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…
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,…
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,…
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 —…
Upon the end of the diocesan phase of the synod on Pentecost Sunday, June 5, the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau celebrated the synod closing Mass, which brought archdiocesan parishes and their parishioners’ respective cultures together for the first time since the new archdiocese was unified in September 2020. During the Mass, which was held at the…
The adventures of Father Bartholomew “Fr. Bart” Hutcherson’s, O.P., missionary and photographic travels across Alaska resulted in the release of his first book, “For the Beauty of the Earth: Experiencing the Glory of God in the Wonders of the 49th State,” on May 6. The shutterbug priest hosted a book launch party that day at…
Archbishop Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M., declared 14 Anchorage-area catechumens to now be members of the elect, confirming their readiness to celebrate baptism at the next Easter Vigil. He also welcomed 34 other Anchorage-area people to the final stage of preparation for the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist, which will take place on the same day. …
The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau announced the hiring of Danna Hoellering as its new director of finance in early March. Although she was recently hired, she is not new to the archdiocese’s chancery staff or Alaska. “I feel like my entire career has been leading me toward this, in my various positions, to prepare me for…
Lumen Christi Catholic High School hosted its livestream “No Place Like Home” gala auction on Saturday, Feb. 12, which raised more than $150,000 for its students. The event showcased the Catholic school’s tremendous support amongst its community. “We’re here to make an investment in the future,” said Dan Newman, owner of Alaska Premier Auctions and…
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The formation of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau unified the church of southern Alaska into a single entity, and by doing so, new roles and positions were created to help lead the archdiocese toward the future. LeAndra Childs, director of stewardship and communications, is at the forefront of that effort as she manages a similar…