A religious roundtable consisting of all Catholic priests and parish ministers from Southeast Alaska – and including the presence of Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Juneau Diocese – was held in Wrangell last week at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.
The meeting, which is held annually in different locations around Southeast, focuses on what the Diocese will work to accomplish in the coming year and includes both religious and secular topics.
Bishop Burns said the meeting included Catholic ministers ranging from Metlakatla to Yakutat – and everywhere in between.
“Twice a year, we have a chance to get together, in-person, all the full-time ministers in the Southeast Diocese,” the Bishop said. “That includes all our 15 parishes and missions. When I was named Bishop of the Diocese, I thought it would be good for us to go parish-to-parish and town-to-town each year, so this year it was Wrangell.”
During a special Mass, the Bishop also took part in offering a homily about the church-wide program stemming from the vision of Pope Benedict XVI himself – the “Year of Faith.”
“The ‘Year of Faith’ was convened by our Holy Father and is in effect throughout the whole church,” Burns said. “It’s about highlighting the 50th anniversary of the Vatican II council, and the 20th anniversary of the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church.’”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, also known as the “CCC” in English-speaking nations, is comprised of the Apostle’s Creed, the Sacred Liturgy of the church, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer and is often referred to as the “Four Pillars” of the church.
“The ‘Year of Faith’ also allows us to reawaken the joy and the journey of encountering Jesus Christ,” the Bishop added.
Bishop Burns spoke about a unique experience he had when he was elevated in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI.
“I’ve met Pope Benedict XVI a couple of times,” he said. “When I was first named a Bishop, I was called to Rome and he wanted to meet with all the 109 Bishops of the world, from 39 different countries. When I kissed his ring, I introduced myself and told him I was from Juneau.”
That was when the Pope asked a question so often queried about the Last Frontier.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Alaska? It must be cold there.’ and I have to tell you, I didn’t know how to respond to that, but I shared with him the beauty of the Diocese.”
Burns was ordained as a Bishop at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Penn. on Mar. 3, 2009, and took possession of the Diocese of Juneau at Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church on Apr. 2, 2009.
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