About Our Lady of the Angels · Kenai, Alaska
Our Lady of the Angels is a Roman Catholic parish in Kenai, Alaska, serving Catholic families on the western Kenai Peninsula under the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. For decades the parish was served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate living in community in nearby Soldotna, but since the Oblates withdrew in 2024 the parish welcomed its first resident priest in many years. Today the parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, a Knights of Columbus council, religious education and faith formation, and a close-knit community of roughly 195 families along Cook Inlet.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Angels
- Rector
- Father Patrick Brosamer
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Angels is the only Catholic parish serving the western Kenai Peninsula, and after years of being served by visiting priests it now has a full-time resident pastor. The parish combines a small-town sense of family — the pastor knows parishioners by name and makes house blessings — with the rhythm of daily 9 AM Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday 11 AM Mass, plus First Friday Eucharistic Adoration from morning until night. Active ministries include the Knights of Columbus (with its monthly pancake breakfast), religious education and faith formation, and growing opportunities to serve as Eucharistic ministers and lectors.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM (before Vigil Mass)
- First Friday of the month 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- First Friday of the month 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
History of Our Lady of the Angels
The Catholic community that became Our Lady of the Angels was born in 1951 when Frank and Marge Mullen opened a small rented place near the Soldotna bridge for the itinerant Father Arnold Custer to celebrate the first Mass on the central Kenai. Early gatherings rotated through a bar, a café, the Territorial School, Carpenters Hall, and a Quonset-hut chapel at Wildwood Army Station staffed by an Anchorage chaplain flown in for the day. As the population grew after the war, Father Custer pushed for a permanent home in Kenai. A memorial gift from the Seaman family and donations from Anchorage benefactors allowed the parish to buy three lots on Willow Street in 1952, and between 1954 and 1955 parishioners hauled logs from Fred House's sawmill to build a log church by hand. Father Thompson celebrated the first Mass there in the spring of 1955; on cold Sundays Lillian Hakkinen lit the oil stove before dawn, though the priest still sometimes said Mass in gloves and boots. In 1953 the parish was officially named Our Lady of the Angels, becoming the only Catholic church on the western Kenai Peninsula. A Redemptorist mission order from Oregon took over the peninsula in 1956 and oversaw construction of the larger 1969 Kenai church. From the late 1960s until 2023, the parish was shepherded by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who lived in community in Soldotna.
- 1951 — first Mass on the central Kenai celebrated at the Mullen home
- 1952 — three Willow Street lots purchased with help from the Seaman family
- 1953 — parish officially named Our Lady of the Angels
- 1955 — first Mass in the volunteer-built log church
- 1956 — Redemptorists (Oregon) take over the peninsula mission
- 1969 — the current larger Kenai church completed
- 2002 — original 1955 log church reclaimed from the Salvation Army and moved
- 2004 — restoration of the log church completed
- 2023 — Oblates of Mary Immaculate withdraw from the Archdiocese
- 2024 (June 8) — first Kenai-Peninsula diaconate ordination held at the parish
The Log Church
After more than four decades in other hands, the original 1955 Our Lady of the Angels log church was reclaimed from the Salvation Army in 2002. A parish committee oversaw its physical move on April 12, 2002, followed by a meticulous renovation that returned the building as close to its original condition as possible. The restored log church was rededicated in spring 2004 and now complements the larger 1969 church as a smaller worship and meeting space.
- Built 1954–1955 from logs supplied by Fred House's sawmill
- Reclaimed from the Salvation Army in 2002
- Moved back to parish property on April 12, 2002
- Restoration completed spring 2004
Sacraments
In addition to the daily Mass schedule and First Friday Adoration, the parish celebrates the other sacraments by arrangement with the pastor. Catholics on the Kenai Peninsula typically contact the parish office to schedule Baptism, Marriage preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and First Communion, or to arrange Confession at a time outside the published Saturday and First Friday windows.
- Holy Mass — daily and Sunday
- Penance (Confession) — Saturday before Mass, First Friday evenings, by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration — First Fridays
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement with the pastor
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education and faith formation are the parish's primary catechetical ministries, especially since the arrival of resident priests. Father Michael Ko described parishioners as very active and eager to expand offerings for parish youth, and Father Patrick Brosamer has been working with neighboring parishes to share resources. Opportunities for adults to serve as Eucharistic ministers and lectors are actively encouraged, and the pastor's plan to bless every parish home has been a hallmark of his first years.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation program
- Growing youth ministry
- Lector and Eucharistic Minister formation encouraged
- House blessings offered across all ~195 parish families
Knights of Columbus
The parish's Knights of Columbus council is one of its most active lay apostolates. The Knights meet on the first Tuesday of each month, opening with a Rosary at 6:30 PM followed by the business meeting at 7:00 PM. From September through May they host a Pancake Breakfast on the third Sunday of each month ($5/person or $20/family). The council also fields the "Knight Crew," a volunteer service that helps parishioners with light yard projects, rubbish removal, hauling, and snow removal — a practical lifeline for elderly and homebound members on the western Kenai.
- Council meetings — first Tuesday, Rosary 6:30 PM, meeting 7:00 PM
- Pancake Breakfast — third Sunday, September through May
- Knight Crew service projects for parishioners in need
- Contact the parish office at (907) 283-4555 to schedule help or join
Parish Life & Community
With about 195 registered families and a brand-new resident pastor, Our Lady of the Angels is in a season of renewal. The pastor makes it a point to learn every household through short visits for house blessings or shared prayer, and neighboring parishes in Soldotna (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) and Homer (St. John the Baptist) increasingly share resources and ministries. The parish's web and Facebook presence ("Our Lady of the Angels-Kenai, Alaska") carries schedule updates, recordings of major events such as the 2024 diaconate ordination, and announcements for the wider Kenai community.
- Approximately 195 registered families
- First resident pastor in many years
- Collaboration with Soldotna, Homer, and Ninilchik parishes
- Facebook: "Our Lady of the Angels-Kenai, Alaska"
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the parish office at 225 South Spruce Street in Kenai, or by phone at (907) 283-4555 or email at [email protected]. The main Sunday Mass is at 11:00 AM; those planning to attend a weekday Mass, the Saturday Vigil, or First Friday Adoration are encouraged to call ahead to confirm times, especially during Kenai Peninsula winters.
- Address: 225 South Spruce Street, Kenai, AK 99611
- Phone: (907) 283-4555
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: kenaicatholicchurch.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Arnold Custer, SJ ("Trap Line Priest")early 1950s
First itinerant priest to serve Kenai Catholics; traveled missions across the 10,000-sq-mi peninsula.
- Father Thompson1955
Celebrated the first Mass in the new log church on Willow Street in spring 1955.
- Redemptorist Fathers (Oregon mission order)from 1956
Four priests staffed the peninsula congregations, built St. Theresa's Camp near Sterling, and oversaw construction of the larger 1969 Kenai church.
- Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)through 2023
Served the Kenai parishes for decades from a community house in Soldotna; withdrew from the Archdiocese in July 2023.
- Father Michael Ko, KMSrecent pastor
Missionary priest from Korea; first resident priest in years; plans to visit all 195 parish families.
- Father Patrick Brosamer2024–present
Current pastor; welcomed Archbishop Bellisario and the diaconate ordination of Edward Burke in June 2024.