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  • 4 days ago
Through the unforgiving elements of Alaska, courageous priests, religious, and lay faithful bring the Eucharist to some of the most remote Catholic communities on earth. This documentary chronicles the incredible efforts of priests, religious, and laity as they brave the elements, a lack of roads, and a serious shortage of priests to keep the light of faith alive. This is the Catholic Church in the 49th State, where some communities wait a year or more for a priest to celebrate the sacraments.
Transcript
00:04Spiritual warfare is a fight between Christ and the devil over your spirit.
00:12Missionary territories where you bring the gospel to people who don't know the gospel,
00:19that's where the spiritual warfare takes place.
00:23One of the biggest challenges, if not the biggest, is we don't have enough priests.
00:27Alaska has been known to cause vocation crises.
00:31Dealing with the darkness.
00:32Deep sadness, hopelessness, and despair.
00:36The weather is very challenging.
00:3770 mile per hour winds.
00:39Visibility drops to 50 yards.
00:42Life changes below 40 below.
00:44I've known people who have died out here almost every year I've been out here.
00:48Once you're under the ice, you are gone.
00:50I don't want to come to Alaska and die.
00:53A little confidence can be dangerous.
00:55You're fine until you're nine.
00:57But whatever it is, whatever you do, whatever challenges there are, you do it with Jesus.
01:03We want what God wants.
01:05Bring the light of Christ to others.
01:08The Dominican Mission in Alaska is to bring the sacraments out to as many Catholics as possible.
01:15You learn to respect the cold, but not fear.
01:19You learn to respect rough water, but don't fear.
01:27It's not necessarily easy to live here, but it develops your character, it develops your spiritual faith.
01:35I think they like also the challenge.
01:38I'm going out into the West, and I'm going to uncharted territory.
01:43I'm ready just to show up and just take it one step at a time.
01:47It takes a tough priest.
01:49If you have a very strong mind, you can surely survive and walk in Alaska.
01:53The desire to bring Christ to these communities drives those priests, regardless of snow,
02:00sleet, hail, gloom of night.
02:01People need priests here in Alaska.
02:05This is one of the best places to experience a unique ministry.
02:12I know for a fact that God has called me to this mission.
02:18It really reminds us that we are carrying the bread of life, not through any of our merits,
02:23but simply because God wants to work through us and the people truly need it and call us
02:28to it.
02:29What a better way to say that you're not forgotten is get the Eucharist out there.
02:36I trust God.

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