Lumen News – October 21st, 2021
Important Upcoming Dates:
Oct 22: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 23: Faith in Action Hours Opportunity with Rich Owens! (details below)
Oct 24: Senor de los Milagros Mass @ Our Lady of Guadalupe, 11:30 (details below) Oct 25-29: Halloween Spirit Week (See below ‘Front office News’ for details)
Oct 29: Senior Pages Due to Yearbook
Oct 30: All-School Movie Night, 7-9pm (details being worked by SLB)
Nov 1: All Saint’s Day Mass @7:45am (Friday A Schedule w/7th period elective)
Nov 3: ASVAB, 1-3pm (Juniors and Seniors)
Nov 3: Principal-Parent Forum, 7pm (In person and virtual)
Nov 12: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Auction (virtual)
Nov 15-19: Discover Catholic School’s Week
Nov 16: School Board Meeting, 6pm
Nov 18-20: Regional Volleyball Tournament @ Lumen
Principal’s Update:
As we enter the weekend and students get a Friday off from school tomorrow, let us pray for our middle school basketball teams as they head to Talkeetna for a tournament through Saturday. We are very proud of our student athletes and we wish them the best of luck in their respective competitions.
Now that we are in the 2nd quarter, I’d like to schedule a Principal-Parent Forum on Wed, Nov 3rd at 7pm. I plan to hold both an in-person and a virtual meeting that night so that parents can attend either way. I am sure one of the topics will be our COVID protocols, but we’d also like to share with you updates on:
● Boys and Girls Basketball season (open gyms are already happening)
● Our annual fund drive, the LUMENary Drive
● Our Annual Gala on February 12, 2022
● Preparations for our COGNIA accreditation review, which will occur March 30-April 1, 2022.
Campus Ministry:
Our Sports Leader strength this week is Steadfastness.
Steadfastness is the strength of being dutifully firm and unwavering.
“Hope is the sure and STEADFAST anchor of the soul.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1820
Here are some helpful resources for parents looking to discuss the virtue of Steadfastness at home:
https://www.sportsleader.org/sites/default/files/newsletter-assets/Steadfastness%20Parent%20PDF.pdf
Novena prayer for today: Through the intercession of Mary we pray for the aged, the infirmed and those nearing the end of life, that we work together to meet their needs and honor their dignity. Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
● We will be starting a Junior Legion of Mary group for grades 7 – 12 in November
● We all worry about our kids! I am always available for students and parents. You can contact me at eloeffler@lumenchristiak.org.
● We are always looking for service opportunities. If you know of an organization that can use volunteers please contact Mrs. Loeffler.
Prayer Corner
● The aged, the infirmed and those nearing the end of life
● For those affected by crisis pregnancies
● For those families affected by the COVID pandemic
● For peace in Afghanistan and all countries in distress
● For families in crisis
● For special intentions requested
● For our sports teams as they travel for competition
Happy Birthday to Jamie Estes and Kateri Everard this Saturday, October 23rd!
Archangel Sports:
Upcoming games:
Middle School Basketball
Tournaments:
October 22nd-23rd
at Talkeetna vs Su-Valley
October 26
vs BCS at Lumen at 5 pm (girls) and 6:15 pm (boys)
October 28
vs Holy Rosary at Lumen at 5 pm
High School Volleyball (V)
October 25th
vs Birchwood at 6pm
Front Office News:
A special shout-out to our Volleyball team for doing a fantastic job in the Spiketacular tournaments!
Halloween Spirit Week!!!
|
Oct 25th |
Oct 26th |
Oct 27th |
Oct 28th |
Oct 29th |
|
Halloween Colors Orange, Purple, Green, Black |
Duos and Trios Day |
Halloween Costume Day |
Pajama Day |
Mass Day |
Save the Date!! Annual Gala & Fundraiser
After careful consideration we’ve decided that this year’s Gala will once again, be virtual. We had so much fun with it last year online however that we know this year’s will be just as amazing. So block your calendars now – Saturday, Feb 12th, 2022 – lots more details to follow!
Faith in Action Opportunity!
Saturday, October 23rd
Rich Owens is looking for 3-4 high schoolers to help clean coins from Gwennie’s wishing well. Coins will be going towards the Wish Upon the North Star Charity. This is a great opportunity for students to earn some Faith in Action hours. Students can show up at Buster’s Upholstery at 9am on Saturday (address is 2351 E. 4th Ave, which is across from Merrill Field and is in the building directly behind the Taco Bell). If interested, please contact the front office, so we can notify Rich Owens on who to expect.
Need a tie?
We have brand new ties! Please come to the front office if you would like to purchase a tie for $20.
FREE After School Tutoring
Parents – don’t forget that students from the National Honor Society provide free tutoring afterschool on Tuesdays, from 2-3p in Mrs. Craig’s room, #107. Help is available in any subject, for all grades! Encourage your student to stay if they need a little extra help.
Senor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles)
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (OLG) has invited Lumen Christi students to participate in this rich and ancient tradition from Peru. October 24th (this Sunday) at the 11:30 am Mass at OLG. Our Spanish classes will participate in several parts of the Mass. OLG will reserve pews for our students and parents, so please consider attending. Students, wear your Mass uniform!
SENIOR PICS & PAGES
Every year the Yearbook staff must submit a predetermined amount of pages on a set deadline to Jostens, our Yearbook company. For this first page submission deadline, we are kindly requesting to have all Senior Pages submitted to us by October 29, 2021. As a reminder, the Senior Page is the full page that parents traditionally create for their graduates along with a little message of well-wishes and prayers. The pages can be created in JPEG or PDF and when completed should be sent to our Yearbook email: Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org We also hope that you have had time to take Senior photos of your Graduate over the summer. Fall would be another good time to take it if you haven’t! The photo does not have to be taken by a professional photographer, though it is preferred. If you have a good camera, you may take the photo yourself. Either way, send us a 300 dpi quality photo that is in focus (not blurry) and has a nice background.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Yearbook Team by sending an email to Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org
Lumen News – October 14th, 2021
Important Upcoming Dates:
Oct 14-16: Girls VB “Spiketacular” Tournament @ Lumen Gym (see schedule below) Oct 15: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 16: PSAT for 9-11th graders (8am-12pm @ Our Lady of Guadalupe)
Oct 18-20: St. Benedict’s Parish Mission (details below)
Oct 20: Parent Teacher Conferences from 2:30-5pm
Oct 20: Breast Cancer Awareness Day (Bring $2 to raise money and wear pink!)
Oct 21: Parent Teacher Conferences from 4-7pm
Oct 22: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 24: Senor de los Milagros Mass @ Our Lady of Guadalupe, 11:30 (details below)
Oct 25-29: Halloween Spirit Week (10/25: Halloween Colors Orange, Purple, Green, Black; 10/26: Duos and Trios Day; 10/27: Halloween Costume Day; 10/28: Pajama Day; 10/29: Mass Day)
Oct 29: Senior Pages Due to Yearbook
Oct 30: All-School Movie Night, 7-9pm (details being worked by SLB)
Nov 1: All Saint’s Day Mass @7:45am (Friday A Schedule w/7th period elective) Nov 12: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Auction (virtual)
Principal’s Update:
On the start day of our annual “Spiketacular” tournament, we wish our varsity and junior varsity girls volleyball teams the best of luck this weekend as they face off against over a dozen teams from around Alaska! We have a record number of Archangel ladies participating in our program this year! Game schedule is below!
In addition to contract tracing students and a myriad of other activities, Anne Gore has been busy on the Advancement and Enrollment fronts. Within the next few days you’ll be receiving the annual LUMENary Drive appeal letter and brochure. Our goal is to raise $75,000 this year and we are already on our way. Thank you to those families who donated during Back to School Registration. We hope the rest of our families will hear the call to go above and beyond paying tuition and support our fund drive.
Also arriving in mailboxes but not until the end of the month, the 2020-21 Annual Report. Stay tuned for that, it’s always a nice recap of the previous year.
Campus Ministry:
Our Sports Leader strength this week is Trust.
Trust is the strength to confidently believe in someone regardless of the situation.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and all your soul, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Here are some helpful resources for parents looking to discuss the virtue of Trust at home: https://safeshare.tv/x/AKKXBaFArws and https://safeshare.tv/x/WpWwtBpT70Q
- During the month of October we honor Holy Mother Mary. The month of October is also Respect Life Month. During these next 9 school days of October the school will pray a Novena for Life each morning, asking for Mary’s intercession. This week we focused on support for those affected by crisis pregnancies. In the days to come we will focus on protection for the most vulnerable members of our communities: the aged, the sick, the poor, the hungry, those suffering emotional and mental unrest, the unborn, those fleeing oppression, and end to capital punishment, and the persecuted.
- See information from the office for details about the “Teen Girls Retreat” this Saturday.
- Confessions are offered every Monday morning beginning at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
- Daily Mass is offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
- We all worry about our kids! I am always available for students and parents. You can contact me at eloeffler@lumenchristiak.org.
- We are always looking for service opportunities. If you know of an organization that can use volunteers please contact Mrs. Loeffler.
Happy Birthday this week to Sophia Vierra, Jules Butcher, Erik Holmquist, and Mrs Brewer!
Prayer Corner
- For those affected by crisis pregnancies
- For those families affected by the COVID pandemic
- For peace in Afghanistan and all countries in distress
- For all affected by natural disasters
- For families in crisis
- For special intentions requested
Archangel Sports:
High School Volleyball “Spiketacular” Tournament
Location: LCHS Gymnasium
|
Thursday, October 14th |
Friday, October 15th |
Saturday, October 16th |
|
vs Tri Valley (V) @ 3PM vs Glennallen (V) @ 6PM vs Glennallen (JV) @ 4PM vs Ninilchik (JV) @ 5PM *8:15 PM conference match vs unalaska (V)
|
vs Bristol Bay(V) @ 11AM vs Dillingham (V) @ 3 PM vs Nenana (V) @ 8pm vs ACS (JV) @ 1PM vs Birchwood (JV) @ 5PM vs Cordova (JV) @ 8PM |
Game Times TBD |
Jr. High Basketball
We know many of you have been waiting for information regarding next week’s schedule and Talkeetna tournament details. We’re still waiting for that information from Su-Valley and as soon as we get it, will push it out to you!
Front Office News:
Parent Teacher Conferences
If you can believe it, it’s already time for first quarter Parent Teacher Conferences. For new families – know that conferences are held in the school gym on a walk in basis – no time scheduling required. Time/dates are as follows:
Wednesday, October 20th, 2:30-5p
Thursday, October 21st, 4:00-7:00p
If you don’t have any questions or concerns to address with teachers, you’re not required to attend, however we certainly encourage you to! Mr. Ross, Mrs. Guzman and Ms. Gore will also be on hand if you have general school, front office, fundraising/development or other administrative items for discussion.
Need a tie?
We have brand new ties! Please come to the front office if you would like to purchase a tie for $20.
Save the Date!! Annual Gala & Fundraiser
After careful consideration we’ve decided that this year’s Gala will once again, be virtual. We had so much fun with it last year online however that we know this year’s will be just as amazing. So block your calendars now – Saturday, Feb 12th, 2022 – lots more details to follow!
PSAT October 16th!
A gentle reminder to 9-11th graders that the PSAT will take place on Saturday, October 16th from 8am-12pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe, instead of being offered during the school day. This is for two primary reasons: 1) scheduling it on a Saturday gives us back precious content area class time that would otherwise be used to administer a standardized test and 2) scheduling it on a
Saturday makes it more realistic for those who will later have to sleepily trudge to Grace Christian or UAA to take the ACT or SAT on a Saturday morning in their junior and senior year.
St. Benedict’s Parish Mission
Deacon Glenn and Linda Harmon will be joining the parishioners of St. Benedict’s once again to lead the faithful in a parish mission from October 18th-20th. The theme is New Beginnings, Back to Basics
Come prepared to be Blessed Monday through Wednesday: 6:00pm Adoration
7:00pm Mission talk
8:30pm Oktoberfest meal Wednesday 10 AM, special session
Senor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles)
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (OLG) has invited Lumen Christi students to participate in this rich and ancient tradition from Peru. There are two dates that students can participate:
October 16th (this Saturday) at 7:00 pm as part of the Novena at OLG. After praying the Rosary as a parish community, Mr. Ross will speak for a few minutes about attending Mass and Catholic school. We hope you will consider attending.
October 24th (next Sunday) at the 11:30 am Mass at OLG. Our Spanish classes will participate in several parts of the Mass. OLG will reserve pews for our students and parents, so please consider attending. Students, wear your Mass uniform!
SENIOR PICS & PAGES
Every year the Yearbook staff must submit a predetermined amount of pages on a set deadline to Jostens, our Yearbook company. For this first page submission deadline, we are kindly requesting to have all Senior Pages submitted to us by October 29, 2021. As a reminder, the Senior Page is the full page that parents traditionally create for their graduates along with a little message of well-wishes and prayers. The pages can be created in JPEG or PDF and when completed should be sent to our Yearbook email: Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org We also hope that you have had time to take Senior photos of your Graduate over the summer. Fall would be another good time to take it if you haven’t! The photo does not have to be taken by a professional photographer, though it is preferred. If you have a good camera, you may take the photo yourself. Either way, send us a 300 dpi quality photo that is in focus (not blurry) and has a nice background.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Yearbook Team by sending an email to Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org
Teen Girls Retreat
Girls ages 14-17 are welcome to participate in the Teen Girls Retreat on October 16th from 9:30AM to 3:00 PM organized by Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Monastery. Must be registered by a Parent or Tutor.
5th Annual Teen Empowerment Event
The 5th Annual event aimed at empowering teens by inspiring them with women’s growth and development stories and experiences. This hour and a half session includes a keynote address by two-time Olympian, Sadie Bjornsen, and breakout room discussions led by accomplished professional women. It is a free Zoom event. Friday, October 15th (in service day) at 3:00 p.m.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdO6grDstH9EgRpsIgSy8VjPTMAvL5pdP
Lumen News – October 7th, 2021
Important Upcoming Dates:
Oct 8-9: First Debate Tournament @ Eagle River High School
Oct 12: College Pride Day (wear your favorite college/university spirit wear) Oct 13: Lumen Spirit Wear Day
Oct 14-16: Girls VB “Spiketacular” Tournament @ Lumen Gym
Oct 15: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 16: PSAT for 9-11th graders (8am-12pm @ Our Lady of Guadalupe Oct 20: Parent Teacher Conferences from 1:30-5pm
Oct 21: Parent Teacher Conferences from 4-7pm
Oct 22: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 25-29: Halloween Spirit Week (themes TBD)
Oct 29: Senior Pages Due to Yearbook
Oct 30: All-school Movie Night, 7-9pm (details being worked by SLB)
Principal’s Update:
A special shout out to our junior high soccer team who won the State Championship a few weeks ago. Our 7th and 8th graders, along with their 5th and 6th grade teammates from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, played exceptionally well all season and showed true grit and determination.
Although the high school team did not fare as well at their State Championship tournament, all our athletes played their hearts out against very competitive teams. Congratulations to Class of 2022 Seniors Toby and Sabrina, and Class of 2024 Sophomore Kennedy, who were named to the All Tournament team!
Our rifle program competed in its first virtual rifle match of the Orion National Air Rifle League today and defeated Royal High School Marine Corps JROTC out of Texas. Our top four shooters (Class of 2022 Seniors Frankie and Joseph, Class of 2024 Sophomore Brooke, and Class of 2026 8th grader Liv) scored 908 points to Royal’s 864! We have a bye week next week and will continue our 7th period practices in our gym. Well done Archangel Shooters!
Finally, I will be putting out additional guidance on our attendance/school work policies for absences (COVID and non-COVID related) as well as our uniform dress code. This past week was a challenge with many students and teachers absent and I want to clarify our expectations for students and parents when students are out of school for an extended period. We will be finalizing these details at our staff meeting Friday, and we appreciate all those who have provided us feedback via email or phone. Please be on the look out for this follow up email from me in the coming days.
May the Blessed Mother Mary look over us on this the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary!
Campus Ministry:
Our Sports Leader strength this week is HOPE.
The theological virtue of hope is a gift from God, placed or infused in our souls at Baptism, that gives us the strength to firmly trust that God will give us the endless happiness of Heaven and the means to obtain it, if we do what He requires of us.
Here are some helpful resources for parents looking to discuss the virtue of HOPE at home:
https://www.sportsleader.org/sites/default/files/newsletter-assets/Hope%20Parent%20PDF%203.pdf
● Confessions are offered every Monday morning beginning at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
● Daily Mass is offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
● We all worry about our kids! I am always available for students and parents. You can contact me at eloeffler@lumenchristiak.org.
● We are always looking for service opportunities. If you know of an organization that can use volunteers please contact Mrs. Loeffler.
● Happy Birthday to Amara Warren, Irene Benkovich, Jules Butcher, Sophia Vierra, Erik Holmquist, and Liam Thomson, and Natalie Grubba!!
Prayer Corner
● For the repose of the souls of those we have lost, including Christine and Mike, and for comfort to the families.
● For those families affected by the COVID pandemic
● For peace in Afghanistan and all countries in distress
● For all affected by natural disasters
● For families in crisis
● For special intentions requested
Archangel Sports:
Middle School BASKETBALL starts Monday, October 11th
After School High School Volleyball “Spiketacular” Tournament October 14th-16th @ Lumen Gym
Front Office News:
|
Tuesday October 12th |
Wednesday October 13th |
|
College Pride Day |
Lumen Spirit Wear Day |
*Friendly reminder, no rip, tears, or holes in jeans. Joggers, pj’s, leggings, and sweatpants are NOT allowed for these days.
Ties are here!
Ties finally arrived this week!!! Please come to the front office if you would like to purchase a tie for $20.
PSAT October 16th!
A gentle reminder to 9-11th graders that the PSAT will take place on Saturday, October 16th from 8am-12pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe, instead of being offered during the school day. This is for two primary reasons: 1) scheduling it on a Saturday gives us back precious content area class time that would otherwise be used to administer a standardized test and 2) scheduling it on a Saturday makes it more realistic for those who will later have to sleepily trudge to Grace Christian or UAA to take the ACT or SAT on a Saturday morning in their junior and senior year.
St. Benedict’s Afterschool Bioethics Class
In a world that thinks if science can do it then we should do it, we desperately need young Catholics (and other seekers of truth) who understand Catholic moral theology and have the ability to reason to the truth. This bioethics class looks at all the cutting edge science that deals with beginning of life, end of life, and all the moral issues in between. We will focus on cutting edge technology that is in the news such as artificial intelligence in military robots, chimera research that mixes human brains with other organisms, and parents choosing embryos that have the genetic traits they prefer. We will focus on discussion of these scenarios. If you want a more in depth look at bioethics, please join Bob McMorrow and Gabe O’Lena for afterschool theology classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:45 in the upper room.
SENIOR PICS & PAGES
Every year the Yearbook staff must submit a predetermined amount of pages on a set deadline to Jostens, our Yearbook company. For this first page submission deadline, we are kindly requesting to have all Senior Pages submitted to us by October 29, 2021. As a reminder, the Senior Page is the full page that parents traditionally create for their graduate along with a little message of well-wishes and prayers. The pages can be created in JPEG or PDF and when completed should be sent to our Yearbook email: Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org We also hope that you have had time to take Senior photos of your Graduate over the summer. Fall would be another good time to take it if you haven’t! The photo does not have to be taken by a professional photographer, though it is preferred. If you have a good camera, you may take the photo yourself. Either way, send us a 300 dpi quality photo that is in focus (not blurry) and has a nice background.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Yearbook Team by sending an email to Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org
Shout Out to Our Debate Team
Andrew Butcher, Liam Dupras, Colin Murkowski, and Lucille Stephens will be representing LCHS this Friday and Saturday, October 8th & 9th at Eagle River High School. Best of luck to our debate team on their first tournament of the season!
Teen Girls Retreat
Girls ages 14-17 are welcome to participate in the Teen Girls Retreat on October 16th from 9:30AM to 3:00 PM organized by Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Monastery. Must be registered by a Parent or Tutor.
5th Annual Teen Empowerment Event
The 5th Annual event aimed at empowering teens by inspiring them with women’s growth and development stories and experiences. This hour and a half session includes a keynote address by two-time Olympian, Sadie Bjornsen, and breakout room discussions led by accomplished professional women. It is a free Zoom event. Friday, October 15th (in service day) at 3:00 p.m.
Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdO6grDstH9EgRpsIgSy8VjPTMAvL5pdP
Lumen News – September 30th, 2021
Important Upcoming Dates:
Sept 30-Oct 1st: Lumen Spirit Wear Days
Sept 30: First game of State Tournament at 3pm (Kincaid)
Oct 7: Lumen School Board “Speaker Series” 7pm
Oct 8-9: First Debate Tournament @ Eagle River High School
Oct 12: College Pride Day (wear your favorite college/university spirit wear) Oct 13: Lumen Spirit Wear Day
Oct 14-16: Girls VB “Spiketacular” Tournament @ Lumen Gym
Oct 15: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 16: PSAT for 9-1th graders (8am-12pm @ Our Lady of Guadalupe
Oct 20: Parent Teacher Conferences from 1:30-5pm
Oct 21: Parent Teacher Conferences from 4-7pm
Oct 22: Teacher Inservice Day (No School)
Oct 25-29: Halloween Spirit Week (themes TBD)
Oct 29: Senior Pages Due to Yearbook
Oct 30: All-school Movie Night, 7-9pm (details being worked by SLB)
Principal’s Update:
Look forward to Principal Ross’ update next week!
Campus Ministry:
Our Sportsleader strength this week is Prayerfullness. This is the strength you find in spending time alone talking with God
Here are some nice tips on prayer life https://safeshare.tv/x/ss60e60bec2d7ec
Here are beautiful meditations to share with your families: Meditations
● Thursday was a wonderful day of prayer, reflection and fellowship!! Thank you to all who made our retreats successful.
● Confessions are offered every Monday morning beginning at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
● Daily Mass is offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7 a.m. in the Archangel Chapel
● We all worry about our kids! I am always available for students and parents. You can contact me at eloeffler@lumenchristiak.org.
● We are always looking for service opportunities. If you know of an organization that can use volunteers please contact Mrs. Loeffler.
● Happy Birthday to Amara Warren, Irene Benkovich, Jules Butcher, Sophia Vierra, Erik Holmquist, and Liam Thomson, and Natalie Grubba!!
Prayer Corner
● For the repose of the souls of those we have lost, including Christine and Mike, and for comfort to the families.
● For those families affected by the COVID pandemic
● For peace in Afghanistan and all countries in distress
● For all affected by natural disasters
● For families in crisis
● For special intentions requested
Archangel Sports:
High School Soccer State Tournament!
First game: Thursday, Sept 30th at 3pm @Kincaid
Middle School BASKETBALL starts Wednesday, October 6th. More info to follow next week.
High School Volleyball “Spiketacular” Tournament October 14th-16th @ Lumen Gym
Front Office News:
Looking for your Calling?
Please join us next Thursday, October 7th at 7pm for Lumen’s Christi First Annual Fall Speaker Series called “Navigating Your Calling”. Whether you are a student looking ahead to the future, an adult actively working but thinking of switching careers, or someone ready to be inspired and learn from notable members of our Catholic community, we encourage you to join us for this informative and educational event located in LCHS Gymnasium. Free of charge. Everyone is welcomed.
For more information visit: www.lumenchristiak.com/lumen-news-speaker-series
PSAT October 16th!
A gentle reminder to 9-11th graders that the PSAT will take place on Saturday, October 16th from 8am-12pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe, instead of being offered during the school day. This is for two primary reasons: 1) scheduling it on a Saturday gives us back precious content area class time that would otherwise be used to administer a standardized test and 2) scheduling it on a Saturday makes it more realistic for those who will later have to sleepily trudge to Grace Christian or UAA to take the ACT or SAT on a Saturday morning in their junior and senior year.
St. Benedict’s Afterschool Bioethics Class
In a world that thinks if science can do it then we should do it, we desperately need young Catholics (and other seekers of truth) who understand Catholic moral theology and have the ability to reason to the truth. This bioethics class looks at all the cutting edge science that deals with beginning of life, end of life, and all the moral issues in between. We will focus on cutting edge technology that is in the news such as artificial intelligence in military robots, chimera research that mixes human brains with other organisms, and parents choosing embryos that have the genetic traits they prefer. We will focus on discussion of these scenarios. If you want a more in depth look at bioethics, please join Bob McMorrow and Gabe O’Lena for afterschool theology classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:45 in the upper room.
Tamale Orders!
If you placed an order for tamales, do not forget to pick up your order this upcoming Sunday, October 3rd or Monday, October 4th between 2pm & 3pm. You will be receiving a call as a reminder for your order. ¡Muchas gracias familia Ortega!
SENIOR PICS & PAGES
Every year the Yearbook staff must submit a predetermined amount of pages on a set deadline to Jostens, our Yearbook company. For this first page submission deadline, we are kindly requesting to have all Senior Pages submitted to us by October 29, 2021. As a reminder, the Senior Page is the full page that parents traditionally create for their graduate along with a little message of well-wishes and prayers. The pages can be created in JPEG or PDF and when completed should be sent to our Yearbook email: Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org We also hope that you have had time to take Senior photos of your Graduate over the summer. Fall would be another good time to take it if you haven’t! The photo does not have to be taken by a professional photographer, though it is preferred. If you have a good camera, you may take the photo yourself. Either way, send us a 300 dpi quality photo that is in focus (not blurry) and has a nice background.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Yearbook Team by sending an email to Yearbook@lumenchristiak.org
FIRST CALL FOR……. GALA HELP!
Our Annual Fundraising Gala, scheduled for February 12th is now open for business and looking for it’s first round of volunteers! If you’re interested in helping make procurement calls and/or picking items from businesses, please contact our Procurement Chair, Carla Blackford-Esary at killerwhale74@hotmail.com Note that both of these jobs earn you double Share Hours, so if you’ve got 40 hours to fill, this is a good way to cut that figure in half!
Shout Out to Our Debate Team
Andrew Butcher, Liam Dupras, Colin Murkowski, and Lucille Stephens will be representing LCHS next Friday and Saturday, October 8th & 9th at Eagle River High School. Best of luck to our debate team on their first tournament of the season!
Lumen News – Lumen Speaker Series
Save the date! Join us on October 7th at 7pm for Lumen Christi’s First Annual Fall Speaker Series. All are welcome and the event is free of charge. Whether you are a student looking ahead, actively working but thinking of switching careers or ready to be inspired and learn, come join us! Masks will be required for all those in attendance. The forum will also be shared on Facebook Live for those that would like to attend virtually.
Derek Espeland is a Special Agent assigned to the Counterterrorism Squad of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, where he has served for
the past 22 years. He is a founding member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Anchorage, primarily investigating matters involving terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Throughout his career at the FBI, he has also participated in various criminal investigations including violent crime, drug trafficking, public corruption, fugitive matters, and threats. Derek is a certified bomb technician, a Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator, and Hazardous Materials Technician.
Prior to joining the FBI, Derek served in the United States Marine Corps and was employed in the private sector as a Hazardous Materials Field Chemist. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Health from Illinois State University.
Brigit Reynolds was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. For college, Brigit moved to the Gulf Coast and attended Spring Hill College where she got a degree in International Studies with minors in Political Science/Law and Latin American Studies.
After graduating college, she served as a Jesuit Volunteer/Americorps member in Anchorage through Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest at Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services (RAIS), a program of Catholic Social Services.
She currently works for RAIS as the Education and Employment Coordinator.
Deacon Kurt Adler has a deacon at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for six years and a parishioner there for 41 years. He’s been an independent businessman in Anchorage for 25 years working in the automotive industry.
He came to Alaska in 1980 with his family at the age of 16 and started working with them in the mineral exploration field. Learning to do geophysical work, surveying and prospecting, he worked in several different industries including construction remodel, crabbing, welding and as an exploration geochemical technician for Cominco Alaska.
Working primarily in rural Alaska, he also built exploration camps for Russia and spent some time in Chile, the North Slope and the Red Dog mine out of Kotzebue. In 1996 he went into a partnership in an Independent Subaru business which he now owns together with his wife Joan. The business supports 20 employees. He was ordained a deacon in 2015 in the Archdiocese of Anchorage and now serve in that same capacity for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.
Dr. Katie Magnuson is a general pediatrician at LaTouche Pediatrics and a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish. She obtained her medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric training at the University of Wisconsin.
She worked in neonatal intensive care and inpatient hospital medicine at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, WI and at Yale University in New Haven, CT, respectively, prior to her move to Anchorage in 2016 with her husband and twin boys.
Dr. Magnuson is grateful for her calling as a pediatrician, and feels privileged to witness and be a part of the life of each child she meets, whether it is rejoicing in a child’s growth and triumphs, or walking with patients and families during an illness or challenging life situation.
She is a practicing Catholic who describes her faith and relationship with Jesus Christ as the foundation of her life and as vital to her as the air she breathes.
Melissa Branch is the proud owner and principal engineer of Big City Engineers, LLC, a boutique civil engineering firm in Anchorage, Alaska providing site research, planning assistance, site grading and drainage design, water and wastewater design, and permitting assistance services. As a small business owner, Melissa’s mission is to challenge the perception that bigger means better. She earned her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage and is a Life Member of SWE.
When it comes to site design, Melissa thrives on the collaborative process, working with others to develop a setting that complements the building’s use and connects the site to the community. With the lessons learned from over 20 years of experience, she enjoys solving complex design challenges and leveraging relationships with other design professionals and agency representatives to help her clients realize their vision and accomplish their goals.
As a community advocate, Melissa uses her volunteer time to lift others up and contribute to making a community that she is proud to call home. She is passionately involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) – mentoring new leaders, raising funds for scholarships, mentoring the UAA Collegiate Section, and participating in SWE Greatland’s many outreach events. Melissa also serves as a Programs Chair for the Alaska Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, the Communications Chair for the UAA College of Engineering Advisory Board, and on the Anchorage CANstruction Steering Committee.
She grew up in military parishes (Air Force Brat) and now attends St. Anthony Catholic Church. Melissa serves as a lector, participates in the community garden, and with the help of her son, maintains the parish’s little library.
Melissa’s most challenging and rewarding project is motherhood. Her young son keeps both her and her husband on their toes.
Father Leo Walsh was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1987, he received a Degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and Labor Relations. After working in the private sector for a few years, Fr. Walsh entered seminary studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Anchorage in 1994 and returned to Rome for a year to finish a Licentiate in Ecumenical Theology at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Urbe, also known as the “Angelicum.” In 2008, Fr. Walsh was granted a Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Angelicum with a concentration in Ecumenical Theology. In 2019 he returned from Rome after obtaining a License in Canon Law.
After assignments as Associate Pastor at two inner-city parishes, Fr. Walsh was named Pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Eagle River, Alaska, in 1999. In addition, Fr. Walsh has served the Archdiocese as Vicar General, Vicar for Clergy, Vocations Director, Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer, as well as on the College of Consultors and as a trustee on the Priest Retirement Trust.
In May 2009, Fr. Walsh was appointed Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., where he served as the Interreligious Specialist.
On June 1, 2011, Fr. Walsh returned to Anchorage as Pastor of St. Benedict Parish, where he served for five years.
Fr. Walsh returned from Rome in 2019 and is now the Pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Anchorage, as well as the Judicial Vicar for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.
Fr. Walsh has served on innumerable boards and task forces including the boards of the Anchorage Opera, Catholic Social Services and the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interfaith Officers. In 2002 he was invested as a Knight in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem and was promoted to the rank of Knight Commander in 2007.
He is also a licensed Rugby Referee and a Nationally Certified Beer Judge. Fr. Walsh is a licensed private pilot with multiple ratings and is a proud member of the National Association of Priest Pilots. Blessed with the “Gift of Gab,” Fr. Walsh loves to give talks on a variety of topics, and does so in dioceses and parishes throughout the United States and Canada.
When he is not in the parish or traveling around the country, he enjoys flying his float-equipped bush plane to many secret fishing holes or to his remote cabin in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness.
Read More