EAGLE RIVER, Alaska —  A resident of Eagle River’s mid-level female prison, Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and communion in the presence of Archbishop Emeritus Roger Schwietz, OMI, on Jan. 19 this year. Deacon Mark Merrill of St. Andrew Parish said he, archbishop emeritus, and St. Andrew lay volunteers Mireya Lee and Marie Lozano were the only visitors who attended the Mass at the correctional center. The North Star Catholic interviewed the deacon and archbishop emeritus leading up to and after the Mass, which happens to be the first ..read more

Reporting from HOMER, Alaska — Cal Williams, a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Anchorage, received a letter from a prisoner last June. The inmate asked for a speaker to come to the prison and explain the Juneteenth holiday to other prisoners at Seward’s Spring Creek Correctional Center. The letter was addressed to the Alaska Black Caucus and was passed along to Williams. The prisoners at Spring Creek Correctional Facility were treated to three shows at Christmas time, presented by members of St. Anthony’s Filipino Gospel Choir and others in an interdenominational musical cast. The ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the May 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic.  ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Father Kolio Etuale, bishop of the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago, traveled to Alaska between March 22-27 to visit Catholic Samoan communities at St. Benedict’s and St. Anthony’s Catholic churches. The visit provided an opportunity to celebrate Etuale as the first native Samoan priest to be named a bishop. On Aug. 4. 2022, Pope Francis named him coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago. He assumed the full role this year, upon the retirement of coadjutor Bishop Peter Hug ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the May 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Catholic organizations and churches are busier than ever this past year due to months-long delays in the arrival of the state’s food stamp program benefits to thousands of Alaskans. Yet, it was a challenge that saw a prolific outpouring of help from Catholic donations. From the beginning of Lent to Easter, Catholic Social Services collected 10,000 pounds of food from parishes and churches. The food went to the St. Francis House Food Pantry in Anchorage, one of the largest food distri ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the May 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — In celebration of the third anniversary of Pope Francis’s decision to name Bishop Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M., of Juneau as archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau on May 19, 2020, the North Star Catholic sat down with him to help readers better understand the upbringing and past assignments of the man parishioners of the archdiocese call their “shepherd.” Archbishop Bellisario said he was born and raised in southern California by his father, Rocky, the first family memb ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the April 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Lumen Christi Catholic High School saw an influx of donations that brought some faculty members to tears during its annual fundraising gala on Feb. 11. This year, the 28th Annual Fundraising Gala, themed “Denim & Diamonds,” closed out with a net amount of about $221,000 in donations, sponsorships, and ticket sales from parents, alumni, donors, and local businesses that support the school. The Gala was held in person for the first time in two years. Lumen officials made the ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the April 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Catholic church has made significant strides in preventing child abuse by following specific policies set forth 21 years ago in response to the abuse scandal of the Catholic Church in the United States. Jenny Michaelson, director of safe environment for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, is responsible for communicating the policies and procedures in place to prevent the abuse from the past and to promote healing to those disclosing harm by anyone representing the church ..read more

The girls’ basketball team earns first 1A state championship in program history   Editor’s note: This article was published in the April 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Lumen Christi Catholic High School girls‘ basketball team were crowned state champions on March 18, following a half-week-long rally of victories in the 1A basketball Alaska state championship at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. For the third year in a row, the girl‘s and boys‘ basketball teams of Lumen Christi High School advanced to the Alaska Class 1A state basketball championship ..read more

Editor’s note: This article was published in the March 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. Dear Fr. Leo, Can a Christian be in the military? What about the fifth commandment? — G   Dear G, The quick answer is, “Yes, but only for the right reasons.” Christian soldiers do not wage war indiscriminately. Rather, they are the agents of peace in the maintenance of legitimate self-defense. The question is one of the oldest moral conundrums in the Church. It came to the fore in the early 4th century soon after the emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 A.D. By the beginning of ..read more

Reporting from HOMER, Alaska — Cal Williams, a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Anchorage, received a letter from a prisoner last June. The inmate asked for a speaker to come to the prison and explain the Juneteenth holiday to other prisoners at Seward’s Spring Creek Correctional Center. The letter was addressed to the Alaska Black Caucus and was passed along to Williams. The prisoners at Spring Creek Correctional Facility were treated to three shows at Christmas time, presented by members of St. Anthony’s Filipino Gospel Choir and others in an interdenominational musical cast. The ..read more