Diocese of Fairbanks
PASTORAL SUPPORT OF NATIVE MISSIONS
St. Jude Catholic Church (Little Diomede Island)--In late September, Bishop Zielinski and missionary priest Fr. Kumar Pasala from India visited St. Jude’s for three days to celebrate the Mass and sacraments. Little Diomede is a tiny, 3-square-mile island of about 80 Inupiat Eskimo native people, who only see a priest around twice a year.
St. Patrick Catholic Church (Barrow)--St. Patrick’s hosted five young adult missionaries from the Alaska Mission group, who conducted a one-day retreat for youth and young adults in mid-September.
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church (Chefornak)--Fr. Stan Roz, a missionary priest from Poland, now serves Chefornak and two other parishes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. He spends one week per month in the village, which has significantly improved its pastoral situation over recent years when parishioners only saw a priest about four times per year.
INTERIOR REGION COORDINATOR
Brother Bob Ruzicka is working with the coordinator of the diocese’s Office of Faith and Family Formation, Fred Villa, to organize a family conference for interior region parishes. The conference will take place in spring 2021 and will address many of the issues that afflict interior families, such as alcoholism and mental illness.
OFFICE OF FAITH AND FAMILY FORMATION
The diocese recently gained a new OFFF Coordinator, Fred Villa, who served under former Bishop Donald Kettler. Villa has begun promoting “Tips for Traditions” in weekly bulletins, which offer ideas for adding faith-based rituals into family life. The Feast & Faith program around Fairbanks also continues to grow, now attracting nearly 50 young adults each month. Attendees have forged such strong bonds that they now meet almost weekly on their own for movie nights, bowling, and hiking.
Y-K DELTA REGION ADULT FAITH FORMATION & EVANGELIZATION
The Y-K Delta region’s demographics are shifting younger (40% of residents are under 20; 70% are under 40). Yet just 20% of Yup’ik couples with children are married. To promote marriage, program director Patrick Tam is working with rural faith leaders to develop a culturally-appropriate marriage prep that encourages sacramental marriage and the practice of the faith among married couples.
RURAL FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM
The native couples that comprise the core team for RFLP finally were able to meet in September, after having two previous meetings canceled due to inclement weather. The group shared information they had gathered about the needs of rural families and discussed the logistics of hosting a regional family conference for Yup’ik Catholics in the next two years.
