About St. Andrew · Eagle River, Alaska
St. Andrew Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Eagle River, Alaska, part of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau and serving the Chugiak-Eagle River area about 10 miles northeast of Anchorage. Established in 1963 as a mission of St. Anthony Parish and designated a separate parish in 1967, it today counts roughly 900–1,000 registered families, with a particularly large share of active-duty, reserve, and retired military households from nearby Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson. The current church, dedicated on November 30, 2006 by Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, is a Romanesque-transept building seating 1,100 and features a Blessed Sacrament Chapel with perpetual Eucharistic adoration.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Arthur Roraff
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau
Why belong here
St. Andrew offers a large, active Catholic community for the Chugiak-Eagle River area, with three weekend Masses, daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday confessions — a schedule that easily fits both working families and military members from Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, who form a notable part of the parish. Perpetual Eucharistic adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is open 24/7, and the parish runs formation tracks for every age: a Family of Faith children's program, teen and youth ministry, and an RCIA process for adults. Monthly "Revival Sundays" — a parish meal plus a teaching on a focused topic — give newcomers an easy, low-pressure way to build friendships and grow in the faith.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; committed adorers sign up for one holy hour weekly, and the chapel is also open for drop-in visits
History of St. Andrew Parish
St. Andrew was established in 1963 as a mission of St. Anthony Parish to serve the fast-growing Chugiak-Eagle River area and was formally designated an independent parish in 1967. Its earliest worship space was the basement of what was planned as a larger church — locally remembered as the "basement church." As Eagle River's population swelled in the 1970s, parishioners built a second, larger church adjacent to the first; it was completed in 1981 by a volunteer workforce of men, women and children. By 2003 the parish was celebrating five Masses each weekend, and leaders decided to build a new, larger church on 12 acres of land donated to the Archdiocese. The Romanesque-transept church was dedicated on November 30, 2006 by Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI. On November 30, 2018 — the parish's patronal feast day — a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the building; chandeliers crashed, statues and stained glass shattered, drywall fell, the furnace spewed glycol, and a 3/4-inch crack ran across the nave floor. Repairs were funded through insurance (deductible $650,000), a GoFundMe campaign, and the generosity of parishioners and the Archdiocese.
- 1963 — established as a mission of St. Anthony Parish
- 1967 — designated a separate parish
- First worship space: the "basement church"
- 1981 — second, hand-built church completed by parishioners
- 2003 — five weekend Masses needed; parish outgrown
- Nov. 30, 2006 — current church dedicated by Archbishop Schwietz on the Feast of St. Andrew
- Nov. 30, 2018 — magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes on the same feast day, causing severe damage
- Subsequent multi-year restoration funded by insurance, donations, and parish generosity
Faith Formation for Adults & Youth
Faith formation is a central ministry of the parish. For adults, the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is offered for the unbaptized and for baptized Christians from other faith traditions, with weekly catechesis over several months and reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. For children and teens, the parish runs a Family of Faith program that engages the whole family together in catechesis, plus a youth ministry directed by Margaret Holtz. Parish leaders also coordinate monthly "Revival Sundays," begun in October 2022 in connection with the U.S. National Eucharistic Revival, which begin with a parish meal after Mass and move into a teaching on a focused faith topic.
- RCIA for unbaptized adults and Christians from other traditions (contact: Deacon Mark Merrill)
- Family of Faith — family-oriented children's catechesis
- Youth Ministry & Faith Formation (Director: Margaret Holtz)
- Revival Sundays — monthly fellowship and formation (Director of Evangelization: Joshua Cordes)
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments. Preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimony is offered in addition to ongoing Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Adult initiation takes place through RCIA with reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Communion / Eucharist
- Reconciliation (Penance)
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA — initiation into the Catholic Church
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently co-pastored by Fr. Arthur Roraff and Archbishop Emeritus Roger L. Schwietz, OMI (in residence). Two permanent deacons — Deacon Jim Lee and Deacon Mark Merrill — assist with liturgical and pastoral ministry. Lay staff oversee parish administration, faith formation, youth ministry, evangelization, accounting, and the sacred liturgy as sacristan.
- Fr. Arthur Roraff — Pastor / Co-Pastor
- Archbishop Emeritus Roger L. Schwietz, OMI — In Residence / Co-Pastor
- Deacon Jim Lee
- Deacon Mark Merrill
- Margaret Holtz — Director of Youth Ministry & Faith Formation
- Joshua Cordes — Director of Evangelization (Revival Sundays)
- Rita Fay — Parish Secretary
- Rita Montella — Sacristan
- Karen Chaperon — Bookkeeper
- Kristyne Montero — Accountant
Visiting & Getting Involved
St. Andrew welcomes visitors at any scheduled Mass, and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is open around the clock for personal prayer. The parish is a notable spiritual home for active-duty, reserve, and retired military families from Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson; longtime parishioners and military newcomers regularly form lasting friendships, and former military parishioners often return to St. Andrew when they retire from service in Alaska. Newcomers can connect through the parish office, sign up for an hour of perpetual adoration, join a Family of Faith formation group, or attend a monthly Revival Sunday.
- Visit any Mass (Sat 5:30 pm; Sun 10 am & 7 pm; Tues–Fri 9 am)
- Drop-in prayer anytime in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- Sign up for one weekly holy hour of Perpetual Adoration
- Register as a parishioner through the parish office
- Connect with Family of Faith, Youth Ministry, or Revival Sundays
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Arthur RoraffPresent pastor (co-pastor since at least 2018–2019)
Parochial administrator at the time of the November 30, 2018 earthquake; led the parish through the immediate quake response, damage assessment, GoFundMe campaign, and multi-year restoration. A former business entrepreneur who discerned his priestly vocation later in life.
- Archbishop Emeritus Roger L. Schwietz, OMIIn residence / co-pastor after retirement
Archbishop of Anchorage when the present church was dedicated on Nov. 30, 2006; now retired and living in residence at St. Andrew, sharing pastoral duties with Fr. Roraff.