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 in Tagalog.

Fr. Nations was recently reassigned from pastor of Sacred Heart, Wasilla to pastor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage, where he continues to offer mass in Spanish for its many Hispanic parishioners.

As for those extra-curricular skills, “I grew up the second of 13 children,” he said. “In a large family you learn to do everything.”

Along with pastoral tasks, Fr. Nations has been renovating the rectory at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “A great savings for the parish when, along with help from Deacon Gabriel and other volunteers, you do it yourselves,” he said.

Fr. Nations was ordained on July 26, 1997, and is nearing his 30^th year as a priest. On Sept. 1, he celebrated his second year in Alaska, which is a long distance from his small hometown of Perryville, Missouri.

“I entered the seminary as a freshman in high school near Chicago, Illinois and continued through formation until I was ordained at 28 years old,” he said. “Even before I was ordained, my primary ministry has been with the Latino populations in the United States and Central America.”

Fr. Nations first pondered the priesthood when he was in fifth grade.

“Through the support of my parents, encouragement of many parishioners and being surrounded by the Daughters of  Charity sisters, and Vincentian Fathers at St. Vincent’s Catholic School in Perryville, Missouri, it only seemed natural that I became a Vincentian Priest.”

The Congregation of the Mission, abbreviated C.M. and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life for men founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1625. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations that look to Vincent de Paul as their founder, patron and spiritual guide.

Since the Vincentians are a missionary community, the path to the priesthood has taken Fr. Nations from parishes in Arkansas to St. Louis, to New Orleans, then Los Angeles, and lastly to Alaska. In the midst of these assignments, Fr. Nations also lived in missions in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras and Peru. He was assigned to the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau in 2023 to continue ministering to the Hispanic community.

“I’ve worked almost exclusively in Hispanic parishes for most of my priestly life. For me, coming to Alaska was like dying and going to heaven — it’s cold and the fishing adventures are amazing,” Fr. Nations said. “Since I’m fluent in Spanish, I always figured I’d end up in Texas or Alaska. I’m glad it’s Alaska.”

As Fr. Nations begins his ministry at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he feels his mission is not only to serve the Hispanic community but also to integrate the diverse cultures that grace this parish.

Some of the immediate endeavors include developing a local chapter of the vibrant, international youth group, the Vincentian Marian Youth, and to organize a communal wedding celebration for those who want to bless and convalidate their marriages. As the parish begins a new faith formation year, he hopes to include a component where parents also participate in formation for themselves.

“In the development of these and other new ministries, I hope to imbue a sense of Vincentian Spirituality, incarnational spirituality, to find the face of Christ in the poor whom we serve,” he said.