About Holy Spirit Center · Anchorage, Alaska
Holy Spirit Center is a Catholic retreat and conference facility in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains on Hillside Drive in Anchorage, Alaska, operated as a resource of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Set on 22 wooded acres overlooking the Anchorage bowl, Cook Inlet, and the Alaska Range, it offers individual and group retreats, Ignatian-style spiritual direction, conferences, and facility rentals, and welcomes guests of all religious traditions. Although it is not a parish, the Center hosts a Sunday Mass in its scenic Resurrection Chapel and weekday Masses in the Small Chapel of the main retreat house, serving both retreatants and the wider Catholic community of Southcentral Alaska.
- Established
- 1970
- Rector
- Fr. Luz Flores (Celebrant / Pastoral Director)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau
Why belong here
Holy Spirit Center is the only full-fledged Catholic retreat center with on-site housing in the state of Alaska, and it also serves as a worship site for Anchorage Catholics who come each Sunday to the glass-walled Resurrection Chapel for 9:00 a.m. Mass. Visitors and retreatants are drawn by the Center's Ignatian tradition of spiritual direction, its 22 wooded acres with a Stations of the Cross trail and Mary Grotto, and a campus-wide ministry rooted in prayer — including the year-round Challenge program, centering-prayer retreats, Engaged Encounter weekends, and the marriage-renewal program Retrouvaille.
Mass times at Holy Spirit Center
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Reconciliation available by appointment (contact the Center at 907-346-2343)
Welcome to Holy Spirit Center
Holy Spirit Center is a Catholic retreat and conference center directed by the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, located on 22 wooded acres in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains overlooking the Anchorage bowl. The Center collaborates with the Archdiocese, parishes, ecumenical groups, the interdenominational faith-based community, and area non-profits to provide individual and group retreats, spirituality workshops, conferences, and facility rentals. Guests of all religious traditions are welcome, and visitors are invited to 'Finding Nest' — the Center's principle of welcoming every guest.
- Located at 10980 Hillside Drive, Anchorage, AK 99507
- Phone: 907-346-2343
- Email: [email protected]
- A resource of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau
Resurrection Chapel
Resurrection Chapel is the Center's signature worship space — a stand-alone chapel seating 150, dedicated in April 1992 as a gift from Ben and Dawn Tisdale. Its enormous windows frame a sweeping panoramic view of Anchorage and the surrounding Chugach Mountains. Sunday Mass is celebrated here at 9:00 a.m. with Fr. Luz Flores as regular celebrant. Reconciliation is available by appointment. The Center notes it does not accommodate weddings in Resurrection Chapel.
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 a.m. with Fr. Luz Flores
- Reconciliation by appointment
- Seating for 150
- Dedicated April 1992; gift of Ben and Dawn Tisdale
- Weddings not accommodated
Small Chapel and Prayer Room
Inside the main retreat house, a Small Chapel seats 40 and serves as a venue for retreat sessions and weekday Masses (Tuesday–Friday at noon). A separate Prayer Room, also in the main house, is available by appointment for individuals wishing to have private reflection. Visitors may leave a prayer request that the Center's on-site or visiting clergy and religious will pray for.
- Small Chapel — 40 seats; weekday noon Mass Tue–Fri
- Prayer Room — available by appointment
- Prayer requests welcomed for staff and visiting clergy to pray over
Liturgy Committee
Sunday liturgies at Resurrection Chapel are supported by a Liturgy Committee chaired by Nancy Muise, who also leads music ministry. Lois Robbins handles hospitality and Kathleen Bugbee is responsible for environment. Alan and Nancy Muise have provided music ministry for the Center since the 1990s.
- Chair: Nancy Muise
- Music: Nancy Muise
- Hospitality: Lois Robbins
- Environment: Kathleen Bugbee
History of Holy Spirit Center
Founded by Archbishop Joseph Ryan around 1970–71 as a formal retreat facility for the young Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, Holy Spirit Center began when Ryan purchased the Lutheran Church of Hope being removed from Minnesota Drive for a street-widening project and had it hauled up O'Malley Road to its present Hillside Drive site. Archbishop Ryan also invited the cloistered Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood to the hillside; Trappist writer Thomas Merton visited them there in 1968. In 1971 Jesuit Father Vincent Kelliher arrived as chaplain and fundraiser, giving the site the name Holy Spirit Retreat House and shaping its early vision as a place of spiritual direction and contemplation until his departure in 1983.
- Founded c. 1970–71 by Archbishop Joseph Ryan
- Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau established 1966
- Site began as the relocated Lutheran Church of Hope
- Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood resided on site in the late 1960s
- Thomas Merton visited the sisters in 1968
The Jesuit Era and the Challenge Program
Jesuit Father Vincent Beuzer arrived in 1986 and arguably did the most to shape Holy Spirit Center, renaming it from 'Retreat House' to 'Center' and grounding its ministry in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Working with ministry coordinator Kathy Gallagher, he launched the signature Challenge program — a 34-week retreat loosely modeled on the Exercises — along with two follow-up intensive retreats and a two-year spiritual director training program. Father Beuzer served as director for many years and remained on staff until 2010, becoming its longest-serving Jesuit; he died in 2011. After his departure, the Jesuits were no longer able to staff the Center, ending roughly forty years of Jesuit collaboration.
- Fr. Vincent Beuzer, SJ — director from 1986; on staff until 2010
- Challenge — 34-week retreat in the Ignatian tradition
- Two-year Spiritual Director Training Program
- Kathy Gallagher — longtime ministry coordinator
Modern Leadership
Alan Muise, hired as business manager in 2004 and elevated to director in 2017, retired in October 2021 after more than 25 years at the Center. Autumn Smith-Amy is the current Executive Director, and Fr. Luz Flores has served as pastoral director for roughly seven years, celebrating the regular Sunday liturgy at Resurrection Chapel. Father Patrick Travers, Vicar General / Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, sits on the Board of Directors.
- Alan Muise — director 2017–2021
- Autumn Smith-Amy — Executive Director
- Fr. Luz Flores — Pastoral Director / Celebrant
Retreats and Spiritual Programs
Retreats remain a staple of the Center's ministry. Typical offerings include a Lenten retreat, a Fall retreat, a 12-Step retreat in September, and approximately five centering-prayer retreats each year — including an eight-day retreat and a Spanish-language track. Other programs hosted on campus include Engaged Encounter weekends, Retrouvaille (marriage renewal), Marriage Encounter, occasional school days of reflection, and mission groups. A men's group has met at the Center for spiritual enrichment for years, and one-on-one spiritual direction is available, with many directors trained through Father Beuzer's program.
- Challenge — 34-week Ignatian retreat
- Lenten and Fall retreats
- 12-Step retreat (September)
- Centering Prayer retreats (English and Spanish)
- Engaged Encounter weekends
- Retrouvaille — marriage renewal
- Marriage Encounter
- Men's spiritual-enrichment group
- School days of reflection
- Spiritual direction / accompaniment
Grounds, Library and Facilities
The Center's 22 wooded acres include a Stations of the Cross Hiking Trail, the Holy Spirit Center Shrine, the Kateri Garden (the first and only registered Saint Kateri Habitat in Alaska), a Mary Grotto, a Little Free Catholic Library, and the Anchorage ROCKS scavenger hunt. The Library in the main house is described as the largest Catholic library in the state of Alaska. Facilities available for rent include a 60-person Dining Hall, two medium-sized conference rooms with a combined capacity of 110, and overnight accommodations with 39 beds (effective August 1, 2024). The Center offers a 5% military discount on facility bookings (2023–2026).
- Stations of the Cross Hiking Trail
- Holy Spirit Center Shrine
- Kateri Garden — first registered Saint Kateri Habitat in Alaska
- Mary Grotto
- Little Free Catholic Library
- Anchorage ROCKS scavenger hunt
- Library — largest Catholic library in Alaska
- 60-person Dining Hall
- Two conference rooms (combined capacity 110)
- 39 beds onsite (as of August 1, 2024)
Facility Rental
Particularly during the week, when the Center is not in use for ministry events, its facilities are available to other groups — especially non-profits seeking a quiet, reflective venue for meetings, conferences, retreats, breakout sessions, workshops, and trainings. A 5% military conference and event discount is offered through December 31, 2026.
- Conference and meeting space for non-profits
- Overnight accommodations
- 5% military discount on facility bookings (2023–2026)
Donate and Volunteer
The Center is supported through facility rentals, the Sunday liturgy collection, an annual fund drive, a Challenge fund drive, and memorial gifts made in honor or memory of loved ones. On-site service projects are available for large, small, and single volunteers — visitors are invited to contact the Center to discuss their time and talents.
- Annual fund drive
- Challenge fund drive
- Memorial funds
- On-site volunteer service projects
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Vincent Kelliher, SJ1971–1983
Jesuit invited by Archbishop Ryan as chaplain to the cloistered sisters and archdiocesan fundraiser; gave the site the name Holy Spirit Retreat House.
- Fr. Vincent Beuzer, SJ1986–2010
Longest-serving Jesuit; renamed the site from Retreat House to Center; rooted the ministry in Ignatian spirituality; created the Challenge program with Kathy Gallagher.
- Fr. Luz Floresc. 2014–present
Pastoral director and regular Sunday celebrant at Resurrection Chapel for roughly seven years (as of 2021 North Star Catholic article).
- Alan Muise2017–2021
Laity; hired as business manager in 2004, became Director in 2017, retired October 2021. With wife Nancy, music ministers at Sunday liturgy since the 1990s.
- Autumn Smith-Amyc. 2021–present
Executive Director listed on current Center events and documents.