the same -- one

had opened their doors on Election Day for prayer -- but I didn’t know of any.

So, I headed to the Method-ist church. Small groups were chat-ting softly and sol-itary folks were praying silently in pews. The three-hour open house had included a

communion service, but I had purposely arrived after that concluded.

Nevertheless, the pastor came to me and indicated the bread and chalice that remained on the altar.

“You’re welcome to receive commu-nion,” she said.

“I’m not a Methodist,” I explained politely.

“Neither is God,” she smiled.Ah, yes, I thought. And neither is God

a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative. No political labels for God, just compassionate, merciful, inclusive.

After victory or defeat, the first inclination is to recommit to your own partisan efforts. This isn’t a bad inclina-tion -- citizens should work for causes, charities and justice issues that call to them. Passion is good.

But prayer comes first. By Thursday, Facebook was growing

reflective. People were apologizing for outbursts and offering support to any-one in a group who might be harassed, terrorized or intimidated by a small but dangerous minority.

A friend posted a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. with his words: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

That hangs in my office now, a re-minder from a martyred hero that coura-geous political activism begins, ends and has its roots in love, faith and God.

EFFIE CALDAROLA

For the Journey

BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICEResponding to editors’ requests for a regular sam-pling of current commentary from around the Catholic press, here is an unsigned editorial titled “Let’s embrace Advent” from the Nov. 17 issue of the St. Louis Review, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

After an intense national election sea-son, we need a diversion. We look forward to Advent.

Beginning the church’s liturgical year, Ad-vent (from “ad venire” in Latin, or “to come to”) is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent preparation directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. Advent is a time to give thanks for the blessings and, most importantly, to grow in our relationship with God; however, we must not allow ourselves to get lost in the culture this season.

Advent devotions, including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. Daily activities and prayers will help prepare you spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ.

St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, writing in his column in the Review Nov. 10, suggested that we work on tearing down walls that have grown up in our relationship with the Lord over the past year. Christmas, he stated, is a time of visitation, when the Lord comes into our hearts in a special way, just as He came into the world 2,000 years ago. “What small thing can we give up, or what small thing can we do, to prepare our hearts to recognize the time of our visitation -- to welcome his pres-ence and power when He comes?” Archbishop Carlson asked.

It’s a good time to focus on random acts of kindness.

Archbishop Carlson reminds us that the season of Advent, and especially Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent) is a powerful reminder that the reign of God, which is present now but still incomplete, is a reign of joy, a time of mercy and forgiveness, an experience of true peace and harmony among all members of God’s family.

Advent, therefore, is a time of reflection and action. You can make good things happen.

Practicing acts of kindness should be something we do year-round. Here are some ways we can further open our hearts to Christ this Advent:

-- Let a car merge in front of you and do it with a smile.

-- Introduce yourself to neighbors and bring baked goods or sweets.

-- Smile at people.

-- Open the door for someone.

-- Help someone with their bags or luggage.

-- Leave a nice note for your spouse.

-- Write a letter to your parent or grandparent telling them how much you appreciated something they have done in the past.

-- Pay for the coffee for the person behind you.

-- Pick up litter and put it in a trash can.

-- Get the paper towel ready for the next person to use in the restroom.

-- Forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made and promise to confess them in the sacra-ment of reconciliation.

-- Give a generous tip to your waiter.

-- Befriend a lonely person.

-- Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while.

-- Let someone take your parking spot.

-- Bring sweet treats to share at the office.

-- Sit with someone who is eating alone.

-- Tell your parents you love them and how much you appreciate everything they have done for you.

-- Let someone go in front of you at the cashier.

-- Donate clothes and shoes to the needy at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

-- Clean up after someone in the lunchroom or cafeteria.

Let’s embrace AdventThe season of Advent... is a powerful reminder that the reign of God, which is present now but still incomplete, is a reign of joy, a time of mercy and forgiveness, an experience of true peace and harmony among all members of God’s family.

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 13

CNS News Briefs • www.catholicnews.comSyriac Catholic patriarch ‘horrified’ after seeing

Iraqi ‘ghost towns’BEIRUT (CNS) -- The Syriac Catholic patriarch said he

was horrified to see widespread devastation and what he called “ghost towns” during a recent visit to northern Iraq. Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan wrote in an email to Catholic News Service that there was little left in some of the communities that he toured Nov. 27-29 and that “the emptiness of the streets except for military people ... the devastation and burned-out houses and churches” was shocking. About 100,000 Christians -- among them more than 60,000 Syriac Catholics -- were ex-pelled from the Ninevah Plain by the Islamic State group in the summer of 2014 as the militants campaigned to expand their reach into Iraq. Patriarch Younan also called for under-standing from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump about the plight and ordeal of all minorities, including Christians affected by violence in the region. The patriarch told CNS about “walking through the Christian towns of Qaraqosh, Bartella and Karamles and witnessing the extent of devastation as if we had entered ghost towns!”

USCCB leaders seek prayers for migrants, refu-gees on Guadalupe feast

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Prayer services and special Masses will be held in many dioceses across the country as the U.S. Catholic Church has asked that the Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe be a day of prayer with a focus on migrants and refugees. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas. “As Christmas approaches and especially on this feast of Our Lady, we are reminded of how our savior Jesus Christ was not born in the comfort of his own home, but rather in an unfamiliar manger,” said a Dec. 1 statement by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The day of prayer is intended to be a time to place before a merciful God the hopes, fears and needs of all those families who have come to the United States seeking a better life. “So many families are wondering how changes to immigration policy might impact them,” Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president, said in a Dec. 1 statement. “We want them to know the church is with them, offers prayers on their behalf, and is actively monitoring developments at the diocesan, state, and national levels to be an effective advocate on their behalf.”

Faith leaders urge Obama to grant pardons to immigrants, prisoners

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Faith leaders and immigrant advocates urged President Barack Obama to pardon immigrants in the country without legal documentation and people with nonviolent, federal drug offenses serving prison sentences. “This is about protecting families,” said Richard Morales, immigration policy director for PICO, which stands for People Improving Communities Through Organizing, during a Dec. 1 news conference in the chapel of the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill. “There is tremendous fear in our communi-ties. This is a moral rather than legal issue. The president

does have the constitutional power to grant these pardons and he needs to act,” he added. The gathering was organized by PICO, a national network based in Oakland, California, that was founded in 1972 by a Jesuit priest. The group is currently circulating a petition to deliver to the White House Dec. 15 urging the Obama administration to grant these pardons. It is also urging local elected officials, governors, mayors and churches across the country to take steps to designate them-selves sanctuaries, protecting immigrants from deportation, in response to President-elect Donald Trump promises to deport 2 to 3 million immigrants without documentation.

Catholic college presidents pledge support for students with DACA status

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- More than 70 presidents at Catholic colleges and universities have signed a statement pledging their support for students attending their schools who are legally protected by the Deferred Action for Child-hood Arrivals program, known as DACA. The statement, posted Nov. 30 on the website of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, says it hopes “the students in our communities who have qualified for DACA are able to con-tinue their studies without interruption and that many more students in their situation will be welcome to contribute their talents to our campuses.” President Barack Obama’s DACA program protects young immigrants brought into the United States by their parents as young children without legal permis-sion. More than 720,000 of these young immigrants have been approved for the program, which protects them from deporta-tion for two-year periods. The college leaders’ statement also points out that “undocumented students need assistance in confronting legal and financial uncertainty and in managing the accompanying anxieties. We pledge to support these stu-dents -- through our campus counseling and ministry support, through legal resources from those campuses with law schools and legal clinics and through whatever other services we may have at our disposal.”

Pope recognizes martyrdom of Oklahoma priest killed in Guatemala

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, making him the first martyr born in the United States. The Vatican made the announcement Dec. 2. The recognition of his martyrdom clears the way for his beatification. Father Rother, born March 27, 1935, on his fam-ily’s farm near Okarche, Oklahoma, was brutally murdered July 28, 1981, in a Guatemalan village where he ministered to the poor. He went to Santiago Atitlan in 1968 on assign-ment from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He helped the people there build a small hospital, school and its first Catholic radio station. He was beloved by the locals, who called him “Padre Francisco.” Many priests and religious in Guatemala became targets during the country’s 1960-1996 civil war as government forces cracked down on leftist rebels supported by the rural poor.

Post-election fears: Continued from page 11

protection were brought to the United States by their parents as young children and may not even remember living in their country of origin.

More than 720,000 of these young immigrants have been approved for that program, which protects them from deportation for two-year periods and grants them work permits. Since DACA was created by executive order, it could be rescinded by executive order under the new Trump administration, which officially begins with Inauguration Day Jan. 20.

During his campaign, Trump vowed to undo what he called Obama’s “overreaching” executive orders on immigration. “If the threats come to fruition, then they could be under removal proceedings,” Gann said of those currently protected under DACA and DAPA, the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program. “That will be an issue we will continue to review and fight hard against,” she added.

- - --Laurence is a staff writer at the Tennessee Register,

newspaper of Diocese of Nashville.

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

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 14 • December 2016

Voting for Hillary and hellI voted for Hillary Clinton in the recent presi-dential election. One priest (and maybe others) indicated that those who voted for Hillary would spend an eternity in hell. Is this correct? (Colonia, New Jersey)

I hope not. The Pew Research Center has deter-mined that, in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, 45 percent of Catholics voted for Hillary Clinton. (Fifty-two percent voted for Donald Trump.) That would mean that 13 million of Catholics

voted for Clinton, and I shudder to think that all of them are consigned to eternal damnation.

The best voting advice comes not from the individual priest whom you happened unfortunately to encounter, but from the pope himself and from the U.S. Catholic bishops. A month before the election, on a flight back to Rome from Eastern Europe, Pope Francis was asked by reporters about the upcoming U.S. vote. He was reported to have said: “During an election campaign, I never say a word. The people are sovereign, and all I will say is this: Study the proposals well, pray and choose in conscience!”

That guidance was consistent with the advice given by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in their quadren-nial document entitled “Faithful Citizenship.” In the most recent version (issued in 2015), they said: “We bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote.” Instead, the bishops encourage readers “to evaluate policy positions, party platforms and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teachings of the church.”

To help Catholics do that, the bishops list more than a dozen issues of public policy that intersect deeply with moral concerns, the goal being to advance the common good “by defending the inviolable sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death, by promot-ing religious freedom, by defending marriage, by feeding the hungry and housing the homeless, by welcoming the immigrant and protecting the environment.”

The bishops caution Catholics who might be tempted “to use only selected parts of the church’s teaching to advance partisan political interests or validate ideological biases,” and they note that “there may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unac-ceptable position even on policies promoting an intrinsically evil act may reasonably decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons.”

Why pray for the dead?Since we believe that judgment takes place at the time of death, why do we pray for the dead? Prayer is supposed to change us, not God. Are we to believe that extra prayers will change his mind and get us into heaven faster? (Northampton, Pennsylvania)

We do, as you say, believe that a divine judg-ment takes place at the time of death. But part of the Christian faith is the belief in purgatory, the belief that for some individuals there will

be required a period of “purification” -- a chance to “clean up from” and “make up for” past sins and imperfections before entering the eternal embrace of the Lord in heaven.

It is that period of purification that the church believes can be reduced by the prayers of those still living on earth. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “From the beginning the church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the eu-charistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (No. 1032).

Our belief is rooted in the Scriptures, as far back as the Second Book of Maccabees in the Old Testament, where Judas Maccabeus prayed for his comrades slain in battle that they might be freed from sin and obtain “the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness” (2 Mc 12:45).

Prayers for the deceased have been a strong and con-sistent part of Christian life -- at the bedside when one has died, at wake services, at funeral and anniversary Masses and burial rites -- even though we don’t presume to know exactly how they work. Death and its sequel, including judgment, will always be a mystery to us for as long as we are on this side of heaven.

I do not think, though, that our prayers for the deceased “change God’s mind” -- rather, God, who knows all things, has decided in advance to favor the deceased with mercy based on his foreknowledge that we would offer prayers on their behalf.

And as for the question you did not ask me: “What happens if we pray for someone who’s already in heaven?”

I can only believe that those merits will be awarded to other souls still in purgatory (or perhaps even to ourselves).

questions&answersBY FATHER KENNETH DOYLE, CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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

Is it time to rethink the illusory image of joy that makes itself known too frequently -- a dispiriting image that makes us think we’ve missed out on joy?

The Scripture readings for Gaudete Sunday Masses in 2016 could aid this rethinking. “The coming of the Lord is at hand,” they proclaim (Jas 5:8). A Christmastime of joy is visible on the horizon. But what will its joy feel like?

Think of the joy farmers feel after waiting patiently for a harvest and viewing “the precious fruit of the earth” (Jas 5:7). If their joy is not of the jumping-up-and-down, gleeful kind, it nonetheless is real.

Joy also is experienced when “the blind regain their sight” and “the lame walk” (Mt 11:5), the Mass readings suggest. This prompts memories for me of what it feels like when, after thinking long and hard about the right decision to make in a consequential matter, my eyes suddenly open and I see clearly the steps I should take.

It makes me think, too, of the quiet sense of satisfac-tion felt when a fearful, reluctant friend or family member -- possibly someone suffering the effects of an addiction -- takes the first steps into a more rewarding lifestyle.

Then there is the joy that, at least for a while, displaces other worries when someone close to us recovers from an energy-sapping illness. We rejoice as “feeble” hands regain strength and “weak” knees are firmed-up (Is 35:3).

Finally, when considering what joy looks like in real people’s lives, think how the spirit soars when a desert bursts into bloom and the “parched land” sings (Is 35:1).

There are deserts in many lives. These deserts may assume the form of lifeless, damaged relationships at home or the loss of any sense of life’s purpose. Joy of a special kind is experienced when hard work, renewed commitment and faith bring a desert back into bloom.

True enough, however, any of these forms of joy could bring on tears. But they will not be tears of despair.

Life typically feels more joyful when a sense of expec-tation pervades it. It is easier to relish life when we look forward to something, whether a birth, a new home, a child’s return, a vacation or a reunion that promises time together with friends or relatives we seldom see.

This is what makes Advent unique. Advent looks ahead expectantly. It points directly away from despair and toward the joy that accompanies the Lord’s coming -- not his coming into a perfect world but into the actual world we inhabit.

Pope Francis insisted on Gaudete Sunday 2013 that Advent joy is “not a superficial joy.” It is the kind of joy that comes of being able to reopen our eyes, “to overcome sadness” and “to strike up a new song.”

(- The author served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.)

Advent Joy: Continued from page 1

The Southeast Alaska Catholic December 2016 • 15

...before we can effectively speak a prophetic challenge to our culture we must first let the people we are trying to win over know that we love them...

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

The Dangers in being a Warrior ProphetA prophet makes a vow of love,

not of alienation. Daniel Berrigan wrote those

words and they need to be high-lighted today when a lot of very sincere, committed, religious people self-define as cultural warriors, as prophets at war with secular culture.

This is the stance of many semi-narians, clergy, bishops, and whole denominations of Christians today. It is a virtual mantra within the “Religious Right” and in many Roman Catholic seminar-ies. In this outlook, secular culture is seen as a negative force that’s threatening our faith, morals, religious liberties, and churches. Secular culture is viewed as, for the main part, being anti-Christian, anti-ecclesial, and anti-clerical and its political correctness is seen to protect everyone except Christians. More worrisome for these cultural warriors is what they see as the “slippery slope” wherein they see our culture as sliding ever further away from our Judeo-Christian roots. In the face of this, they believe, the churches must be highly vigilant, defensive, and in a warrior stance.

Partly they’re correct. There are voices and movements within secular culture that do threaten some essentials within our faith and moral lives, as is seen in the issue of abortion, and there is the danger of the “slippery slope”. But the real picture is far more nuanced than this defensiveness merits. Secularity, for all its narcissism, false freedoms, and superficiality, also carries many key Christian values that challenge to us to live more deeply our own principles. Moreover the issues on which they challenge us are not minor ones. Secular culture, in its best expressions, is a powerful challenge to everyone in the world to be more sensitive and more moral in the face of economic in-equality, human rights violations, war, racism, sexism, and the ravaging of Mother Nature for short-term gain. The voice of God is also inside secular culture.

Christian prophecy must account for that.

Secular culture is not the anti-Christ. It ultimately comes out of Judeo-Christian roots and has inextricably embedded within its core many central values of Judeo-Christianity. We need then to be careful, as cultural warriors, to not blindly be fighting truth, justice, the poor, equality, and the integrity of creation. Too often, in a black-and-white approach,

we end up having God fighting God.

A prophet has to be characterized first of all by love, by empathy for the very persons he or she is challenging. Moreover, as Gustavo Gutierrez teaches, our words of challenge must come more out of our gratitude than out of our anger, no matter how justi-fied the anger. Being angry, being in someone else’s face, shredding those who don’t agree with us with hate-filled rhetoric, and winning bitter arguments, admittedly, might be politi-cally effective sometimes. But all of these are counter-productive long term because they harden hearts rather than soften them. True conversion can never come about by coercion, physical or intellectual. Hearts only change when they’re touched by love.

All of us know this from experience. We can only truly accept a strong challenge to clean up something in our lives if we first know that this challenge is coming to us because someone loves us, and loves us enough to care for us in this deep way. This alone can soften our hearts. Every other kind of challenge only works to harden hearts. So before we can effectively speak a prophetic challenge to our culture we must first let the people we are trying to win over know that we love them, and love them enough to care about them in this deep way. Too often this is not the case. Our culture

doesn’t sense or believe that we love it, which, I believe, more than any other factor renders so much of our prophetic challenge useless and even counter-productive today.

Our prophecy must mirror that of Jesus: As he approached the city of Jerusalem shortly before his death, knowing that its inhabitants, in all good conscience, were going to kill him, he wept over it. But his tears were not for himself, that he was right and they were wrong

and that his death would make that clear. His tears were for them, for the very ones who opposed him, who would kill him and then fall flat on their faces. There was no glee that they would fall, only empathy, sadness, love, for them, not for himself.

Father Larry Rose-baugh OMI, one of my Oblate confreres who spent

his priesthood fighting for peace and justice and was shot to death in Guatemala, shares in his autobiography how on the night before his first arrest for civil disobedience he spent the entire night in prayer and in the morning as he walked out to do the non-violent act that would lead to his arrest, was told by Daniel Berrigan: “If you can’t do this without getting angry at the people who oppose you, don’t do it! This has to be an act of love.”

Prophecy has to be an act of love; otherwise it’s merely alienation.

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

“Love can supply for length of years. Jesus, because He is Eternal,

regards not the time but only the love.”

– St. Therese of Lisieux

The Southeast Alaska Catholic 16 • December 2016

www.dioceseofjuneau.org

FA I T H I N A C T I O N C A M PA I G N 2 016

Charity — the heart of mercy

The Heart of Mercy in the Diocese of JuneauThrough your gift, the Diocese is able to provide liturgical, sacramental, catechetical, and financial assistance to the 9 parishes and 17 mission communities in Southeast Alaska. Your donations also play a crucial part in the formation of seminarians, priests, and deacons who serve us throughout their lives – even in retirement.

In order that your parish receive credit for your contribution, PLEASE make sure to make your check payable to your parish.

What is the Faith In Action Annual Appeal?Now in its 36th year, the Faith In Action appeal has provided funds, not only for Diocesan ministries, but also as a means to raise funds for each parish and mission in the diocese.

Each parish and mission has a goal set according to the amount of their annual plate collections. Any amount collected over and above their set goal is kept in the parish for its own use.

In order that your parish receive credit for your contribution, PLEASE make sure to make your check payable to your parish.

GOOD AND GRACIOUS GOD, we thank you for the gift of families.We are grateful for all of the joy and love that they bring into our lives, and we ask that you provide special protection for all families, particularly those who face hardships as they move in search of a better life.Show mercy to those who travel in danger, and lead them to a place of safety and peace. Comfort those who are alone and afraid because their families have been torn apart by violence and injustice.As we reflect upon the difficult journey that the Holy Family faced as refugees in Egypt, help us to remember the suffering of all migrant families.

Through the intercession of Mary our Mother, and St. Joseph the Worker, her spouse, we pray that all migrants may be reunited with their loved ones and find the meaningful work they seek.Open our hearts so that we may provide hospitality for all who come in search of refuge.Give us the courage to welcome every stranger as Christ in our midst.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Copyright © 2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. Artwork: Br. Michael McGrath, OSFS. Publication no. M5-969.

DECEMBER 12 —Day of Prayer and Solidarity with Families

of Immigrants and Refugees