About Sacred Heart · Seward, Alaska
Sacred Heart Parish is a Catholic parish in Seward, Alaska, serving the Resurrection Bay community on the Kenai Peninsula as part of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. The parish church sits at 409 5th Avenue and offers daily Mass Tuesday through Saturday, a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and a Sunday mission Mass at St. John Neumann Church in Cooper Landing (42 miles up the Seward Highway). A longtime team including Rev. Richard D. Tero (Pastor Emeritus) and parish staff tend to the liturgies, religious education, and the parish grounds, while regular Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Mid-Morning Prayers and Rosary anchor the weekly rhythm.
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Richard D. Tero (Pastor Emeritus)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (Metropolitan)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a small, walkable Kenai Peninsula parish where daily Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Mid-Morning Rosary are built into the Tuesday-through-Friday rhythm, and where Sunday worship is followed by a mission Mass 42 miles up the road at St. John Neumann in Cooper Landing. The parish offers Religious Education coordinated by Celeste Lemme, hosts Lenten Stations of the Cross with a soup supper, and is supported by a close staff team including a sacristan-gardener who tends the church grounds. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed at 409 5th Avenue in Seward, with confession available before the Saturday Vigil and by appointment.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM (before Vigil Mass)
- Also available by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:00 AM (before Mid-Morning Prayers & Rosary)
- Wednesday 9:00 AM
- Thursday 9:00 AM
- Friday 9:00 AM
About Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart Parish is the Catholic parish serving Seward, Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula's Resurrection Bay. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau and worships at 409 5th Avenue. In addition to its own parishioners, Sacred Heart pastors the mission community at St. John Neumann Church in Cooper Landing, 42 miles up the Seward Highway.
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The parish celebrates Mass in English every day of the week except Monday. The Sunday morning Mass is preceded by the Rosary at 9:00 AM, and a mission Mass is offered at 12:30 PM at St. John Neumann Church in Cooper Landing. Tuesday through Friday follow the same devotional rhythm: Adoration, Mid-Morning Prayers and Rosary, then Daily Mass at 10:00 AM. The Saturday Vigil Mass is at 5:30 PM, with Reconciliation beforehand at 5:00 PM.
- Sunday: 9:00 AM Rosary • 9:30 AM Sunday Mass • 12:30 PM Mission Mass at St. John Neumann, Cooper Landing
- Tuesday–Friday: 9:00 AM Adoration • 9:30 AM Mid-Morning Prayers & Rosary • 10:00 AM Daily Mass
- Saturday: 5:30 PM Vigil Mass
- Reconciliation: Saturday 5:00 PM and by appointment
Parish Staff
Sacred Heart is served by a small team of clergy and lay staff led by Pastor Emeritus Rev. Richard D. Tero. Walter Corrigan serves as Parish Administrator, Celeste Lemme is the Religious Education Coordinator, Charlie Ebenschweiger serves as Sacristan and Gardener, and Clare Sullivan is the parish Web Administrator.
- Rev. Richard D. Tero — Pastor (Emeritus)
- Walter Corrigan — Parish Administrator
- Celeste Lemme — Religious Education Coordinator
- Charlie Ebenschweiger — Sacristan and Gardener
- Clare Sullivan — Web Administrator
Father Dick Tero's Ministry in Alaska
Rev. Richard D. 'Dick' Tero has been a priest of the Archdiocese of Anchorage for more than four decades. Ordained June 4, 1974, by Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan at Holy Family Cathedral, he served Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spenard (1974–1978), St. Mary's in Kodiak (1978–1984), St. Patrick's in Muldoon (1984–1992), and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Soldotna (1992–2002), where he helped dedicate a new church in 1995. He became pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Seward in September 2002, while also serving as visiting priest at St. John Neumann Mission in Cooper Landing. He was preceded by 22 years of U.S. Air Force service, including Vietnam-era active duty and 18 years as a reserve chaplain at Elmendorf AFB. In Seward he also keeps a weekly prison ministry at Spring Creek Correctional Center, praying with inmates and saying Saturday Mass there.
- Ordained June 4, 1974 at Holy Family Cathedral by Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan
- Pastor of Sacred Heart since September 2002
- Visiting priest at St. John Neumann Mission, Cooper Landing (42 miles up the Seward Highway)
- Weekly Saturday ministry at Spring Creek Correctional Center, Seward
- 50th anniversary of priesthood celebrated June 2024 with Archbishop Bellisario, Archbishop Emeritus Schwietz, and Bishop Emeritus Warfel
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs its Religious Education program under Celeste Lemme, Religious Education Coordinator. The parish also draws on archdiocesan and online Catholic learning resources, featuring Bishop Barron's Word on Fire video reflections on the homepage and a link to the Catholic Online School for K–12 and adult learners.
- Religious Education program (Celeste Lemme, coordinator)
- Word on Fire reflections with Bishop Barron
- Catholic Online School (K–12 and adult learners)
- Father Mike Schmitz 'Bible in a Year' podcast linked from the parish site
Mission Outreach — St. John Neumann, Cooper Landing
Sacred Heart pastors the mission community of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Cooper Landing, a small community about 42 miles north of Seward on the Seward Highway. A Sunday Mass is celebrated there at 12:30 PM each week, and the mission joins Sacred Heart for major events like Father Tero's 50th anniversary Mass.
- 12:30 PM Sunday Mass at St. John Neumann, Cooper Landing
- Joint celebrations with Sacred Heart, Seward, for anniversaries and major feasts
Devotions and Lenten Life
Beyond the Sunday Mass, Sacred Heart weaves several devotions into its weekly rhythm. The Sunday Rosary precedes the 9:30 AM Mass; Tuesday through Friday mornings open with Adoration at 9:00 AM, followed by Mid-Morning Prayers and the Rosary at 9:30 AM before Daily Mass at 10:00 AM. During Lent, the parish gathers on Friday evenings for Stations of the Cross, Mass, and a Lenten Soup Supper beginning at 5:30 PM.
- Sunday Rosary — 9:00 AM
- Weekday Adoration — Tue–Fri 9:00 AM
- Mid-Morning Prayers & Rosary — Tue–Fri 9:30 AM
- Lenten Stations of the Cross, Mass, and Soup Supper — Fridays in Lent at 5:30 PM
Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
Sacred Heart is one of the parishes of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. The archdiocese was formed on May 19, 2020, when Pope Francis merged the former Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau into a single metropolitan see and named Bishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., as its first Archbishop. The parish site links to the archdiocesan newspaper, The North Star Catholic.
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (formed May 19, 2020)
- Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, C.M., first Archbishop
- Diocesan newspaper: The North Star Catholic
Parish News and Events
The parish publishes news on its site including the 2020 announcement of the new Archdiocese and Archbishop Bellisario's appointment, and 2024 announcements about Lenten Stations of the Cross, Mass, and Soup Supper beginning Friday, February 16, 2024 at 5:30 PM. A Blessing of the Fishing Fleet is featured on the homepage, reflecting Seward's Resurrection Bay maritime heritage.
- Blessing of the Fishing Fleet (annual tradition)
- Lenten Stations, Mass & Soup Supper — Fridays in Lent at 5:30 PM
- News RSS feed available via sacredheartseward.org/news
Contact and Visit
Visitors and parishioners can reach Sacred Heart Parish by phone at 907-224-5414 or by email at [email protected]. The parish office is at 409 5th Avenue, Seward, Alaska 99664, with a mailing address of PO Box 207, Seward, Alaska 99664. The parish website links to Facebook, X (Twitter), and Flocknote for ongoing parish communications.
- Phone: 907-224-5414
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 409 5th Ave, Seward, AK 99664
- Mailing: PO Box 207, Seward, AK 99664
- Social: Facebook, X (Twitter), Flocknote
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard D. 'Dick' TeroSeptember 2002 – present (Pastor Emeritus since retirement)
Ordained June 4, 1974 by Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan; pastor of Sacred Heart since September 2002 while also visiting priest at St. John Neumann Mission in Cooper Landing; celebrated 50th anniversary of priesthood in June 2024; continued weekly ministry at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward.