About Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau
The Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (Latin: Archidiœcesis Ancoragiensis–Junellensis) is the Roman Catholic metropolitan see covering southern Alaska, encompassing some 320,932 square kilometers — most of the Alaska Panhandle, the Aleutian Chain, the Kenai Peninsula, and the Anchorage bowl. Erected in its present form on May 19, 2020 by Pope Francis through the merger of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau, it is the seat of its own ecclesiastical province, with the Diocese of Fairbanks as its sole suffragan. The current archbishop is Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M., a Vincentian (Congregation of the Mission), and the mother church is Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Anchorage, paired with the Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is the patroness of the archdiocese, whose Catholic faithful number roughly 55,000–56,000 across 32 parishes and one mission.
- Archbishop
- Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M.
- Established
- 2020
- Cathedral
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, Anchorage
- Territory
- Southern Alaska, including the Municipality of Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Valdez–Cordova area, the Kodiak Island Borough, the Aleutian Chain (including Unalaska), the Bristol Bay region (Dillingham, Naknek, Clark's Point), the City and Borough of Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Haines, Skagway, Hoonah, Gustavus, Metlakatla, and other communities in the Alaska Panhandle.
- Parishes
- 32 parishes and 1 mission
- Province
- Metropolitan see in its own ecclesiastical Province of Anchorage–Juneau; Diocese of Fairbanks is its only suffragan.
History of the Archdiocese
The Catholic history of southern Alaska begins with the first Oblate missionaries who entered the territory from Canada in 1871, just four years after the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, missionaries, religious sisters, and secular priests established a network of parishes, schools, and hospitals stretching from Wrangell and Juneau to Skagway, Nome, and Anchorage. The hierarchy evolved from a Prefecture Apostolic (1894) to a Vicariate Apostolic (1916) to a Diocese of Juneau (1951) to the Archdiocese of Anchorage (1966) and finally, in 2020, to the unified Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. The current form of the archdiocese, erected by Pope Francis on May 19, 2020, combined the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau under a single ordinary and a single chancery.
- 1871: Oblates of Mary Immaculate enter Alaska via the Yukon River
- 1879: Father John Althoff founds Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Wrangell — first Catholic parish in Alaska
- 1886: Sisters of Saint Ann open St. Ann's Hospital, Juneau — first Catholic hospital in Alaska
- 1894: Pope Leo XIII erects the Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska
- 1916: Pope Benedict XV elevates it to a Vicariate Apostolic
- 1951: Pope Pius XII erects the Diocese of Juneau
- 1966: Pope Paul VI erects the Archdiocese of Anchorage
- 1981: Pope John Paul II celebrates Mass on the Anchorage Park Strip
- 2014: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church elevated to co-cathedral
- 2020: Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau erected by merger
Cathedral and Co-Cathedral
The mother church of the archdiocese is Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Anchorage, a Mission Revival–style church designed by Architects Alaska, dedicated in 2005, and elevated from parish to co-cathedral in 2014 and to full cathedral in 2020. Installed in the sanctuary is the cathedra (bishop's chair) used by Pope John Paul II when he celebrated Mass in Anchorage in 1981. The co-cathedral is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau, paired with the new archdiocese to reflect the merger with the former Diocese of Juneau. The former Cathedral of the Holy Family in downtown Anchorage, built in 1915, is now a parish church but retains its historic-cathedral status.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral, Anchorage (mother church, since 2020)
- Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Juneau
- Holy Family (former cathedral), Anchorage — built 1915, now a parish
Bishops and Archbishops
The archdiocese has had five ordinaries since 1966, beginning with Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan and continuing under Archbishops Francis Hurley, Roger Schwietz, O.M.I., and Paul D. Etienne of the predecessor Archdiocese of Anchorage. The current ordinary, Archbishop Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M., is the first to hold the title of Archbishop of Anchorage–Juneau; a Vincentian, he was appointed on May 19, 2020 and installed September 17, 2020. Archbishop Schwietz serves as Archbishop Emeritus.
- Joseph T. Ryan (1966–1975)
- Francis Hurley (1975–2001)
- Roger L. Schwietz, O.M.I. (2001–2015, Archbishop Emeritus)
- Paul D. Etienne (2016–2019)
- Andrew E. Bellisario, C.M. (2020–present)
Parishes and Missions
The archdiocese counts 32 parishes and 1 mission spread across southern Alaska — from Metlakatla and Ketchikan in the southeast Panhandle, through Juneau, Haines, Skagway, and Hoonah, around the Gulf of Alaska at Cordova, Valdez, Seward, the Kenai Peninsula, and Homer, across to Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, and Big Lake, and out to Kodiak and the Aleutian community of Unalaska. Many parishes serve very small, roadless communities where travel is by bush plane or boat.
- Anchorage parishes include Holy Cross, Holy Family, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Andrew Kim (Korean), St. Anthony, St. Benedict, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Patrick, and the Blessed Sacrament Monastery.
- Juneau parishes include the Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Paul the Apostle, and the National Shrine of St. Thérèse.
- Other notable parishes: Holy Name (Ketchikan), St. Gregory Nazianzen (Sitka), St. Rose of Lima (Wrangell), St. Joseph (Cordova), St. Francis Xavier (Valdez), Sacred Heart (Seward), Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Soldotna), Our Lady of the Angels (Kenai), St. John the Baptist (Homer), St. Michael (Palmer), St. Andrew (Eagle River), Our Lady of the Lake (Big Lake), St. Mary (Kodiak), St. Christopher by the Sea (Unalaska), and Holy Rosary (Dillingham).
Catholic Schools and Faith Formation
The archdiocese operates or is associated with roughly 8 Catholic schools across southern Alaska, including the parish-grade schools in Anchorage and surrounding communities. Faith formation is also provided through parish religious education programs, sacramental preparation, and youth ministry, given the geographic challenge of serving Catholics across a region larger than Texas.
- 8 Catholic schools (as of 2020 data)
- Parish-based religious education and sacramental preparation programs
- Youth and young-adult ministry across the territory
Outreach, Charity, and Social Services
Catholic social ministry in southern Alaska traces its origins to the first Catholic hospital in Juneau in 1886 and continues today through Catholic Social Services, parish-based outreach, and partnerships with communities. Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, operated by Providence Health & Services, has its roots in the early Catholic hospital tradition. Catholic Charities and parish St. Vincent de Paul conferences serve the poor, the homeless, immigrants and refugees, and families in need across the region. The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace operate PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.
- Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
- Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage
- Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau (successor to St. Ann's Hospital, 1886)
- PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center
- Parish St. Vincent de Paul conferences and food ministries
National Shrine of St. Thérèse
The National Shrine of St. Thérèse in Juneau is the national shrine of the Little Flower and the patroness of the archdiocese. Located on a wooded point in the Channel Islands, it has been a destination of pilgrimage since the early 20th century, drawing visitors who arrive by small plane and boat.
- Located in the Channel Islands near Juneau
- National shrine of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patroness of the archdiocese
- Pilgrimage destination accessible by plane and boat
Clergy, Religious, and Personnel
The archdiocese is staffed by 40 priests (28 diocesan, 12 religious), 33 deacons, 35 religious (13 brothers, 22 sisters), and 2 seminarians (2022 figures). The vicariate leadership includes the Vicar General, Father Patrick J. Travers, JCL, JD, and the Judicial Vicar, Fr. Leo Walsh, JCL, STD. Religious orders present in the archdiocese include the Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission) — to which Archbishop Bellisario belongs — the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of Saint Ann, the Sisters of Providence, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace, and others with roots in the original 19th-century Alaskan missions.
- 40 priests (28 diocesan, 12 religious)
- 33 deacons
- 35 religious (13 brothers, 22 sisters)
- 2 seminarians
- Vicar General: Father Patrick J. Travers, JCL, JD
- Judicial Vicar: Fr. Leo Walsh, JCL, STD
Contact and Administration
The archdiocesan chancery is located at 225 Cordova Street, Building A, Anchorage, AK 99501, telephone (907) 297-7700, with a fax line at 279-3041. The archdiocese operates from a single centralized office, reflecting the 2020 merger of the Anchorage and Juneau chancery operations. The official website is aoaj.org.
- Address: 225 Cordova Street, Building A, Anchorage, AK 99501
- Phone: (907) 297-7700
- Fax: 279-3041
- Website: aoaj.org
