This weekend provided another gorgeous opportunity for a drive to parishes north of Anchorage. The visitation began Saturday afternoon at Our Lady of the Lake in Big Lake, Alaska. We have a Benedictine priest presently serving this community, Fr. Mark Stronach, OSB. Both he and Fr. Joseph McGilloway provide pastoral Read more…
[laread_first_letter]O[/laread_first_letter]n this 2ND Sunday of Lent, we hear Scriptural accounts of powerful experiences of God. Abram hears God directing him to leave his homeland behind to discover a new land which God will show him. He hears of God’s promise of blessing, and Abram followed the direction of God. Peter, Read more…
I arrived home late last night from a two day road trip back to the Kenai Peninsula. I’ve had the good company for these parish visits of our Stewardship & Development Director, Mrs. Laurie Evans-Dineen. Besides working with the local parish leaders to set up each of these visits and Read more…
As I write today, I am at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Soldotna. The image to the left hangs in the sanctuary of this parish church. As many of this readership already knows, I was ordained a priest on the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, June Read more…
On this First Sunday of Lent, our readings today take us from the Garden of Eden to the Desert. As the season of Lent always does, we are reminded today of the reality of sin and its consequences. In our first reading today, Genesis tells us that in the beginning Read more…
Earlier today I posted a reflection for the beginning of this Lenten journey. Here I simply wish to share some photos from the Mass that I celebrated today on the University of Alaska – Anchorage campus with a good gathering of students and faculty. This gathering provided a nice opportunity Read more…
Now that another Lenten journey has begun I am ready for this annual moment of grace and renewal, and pray you are as well. St. Paul in the second reading at today’s Mass encourages us to “be reconciled to God.” That in a nutshell sums up the call of this Read more…
As I prepare to leave Washington DC on my way back to Anchorage, please allow me to share a little bit of my thoughts from this week. Knowing that I was coming to our USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) headquarters for some committee meetings this week, I took Read more…
Saturday, I along with our Stewardship & Development Director, Mrs. Laurie Evans-Dineen, headed south of Anchorage into the Kenai Peninsula. I have been anxiously awaiting this opportunity to get out of Anchorage and see more of the state of Alaska, but even more importantly to visit our parishes and parishioners! Read more…
I am pleased to share with you the following statement released by the Bishops of Alaska regarding the recent Executive Order temporarily banning refugees from entry into the United States. I am grateful to my brother bishops for their collaborative spirit and fraternal witness to the Gospel in support of Read more…