ALASKA NEWS
Young Alaskans prep for World Youth Day in Portugal
Young Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau are preparing to travel to Lisbon, Portugal, in August 2023 for World Youth Day — an opportunity to experience the global Church, be a witness of Christ, and experience the Holy Spirit. World Youth Day typically includes catechetical formation and spiritual experiences, including daily Mass, opportunities for…
St. Anthony Parish holds Native Mass for St. Kateri Tekakwitha feast day
In honor of the Feast Day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Anthony Parish in Anchorage held a celebratory Mass in July to commemorate the life of the first Catholic American Indigenous saint. On July 16, the Anchorage parish invited people to join their Kateri Circle for the special occasion. The spirituality of these communal groups…
Archdiocesan school teachers attend in-service in Anchorage
Before the start of every school year, teachers from across the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau are invited to the annual Catholic schools’ in-service to hone current skills and learn new ones. This year, two Gonzaga University professors were invited to help archdiocesan faculty better connect and understand their students for the 2022-23 school year. On Tuesday,…
Alaska Native Catholics attend ‘Alive in Christ’ event in Chicago
A group of young adult Alaska Natives from the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau and Diocese of Fairbanks ventured to Chicago in late June for a synodal process event to dis- cuss their hopes for the Catholic Church’s future. From the archdiocese, Sister Frances Vista and two Alaska Native residents of Anchorage, Jenay Mike, and Jessica Hunt,…
Big Lake parish celebrates life as a Catholic community
Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Big Lake has roots as deep as the archdiocese. Its first church building was completed and dedicated in 1966, the same year that Pope Paul VI established the Archdiocese of Anchorage and appointed Archbishop Joseph Ryan as its first archbishop. It was to be a baptism of fire…
Catholic Social Services opens new shelter in Anchorage, providing 83 new beds for homeless
Catholic Social Services accomplished a milestone on June 6 with the help of all of you and many incredible partners. Together, we added 83 new beds to the shelter system at a time when it’s most needed. Thanks to so much hard work from our team, Complex Care at 303 W. Fireweed in Anchorage opened,…
Archdiocese hires new director to oversee faith formation ministries, Catholic schools
Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau hired Liz Loeffler as its new director of faith formation. She began her new role at the beginning of July. Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., asks everyone to join him in welcoming Loeffler as the new director of faith formation for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. In this role, Loeffler will lead archdiocesan…
6 Washington Catholics help remodel hall of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell
Six men from St. Michael Parish in Olympia, Washington, traveled to Wrangell for a week to help parishioners remodel the St. Rose of Lima Parish hall in early June. “Please offer a prayer for each of them and their needs,” said Father Steven Gallagher on Facebook about the “Missionary Six,” as he calls them —…
Deacon Gary Horton dies at age 85 in May
Deacon Gary Horton, one of the earliest permanent deacons to serve the former Diocese of Juneau, died on May 16, 2022. He was 85 years old. A funeral Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Juneau on June 8. Deacon Horton was interred at the columbarium at…