Editor’s note: This article was published in the February 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Catholic organizations caring for the homeless in Alaska say they experienced a busier year than usual in 2022. According to Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, more than 15,000 people throughout the state needed some kind of…
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. The saint’s feast day takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 4. St. Seton is the patroness of one Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau parish and elementary school in Anchorage. The saint is remembered as a wife, mother,…
The Daughters of Charity, one of the oldest orders of religious sisters, dates back to the early 1600s with about 14,000 active members throughout five continents. Currently, the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau is home to three of those members. Sister Cecilia Nguyen wanted to join the convent at the age of 13 in the 1980s when…
African missionary sisters living in Alaska were gifted a hefty donation from local supporters of the Catholic faith throughout October and November. Supporters of the sisters created the fundraiser to fund repairs for their community home in Anchorage. People raised $27,258 for the Anchorage-area members of the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, a…
A candlelight ceremony and a King Islander drum cross, designed as the only one of its kind, led the liturgical celebration honoring the Feast of Christ the King on Saturday, Nov. 19, at St. Anthony Parish in Anchorage. It is one of the first post-COVID-19 gatherings to resume in full after statewide shutdowns. The Native…
The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau hosted the first Native ministry meeting in Juneau in years in mid-October. The last time a Native ministry group met in Alaska’s capital was before the departure of Bishop Edward Burns, from the former Diocese of Juneau, in 2017, said Sister Frances “Sr. Frances” Vista, D.C., director of Catholic Native ministry for…
Ed Burke did not hear God’s voice blatantly calling him to the priesthood. It took years of listening to his mother share the adventurous stories of Catholic saints before he understood that God had great things in store for him, and he slowly found his calling to become a “spiritual hero” like them. “That’s what…
Alaskan boys between the ages of 13 and 17 years old participated in the Priestly Vocations Retreat at St. Therese’s Camp in Wasilla in late September. The weekend retreat saw 30 boys from different parishes across the archdiocese join together on Sept. 23-24 to learn about the priesthood. Priests currently serving the archdiocese discussed how…
The Korean Missionary Society of Alaska hosted a priest retreat in Juneau in early October for four Korean priests working for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. The retreat, which took place at the National Shrine of St. Thérèse in Juneau from Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, was an opportunity for silent reflection, prayer, and conversation amongst…
The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau saw a handful of priests transfer to new locations throughout the region upon the order of its archbishop. Archbishop Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M., assigned the following priests to new parishes within the diocese: Father Michael Ko, KMS; Father Jose Thomas, MCBS; Father Steve Gallagher; and Father Madison Hayes, according to Vice…