St. Anthony Parish, Anchorage, AK
Each member of Anchorage’s Kateri Circle comes to St. Anthony parish every Thursday to share their joy. Whether they express that joy through a dish they bring to the potluck, an intention before the rosary, a story during fellowship, insight when discussing their weekly scripture readings, or a smile to a newcomer, it is the love of God they partake in and share, integrating it in their own way.
A little over a dozen in number, the group is full of energy, organizing a number of Alaska Native events across the archdiocese with the same eagerness they organize for a group photo. Since 1980, the archdiocese’s Native Ministry has helped Alaska Native Catholics express their faith through their culture and support one another in their relationships with God. The Kateri Circle is an important aspect of the ministry. Named for St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint canonized who lived within what is now the United States, the Kateri Circle prays for her intercession at each meeting.
The archdiocese has two Kateri Circles. One meets at Sacred Heart in Wasilla, and the other meets at St. Anthony parish. Most recently, the Kateri Circle’s members helped organize last December’s Christ the King Mass at St. Anthony parish, which saw many King Islanders come together in faith and fellowship. 46 years ago, the ministry’s first Mass was celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King at the very same parish.
Sr. Jean Rhoads, D.C., says Sue Toliver, a King Islander Kateri Circle member fluent in Iñupiaq, helped “bring everyone together.” Many members of the Kateri Circle are not King Islanders but rather come from other Yup’ik, Iñupiat, and Aleut groups. Nevertheless, they all helped with the Mass, which saw a new eagle feather blessed and put onto the archdiocesan Native cross.
Though descending from Norwegians and Swedes, Steve Moberg, Sue’s husband, is part of the Kateri Circle as well. His first taste of Alaska was being stationed at Ft. Wainwright back in 1975, the year it got down to -65° in Fairbanks. Later he met Sue in Dillingham while they were both working for a local airline. Like many in the group, he wears a kuspuk to the circle or different events. Sr. Jean notes that each kuspuk reflects its creator in a unique way, particularly with regards to braid work and its location on a kuspuk’s sleeves.
In the same way, each dish brought to the potluck reflected its creator, too. Gemma Gaudio smiled as she received many compliments for the king salmon dish she brought. Likewise, Aimee Aloysius’s fish pie was eaten up very quickly. Rice, coleslaw, berries, brownies, and cookies all added to the meal and fellowship.
Food and conversation go hand-in-hand in preparing for reflection on the sacred scriptures. Renee Nicholson had old pictures in the middle of the table to show around and give away. Now a board member for the Copper Valley School Association, she recalled her time as a student at the former Copper Valley School near Glennallen in 1964, when the Good Friday Earthquake shook Alaska. The cross that originally stood in their chapel had fallen, sparing damage to the altar. That cross now stands in Sacred Heart Cathedral, the see of the Diocese of Fairbanks.
After eating, the group reads and discusses Sunday’s readings from At Home with the Word 2026. They share their food, their thoughts, and their stories, continuing the mission of the archdiocese’s Native Ministry established 46 years ago to help Alaska Native people living in Anchorage rediscover community and be a source of strength for each other as they share their joy and live out the faith together.
The archdiocese has two Kateri Circles, one in Anchorage, and one in Wasilla. Each group welcomes anyone, Alaska Native or otherwise, who wishes to join their devotion to St. Kateri Tekakwitha and follow her way of life. For more information see aoaj.org/office-of-native-ministries.
