About Saint Theresa · Nenana, Alaska
Saint Theresa Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic mission parish in the interior Alaska village of Nenana, located at the confluence of the Nenana and Tanana rivers, 58 road miles southwest of Fairbanks. It is part of the Diocese of Fairbanks and is administered jointly with Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Healy, serving as one of the historic "rail belt" parishes along the Alaska Railroad and Parks Highway corridor. The parish serves a predominantly Dena'ina Athabascan community and offers Sunday Mass/Communion Service at 1:30 PM year-round, supported by visiting diocesan priests and an acting parish administrator.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- St. Therese of Lisieux (commonly assumed); possibly originally St. Theresa of Avila
- Rector
- Father Patrick Bergquist (Priest Moderator, effective 1 July 2025); administered day-to-day by Father Francis Kakara, ALCP/OSS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fairbanks
Why belong here
St. Theresa offers a faithful, intimate Sunday Mass at 1:30 PM year-round in one of interior Alaska's most historic river villages, and visitors are welcomed into a small Dena'ina Catholic community with deep ties to the land and to the Jesuits, Dominicans, and Marist sisters who shaped the parish over more than a century. It's an ideal parish for anyone connected to Nenana, the Alaska Railroad, or the Denali/Parks Highway corridor, and the surrounding rail-belt Catholic community shares worship, clergy, and sacramental life with Holy Mary of Guadalupe in Healy.
Mass times at Saint Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment with visiting priests (call the parish phone, 907-832-5617, or the Holy Mary of Guadalupe rectory, 907-683-1007)
Parish History
Catholic worship in Nenana began around 1918 when a Jesuit priest built a small church to serve the Dena'ina community at the confluence of the Nenana and Tanana rivers. The mission was first listed in The Official Catholic Directory in 1923 as "St. Theresa," though which St. Theresa the founders had in mind remains a matter of local tradition. For most of the 20th century the parish was attended by Jesuits from Fairbanks, with religious sisters — Dominican, Marist, and Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary — providing steady pastoral care. St. Theresa was officially erected as a parish in 1970.
- Jesuit-built church, c.1918
- Listed in Official Catholic Directory, 1923
- Original church destroyed by fire, December 19, 1952
- Present church rebuilt on same foundation by October 1953
- Erected as a parish, 1970
The 1952 Fire and Rebuilding
On December 19, 1952, the original Nenana church burned to the ground. Among the losses was a pectoral cross that had been passed down from Archbishop Charles Seghers to Bishop Francis Gleeson, S.J. — a relic of the early Jesuit years in Alaska. Working through the long interior-Alaska winter, parishioners and clergy rebuilt on the same foundation, and the present church was ready for worship by October 1953. Photographs and documents from the fire and the reconstruction are preserved in the Jesuits of the Oregon Province Archives (collection ORE 1.41).
- Date of fire: December 19, 1952
- Pectoral cross of Archbishop Seghers / Bishop Gleeson lost
- New church completed: October 1953
- Construction on same foundation as the 1918 building
Rail-Belt Ministry
After the Parks Highway opened in the early 1970s, St. Theresa became the home base for priests serving the chain of small Catholic communities along the Alaska Railroad and Parks Highway — Anderson, Cantwell, Clear Air Force Station, Denali National Park, and Healy. As priest availability in rural Alaska declined, that headquarters role eventually shifted south to Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Healy, which today shares its clergy with Nenana.
- Rail-belt parishes: Anderson, Cantwell, Clear AFS, Denali National Park, Healy
- St. Theresa served as rail-belt home base after the Parks Highway opened (1970s)
- Headquarters function later transferred to Holy Mary of Guadalupe, Healy
Clergy, Religious, and Administrators
The parish has been served by a remarkable mix of religious institutes. Jesuits (California and Oregon Provinces) established and attended the mission from its earliest years; Fairbanks diocesan priests took over primary administration after 1970. Religious sisters — Dominican Sisters (Edmonds Congregation of Holy Cross), Marist Missionary Sisters (North American Province, 1989–2002), and the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary — provided essential pastoral care. Lay Dena'ina Catholics have served as parish administrators handling day-to-day affairs, and pastoral coordinators arrange baptisms, marriages, and liturgies when no priest is on site.
- Jesuits (California/Oregon Provinces)
- Fairbanks diocesan priests (from 1970)
- Dominican Sisters (Edmonds)
- Marist Missionary Sisters (North American Province), 1989–2002
- Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary
- Lay Dena'ina parish administrators and pastoral coordinators
Mass and Sacraments
St. Theresa Catholic Church offers a single Sunday liturgy at 1:30 PM year-round. When a priest is available it is a full Mass; when one is not, it is a Communion Service led by a lay minister or administrator. Confession is available by appointment with visiting priests. Baptisms and marriages are arranged through the parish administrator or pastoral coordinator in coordination with Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish in Healy.
- Sunday 1:30 PM — Mass or Communion Service (year-round)
- Confession: by appointment with visiting priests
- Baptism and Marriage: arranged through parish administrator / pastoral coordinator
Archives and Records
Because St. Theresa has served a predominantly Dena'ina (Athabascan) congregation for more than a century, its sacramental records — baptisms, marriages, and burials — are recognized as historically significant. These records, along with photographs and parish documents, are held at the Diocese of Fairbanks Archives, the Jesuits of the Oregon Province Archives (collection ORE 1.41, 1952–2002), and Marquette University's Raynor Library (repository entries AK-12 and AK-33). The Oregon Province collection includes folders on the 1952 church fire and the 1980 church construction sequence, with photographs taken by Fr. Louis Renner, S.J.
- Diocese of Fairbanks Archives
- Jesuits of the Oregon Province Archives, ORE 1.41 (1952–2002)
- Marquette University Raynor Library, AK-12 and AK-33
- Photographs by Fr. Louis Renner, S.J.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Jesuit priests from Immaculate Conception, Fairbanks (California/Oregon Provinces)1917–1950 (approx.)
Society of Jesus priest built the original church around 1918; mission attended out of Fairbanks.
- Jesuit and diocesan clergy, with Dominican Sisters (Edmonds Congregation of Holy Cross)1950s
After the 1952 fire, Dominican Sisters assisted in administering the parish during reconstruction.
- Jesuits (Oregon Province)1960–1963
Mission phase after the rebuilt 1953 church; still listed as a mission rather than a parish.
- Jesuits1966–1971
Continued Jesuit attendance of the rail-belt mission.
- Fairbanks diocesan priests (St. Theresa became a parish, 1970)1970–1983
St. Theresa officially erected as a parish in 1970; diocesan clergy took over primary administration.
- Jesuits1984–1988
Jesuit administration resumed for several years.
- Fairbanks diocesan priests1989
Brief return to diocesan administration.
- Jesuits, with Marist Missionary Sisters (North American Province)1989–1991
Marist Missionary Sisters began serving the parish in this period.
- Marist Missionary Sisters and diocesan/visiting clergy1991–2002
Marist Missionary Sisters administered the parish alongside clergy.
- Jesuits2003–present (intermittent, from Holy Rosary Mission, Tok Junction area and Fairbanks)
Jesuit involvement continues into the 2000s while diocesan priests also serve.
- Visiting Fairbanks diocesan priests from Holy Mary of Guadalupe, Healy2000s–present
Priestly visits are made from Healy; day-to-day parish life handled by acting parish administrator and pastoral coordinators.
- Father Tom Kuffel1 October 2017 – 2022
Pastor of Immaculate Conception (Fairbanks), Holy Mary of Guadalupe (Healy) and St. Theresa (Nenana). Returned to the Diocese of Lincoln in 2022.
- Father Juan Martin Sierra, IVEEffective 17 January 2022 – c.2022
Appointed by Bishop Chad Zielinski as Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception, Holy Mary of Guadalupe and St. Theresa.
- Father Cezary Ejsymontc.2022 – 17 May 2024
Served as Parochial Administrator of Holy Mary of Guadalupe, Healy, and St. Theresa, Nenana.
- Father Patrick BergquistEffective 1 July 2025 – present
Assigned by the Diocese of Fairbanks as Priest Moderator of Holy Mary of Guadalupe Parish, Healy, and St. Theresa, Nenana.
- Father Francis Kakara, ALCP/OSS2023 – present
Arrived in Alaska in 2023 from India; serves as acting parish administrator and Sunday celebrant in Nenana.