Ministering - Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska

Ministering
to the people of Northern and Western Alaska
Diocese of Fairbanks
February 2014
Volume 19 Number 1
From the Desk of Archbishop Schwietz, O.M.I.
Calendar
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we entered Ordinary Time we have been reading about the selection of
David to lead Israel. I was particularly struck this year by these lines from
First Samuel: “Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand anointed him
in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord
rushed upon David.” 1 SM 16: 13
I think these lines spoke to me because we are all praying the Spirit
of the Lord “rushes” upon our Holy Father Francis in selecting a new bishop
for this diocese. One of the wonderful aspects of our Catholic faith is our
continuity with stories and elements from our Jewish roots. One example
is the anointing oil which appears in Samuel. Oil remains an essential sign
by which we mark key sacraments and rites including the ordination of a
new bishop.
As you know, every year bishops consecrate oil at a Chrism Mass.
This year, as Bishop Don did before me, I’m honored to celebrate two
Chrism Masses in your diocese. The first is on April 1 in Fairbanks. That
will be followed by one for our brothers and sisters out in the Y-K Region
in Bethel on April 4. If you can, please plan on attending these ceremonies
that highlight a long established and marvelous mystery of our faith.
Samuel’s anointing of David was also significant for me because
the reading was preceded by the announcement that the Pope will elevate
19 new Cardinals to the Church. One of them, Most Rev. Orlando B.
Quevedo, OMI, serves as Archbishop of Cotabato in the Philippines. He is
a member of my order, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and the Anchorage
Archdiocese enjoys a “sister” relationship with Archbishop Quevedo’s
archdiocese. Two Filipino priests from that archdiocese now serve in the
Anchorage area. I plan on traveling to Rome to take part in this important
rite.
Lastly, I take heart that the Pope’s selection of cardinals included
those from some of the poorest countries. This communicates again
Francis’s deep concern for “the least of these.” I can’t but believe Fairbanks,
as a missionary diocese, will be of particular concern to our Holy Father.
Sincerely yours in Christ and Mary,
+ Roger L. Schwietz, O.M.I.
Pray for Vocations
“Behind and before every vocation
to the priesthood or to the
consecrated life there is always
the strong and intense prayer
of someone: a grandmother, a
grandfather, a mother, a father, a
community…. This is why Jesus
said: ‘Pray therefore the Lord of the
harvest,’ that is, God the Father, ‘to
send out laborers into his harvest’
(Mt 9:38). Vocations are born in
prayer and from prayer; and only
through prayer can they persevere
and bear fruit,” Pope Francis. For
more about the priesthood contact
Fr. Tozzi at [email protected].
Spiritual Grief Recovery & Support Group
This is seven weeks of supportive
healing from grief and loss. The
group is open to all who have
suffered a loss regardless of faith
or personal belief. It will be lead by
Dr. Kimberly Sherrill, a practicing
psychiatrist, and Fr. Kaspar
Mallavrapu, the hospital chaplain.
The group will meet at the Chancery
building, 1316 Peger Road, from
February 2nd until March 16th, on
Sundays, from 2 to 4 pm. To sign
up or for more information contact
Ann Nickerson at 907-374-9553 or
email [email protected].
February
10 - 12 Archbishop Schwietz in
Fairbanks
21 - 22 Strong Catholic FamiliesStrong Catholic Youth
meeting at St. Raphael
Church
March
5 Ash Wednesday
Operation Rice Bowl
begins
9 Rite of Election at Sacred
Heart Cathedral
24 - 27 All Priest Gathering in
Anchorage
April
5 Confirmation at St.
Michael, AK
6 Deaconate Ordination
of Francis Pete in
Stebbins, AK
20 Easter Sunday
(Holy Day of Obligation)
If you believe a Catholic
priest, minister, employee or
volunteer has abused you, we
encourage you to report it to
law enforcement. For assistance
in the diocese, contact Barbara
Tolliver at (907) 374-9500, ext.
116 or [email protected].
Help make our parishes, offices,
and schools safe and nurturing
environments.
Safe Environment
Can you believe we are actually
beginning another new year in our
lives? Time can go by so quickly.
Therefore, let’s make it a safe one
for our children in our church and in
our community. Remember, talking
about safety and making sure our
children know what is appropriate
behavior will keep them healthy.
Young people need to know that
their bodies are sacred. Talk openly
about safe versus unsafe touch. If
you have any questions or need to
check out DVD’s for training, call
Barbara Tolliver at (907)374-9516.
Happy New Year!
“Ministering” is a monthly publication of the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks which serves Northern and Western Alaska.
If you have questions, suggestions for articles, or wish to receive Ministering in an e-mail format, please contact David
Schienle at the chancery at (907) 374-9500 or [email protected].
Loving God with All Your Head-Heart-Hands
How can we better unite across our diverse cultures
and vast geography as the young church in the Diocese
of Fairbanks? Through service! The Office of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry (OYYAM) will serve as a
clearinghouse to match youth and young adult groups
in town with those in villages for a week of service to
the children of the villages. The youth and young adults
will partner together to offer “Jesus Camps” to help the
little ones grow in faith with joy. Villages are asked
to provide housing and some food. Town parishes are
responsible for transportation and food. The OYYAM
will provide supplies. So, if your village is willing to
host a group, or your town parish is willing to spend a
week this summer in the village, submit your dates and
the number of people you can host (villages), number
of participants (town). We will match you up for a week
that will be a blessing as the many parts of the Body of
Christ come together in His name. Deadline to sign up
as a host or travel parish is April 1st.
New York Priest Coming to Fairbanks Diocese
Fr. Joseph Espaillat, the Director for Youth and Young
Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of New York
will be ministering in our diocese from March 3-9th!
He was ordained a diocesan priest in 2003 for the
Archdiocese of New York. Prior to his ordination, he
obtained a master of divinity degree in theology and
a master’s in theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary in
Yonkers, New York. He loves working with youth and
helping them encounter Christ. While here, Fr. Joseph
will celebrate Ash Wednesday at the Cathedral with
Mass and distribution of ashes followed by a Lenten
evening of reflection for the Spanish community, speak
with seniors at Monroe Catholic High School, and join
the Stickman Suicide Run in the interior by leading
the Stations of the Cross and working with youth and
young adults in the villages of Koyukuk and Nulato.
We are very thankful to Fr. Joseph for accepting our
invitation and for grants from the ACTA Foundation
and the NFCYM for making this visit possible!
Aerial view of Yukon River taken by then Fr. Michael Kaniecki in 1967
New DVD’s to Catholic Library
Ring the Bell
Sometimes the next big thing isn’t what you expect. Slick, big city sports agent Rob Decker has it all. But on his
latest mission to sign a high school baseball superstar, Rob becomes stranded in a small town where the simplicity of
life and the faith of the people stands in stark contrast to his own fast-paced, win-at-all-costs mindset.
Little Red Wagon
With nothing more than a blazing spirit of philanthropy and his beat-up red wagon, Zach sets out to help homeless
children in America. In the process, he sweeps his fractured family - and ultimately the entire country - along with
him.
The Letter Writer
When Maggy Fuller receives an anonymous letter full of praise and encouragement, she can’t imagine who would say
such wonderful things to her. After all, the rebellious teenager is practically invisible to her dad and a disappointment
to her mom. Her search for the mysterious letter’s author leads her to Sam Worthington, an aging man who tries to
change the world using a pen name, a phone book, and one handwritten note at a time. Maggy’s unlikely new friend
seems to know her better than anyone and inspires her to become a letter writer, too, but a tragedy tests her faith,
forcing her to continue her search for her own purpose in life.
Open 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (907) 374-9500 or [email protected] dioceseoffairbanks.org