About the Archdiocese of Anchorage

The Local Church

Two archbishops (Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI and Archbishop Emeritus Francis T. Hurley), 10 active diocesan priests, 8 priests on loan from other dioceses, and 10 religious priests serve the Church in the Archdiocese of Anchorage. These 28 priests share in ministry with 43 religious women, 13 active permanent deacons, three religious brothers, and many lay people active in various ministries in the parishes, missions and throughout the archdiocese.

The Archbishop’s Pastoral Center staff has 36 full time and part time employees who work in the Archbishops’ Offices, Tribunal, Office of Evangelization, Stewardship and Development Office, Finance Office, Religious Education Office, Office of Justice and Peace, Administrative Services, Communications and the Catholic Anchor Newspaper, and other central ministries and programs.

Five of the eight parishes in the Anchorage urban area have two priests, the others have only one. With the ordination earlier this summer of two new priests for the archdiocese, there is the luxury of having more than one priest in the larger parishes. This is only a temporary situation, however, until these new priests are mentored and experienced enough to take on their own parishes – probably within two years or less. Outside of Anchorage, only seven parishes have a resident priest. There are many parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Anchorage without a resident priest pastor. Resident pastoral administrators who are religious women or laypeople serve six of the larger of these parishes and missions. The others are served by local volunteers and by a corps of traveling/supply priests. These parishes and missions without a resident pastor host a supply priest about twice per month. The costs for these "supply" priests are very high given that most travel is by commercial airlines. Several priests, including Archbishop Schwietz and retired Archbishop Hurley, are licensed to fly private aircraft, and do so when weather permits. Archbishop Schwietz completed his training for a private airplane license in the late spring of 2003 and thus far limits his travels to only nearby sites. Commercial air travel within Alaska is often more expensive than travel from Anchorage to cities in the lower 48 states, so private airplanes can save money and more importantly, precious time for some of our priests.

When, in an airplane crash, the archdiocese suddenly and tragically lost Fr. Jim Kelley, the former navy chaplain who maintained a regular flying ministry to approximately 15 villages and communities in the Bristol Bay and Aleutian regions of Western Alaska, the circuit supply program was badly impacted. Based in Dillingham, Fr. Kelley flew to these small towns and villages on a regular circuit. A priest pilot replacement for Fr. Kelley has not yet been found, but this fall, a laywoman pastoral administrator was posted to Holy Rosary Parish in Dillingham and some of its surrounding mission sites. The need to provide a priest on a regular cycle will continue to stretch an already overtaxed corps of supply priests and funds.

Difficult and costly travel, geographic challenges, a harsh winter climate, and the shortage of priests in the Archdiocese present major obstacles to ministry in the Archdiocese. Despite these obstacles and challenges to ministry, the archdiocese is well established. Though there are a small number of parishes and missions in the archdiocese, many are strong and vibrant faith communities. Three of these parishes have schools. St. Mary's, on Kodiak Island, has the oldest Catholic elementary (K-8) school, which opened in 1954. In Anchorage, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has K-6 elementary school and St. Benedict Parish operates Lumen Christi Junior-Senior High School. There is also a private K - 12 Catholic school in Anchorage. In the past year, the archdiocese, with funding from a private foundation, hired a Catholic school development person to assist in increasing enrollments and planning for new parish based grade schools.

The Catholic Church has a strong presence in the community. Catholic Social Services continues to be one of the largest human service organizations in Alaska providing services such as emergency shelter, immigration assistance, food and clothing, and care for the developmentally disabled to people from all faiths and walks of life. Catholics serve in all areas and levels of civic and business organizations throughout the community. The Alaska Catholic Conference (a partnership of the three Alaska dioceses) is a well recognized and respected organization in the state legislature and other branches of government. The Sisters of Providence operate the largest health care system in Alaska, based in Anchorage with affiliate hospitals and care facilities in the outlying areas of Kodiak, Homer, and Seward and assisted living and nursing homes in Anchorage.

There are no Catholic colleges or universities in Alaska. As a result, the archdiocese has had several arrangements in the past with Catholic Universities such as Gonzaga University in Spokane and Loyola University in New Orleans for courses and program delivery on-site in Anchorage. Through a generous gift from a local family, an endowed Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Theology was established several years ago at the only private four-year college in Anchorage, Alaska Pacific University. APU was established by the United Methodist Church and retains many connections to that faith, but through collaboration with this endowed chair, the archdiocese is able to offer distinctly Catholic course work at APU.

Many religious communities are represented by the women and men who serve in ministries here.