Newly ordianed Bishop of Fairbanks, Bishop Steven Maekawa, spent most of December visiting parishes across western Alaska. Here he is seen outside the village of Kaltag, which lost its priest earlier this year when 95-year-old Fr. Joseph Father finally retired and returned to the lower 48 states.
Diocese of Fairbanks
PASTORAL SUPPORT OF NATIVE MISSIONS
Currently, the Diocese of Fairbanks has just 10 priests to serve its 38 rural churches across western Alaska, with one additional part-time priest from Michigan who flies to several of the most remote villages a few times per year. In fall, the diocese was able to bring on an additional missionary priest from South Korea. Father Peter Bang arrived in November and will spend the next six months based in Fairbanks, with short visits to villages to get culturally acclimated. The diocese’s clergy shortage is helped by visits to villages by Fairbanks’ newly ordained bishop, Bishop Steven Maekawa, who has flown to at least six villages since September to celebrate the Mass and sacraments and meet the faithful in their home parishes. The diocese also is in the process of completing construction on St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in the village of Kaltag. The old structure was a repurposed fuel oil shed that only held seating for about 15 people. The new church will enable at least 30 people to attend Mass on weekends when a priest is available.
Y-K ADULT FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM
In October, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region’s Adult Faith Formation program was able to host its first annual retreat for young adults since the onset of the pandemic. Every spring, the diocese would bring up Father Tri Dinh, S.J., who works in young adult ministry with Christus Ministries in California, for a 3-day event in the hub city of Bethel that would draw around 25 individuals for 8-10 villages across western Alaska. Pandemic shutdowns, followed by plumbing problems in the retreat center, delayed the annual meeting for more than two years. Then last April, Father Tri became ill just a few days before the retreat. Rather than wait a year for the gathering, the diocese rescheduled for October 6-8, with an apropos theme of, “Encountering Hope.” Twelve young adults and older adults from their 20s to 60s gathered at the Moravian Seminary for a weekend of reflection, prayer, and liturgy. Retreatants came from the villages of Chevak, Marshall, Saint Marys, Emmonak, Tununak, and Bethel. Father Tri led the retreat with help from five facilitators who assisted with small group discussions.At the end of the weekend, the group expressed a desire for more experiences like this retreat. Retreatants shared openly with one another about their personal struggles and how they have encountered God in the midst of suffering, and post-retreat feedback confirmed they left with a renewed sense of hope and community as young Catholics. they found a sense of peace and hope. In response, Father Tri was open to the suggestion of a second retreat in April 2024. If enough funding is available, we hope to make that suggestion a reality.
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Koyukuk is finally getting an upgrade! For the past few decades, the parish building consisted of a renovated fuel-oil shed whose walls were so soaked with oil they wouldn’t hold paint. The old building also could only hold about 15 people. The new structure, which is expected to be complete by summer 2024, will enable at least 30 people to attend Mass regularly.
