An Eagle River parish reached a milestone of 1,000 prayer shawls created by a faithful group of 20-plus women over the past 11 years. Dolores Coates of St. Andrew parish in Eagle River keeps a book of the Prayer Shawl Ministry. It is not a ledger, but rather a record of first names, no…
JUNEAU — The turkeys were ordered in June. That’s how far ahead the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Juneau has to plan to put a complete Thanksgiving dinner on the tables of hundreds of Juneau and Douglas households, said Mollie Carr, the organization’s executive director. Each June, organizers look at the previous year’s…
St. Ann’s parish sits in one of the most isolated places in Southeast Alaska — Yakutat — a town ringed by water, mountains and glaciers, where the world, as parishioner Skip Ryman puts it, “forgot about us” more than once. Two flights a day connect Yakutat to the rest of Alaska now. The population has…
When Debbie Brewer first heard from a fellow teacher about a brand-new Catholic school opening in Anchorage, she made a phone call on a Sunday afternoon. By that evening, she had a job. School started Tuesday. That spontaneous beginning turned into one of the most enduring partnerships in Lumen Christi Catholic High School’s history. Now…
On Fat Tuesday, Feb. 17, the parish hall at St. John the Baptist parish in Homer was filled with the aroma of spareribs and home-cooked dishes as members of the Knights of Columbus hosted a parish-wide potluck ahead of Lent. The following day, on Ash Wednesday, Knights once again stood visibly at the heart of…
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% more families than last year’s holiday season. Jennifer Skinner, the executive director of SVdP, said the overall need was greater this year. The society oversees…
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 the effort to “spread the Catholic spirit of faith and joy, especially for people who don’t get to communicate with the world at all. It’s…
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…
Originally printed in the April 2025 issue Bonnie Bezousek, the new executive assistant to Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, carries on an unusual ministry. Away from her office, her favorite calling is to spend one-on-one time with friends and family to be present to their adventures in life. “This is my emphasis right now,” said Bezousek (pronounced bee-SOO-zak)….
Catholic parishes on the Kenai Peninsula are lending helping hands to neighbors this winter amid climbing food costs. Organizations balance year-round giving with specific weekly food and gas donations as well as other giving like the annual Coats for Kids. “It’s the giving season all year round — not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said…