missionary disciplesdioceseoffairbanks.org/joomla/images/ministering/2018/...by villager sherry...

Inside:Servant Leadership TrainingUpdate from Safe EnvironmentBishop’s Summer Visit to the InteriorFaith on the Parks Highway: Road Trip with Fr. BalaUpdate from The Office of Faith & Family Formation

Diocese of Fairbanks - August 2018 - Volume 23 Number 5

Missionaryto the people of Northern and Western Alaska

Disciples

Editor David Schienle

ContributorsFr. Robert FathPaul HollomonDavid SchienleBarbara Tolliver

Patty WalterBishop Chad Zielinski

ProofreadersFr. Robert Fath

Holly HinesSandy JordanDeb Leibee

Misty MealeyBarbara Tolliver

Credits

“Missionary Disciples” is a publication of the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks which serves northern and western Alaska. Its purpose is to provide a regular opportunity for all ministries throughout the Diocese to share information so that our tremendous diversity may enrich our common mission of service to the people of our Diocese. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact David Schienle at the Chancery at (907) 374-9500 or [email protected].

August EditionDiocesan Magazine - Content

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2 DIOCESAN MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Fr. Bala gives a lake side blessing to Deborah Leibee at Otto Lake near Healy.

Cover Image

Bishop’s Summer Visit to the Interior

by Bp. Chad Zielinski

Assignment Changes

by David Schienle

The Office of Faith & Family Formation

by Fr. Robert Fath

Safe Environmentby Barbara Tolliver

Faith on the Parks Highway: Road Trip

with Fr. Balaby David Schienle

Seminariansby Fr. Robert Fath

Are You Prepared for the Trip?

by Paul Hollomon

7

Servant Leadership Training

by Patrick Tam

3 6

8 12 15

21 23

mailto:[email protected]

Message from Bishop Chad W. Zielinski

Bishop’s Summer Visit to the InteriorBishop Zielinski visited the interior villages of Nulato and Koyukuk in early July. Most residents in these small villages are Athabaskan native people, who were originally highly nomadic across northern Alaska in search of food. Today, these indigenous families embrace a more modern way of life, but still practice a subsistence lifestyle that involves hunting, fishing, and gathering from the land to feed their families. The interior region of our diocese contains some of the oldest churches in Alaska. Nulato was actually the first Catholic mission in the state established by Archbishop Seghers in the late 1800s. In the past, the diocese was flush with missionary priests--mostly Jesuits--who dedicated their lives to spreading the faith in northern Alaska. Many villages had their own priest, who lived among the people he served. Today, only the village of Ruby has a resident priest--90-year-old Franciscan, Fr. Joseph Hemmer. He is assisted by Fr. Jim Falsey, a retired priest from Michigan who is a licensed pilot. Father Jim flies the diocese’s Cessna 182 to interior villages year-round so our rural Catholics can celebrate the Mass and sacraments. With only two priests to serve eight churches, however, parishioners still only see a priest about once a month. This is one of the many reasons Bishop Zielinski makes it a priority to fly to our bush communities as often as possible. As you can see from the account below of his summer visit to two interior villages, it is both challenging and richly rewarding to shepherd the largest Catholic diocese in the United States.

Thursday, July 5 — A Warm Welcome in Nulato The plane set down in the interior Alaskan village of Nulato just before lunchtime and I was immediately greeted by villager Sherry Agnes. She enthusiastically told me the guys had just caught more than 25 king salmon, and were still out fishing. She dropped me off at the parish house, where I changed into fishing clothes then walked over to the fish processing spot, located next to the smokehouse. Five ladies were processing fish, including Margaret, who is in her late 80s. Her family members had told her to stay home, but Margaret would have it no other way. The men soon returned with 25 more kings to be processed. Since the salmon were running, they took me out onto the Yukon River and showed me how to fish with drift nets. Wow...hauling those nets is hard work! It reminded me of the years I grew up on a farm in Michigan, when we would bail hay from sunrise to sunset. A subsistence way of life is hard work, and comes with very long days because the season for gathering in blueberries or salmon is short and every hour counts. You’re exhausted at the end of the day, but that fatigue

DIOCESAN MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018 3

Photograph by Bp. Chad Zielinski

comes with a great sense of satisfaction because you’ve reaped a good harvest. I marveled at how the villagers have developed the subsistence way of life into a finely-tuned, streamlined system. In most Athabaskan and Yup’ik villages, men typically fish while women cut and process the catch. The fish is cut into strips or slabs that are cross-cut and hung in open sheds to dry. A portion is always set aside for canning, too. As I visited with the men and women, I felt blessed to witness the wisdom being passed on from one generation to the next. It wasn’t just about how to catch or process fish, either, but an entire life ethic of these native people. They had learned this from their elders, and were generously passing it on to me.

Friday, July 6 — A Traditional Fish Wheel

‘

Fish & Game didn’t allow subsistence fishing for king salmon today, so after celebrating Mass, I accompanied Sherry and her husband, “Junior,” on a more relaxed fishing trip. We were joined by a villager named Alexie and Fr. Charles Ritter, a visiting priest from Ohio. Our group took a two-hour boat ride down the Yukon, navigating a maze of sloughs to reach an area prized for pike fishing. As we traveled, we saw several small cabins used by villagers for hunting and fishing. It’s interesting that people in a village of fewer than 300 still retreat to an even more remote “fish camp” or “moose camp” several times a year. But I understand why. There’s something profoundly therapeutic about being in the remoteness of nature and drinking in the silence God has lavished on the earth. The beauty of creation is an encounter with a most generous Creator who has blessed us in abundance. After several hours catching and releasing large pike, we headed back to Nulato. Back on the Yukon, we crossed the river to visit the Agneses’ son, William, who was working a fish wheel. A fish wheel is a traditional way of fishing that requires someone to be present 24/7 in case a part malfunctions and to collect any fish caught by the apparatus. At the wheel, we met up with William and two other villagers, including the man who owns the fish wheel. The three men were commercial fishing--collecting more than a thousand chum salmon that they will sell to a fishery in the village of Kaltag about an hour downriver. We made it home in time for a late dinner. After saying my prayers, I fell immediately to sleep. A full day in the outdoors is always a natural anesthesia for a good night’s rest.


Photograph by Bp. Chad Zielinski

Saturday, July 7 — Taking the Sacraments to Koyukuk This morning, I joined Junior and Brother Bob Ruzicka for another 45-minute boat ride to the village of Koyukuk. There was no wind, so the mighty Yukon was truly a gentle giant at rest. It was so different from some past trips to Nulato, when I’d sat on the river’s banks and watched the wind whip the water into three-foot whitecaps that were dangerous to navigate by boat. Once in Koyukuk, I celebrated a confirmation Mass for the granddaughter of two village elders. Adjacent to the church was a one-room cabin that accommodates visiting priests and religious. There’s no plumbing in the village, so water is hauled to houses from a community well. And yes, that meant an outhouse! I was glad it was summer--when I’d visited three years ago, it was January and 22 below zero, so the outhouse visits were rather speedy. After Mass, people gathered at the home of the elders’ deceased daughter, who had passed away the year before. The one-year anniversary of a person’s death is significant in Athabaskan and Yup’ik cultures, which is why the family had held onto the woman’s belongings. At the house today, though, her possessions were on display and people were encouraged to take what might benefit their families. We later enjoyed a potluck meal together before boating back to Nulato.

Sunday, July 8 — Sunday Mass in Nulato I celebrated Mass at Our Lady of the Snows this morning, which usually holds about 60 people. The church was quite full, which can be unusual in summer because people travel so much. I had the honor of baptizing the son of Alexi and Cynthia, with a very nice meal afterwards to celebrate the sacrament. That afternoon, Bro. Bob and I visited several homes where I offered anointing of the sick to elders and brought them Holy Communion. We then attended a one-year memorial dinner for a woman who had tragically died of cancer at just 28. It was a sad story, but people beautifully shared how much she had blessed them during her earthly journey. I got to go fishing again after dinner. This time, Bro. Bob, Junior, Alexi, and I only netted 10 king salmon in about three hours, which according to the men was a light haul. Someone said that was to be expected, since it was the tail-end of king season. Another added that the small catch was actually plenty--neither his family nor his extended relatives really needed more for the coming winter. It’s impressive that when a villager goes fishing, he accounts for the needs of his entire family, including elders who no longer have the strength to do the hard work of catching and processing the fish. That night, we all thanked God for a great year of king salmon. In recent years, even subsistence fishing for king salmon has been banned in many parts of Alaska due to extremely low numbers of the fish. Fortunately, the fish’s population is climbing again. I know this year’s catch will be a huge blessing to villagers along the Yukon.

Monday, July 9 — Back Home to Fairbanks This morning, I flew to Galena then back home to Fairbanks. As I looked out of the plane over this vast territory of the Diocese of Fairbanks, I realized I left the villages of Nulato and Koyukuk a blessed man. I had just spent time in the company of the generous Athabaskan people I serve while enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.

†Most Reverend Chad W. ZielinskiCatholic Bishop of Northern Alaska


Assignment Changes

Fr. Jonathan Dellinger Fr. Szymon Czuwara

Fr. Ross is starting his 5-month sabbatical leave this month. In 2015, his sabbatical was shortened when Bishop Chad asked him to return early to become the rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral and vicar general of the diocese. While Fr. Ross is away, Fr. Joe Townsend is filling in at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Fr. Joe is on sabbatical from the Diocese of

Tulsa. This is not Fr. Joe’s first time in Alaska. He lived in Alaska when his father worked on the pipeline. Fr. Jonathan Dellinger has been named pastor of St. Nicholas Church in North Pole. Fr. Jonathan is from the Archdiocese of Denver. Fr. Szymon Czuwara has been named pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Delta Junction, and

Holy Rosary in Tok. Previously Fr. Szymon was parochial vicar for both parishes. Fr. Thomas Sagili has been named parochial vicar for St. Patrick Church in Barrow. Fr. Kaspar remains pastor of St. Patrick Church. Bishop Chad Zielinski would like to express his appreciation for all our dedicated clergy.


Diocese Partners with Value Village to Benefit Local Charities

Last year, the diocese partnered with Value Village to raise funds through the store’s clothing drive opportunity. Through bulletin-advertised collections, we have been able to raise over $2,600 since our first collection in March 2017. In 2018, Bishop Chad asked that the individual drives be focused to help local charities. Our first drive this year earned $569.40 for the Soup Kitchen at Immaculate Conception Church. Our second drive earned $272.00 for Care Net Pregnancy Center. The third drive will end September 7th and we haven’t determined who will benefit yet. Do you want to help our next drive to be our most successful yet? Start collecting your gently-used clothing, bedding, linens, and household items. Call us at 374-9500 to arrange a drop off. Thank you for all your donations and great thanks to Value Village! ~ Patty Walter

Fr. Joe Townsend and Fr. Ross Tozzi

The Office of Faith & Family Formation

Fr. Robert Fath

Annual Catechist Training - Fides Formation

On September 8th, the diocese will begin its study in the Fides Formation series for catechists. This semester, we will begin the “Life in Christ” study series. Catechists can register for the course by visiting: https://fidesformation.com/product-category/fairbanks/ then clicking on the “Life in Christ” link. Be sure that you are registering for the FAIRBANKS course and not

for another diocese. The cost of the course is $29.95 per person. Unlike previous semesters, this course will not have live webinars at the beginning and end of the class. Parishes are reminded that ongoing catechist training and formation is a requirement, even for volunteers. In order to encourage more participation in the online courses, please

consider reimbursing your volunteers part or all of the registration upon completion of the course. We switched to online training several years ago to make the training more flexible and convenient for our volunteers who have very busy lives! For more information or questions, please contact Fr. Robert Fath at [email protected].

Young Adult Gathering - Catholic Beer ClubCatholic Beer Club is an event for young adult Catholics to meet new people and pursue authentic friendships. The motto of CBC is “No agendas! Just community and relationships!” Our next CBC gathering will take place on Thursday, September 6 at The Pub at Woods Center on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus. If you are 21-40, come join us for conversation, fellowship, and good beer. For this and other young adult events, join us on Facebook at: https://bit.ly/2JQVUW2


Once again, it is time to order our 2019 liturgy resources which we will begin using on Sunday, December 2nd. Order forms were sent out to parishes via email on July 15th. Please return your order via email or fax no later than Friday, August 15th. Fr. Robert Fath will place the order the following week. The form contains the most commonly ordered items. If there are additional products you would like, please include

the order number, a description of the product and the number of copies you would like. Please print clearly if not typed. Also, please be sure to double check what you are ordering prior to submitting it to Fr. Robert Fath. Your parish will be charged for the items that you request. By ordering through the chancery office, you will receive a 40% discount on your order. Once the order has been received, Fairbanks and

road system parishes will be able to pick up their orders at the chancery office. Billing for products ordered through the chancery office will be billed to the parishes by the diocese. Please do not pay LTP directly for items ordered through us. If you would like orders mailed to you from the chancery, an additional shipping cost will be included on your bill. If you have questions, please contact Fr. Robert Fath at [email protected].

Annual LTP Orders for Parishes

Seminarians

This summer the Diocese of Fairbanks picked up two new seminarians, Mr. Piotr Oprych and Mr. Nicholas Shamrell. Piotr, originally from Poland, spent the last year studying at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, MI. After a time of discernment, he asked to affiliate with our diocese. He has spent part of the summer assisting Fr. Ross at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fairbanks. Beginning in August, Piotr will start a pastoral internship year with Fr. Tom and Fr. Bala at Immaculate Conception in Fairbanks. Nick Shamrell is originally from Vancouver, WA. He is a

graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. After nine years in the U.S. Army, which included time stationed at Ft. Wainwright, Nick left the military and has been working for the past year as an assistant maintenance man at the chancery. Nick will begin his first year at Mount Angel Seminary this fall, entering formation at the Pre-Theology I level to begin his philosophy studies. Our two other seminarians will be finishing their summer assignments in the next few weeks. Josh Miller, who has spent his summer working at the chancery office in Fairbanks, will

return to Mundelein Seminary outside Chicago in mid-August to continue his formation in Pre-Theology II. Ben Doudna spent his summer attending spiritual formation classes at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Ben will be returning to Fairbanks in early August to start his pastoral internship year at St. Nicholas Parish in North Pole under the direction of Fr. Jonathan Dellinger. Continue to pray for our seminarians and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Piotr Oprych Nicholas Shamrell Ben Doudna


As we move towards the beginning of a new catechetical year, the diocese would like to get an idea of what catechetical materials are being used in your parish programs. If you would be so kind as to let Fr. Robert Fath know what resources you are currently using for the following areas:

1. Pre-K thru 6th grade -- general catechesis/Sunday school/CCD

2. Middle school -- general

catechesis/Sunday school/CCD

3. High school -- general catechesis/Sunday school/CCD/Youth group

4. Sacramental Preparation a. First reconciliation/First

Communionb. Confirmationc. RCIA

5. Any supplementary materials you may offer to families for home use (i.e., Magnifikid, etc.)

Information can be emailed to Fr. Robert Fath at [email protected]. If you are considering new materials for the upcoming year, please be sure that they are on the approved list of catechetical materials from the USCCB. The list of programs was updated on July 10th and is available at https://bit.ly/2bsUDc1. Programs that are not listed should be submitted to the chancery office for review.

Survey of Catechetical Materials

Annual Seminarian Support DinnerOur annual seminarian support dinner will take place Thursday, August 16th at St. Raphael Church. Come out and meet the men who are discerning their call to serve the people of God in northern Alaska. Hear about the seminaries, their formation, and

their hopes for the future. The evening will start with a Mass for vocations at 5:30 pm followed by dinner at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $50 per person. Proceeds from the dinner help to offset the cost of formation for our seminarians.

Each year, the diocese must budget approximately $40,000 per seminarian. Will you help our future pastors? To RSVP, contact Teresa Usibelli at the chancery office.

It is fitting that Nunzio Sulprizio, who died at the age of 19, be canonized during the next Synod whose theme is Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. Now with the addition of Blessed Nunzio, the canonization will include people from every walk of life: clerical, religious, and lay. Blessed Nunzio was born in Pescosansonesco in Italy in April 1817. He lost both of his parents while still a child and was brought up by an uncle. His uncle

exploited him, not allowing him to go to school, and forcing him to work in his blacksmith shop. Regardless of extreme cold or intense heat, he was forced to carry enormous weights over great distances. He found refuge before the Tabernacle where he would keep Jesus company. After contracting gangrene in one of his legs, he was sent to a hospital for people with incurable diseases in Naples. He suffered tremendously on account of the pain. Yet, he is

Young People Witnessing to the Faith:Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio


known to have said such things as: Jesus suffered so much for us and by his merits we await eternal life. If we suffer a little bit, we will taste the joy of paradise.Jesus suffered a lot for me. Why should I not suffer for Him? I would die in order to convert even one sinner. When asked who was taking care of him, he would respond: “God’s Providence.” Once he got better, he dedicated himself to helping other patients. But his health took a sudden turn for the worse. He died from bone cancer in May of 1836 before he reached 20th birthday. Pope Paul VI said the following when he beatified Nunzio on December 1, 1963: Nunzio Sulprizio will tell you that the period of youth should

not be considered the age of free passions, of inevitable falls, of invincible crises, of decadent pessimism, of harmful selfishness. Rather, he will rather tell you how being young is a grace. St. Philip used to repeat: Blessed are you, young people, who have the time to do good. It is a grace, it is a blessing to be innocent, to be pure, to be happy, to be strong, to be full of ardor and life – just like those who receive the gift of fresh and new existence should be, regenerated and sanctified by baptism. They receive a treasure that should not be foolishly wasted, but should be known, guarded, educated, developed, and used to produce fruit for their own benefit and that of others. He will tell you that

no other age than yours, young people, is as suitable for great ideals, for generous heroism, for the coherent demands of thought and action. He will teach you how you young people can regenerate the world in which Providence has called you to live, and how it is up to you first to consecrate yourselves for the salvation of a society that needs strong and fearless souls. He will teach you that the supreme word of Christ is to be the sacrifice, the cross, for our own salvation and that of the world. Young people understand this supreme vocation. Source: Vatican News - By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, FSP

Fr. Joe Townsend, Fr. Ross Tozzi, and Fr. Fred Bayler at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Photograph by David Schienle


Safe EnvironmentBarbara Tolliver

Safe Environment Coordinator

It’s hard to believe that our summer months are already half over. Hopefully, fishing, family and friend visits, berry picking, and other fun activities have been part of your happiness these past months. On a more serious note, the two pages following this article for audit reporting should have been submitted to the Safe Environment Office. Pastors, parochial administrators, pastoral administrators, parish

administrators, acting parish administrators, and parish contacts: if you have NOT turned this audit paperwork in and you represent your parish, please return it immediately. If you don’t have any numbers to report, you still need to fill out that paperwork for your parish. Just put in zero if that’s your answer, sign and date the form, and mail it to the chancery. There should be 46 forms collected and turned in. That means

every parish must report. This form is new but reporting these statistics is not. These numbers have been requested each year since 2003. If you have any questions, call or email Barbara Tolliver at (907) 374.9516 or [email protected]. Together we can make a difference. Together we can protect our children and vulnerable adults from harm. Together we can reflect the Lord’s love to all whom we encounter.

Tribunal Office

Do you know someone who was married outside of the Catholic Church or was married in a sacramental marriage and is now divorced? It’s possible

that this person can come into full communion again with the Church. Talk to your priest, deacon, or church administrator for more information. You

can also contact the Tribunal Office at (907) 374-9516 to further discuss these particular situations.

Sacramental Records, Official Catholic Directory, and Diocesan Directory

Sacramental records, Official Catholic Directory, and diocesan directory information is due to the

Archives by September 29th. To track the status of submissions, visit the archive website at: http://

bit.ly/2LFfkmB. ~ David Schienle

Due Date: September 29th


Faith on the Parks Highway:Road Trip with Fr. Bala

by David Schienle




The diocese currently has 19 priests that minister to 12,000 Catholics. Even with the challenge of so few priests ministering to all these Catholics, our dedicated clergy welcome the challenge. To minister to all these people requires many of the priests to travel to several parishes in one weekend. One such team are the priests from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fairbanks, who in addition ministering in their own parishes, minister to Holy Mary of Guadalupe Church in Healy, St. Theresa in Nenana, and during the summer months, they provide Mass in Denali National Park. Fr. Tom Kuffel and Fr. Bala alternate weekend Masses to cover the Parks Highway parishes. If either of the two are not available, another priest from Fairbanks or a deacon will make the trip. I accompanied Fr. Bala one such weekend in June as he provided for the spiritual needs of the parishes along the Parks Highway.On a sunny Saturday morning you can find Fr. Bala driving his car south on the Parks Highway as he begins his weekend trip to the parishes along the highway. He jokes that it is not always sunny. He still drives when there is ice fog and -50 F below temperatures. While Fr. Tom Kuffel celebrated three Masses at Immaculate Conception Church during the weekend, Fr. Bala celebrated 6 pm Mass in Denali Park on Saturday, 10 am Mass in Healy on Sunday, and 1:30 pm Mass in Nenana on Sunday. It made for a full weekend for Fr. Bala as he drove the 250-mile

circuit. Part of Fr. Bala’s visit is to be present to the parishioners and visitors. During their visits, Fr. Tom and Fr. Bala make home visits, hear confessions, anoint the sick, and support the local community. After driving two hours to the rectory of Holy Mary of Guadalupe Church in Healy, Fr. Bala took a quick break before driving to the Wilderness Center in Denali National Park. With the help of local volunteers, Pat and Patricia Owen, we prepared the auditorium for Mass. The couple took a quick break from managing a campground in Denali Park to help Fr. Bala.

Patricia led the singing and her husband altar served. The crowd was a mix of tourists and local employees. Without this Mass in the Denali Park, it would be a challenge for Catholics in the area to find the next closest service. Even a member of the Episcopalian church observed the Mass due to the unavailability of an episcopal service. Fr. Bala graciously welcomed her attendance. Fr. Bala remains ever friendly. When we took a quick trip to Otto Lake near Healy, a little girl waded past as I was photographed Fr. Bala. Fr. Bala, the former school principal,

Fr. Bala celebrating Mass at St. Theresa Church in Nenana.


began joking with her about the cold water. Smiles appeared on the family members’ faces. Wherever Fr. Bala goes he brings joy with him. We rested during the evening at the rectory in Healy. Of course, the priest from India sprinkled chili powder on the evening’s salad. “Hey, I am not used to spicy food.” He joked with me, “Hot spices are good for you.” The beautiful rectory is maintained by the local parishioners of Holy Mary of Guadalupe. It used to be the permanent home of the pastor of Healy and Nenana. The declining number of clergy has meant the rectory serves as a resting place for traveling priests rather than a permanent residence. In the morning, Fr. Bala made himself available for confessions. Then with the help of local lay volunteers, he celebrated Mass for Healy’s Catholic community. Following Mass, laughter could be heard in the social hall with Fr. Bala joking with parishioners over coffee and pastries. He could

not stay too long; there was still a drive to Nenana and another Mass to celebrate. In Nenana, again Fr. Bala was present to the community. By chance Fairbanks parishioners Henry and Janice Dosch passed through on a Sunday drive. Fr. Bala quickly invited them in. Henry began telling stories about past priests, such as Fr. Stolz, who was known to be a genius. We were joined by parish coordinator, Penny Forness, and railroad worker, Richard Whitney. Sacristan, musician, and altar servers helped Fr. Bala. At the end of Mass Fr. Bala gave a blessing to a young couple who were preparing for Mass. The shy bride-to-be was embarrassed to be in front of everyone. Her father commented, “Wait till you have children, you will be embarrassed in public all the time.” The community gathered for their weekly after-Mass potluck. Yet again, laughter could be heard by people around Fr. Bala. For these Catholic

communities, not having resident priests requires strong local lay leadership. From cleaning the church to supporting the Mass, lay volunteers are the keystone of these communities. In Denali Park, Pat and Patrick Owens help during the summer months. For Nenana and Healy, there are coordinators, Penny Forness and Vanessa Stone, who help with parish life. On the way back to Fairbanks during a quick rest stop at the Parks Highway Monument, Fr. Bala greeted an Israeli couple who were touring Alaska. When Fr. Bala discovered that the wife was originally from India, he started joking with her in their native language. Smiles came across the couple’s faces as the wife heard old phrases from her youth. A friendly interaction brought joy to the couple. Fr. Bala sees every interaction as an opportunity for evangelization. Afterwards he said, “You never know when you are going to bring the joy of Christ to others.”

Fr. Bala celebrating Mass for tourists and local employees around Denali National Park.




Fr. Bala giving a blessing to volunteer Pat Owen while Pat’s wife Patricia looks on. Both regularly volunteer assisting the priests at the Wilderness Center in Denali National Park.


A beautiful summer day at the Parks Highway Monument looking out into the Tanana Valley.

Fr. Bala blesses the parishioners at Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Healy.

Fr. Bala chatting before Mass at St .Theresa Church in Nenana.





St .Theresa Church in Nenana.

Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Healy.



Servant Leadership Training in BethelApril 27-29, 2018

By Patrick Tam

In the last two years, Adult Faith Formation has been organizing retreats for young adults in their 20s and 30s with the help of Fr. Tri Dinh, S.J., from CA. His Christus Ministries offers a range of retreat experiences for young adults. This year, he suggested that we move from a general retreat experience to a weekend of training adults and young adults for parish young adult ministry. As in previous years, we used the Moravian Bible Seminary, which was able to provide housing and meeting facilities for the event. Since this was meant to be a training weekend, our Y-K staff was asked to invite at least two people, adults and young adults, from those parishes where there

was an interest in starting some form of young adult ministry. By the time of the training weekend, the composition of the group consisted of: two people from Toksook Bay, one person from Newtok, three people from Chefornak, one person from Scammon Bay, two people from St. Mary, two people from Alakanuk, two people from Emmonak, and one person from Bethel. There were four people who cancelled due to weather, and two cancelled due to other reasons. The team consisted of Fr. Tri Dinh, S.J., two Jesuit novices, two staff members from Christus Ministries, and the director of the Adult Faith Formation Program for the Y-K Region.

The weekend was intended to be a training in “servant leadership” for adults and young adults who were interested in working with young adults in their parishes. As the weekend progressed, Fr. Tri realized that the group seemed to respond especially well to prayer activities and decided to move more in the direction of “retreat.” Most of the activities were aimed at developing a sense of team-work, group unity, and cooperation, for example, games that required each small group to complete a task whose success depended on working together. Other activities were more prayerful and reflective such as guided meditation, seeing oneself through Jesus’

Photograph by Patrick Tam



eyes, writing one’s own obituary, Mary’s Way of the Cross, Reconciliation, and Eucharist. The assessment of the team was that the young adults who attended the weekend were drawn to an experience of personal encounter with Christ. At this point, what seems important is providing opportunities for young adults to deepen their relationship with God. This is the third time we have gathered young adults for a retreat experience. The “training” aspect came through more in the role-modeling by the team rather than in teaching techniques.

Due to weather, some of the participants were unable to leave on Sunday. But this provided an opportunity to have further conversation—as it turned out—with the young adults from Nelson Island villages. There was a lot of enthusiasm for finding ways to continue connecting when they returned to their parishes. They also brainstormed ways to serve in their parishes. For example, the young adults from Chefornak talked about organizing “game nights” for young people in their village.

We want to thank the Jesuits of the Y-K Region and the CA province for their support in his new outreach to young adults in our region. Fr. Tri and his team have done extraordinary work in leading young people to encounter the love of God in Jesus. Their vision is to help our parishes “move from maintenance to mission” through ministering to and with young adults. We continue to pray for the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit as this ministry unfolds.

Photograph by Patrick Tam

Photograph by Patrick Tam Photograph by Patrick Tam

Are You Prepared for the Trip?In 1964, when I was nine years old and my little sister was four, our family lived in Eagle River, Alaska, a small town near Anchorage. My parents decided to drive nearly 4,000 miles to Memphis, Tennessee, to spend Christmas with my father’s family. A few years earlier, we had driven the Alcan highway in summer to visit family in the “lower 48.” Even that had been quite an adventure, as the highway only had a few hundred miles of paved road back then. This time, however, we were headed south in frigid 30 to 40 degrees below zero weather. Near the Teslin River in Yukon Territory, my mother suddenly became silent and we eventually noticed she had become unconscious, her head slumped over. Sitting in the back seat next to my sister, I remember screaming that I couldn’t wake her up, while my father tried to control the car with one hand and frantically shook my mother with the other. After what seemed like forever, he pulled the car into a nearby lodge parking lot and ran into the business for help. I stayed with my mother and prayed. The Alcan highway, especially in those early years, was full of blind corners, unknown obstacles, detours, and many unforeseen hazards. You had to make a list of needed items and plan for all contingencies, as there were many long stretches of highway with few possibilities for help. Diligent and conscientious planning and preparation was necessary or failure--and failure meant life-threatening under those conditions--was almost certain. Thanks to my father’s quick thinking, the lodge owner’s help, and God’s grace, my mother survived that day and so did our family. Marriage is another adventure that requires significant preparation to survive and thrive over time. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says on its website, “The important thing for engaged couples to keep in mind as they check numerous items off their pre-wedding ‘to-do’ list is the well-known adage, ‘Your wedding lasts a day, but your marriage lasts a lifetime.’” Our Church encourages engaged couples to thoughtfully invest in preparing for their married life. Because contrary to Hollywood’s superficial and exclusively positive depiction of marriage, every married couple will experience disappointments, mishaps, tough times, twists and turns, and valleys along the way. The Church, thankfully, is ready to help us get ready for this journey. While every parish and priest may have a little different “checklist” and timetable for engaged couples to spiritually prepare for marriage, every faith community has people willing to dedicate time, prayers, and resources to marriage preparation. To benefit, couples must only be willing to take advantage of these resources and be open to following God on this holy highway. The fact is, couples don’t start to prepare for the all-important trip that is marriage the day they get engaged or even when they call the parish about marriage prep. Catholics actually start preparing for a holy marriage at baptism, when we join the body of Christ. As we grow and mature, we form own consciences and spiritual lives. Saying “Yes” to God along the way actually helps prepare us for the vocation of marriage...saying “Yes” to loving God and



others…to following the high road when making moral decisions...to donating time and resources to family and community...to faithfully stewarding our own bodies and talents...to being faithful, caring, compassionate, and forgiving in our relationships...with Jesus as our model, we have already said “Yes” to God in so many important ways! And those decisions were preparing us for happy and holy marriages. From my early trips as a child to the many others I’ve taken later in life, I’ve been blessed to travel the Alcan Highway in all seasons, marveling at the vistas, rivers, mountains, and wildlife. I was blessed by the natural beauty that reflects the glory of God. I’ve been married through many seasons of life, too, and that sacrament has brought a different sort of truth, beauty, and goodness into my soul. Fifty years ago, Pope Paul VI issued his beautiful encyclical on marriage, Humanae Vitae, whose truth still resonates today:

“This love is first of all fully human, that is to say, of the senses and of the spirit at the same time. It is not, then, a simple transport of instinct and sentiment, but also, and principally, an act of the free will, intended to endure and to grow by means of the joy and sorrow of daily life, in such a life in such a way that husband and wife become one heart and one only soul, and together attain their human perfection” (Humanae Vitae, 9).

As we begin or continue in our marriages, may our valley of sorrows be ever so shallow and our peaks and vistas of joy be constant, as we continue to say “Yes!” to God through Jesus. Incidentally, my mother did not die that fateful day as I was crying and praying in the back seat of our speeding car on the Alaska Highway. Upon reaching the lodge, my father rallied the owner, who drove them to the hospital. My mother stayed in the hospital for two weeks while healing from an almost fatal ruptured cyst. In the meantime, my sister and I--who were quite young and had never flown before--nervously boarded a plane in Whitehorse that took us to Memphis, where we spent Christmas with our grandparents.

Blessed travels!

For Further Reading:Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI, 1968Love of the Bridegroom and Bride, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Photograph from Diocese of Fairbanks Archive

HIPOWGRAND OLE

OCTOBER 12 & 13, 2018

1. Donate a new auction item. We are also able to accept furs, jewelry, and used cars.

2. Donate a used item for the Monroe Foundation Super Sale on September 21 & 22. This is agreat outlet for used furniture or tools.

3. Plan to attend the HIPOW event on October 12 & 13.

4. Sign up to volunteer! Hundreds of volunteers make this event so successful.

Questions? Give us a buzz: (907) 456-7970 or stop by 718 Betty St.

4 Ways YOU Can Help Make

This Year’s HIPOW

Award Winning


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