Diocese of Fairbanks
PASTORAL SUPPORT OF NATIVE MISSIONS
Currently, the diocese has just 10 priests to serve all of 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. Rural Alaskan villages experienced prolonged pandemic lockdowns and are now in the process of “spiritual and sacramental recovery.” Village parishes are now reinstating religious education classes, sacramental prep, and adult faith formation activities. At Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the village of Emmonak, the parish hosted a “vacation Bible school” for 18 children in June, the first since 2019. The parish continues to conduct a weekly adult faith formation for adults, with an emphasis on passing the faith on to the next generation, which was requested by church elders as part of the synodal process.
In August, two village churches in the interior region--St. Teresa’s in Kaltag and St. Peter in Chains in Ruby--lost their long-time pastor, Father Joseph Hemmer. Father Hemmer, who is 95 years old, is a Franciscan priest who spent 35 years of his “retirement” serving churches in the interior region. He was beloved by parishioners and became known as the “village handyman” because he frequently helped Catholics and non-Catholics alike repair their boilers, boat engines, and homes. The parishes are now visited periodically by Vietnamese missionary priest Fr. Thinh Van Tran, as well as other visiting priests.
Y-K REGION COORDINATOR
Sister Kathy Radich coordinates ministry for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, a vast area in western Alaska that is home to 24 of the diocese’s 46 churches. Most parishes in “the bush” are served by missionary priests from other parts of the world and cultural differences can impact pastoral effectiveness. One major success for our regional coordinator in 2023 was the incorporation of cultural education into regional staff meetings. Sister Kathy invited deacons and other indigenous Catholics into the meetings to talk about the unique worldview of Yup'ik people and how they can be best approached by priests. The impact has been overwhelmingly positive. For example, priests who would have hesitated to reach out to parishioners in their homes because their own culture would consider that rude are now taking the initiative and visiting people personally and inviting them to join parish life. This has engendered a much closer relationship and trust between priests and the Native people they serve, says Sr. Kathy.
Y-K ADULT FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region’s Adult Faith Formation program continues to struggle with a lack of adequate meeting space for regional meetings, according to program director Patrick Tam. The only sufficiently large meeting space with lodging in the region--the Moravian Seminary in Bethel--remained closed through fall due to plumbing issues. Tam has attempted smaller meetings on the subregional level, but few villages have adequate accommodations for even a smaller group of 10. In the meantime, Tam is continuing to promote greater devotion to the Eucharist as part of the USCCB’s Eucharistic Revival initiative. He is working with parish leaders, the local radio station, and regional faith leadership to develop parish- and family-based resources that will reinforce the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
