Archbishop Paul Etienne
As I fly out of Anchorage this evening, the view from the window is spectacular! It is a gorgeous evening here, and as the plane climbs, we leave the Cook Inlet behind, and begin to enjoy the vista of the mountains, the snow caps, quickly revealing glaciers. In short order, we are following the coast of the Pacific Ocean as it gently caresses the shores of Alaska. Since I am destined for Louisville, Kentucky for some time with brother bishops over the next few days, I am transported by this scenery to the shores of […]
Today, Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement updating the public to recent actions taken by USCCB leaders to address the issues of abuse and accountability of bishops. It is important that the faithful people of God hear that the USCCB is taking action in these days. With that in mind, I share the statement of Cardinal DiNardo here: “In communion with the Holy Father, I join the Executive Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in taking upon ourselves […]
Today was practically like celebrating the Easter Vigil. Yesterday I flew to Dillingham for the weekend. In addition to Holy Rosary Parish, there are numerous villages also served by the pastor, Fr. Scott Garrett. Today, in the face of minimum flying conditions, we had a pilot fly us out to one of those villages, Clarks Point, for a beautiful celebration. The celebration began with a Baptism – pictured left. In all, we celebrated the Eucharist, had a Profession of Faith of an adult joining the Catholic Church, Convalidated a Marriage, celebrated two Confirmations, and three […]
The Archdiocese of Anchorage dedicated Wednesday, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary as a Day of Prayer for Healing. The Co-Cathedral was nearly full for the 9:00 am Mass. Many people visited throughout the day to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, and the church began to fill again around 4:30 for the 7:00 Prayer Service. The church was perhaps three fourths full for the prayer service. I am grateful for the many people who came to join us in prayer, and for all those around the Archdiocese participated in the prayer services at their […]
Please allow me to share with you a letter that I have asked to be read at all Masses throughout the Archdiocese of Anchorage this weekend. Note that this Wednesday, on the Queenship of Mary, is declared a Day of Prayer and Penance for Healing of victims of sexual abuse and for the whole Body of Christ, the Church.
Most of you have heard about the recent news of one of our US Cardinals, Theodore McCarrick being removed from public ministry following a credible, substantiated accusation that he sexually abused a minor as a priest, and a subsequent allegation that he had abused another child for nearly two decades. In an unprecedented step signaling the gravity of these reports, Pope Francis has accepted Archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s resignation from the College of Cardinals. The Holy Father has also directed him to observe a life of prayer and penance in seclusion until the completion of the […]
Last week, one of the committees I serve on within the USCCB met in Washington, DC. Knowing this meeting would coincide with the visit of Cardinal Quevedo of the Archdiocese of Cotabato in the Philippines, staff of Catholic Relief Services worked with the Catholic Conference Executive Directors from both Wyoming and Alaska to schedule some meetings with their respective Congressional delegations. Both Alaska and Wyoming have two Senators and one Representative; thus six meetings were scheduled. Before the end of September, Congress must make decisions regarding the distribution of numerous Appropriations Accounts. Our purposes during […]
June 29, every year the Church celebrates the great Feast of Saints Peter & Paul. As a sign of the significance of this feast, every year on this date, the Holy Father invites to Rome all the newly created Archbishops from the previous year to receive their pallium, which is a sign of their unity, thus the entire Church’s unity, with the successor of Peter. While the Church is certainly capable of great solemnity, and a Mass with the Holy Father at St. Peter’s Basilica is one such moment, we must look very closely to […]
Jesus gives us some great one liners in today’s Gospel. (Matthew 7: 6, 12-14) Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. The bottom line to these ‘pearls’ of wisdom and divine instruction […]
On this Nativity of John The Baptist, we look to a critical moment in the history of salvation. On this solemnity, our minds are drawn as much to the holy couples of Elizabeth and Zechariah & Joseph and Mary as they are to John the Baptist. This is a seminal moment in history when God is choosing through the lives of ‘ordinary couples’ to bring his Son into the world, as well as the one who would go before him to prepare His way, to Baptize Him and proclaim Him the Lamb of God. As […]