About Diocese of Fairbanks
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is the northernmost diocese in the United States and geographically the largest, covering roughly 409,849 square miles — about two-thirds of the entire state of Alaska. Its mother church is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fairbanks, and it is the only suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau within the USCCB's Region XII. A missionary diocese born of the 19th-century Alaskan missions, it is home to a richly multicultural Catholic community — Athabaskan, Yup'ik, Cup'ik, Iñupiat and non-Native peoples — most of whose 46 parishes and missions depend on outside benefactors because only about eight or nine can fully support themselves.
- Bishop
- Steven John Maekawa, O.P.
- Established
- 1962
- Cathedral
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, 1300 Peger Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
- Territory
- Northern Alaska — approximately 409,849 square miles covering the interior, Arctic, and western regions of Alaska (about two-thirds of the state's landmass).
- Parishes
- 46 parishes and missions
- Province
- Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (Metropolitan Archbishop: Andrew E. Bellisario)
Living Christ's Mission in Alaska
The Diocese of Fairbanks presents itself as a missionary diocese 'enormous in geography and among the poorest' — a community of many peoples from many cultures, spread over several hundred thousand square miles, dependent on worldwide benefactors. Bishop Steven J. Maekawa, O.P. (the first Dominican to head the see) leads a local Church whose identity is shaped equally by its rural Indigenous Catholic heritage and its logistical dependence on lay initiative, the annual Catholic Appeal, and grants. The diocesan chancery and Sacred Heart Cathedral share the Peger Road campus just east of downtown Fairbanks.
- Mission: 'One People united in our Catholic faith,' served across ~410,000 sq mi
- Bishop Steven Maekawa, O.P. — sixth bishop, installed 12 Oct 2023
- Most of 46 parishes/missions depend on outside donations
- Geographically the largest diocese in the United States
History of the Diocese
Catholicism in Alaska dates to Bishop Charles Seghers's 1870s missionary journeys and John Althoff's founding of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell in 1879. The Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska was erected in 1894 and directed by the Jesuits, who retained governance through the 1917 elevation to Vicariate Apostolic and the 1951 division that created the Diocese of Juneau. The Diocese of Fairbanks itself was erected in 1962 from the Vicariate of Northern Alaska. Key changes since then: becoming suffragan to the Archdiocese of Anchorage in 1966, the 1977 Native Diaconate Program, the 2019 transfer from missionary to ordinary diocesan status, the 2020 merger of Anchorage and Juneau into the new Anchorage–Juneau archdiocese (leaving Fairbanks its only suffragan), and the 2023 appointment of its first Dominican bishop.
- 1894: Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska erected by Leo XIII
- 1917: Promoted to Vicariate Apostolic of Alaska
- 1951: Diocese of Juneau created from the south; remainder named Vicariate of Northern Alaska
- 1962: Diocese of Fairbanks erected (current form)
- 1966: Made suffragan of Anchorage
- 2019: Removed from list of missionary dioceses
- 2020: Became sole suffragan of the new Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
Ordinaries of Fairbanks
All five bishops between 1962 and 2022 were either Jesuits (Gleeson, Whelan, Kaniecki) or invited from elsewhere by the Pope (Kettler, Zielinski). Bishop Maekawa, O.P., in 2023 became both the first Dominican and the first Pacific Northwest-born Asian-American to hold the see.
- 1. Francis Doyle Gleeson, S.J. (1962–1968)
- 2. Robert Louis Whelan, S.J. (1968–1985)
- 3. Michael Joseph Kaniecki, S.J. (1985–2000)
- 4. Donald Joseph Kettler (2002–2013)
- 5. Chad William Zielinski (2014–2022)
- 6. Steven John Maekawa, O.P. (2023–present)
Cathedral, Chancery & Worship
The mother church of the diocese is Sacred Heart Cathedral, 1300 Peger Road, Fairbanks 99709 (tel. 907-474-9032, office hours 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon–Fri). It is co-located with St. Mark's University Parish, the campus parish for the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Most of the diocese's Spanish-language Masses are celebrated here, and the cathedral complex also hosts men's, women's, and book-club ministries, the Voices of Hope Prayer Group, the Franciscan Community at St. Raphael Church, and a Stephen Ministry program with Cheryl La Follette. The current pastor is Father Peter Soohyun Bang, assisted by Deacon Robert P. Barnard (LPC-S) and Deacon Paul Perreault, PE.
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 a.m. English (livestreamed), 11:00 a.m. English, 1:00 p.m. Spanish (Santa Misa), 5:30 p.m. English — for Saint Mark Parish at Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Saturday (anticipated Sunday): 4:30 p.m. English
- Weekday Mass (Mon–Fri) at SHC: 7:30 a.m.
- Confessions: by appointment / before Mass — call the parish office
- Office: [email protected] · 907-474-9032
- Pastor: Fr. Peter Soohyun Bang ([email protected])
Parishes & Missions
The diocese comprises 46 parishes and missions spread across interior, Arctic and western Alaska. Only nine can currently be reached by car — the rest are essentially fly-in or boat-in, served by itinerant priests and the permanent deacons of the historic Native Diaconate. The majority of these parishes depend on outside benefactors for basic operating funds.
- Sacred Heart Cathedral (Fairbanks) – diocese's mother church
- St. Mark's University Parish (UAF, Fairbanks) – campus ministry parish, celebrates 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass at SHC
- St. Raphael Catholic Church (Fairbanks) – 35th anniversary mass noted in 2025 parish calendar
- Immaculate Conception (ICC) – Fairbanks parish home of the Legion of Mary and Men's Group adoration
- Immaculate Conception / ICC Soup Kitchen
- Most other parishes and missions served via bush plane and remote-area pastoral visits
Catholic Schools of Fairbanks
The diocese operates the Catholic Schools of Fairbanks, a single Pre-K through 12th-grade system overseen by the Monroe Foundation, Inc. (tel. 907-313-3291). The schools remain committed to the Ignatian/Jesuit 'Graduate at Graduation' profile — Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice — and are accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancEd). According to the schools' website, 93% of graduates go on to a four-year college or university, 86% of high-schoolers take part in extracurriculars, and average class size in the upper school is 20. The elementary campus sits at 615 Monroe St., Fairbanks (tel. 907-313-3062).
- Elementary school (Pre-K–6) – 615 Monroe Street, Fairbanks 99701
- Junior High (7–8)
- High School (9–12)
- After-school care available 2:30–5:30 p.m.
- Accredited by Cognia; founded on Jesuit principles
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sacramental and catechetical preparation is handled at the parish level, coordinated by Mother Salvation in Religious Education at the cathedral ([email protected]). St. Mark's University Parish supplements this with an undergraduate OCIA/RCIA and Catholic Student Association, plus Bible Study, Sunday Catechism, and a Women and Men's Group fellowship. Summer programming across the diocese typically includes the popular Summer Oratory (ages 7–17), separate Boys' and Girls' Camps (ages 10–17), and a 'Popular Mission' for all ages.
- Religious Education (cathedral): Mother Salvation, [email protected]
- OCIA / RCIA classes (resuming each fall)
- Diocesan Bible Study (resumes in fall)
- Catholic Student Association at UAF
- Summer Oratory (ages 7–17) and faith camps
Outreach, Charity & Social Mission
Outreach is woven into parish life because the diocese's geography leaves most parishes isolated. Sacred Heart Cathedral runs Friday Food Boxes for parishioners in need and partners with the ICC Soup Kitchen on weekends; during Lent the cathedral collects for the local Food Bank. Stephen Ministry (Cheryl La Follette) provides one-on-one lay pastoral care. Flocknote is the diocese's official communication platform for holiday Mass times, weather cancellations, ministry updates, and last-minute alerts.
- Friday Food Boxes — Sacred Heart Cathedral
- ICC Soup Kitchen — volunteer partnerships
- Stephen Ministry — Cheryl La Follette, [email protected]
- Diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal
- Flocknote — diocesan communication platform
Getting Involved
Volunteer paths at the parish and diocesan level include liturgical ministries (altar server, lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, music ministry), parish-office support, the food and outreach ministries listed above, and seasonal giving through the diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal. Liturgical ministry training is offered in March for new servers (often combined with First Communicants) and open to confirmed college students and adult parishioners.
- Altar Server / Lector / Eucharistic Minister training offered at SHC
- Music Ministry (contact George Stefan at St. Mark's Parish)
- Parish registration for St. Mark's Parish: [email protected] or 907-374-9564
- Diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal
Rural Parish Upgrades
Because so many parishes and missions are out of road network, the diocese runs an ongoing Rural Parish Upgrades program — capital projects that keep rural and remote churches operational in a sub-arctic climate. These projects are funded by donations from across the U.S. and the world, and the diocese offers a dedicated giving channel for donors who wish to sponsor a specific parish improvement.
- Ongoing capital projects in remote parishes/missions
- Dedicated online donation portal
- Donations from benefactors across the U.S. and internationally
Contact & Practical Info
The diocesan Chancery and Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Office are both on the Peger Road campus in Fairbanks. Mass times listed above are the published regular schedule for the cathedral and St. Mark's University Parish; remote-mission schedules vary by season and are typically posted on each parish's bulletin or via Flocknote.
- Chancery: 1316 Peger Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 · (907) 374-9500
- Cathedral parish office: 1300 Peger Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 · (907) 474-9032 · [email protected]
- St. Mark's University Parish: [email protected] · 907-374-9564
- Diocesan website: https://dioceseoffairbanks.org
