Editor's Picks
Record year in Juneau for giving despite snow, rain, cold
In the midst of a record 80 inches of snow falling on Juneau in the holiday season, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. Therese Conference (SVdP) served 25%…
Spring Creek Correctional Center caroling continues on
In the busy holiday season, setting aside time to perform live music in a Christmas program at Seward’s Spring Creek Correctional Facility requires dedication, practice and planning. But it’s worth…
Fairbanks Bishop Steven Maekawa, O.P., celebrates Mass before AFN convention
Bishop of Fairbanks Steven Maekawa, O.P. celebrated Mass at Holy Family parish in Anchorage on October 15, preceeding the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention. To celebrate the archdiocese’s Alaska Native community, present for the Mass were many members of the archdiocese’s Kateri Circles, and Sr. Jean Rhoads, D.C. Concelebrating with Bishop Maekawa, who formerly…
Retirement inspires a tale of two statues
As of November 17, I’ll officially be a priest in occasional ministry, having reached the retirement age of 70 the day before. I’d like to offer this reflection on my experience as a priest. When we cleaned my dad’s house after he died, we found all sorts of mementos my parents had saved from our…
St. Catherine of Siena parish finds hope in rebuilding
St. Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg just poured the foundation for its new church on August 17, 2025, just over two years after their old church burned. On August 31, pastor Fr. Jose Thomas carried out a ground blessing, praying that the Holy Spirit “be with us… that we may set aside individual differences…
Sister of Charity Delia Sizler Celebrates Diamond Jubilee
This article was written and sent by the Sisters of Charity Cincinnati Communications Office. When she was just 8 years old, Sister Delia Sizler knew she wanted to dedicate her life to caring for children who had no families of their own. By the time she reached eighth grade, she realized that the best way…
Multi-talented priest moves to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Fr. David Nations C.M. is a multi-tasking Vincentian priest. He is fluent in Spanish and has ministered to the Latino community for over 30 years. He fixes bothersome IT issues, hems and mends his own vestments, cooks and bakes for large gatherings, knits, remodels homes, repairs engines, and currently is learning how to offer mass…
Lumen Christi teacher donates a kidney to former student
Lea Bouton, a current teacher at Lumen Christi High School (LCHS) in Anchorage, made the gift of donating her kidney to her former student, Jesse Batac in July 2025, saving his life. When Bouton met Batac nearly ten years ago he was a 10th grade student in two…
Sr. Jean Rhoads, D.C., Joins Archdiocese Office of Native Ministry
Sr. Jean Rhoads is not one to shy away from adventure, and on May 27, 2025 she began a new one, arriving in Alaska for the first time. It is Sr. Jean’s 50th year as a Daughter of Charity, and, while Alaska is a popular tourist destination for those celebrating milestone anniversaries, Sr. Jean didn’t…
Parishioners of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau enjoy the wet, but fun annual Archbishop’s Golf Tournament to support seminarians
More than just a nice day golfing, the annual Archbishop’s Golf Tournament exists to support the archdiocese’s seminarians as they undergo rigorous studies to become blessings to the faithful. This year’s event was held August 7 at Anchorage’s Moose Run Golf Course. It is the archdiocese’s goal to “get a priest into every parish and…
The History and Ministry of Thrift Stores
Originally printed in the June 2025 issue This is the first in a series of articles highlighting thrift stores in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Thrift stores are a relatively new invention in the history of human societies. The reason is simple, historian Susan Strasser in her book Waste & Want explains, “until the second half…
Dave Ringle reflects on Vincentian values after nearly six years of service
On July 1, 2025, Dave Ringle stepped down as the executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Therésè Conference, in Juneau, Alaska. He is succeeded by Jennifer Skinner, the new executive director of the society. As I have journeyed in my position as leader of St. Vincent de Paul within…