A Mass on the Feast of Christ the King at St. Anthony parish in Anchorage on November 22 honored King Islanders and Teddy Mayac Sr., who created a Native cross for the archdiocese in the 1970s. Sr. Jean Rhoads, D.C., director of Native Ministry, organized the Mass, while Kateri Circle members assisted with drumming, signing,…
Bishop of Fairbanks Steven Maekawa, O.P. celebrated Mass at Holy Family parish in Anchorage on October 15, preceeding the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) convention. To celebrate the archdiocese’s Alaska Native community, present for the Mass were many members of the archdiocese’s Kateri Circles, and Sr. Jean Rhoads, D.C. Concelebrating with Bishop Maekawa, who formerly…
As of November 17, I’ll officially be a priest in occasional ministry, having reached the retirement age of 70 the day before. I’d like to offer this reflection on my experience as a priest. When we cleaned my dad’s house after he died, we found all sorts of mementos my parents had saved from our…
St. Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg just poured the foundation for its new church on August 17, 2025, just over two years after their old church burned. On August 31, pastor Fr. Jose Thomas carried out a ground blessing, praying that the Holy Spirit “be with us… that we may set aside individual differences…
This article was written and sent by the Sisters of Charity Cincinnati Communications Office. When she was just 8 years old, Sister Delia Sizler knew she wanted to dedicate her life to caring for children who had no families of their own. By the time she reached eighth grade, she realized that the best way…
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…
Lea Bouton, a current teacher at Lumen Christi High School (LCHS) in Anchorage, made the gift of donating her kidney to her former student, Jesse Batac in July 2025, saving his life. When Bouton met Batac nearly ten years ago he was a 10th grade student in two…
Editor’s note: This article was published in the April 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. The first time I read a book by Jesuit Father Greg Boyle, I was on a long airline flight. As I became immersed in “Tattoos on the Heart,” my seatmates probably looked at me askance. I alternated laughing aloud, then…
Editor’s note: This article was published in the March 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. Dear Fr. Leo, Can a Christian be in the military? What about the fifth commandment? — G Dear G, The quick answer is, “Yes, but only for the right reasons.” Christian soldiers do not wage war indiscriminately. Rather, they…
Editor’s note: This article was published in the February 2023 issue of the North Star Catholic. After graduating from Lumen Christi High School in May 2022, I sought out higher education at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, to pursue a Biomedical Engineering degree. After my first semester of college, I can say with certainty…