The Immaculate Conception Parish Pastoral Council held a remote meeting on the evening of 21 October. In light of the current surge of cases in the YK region and especially in the area around Bethel and nearby villages they agreed unanimously to advise Fr Rich to stop holding in-church services.

Therefore Fr Rich Magner, SJ has issued a Closure Notice to stop all gatherings on the properties of Immaculate Conception Church  until further notice.

We apologize for this inconvenience and especially for the hardship suffered by grieving families.*

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Immaculate-Conception-Church-180692318623126/        The recorded Mass will continue to be available on Facebook, in both video format and sound-only format.

BETHELCATHOLIC.ORG: Fr Mark Hoelsken is out of the village until mid-November, therefore during the weeks of 25 October to 8 November there will be some interruption of timely Mass postings on this website. During the weeks of 25 October to 8 November please follow the Mass each week on Facebook or by Zoom on Sunday mornings.

ZOOM: Fr Rich will host a Zoom Mass each Sunday morning at 10:30 AST. All who are interested to attend that Mass should contact Fr Rich for login information. Contact Fr Rich at: 907-545-1123, or rmagner@jesuits.org

*  Grieving families please contact Fr Rich to make necessary arrangements for care for your families and for the respectful burial of loved ones.

Are you looking for a balanced presentation of a good Catholic approach to the ballot box this season? In this column by Bishop Robert Barron, he writes, “Catholics ought never to disagree in regard to moral principles, but they can indeed legitimately disagree about the best means to instantiate those principles.” Bishop Barron offers a carefully balanced approach to how to faithfully uphold the best of Catholic Social Doctrine regardless of your political preferences. It is the best I’ve seen. I hope others also find it helpful. Fr Mark.

Bishop Chad Zielinski has issued a letter of Introduction To the Voter Guide for Alaskans of the Diocese of Fairbanks

Pope Francis has addressed the priority of our moral responsibility to defend the human life as equally sacred at all stages of existence:

“Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.”  [¶ 101, APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE]

Other Resources:

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops provides resources for helping Catholic voters prepare to vote as faithful citizens.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has prepared 5 short videos to help Catholics understand their rights and responsibilities as voters.