Abp. Schwietz has officially MOVED the Episcopal Bishop "consecration" from OLG Catholic Church

(Since a lot of new traffic has come to read this story, I am giving a brief synopsis of the situation, as there seems to be some confusion based on emails that I have received, including who requested the move [The Archbishop or the Episcopals]).

After learning last week that Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church was slated to hold an Episcopal Bishop "consecration/ordination" on September 4th, 2010, we posed some questions on this blog regarding whether that was proper. We also were perplexed that the Archdiocese was willing to host it due to the fact that Katharine Schori would be presiding over the event. (Read Original Post here)

We then posted Vatican documents explaining our position and mentioned that we would be writing a letter stating our concerns and questions regarding the matter. (Link). Our intention was never to be right, but to get the event moved from the Catholic church. Our reasons were grounded in Catholic teaching, and concern for the Sacredness of the CONSECRATED Church, Altar, and the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. At this point we were unsure the person responsible for granting the OK for this event. We were especially concerned, due to the vetting policy of the Archdiocese.

We then posted a letter to the Archbishop explaining our position and asking our questions. We sought understanding and clarification, but most of all we sought a change of heart. We included with our letter, a petition for those wishing to sign on to the letter that they also include some sort of prayer, almsgiving, or fast that they would dedicate to the Archbishop, the Parish of OLG, and this matter. You can read the letter here: (Link.) 

Almost immediately, the Archbishop posted an open letter to the faithful. It explained that he was the one responsible for allowing the Episcopals access to the Church and that he did so for reasons of outreach and in the spirit of "being a good neighbor." You can read that letter here: (Link) As you can imagine we were quite saddened by this news, but were committed to getting signatures to the letter, and sending it off, with the enclosure of the spiritual bouquet. We were hoping that prayer would change hearts and minds.

Less than an hour later, the letter had been removed from the Archdiocese website. (Precisely, the link was taken down.) This confused us as to its meaning, but we waited in hope that it meant that the Archbishop had some change of heart. We had to wait until the next day, but our hopes were realized! Although we haven't received official word from the Archdiocese we learned from various sources that the event had been moved. (end synopsis).

So we checked on some of the Episcopal websites and it seems that the Archbishop has decided to move the Episcopal "consecration" that was slated to occur at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church on September 4, 2010. (Full Story)

(Source: Episcopal AK)

Our Bishop has "...not fled in fear of the wolves," and has made a very difficult, but courageous decision. He has chosen his flock over the niceties of "ecumenical outreach." He has upheld the Sacredness of the Church, the Altar, and the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Alas! Our job is not done! In fact, the difficult part is just beginning. Our Archbishop is sure to face fire and attack over this decision. The wolves world is sure to criticize this decision and attack the faith and attack him personally. We must blanket him with spiritual support -

WE MUST PRAY.

This is a joyful time and we must offer prayers of joy, gladness, and thanksgiving. Yet, we must also pray for the Angels and Saints to intercede for us and for our protection. The devil does not like to lose, and he is sure to look for a way to strike back an make amends for this defeat. It is our job to battle against him and defend our faith and defend our courageous Bishop. As the lay faithful, as the Ecclesia Militans, we must take Heaven by force.

From the days of John the Baptist until now, The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force! -Matthew 11:12

Be sure to write the Bishop and thank him for his courageousness, and tell him you will pray for him:

Email: Archbishop Roger Schwietz, OMI

Finally, please stop over and thank the following folks for their help and dedication to the faith in this matter:
The Devout Life
Gun Lovin' Alaska Catholic Club
ChesterBelloc
Acts of the Apostasy
&
Restore DC Catholicism

Stay tuned...

It profits a man nothing to give his whole soul for the world...

I saw this clip again recently, and it came to mind while thinking and praying...

To what do we attach our souls to? Whom do we serve?




And here is the outcome...

Could you do the same? Would you be willing to adhere to your principles even at your own cost?

"...But God's first!"

Meet Katharine J. Schori....

Jesus as a "Mechanism"...




On Biblical Marriage...




On Homosexuality and the Church...




s/t: GLACC

Letter to the Archbishop of Anchorage re: Episcopal Bishop "consecration" at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church

I ask that anyone that reads my blog to please read this post, and seriously consider joining us in our effort. (For more info please see the other posts regarding this issue.)

After extensive prayer we have decided to write a letter to the Archdiocese of Anchorage, and the Archbishop, his Excellency Roger Schwietz, asking that the Episcopal "consecration" which is scheduled to take place on September 4th at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage, is moved from the Church and performed elsewhere.

In that effort we have drafted a letter, which we have decided to make public, to give our readers across the world the opportunity to add their names to it before we send it. We do this with humble and heavy hearts. We do not wish to send this letter, but we feel called as faithful Catholics to do so. The truth and Sacredness of our Catholic churches and the teachings of the Church must be protected from that which fight against it. Although Ecumenism can produce good fruits when implemented correctly, it is very, very apparent that in this case Ecumenism has slid into giving scandal.

Signing our names to a letter is not enough though. In fact, if all we did was send a letter, there is little hope that the hearts and minds of those involved would change. So I ask, that along with pledging your names to our letter, that you also pledge something to the spiritual bouquet that we plan to send along with the letter. So, we ask that if you would like us to place your name on the letter that you submit these things to: angelsdefendus@gmail.com

• Name
• Parish
• Diocese
• A prayer, fast, or almsgiving that you are donating "spiritually" for the Archbishop or for Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

We are hoping to send this letter off in the next few days, so please do not delay in sending me that email. It only takes a quick second. If you have any questions, regarding either the letter or the spiritual bouquet, please contact me.

A final note: This issue is not the "concern of a small group of Catholics." It actually spans across the country, and for that matter the world. The Archdiocese, the Archbishop, and the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been pulled into this. We found out about this situation on Saturday, and after doing a quick search we come to find out that this issue has spread across the "Catholic Blogosphere and Forum" world. We must stand together as a faithful Catholic community of Christ to defend the truth of the Catholic faith.

[[Update (2:19pm): The Archbishop has posted a letter to the Archdiocesan website. He explains why he originally agreed to let the Episcopal church use Our Lady of Guadalupe, and why he still stands by that decision. This letter is obviously a response to the questions raised previously elsewhere and similar to those that we posted on this blog. We still intend to send this letter, and in fact feel it is even more appropriate in light of the confusing statements made in the Archbishop's letter.]]

[[UPDATE (2:33pm): We are a little confused, but the Archdiocese has taken down the Archbishop's letter originally posted on the front page of their website. You can still find that letter here. We are in patient and prayerful hope that there may have been a glorious change of hearts and minds, and so we wait in joyful anticipation to find out exactly why the link was taken down. More to come...]]

Please sign our letter (email: angelsdefendus@gmail.com), please contribute to the spiritual bouquet, and please continue to pray.

The Most Reverend Roger Schwietz, OMI
Archbishop of Anchorage
225 Cordova Street
Anchorage, Alaska, 99501

Your Excellency Archbishop Schwietz:

We, the undersigned faithful, humbly and regretfully write to you regarding the planned use of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Anchorage, by the Episcopal Church on September 4th, 2010. The planned consecration of a new Alaskan Episcopal bishop by Ms. Katharine J. Schori comes as a shock and gives grave scandal to all Catholic faithful that learn of it.

In the 1993 Vatican document: Pontificium Consilium Ad Christianorum Unitatem Fovendam, the application of principles and norms of Ecumenism were outlined for the Catholic faithful. In that document the Pope, through the writing of Edward Cardinal Cassidy, conveyed to the Catholic faithful the way we should bridge the divides of Christian disunity. He said the proper method is in truth. Precisely it was stated that:

“The Second Vatican Council clearly asked Catholics to reach out in love to all other Christians with a charity that desires and works actively to overcome in truth whatever divides them from one another.” Para. 9

Because of Ms. Schori’s well known and outspoken opposition to Church teachings, we the undersigned feel that allowing this consecration to occur in a Catholic church gives scandal to the faithful. The reason this extends beyond Ecumenism and into scandal is because the consecration will be performed by a woman bishop who teaches that female ordination is a positive development, that openly and active gay & lesbian priests are a positive component of the faith, and that individual salvation (the idea that we as individuals can be saved through a personal faith or trust in Jesus) is a “heresy.” Therefore, we the undersigned humbly ask that this event be prevented from occurring within a Catholic church.

We are quite ignorant in the ways of Ecumenism, and have not found a suitable answer as to how this is beneficial to the Catholic Church or its faithful. Therefore, we seek clarification as to our misunderstanding of the way in which the use of a Catholic Church for such an event, by the personalities involved, helps bolster, ultimately, Holy Mother Church. We ask this out of a sincere desire to better understand our Catholic Faith and our role as the Ecclesia Militans.

Our confusion stems from the fact that the Archdiocese has a very committed and strict adherence to the vetting policy that Your Excellency has put into place. Many of the undersigned have expressed situations where faithful Catholics have had difficulty leading, participating, and promoting events of a Catholic nature within the Archdiocese due to this policy, and yet see this Episcopal event planned and approved. Therefore they are confused in their understanding of the vetting policy.

We, the undersigned faithful humbly request that you answer certain questions so that we can better understand why this event has been given clearance in light of Canon Law, the Catechism, and the Archdiocese of Anchorage Vetting Policy. We ask these questions sincerely, and with humble hearts, in light of the teachings of the Catholic Church:

• Will the Eucharist be removed from the Tabernacle during this event?
• Will the Altar be used for any reason, or for Episcopal Communion?
• Will Consecrated vessels which belong to the Archdiocese, Parish, or Catholic Priests be used in any of the ceremonies?
• Who from the Archdiocese will oversee this event to ensure that no desecration to any Sacred elements occur?
• Is there any prohibition or set of guidelines imposed upon those Episcopal leaders who will be officiating in terms of what they can physically do, their use of the Sacred Sanctuary, their use of any items, or specifically what they can say in terms of theological teaching?
• Is this event open to the public or can a representative of our choosing be selected to witness this event for the sake of understanding, Catechesis, and Ecumenism?
• Since this will be a non-Catholic ceremony, with non-Catholics in charge, is there a contingency plan as to what will happen should the ceremony, or those leading it, undertake actions or words that are contrary to the teachings and Sacredness of the Faith or the Church?

Finally, we humbly ask that this event not occur at Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is sadly ironic that it is slated to be officiated by a woman bishop who is clearly in defiance of the Magisterium and the teachings of the Church, in a church dedicated to Our Lady who was so accepting of the will of God. The striking contrast between Our Lady of Guadalupe and Ms. Schori are difficult for many to accept. Therefore, for the sake of preventing Scandal; out of reverence for the sacredness of the Church, Altar, and Sanctuary; the fact that those participating are directly opposed to the teachings of the Catholic faith; and that there are many outstanding questions which the faithful fear don’t have answers, we humbly request that Your Excellency think of his Catholic faithful first and move this event from the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We present this letter to you with humble hearts. We have no desire to appoint blame or indict anyone in this situation. We honestly and sincerely desire only to preserve the honor and glory deserved of Holy Mother Church, Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist, and the faith and humility of the undersigned.

We ask that a written response be presented to us as soon as Your Excellency can produce it, and we will continue to pray for you, all the priests, and the whole Church. We do not envy your role as shepherd of us most unworthy flock of sinners, and humble ourselves before God as we send this brazen letter. As a sign of our faith, we have also included a spiritual bouquet from those who sign this letter for your Excellency, and for the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
We ask all of this through Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, to Jesus.

Respectfully,

cc:
Prefect Archbishop William Joseph Levada
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio 11-00193
Rome, VATICAN CITY

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship
Piazza Pio XII 10-00193
Rome, VATICAN CITY

Reverend Steve C. Moore
Vicar General
Archdiocese of Anchorage

Reverend Thomas T. Brundage
Moderator of the Curia & Judicial Vicar
Archdiocese of Anchorage

Ecumenism, Sharing, and the Episcopal Bishop "consecration" in Anchorage

This post is written in light of the situation discussed in the previous post. It is in regards to the scheduled Episcopal consecration of a new bishop at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Anchorage. The presiding Bishop is slated as Katharine Schori.

Ecumenism is sometimes a double-edged sword, or more precisely a catch-22. While we as Catholics are called to seek Christian Unity through inter-faith dialogue and understanding, we often find ourselves in situations that require us to either compromise our belief in the teachings of the faith, or to argue against true Christian unity to support the doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Faith.

The Vatican wrote about this in 1993 in a document entitled:

PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM AD CHRISTIANORUM UNITATEM FOVENDAM

The point of this document, which in english is entitled DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF
PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM, is outlined in Section I, paragraph 9:

The ecumenical movement seeks to be a response to the gift of God's grace which calls all Christians to faith in the mystery of the Church according to the design of God who wishes to bring humanity to salvation and unity in Christ through the Holy Spirit. This movement calls them to the hope that the prayer of Jesus "that they all may be one" will be fully realized. It calls them to that charity which is the new commandment of Christ and the gift by which the Holy Spirit unites all believers. The Second Vatican Council clearly asked Catholics to reach out in love to all other Christians with a charity that desires and works actively to overcome in truth whatever divides them from one another. For the Council, Catholics are to act in hope and in prayer to promote Christian unity. They will be prompted and instructed by their faith in the mystery of the Church, and their ecumenical activity will be inspired and guided by a true understanding of the Church as "a sacrament or instrumental sign of intimate union with God, and of unity of the whole human race".

Many Catholics that have learned of the scheduled consecration are taken aback by it. There is a confusion and scandal that has arisen due to several unanswered questions. Not the least of them, relates to the bolded emphasis I made in the above quote.

How does this event, desire and work actively to overcome in truth what divides the Episcopals from us?

What divides us from the Episcopals that are lead by the likes of Ms. Schori is a deep chasm of flawed episcopal theology and belief. Women are not to be ordained as priests let alone bishops. Her status as a priest and even more so as a bishop is invalid, and therefore allowing her access to a Sacred and consecrated place such as a church does not seem to overcome in truth that which divides us. The Vatican document on Ecumenism goes further to explain when such "sharing of resources" should occur in paragraph #137:

137. Catholic churches are consecrated or blessed buildings which have an important theological and liturgical significance for the Catholic community. They are therefore generally reserved for Catholic worship. However, if priests, ministers or communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church do not have a place or the liturgical objects necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies, the diocesan Bishop may allow them the use of a church or a Catholic building and also lend them what may be necessary for their services. Under similar circumstances, permission may be given to them for interment or for the celebration of services at Catholic cemeteries.

The fact that the Catholic church is consecrated or blessed, is an important factor to pay attention to here. Not only that, but the Episcopal church does have a place to hold this, we assume that the reason for coming to Our Lady of Guadalupe is for space/attendance reasons. This is hardly a valid or adequate argument for allowing such an event to occur, especially in light of who would be conducting the ceremony. This event is bringing scandal to the faithful and the Church. If you do a google search you will see several forums and blogs that are discussing this with many of the conversations falling into angry concern over the fact that this event has seemingly been approved by someone within the Church. Our prayers are that a change of hearts and minds will occur, and that the appropriate decision to prevent this event from occurring in a Catholic church will be made.

In an effort to express our concerns we are currently working on a letter that we hope will be available for all to sign. Look for that sometime later today. If you would like to "sign" it, I request that you email me with your name, parish, and diocese. It is important that we make our request in a concentrated fashion, and in a respectful way.

Defense of The TRUE Church or Why an Episcopal Bishop "consecration" shouldn't occur at a Catholic Church

.
This information was sent to me and several others:

Katharine J. Schori

Consecration of the 8th [Episcopal] Bishop of Alaska will take place Saturday, September 4, 2010, 2 p.m., at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3900 Wisconsin Street, Anchorage, Alaska.
...
Following the Consecration ceremony, a reception will be held at the Lunney Center, next door to the church. This is an opportunity for all to meet and greet both the new Bishop Mark Lattime and the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. (Source)

····•····

...the consecration and ordination is scheduled for September 4 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Anchorage. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will be the chief consecrator. (Source)

The following are pertinent parts of the Archdiocesan Vetting Policy:

This is a "Clarification Memo" (Source)

This is the page that is linked under Vetting, on the main page of the Archdiocese of Anchorage's website. If you notice the 3rd bullet-point on this memo it says (Original Emphasis) (My Emphasis in red):

This policy is applicable to anyone sponsored by or using any Archdiocesan or Parish resources.

Seems like a pretty clear statement and policy. So why then is Our Lady of Guadalupe being rented/loaned/used by a Christian Denomination whose principal leader speaks contrary to the teachings of the Church? Here are some quotes by the woman that will be "consecrating" a new bishop at Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Anglicans should be led by local communities rather than powerful clerics, Jefferts Schori argued in a Wednesday (June 2) letter to her church’s 2 million members. And, after 50 years of debate, the Episcopal Church is convinced that gays and lesbians are “God’s good creation” and “good and healthy exemplars of gifted leadership within the church, as baptized leaders and ordained ones.” (Source) 

The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori derided individual salvation calling it 'the great Western heresy: that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God.' 

In her opening address to the church's General Conference in California, Jefferts Schori said it was a "heresy" to believe that an individual can be saved through personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ acknowledged in a prayer of repentance.  (Source)

How are these teachings acceptable for a person that will be leading a religious ceremony at Our Lady of Guadalupe?

°•°•°

There are two major problems that I see with this situation:

1. You are inviting in a religious denomination and a "bishop" that espouse teachings that are directly contrary to those of the One True Church - not only in their construction but in their essence.

2. The double standard that this creates is mind-numbing. I know of several groups, apostolates, speakers, and events that have been denied time and time again in their requests to use facilities, advertising and resources; while this group seems to have full use of OLG.

Does this have everything to do with procedure and the vetting process? Yes, there is a vetting process, and YES it should be followed. In fact, I applaud the Archbishop in taking a stand to ensure that the faithful are safeguarded against heresy, dissident teaching, and heterodoxy. What I cannot understand is how in pursuit of this goal there are good, pious, devout, orthodox, doctrinally sound persons that are not permitted to speak for "procedural reasons." Again, I understand the need for the vetting process, and I understand the necessity in being obedient and following rules and procedure - I work in the legal field; what I can't understand is how procedure is king. How form trumps substance. 

How is it that this Episcopal event will occur inside a Catholic church, while some Catholic groups and people are shunned to homes and restaurants to have their events, ones that adhere to the teachings of the Faith? Why are some events which are approved not given space in bulletins, at announcements, or talked about by parish staffs? These questions may have answers, unfortunately no one seems to know what those answers are.

Other Questions linger:

Will the Eucharist be removed from the Tabernacle during this ordination?

Will the Altar be used?

Will the Consecrated Vessels of OLG be used in any Episcopal ceremonies?

Will the the Sanctuary of OLG be used for this "consecration"?

Will anti-Catholic teachings be allowed to be uttered from the  Ambo?

Does this not give Scandal?

I do not take pride or joy in posting about such things. Some might say that this is gossip or rumor. They would be incorrect. This situation is public and posted on multiple websites. The entire world is free to see that a Woman, pro-gay/lesbian, Episcopal bishop will be "consecrating" a new Episcopal priest in a CATHOLIC church. Simply posting about it, and asking questions should be completely acceptable. All of these questions must have answers... I am simply asking the questions.

It hurts so bad to know people that have been denied access to their own church facilities and resources because there is a safeguard procedure in place that is used in a manner which seems to be against them and for outside anti-Catholic groups. As recently as a month ago I saw a parish bulletin with an advertisement for a local Labyrinth. Yet, some people are forced to email me their events and info in an effort to get the word out, as they have been denied access to and the ability of using parish bulletins and resources to disseminate their approved information.

I pray that there are good explanations to all my questions... I think we would just like to hear them. If our churches are used as platforms for distortion and heresy, but not as sources of Truth and Doctrine, what chance do we have to give the Faithful proper formation? If the area where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated is used by those opposed to the true teachings of the faith, what does that say about our belief and our understanding of what occurs in the Sanctuaries of our churches?

I trust in our Archbishop. He is a holy, holy man, that has show recently how he is willing to put the true teachings of the faith, and the protection of his "flock" as his first priorities. I know that in the end the right thing will happen. Therefore we must continue to pray for him, for wisdom, courage, understanding, and fortitude.


Please leave comments, but be charitable. I would love to hear others opinion of this, but I don't want this to descend into attacks against persons. Ideas are open for any criticism, people and the judgment of their souls is for God alone. It is important that we use the internet as a place of intellectual debate, and not to pile-on against people. Please prayerfully consider your words before posting. 

Anchorage Young Adults Group Upcoming Retreats and "Theology and Brew" Events

Eagle Eye Hike and Retreat

August 9- 12 (hiking) + August 12- 15 (retreat) 2010

Join the Brothers of St. John for a 26-mile hike through Crow Pass, followed by a retreat in Girdwood. This retreat will consist of theological and philosophical formation sessions, daily Mass, Adoration, and Christian fellowship. Contact Jen Bergman at ntaboutu@yahoo.com or 218-839-5366 for more information and to sign up.

~][~

First Annual Bald Eagle Eye retreat (Aug 19- 22) for families and young adults aged (35+)
August 19- 22, Denali Park campground
This year, in response to previous requests, the Brothers of St. John will be staying in Alaska for an additional weekend retreat and time of formation. Join us at a campground in Denali for a weekend of theological and philosophical formation sessions, meals in community, Mass, Adoration, and time to grow as a family. Contact Jen Bergman at ntaboutu@yahoo.com or 218-839-5366 for more information and to sign up.

~][~

Theology of the Body and Art: The Naked Truth

Wednesday, August 25, 6:00 p.m. at St. Nicholas Church on Arctic

Join us to welcome Fr. Thomas Loya with a potluck and presentation on the Theology of the Body. Please contact Jen Bergman (ntaboutu@yahoo.com, 218-839-5366) for more information.

- No Weekly Discussion at HFC (Join us for a potluck and presentation at St. Nicholas.)

~][~

Theology and Brew- topic: Who is Man for Woman and Who is Woman for Man, speaker: Fr. Thomas Loya of the Tabor Life Institute

August 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Snow Goose Restaurant (planning meeting at 5:30 p.m.)

Mark your calendars! Our first speaker, Fr. Thomas Loya of the Tabor Institute (http://www.taborlife.com/), is scheduled for Thursday, August 26th. Fr. Loya is the pastor of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic parish in Homer Glen, IL and is the host of two internet radio programs, "A Body of Truth" and "Light of the East," which can be heard on EWTN radio affiliates in more than 60 cities across the U.S. Using his many gifts, talents and life experience, Fr. Loya uncovers the ageless beauty and genius of the Catholic worldview. This event will take place at the Snow Goose Restaurant at 7:00 p.m. Contact Jen Bergman at info@theologyandbrew.com or 218-839-5366 for more information.

~][~

Monthly Recreation Activity- Theology of the Body retreat
Saturday, August 28, 11:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. at the Eagle River Nature Center

Fr. Thomas Loya of Tabor Life and numerous EWTN talk shows, will lead us in a one-day retreat on the Theology of the Body. The cost is $20 and will include lunch. Join other young adults for a time of fellowship and learning together- learning about the way God intends for us to live. Contact Lucy (lbaranko@hotmail.com/ 953-1256) or David (viking@eagle.ptialaska.net/ 223-6520) for more information and to sign up.

Alaskan Church "Rumors" - Priests

So I have been "sitting" on something for a few days, because I wanted to get as much info as I could.

I feel like Rocco over at Whispers, and will try and do this justice:

It appears that Archbishop Schweitz is pulling in, or at least, accepting priests into the Archdiocese over the next year. It is unclear which direction the "requests" flow, but I have it on pretty good authority that there are at least two confirmed priests coming to the diocese over the next year. Both are already ordained; one is diocesan and the other is an order priest with diocesan experience. I don't know if these will be "permanent" or "on loan" placements, but regardless of their "status" it definitely helps...number-wise.

So how does that change the scenery? Well let's look [from the Archdiocese of Anchorage]:

Two archbishops (Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI and Archbishop Emeritus Francis T. Hurley), 10 active diocesan priests, 8 priests on loan from other dioceses, and 10 religious priests serve the Church in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. These 28 priests share in ministry with 43 religious women, 13 active permanent deacons, three religious brothers, and many lay people active in various ministries in the parishes, missions and throughout the archdiocese.


Five of the eight parishes in the Anchorage urban area have two (2) priests, the others have only one. With the ordination earlier this summer of two new priests for the archdiocese, there is the luxury of having more than one priest in the larger parishes. This is only a temporary situation, however, until these new priests are mentored and experienced enough to take on their own parishes – probably within two years or less. Outside of Anchorage, only seven parishes have a resident priest. There are many parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Anchorage without a resident priest pastor. Resident pastoral administrators who are religious women or laypeople serve six of the larger of these parishes and missions. The others are served by local volunteers and by a corps of traveling/supply priests. These parishes and missions without a resident pastor host a supply priest about twice per month. 

28 priests, 33 "churches" [or missions]. Of those 33, 3 are AFB's, and 1 is a Chapel [Our Lady of the Snows at Girdwood] which means that 29 "churches" are under FULL Archdiocesan control. (These 4 are at least partially "controlled" by other entities.)

If you add these two priests, the number of priests goes to 30, and the number of "churches" is at 29. Seems like a good direction to go in... as long as we don't have any priests "leave." Or do these incoming priests foreshadow something else?

Now these numbers are also based on a somewhat "dated" About Us page, on the Archdiocese website. I know there have been recent shuffles amongst the priests, and therefore I don't have a firm grasp on whether the numbers still add up, the way they do on the AOA website. There are also at least 1 or 2 priests nearing "retirement" age. So how will things look in a year? Well, we will have to wait and find out, but it is good to know that at least an effort is being made to get more priests. 

Archdiocese of Anchorage's Speaker Vetting Policy

The Archdiocese of Anchorage has  published their vetting criteria/process for speakers and those "serving" in the diocese. This is a very contentious policy amongst the lay and even some clergy. The reason it is contentious is because of how difficult it makes it for groups and parishes to bring speakers in. It also has some procedural flaws. On top of that, many wonder why the Archdiocese has felt the need to publish this when, the Bishop has the power to say who can and can't come to their diocese at any time. In other words, why make such a rule or process... when there was something already in place to do the same thing?

What this does is create "conspiracy" theories and makes people start to worry what the "real" reason behind the policy is. Personally, I have been told that there have been some problems in the past, where some questionable folks have been brought into speak. Because there are a lot of "lay lead" parishes in the Archdiocese, I am sure the Bishop just wants to let people know that when it comes to the moral and theological teaching of the "flock" he intends to closely guard their souls. This is a good thing... hopefully this policy will be a force to safeguard that, and not a procedural mechanism to forward an agenda or prevent a certain type of speaker to come to the Archdiocese.
One final note: I think that the policy on its face is good. But in the larger context it is worrisome. There have been a lot of problems in the diocese in the past regarding the restrictions on lay apostolates. Myself and others have talked about this policy in the past, and we have all wondered if this will end up pushing apostolates from the parishes and forcing them to become "independent." I know that this type of speculation seems very anti-institutional from the outside, but as I come to learn more about how things operate, especially in the realm of apostolates and local parishes, I worry that this policy will be more of hindrance to the faith, than a protection. I know firsthand how at my parish, the "Theology and Brew" apostolate essentially had to fold, because of this policy and the way in which it was "used." Hopefully, there will be clarity in regards to this issue in the future.

The article from the Archdiocesan paper is below with my emphasis and comments.

Vetting policy established for speakers in Anchorage Archdiocese
By PATRICIA COLL FREEMAN
Catholicanchor.org

Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz has established a policy to vet outside clergy and lay persons before they are invited to speak or serve in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. [Not sure what they mean by serve, a tad ambiguous.]

The policy, which took effect earlier this year, requires the archdiocese’s parishes, organizations, schools, ministries and agencies to obtain clearance from the archbishop’s office before any person not affiliated with the Anchorage Archdiocese may “speak or serve in any capacity” within the archdiocese. [Again, ambiguous. I think if there wasn't the problematic track record in the past with speakers and persons involved in the AOA, this wouldn't be as concerning.]

The policy applies to speakers who would address “any aspect of the Sacred Sciences, church teaching or the life of the church.”


In addition, it applies to speakers sponsored by private groups using or renting church property. [This is a good thing! This is part of the policy that makes me quite happy.]

“As archbishop, I take my role as chief teacher and shepherd very seriously,” Archbishop Schwietz commented in a note on the new policy. [Good!]

The vetting policy, he explained, “assures the people of our archdiocese that those who speak or serve publicly teach in a manner consistent with the church.” [This statement will either be a blessing or a curse, let us hope that it is the former!]

A memo on the new policy was sent to the archdiocese’s pastors and priests, deacons, school principals and directors of ministries and agencies, including Catholic Social Services. According to the memo, the goals of the vetting process are to “ensure fidelity to church teaching and to obtain the required background reviews done on all those engaged in ministry.”


According to the policy, a sponsoring organization must submit a “ministry clearance request” and receive written permission from the archbishop’s office before a speaker or “ministry assistant” is invited into any of the archdiocese’s venues.


In a confidential process, the sponsoring group must provide detailed information about the prospective speaker or ministry provider, such as the topic of the presentation or purpose of the proposed event.


In the clearance form for laity, one question asks, “How will this person promote communion with the Universal Church and vision of the Archbishop?”


The policy includes a strong warning that if a person is invited before the letter of permission is received, the request for clearance will not be considered.


Completing a clearance process is expected to take at least eight weeks. [This seems to be a LONG process, I have also been told that even INQUIRY, not just invitation is a reason for denial of a speaker. This will make things more difficult to bring in "big names" but it safeguards, then good.... right?]

For more information, contact Father Steven Moore at stbenpastor@gmail.com or 297-7722.

In the end I am sure that this policy will be used to keep the rif-raff out, and bring the good folks in. As I said, I have no issue with a Bishop guarding his flock, in fact I applaud it. Unfortunately though, I have already seen this policy used in a way which prevented a good group of faithful Catholics from running their apostolate. Let us pray that this will be an instrument of unity and good.