About St. Andrew Kim · Anchorage, Alaska
St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church is a Korean-American Roman Catholic parish located at 7206 Lake Otis Parkway in Anchorage, Alaska, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. Named after St. Andrew Kim Taegon (Korea's first native-born priest and martyr, canonized in 1984), the community was founded in 1981 and serves as the spiritual home of Anchorage's Korean Catholic faithful. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Korean and is known for its annual Korean food bazaar, which brings together the broader Southcentral Alaska community.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- St. Andrew Kim Taegon (Andrew Kim Dae-geon), Korea's first native-born priest and martyr, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
Why belong here
St. Andrew Kim is the spiritual home of Anchorage's Korean Catholic community, offering Mass in Korean (the Thursday evening Mass is celebrated in Korean) alongside English-language liturgies, so both heritage-language and English-speaking families can worship together. The parish is a place where Korean culture and Catholic faith meet — visible in events like the annual Korean Food Bazaar, where volunteers serve dishes such as bulgogi, bibimbap, kimchi, kimbap, and home-made hotteok alongside a garage-sale fundraiser. As an officially established parish of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau since 2007 with its own dedicated church since 2009, it is a welcoming, family-oriented community rooted in the witness of Korea's patron saint.
Mass times at St. Andrew Kim
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Andrew Kim Parish
St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church is a Korean-American Roman Catholic parish in Anchorage, Alaska, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. It serves as the principal spiritual home for Korean Catholics in Southcentral Alaska, with liturgy offered in both English and Korean. The parish is known for blending Catholic worship with Korean cultural heritage through events such as the annual Korean Food Bazaar.
History of the Parish
The Anchorage Korean Catholic community was launched on February 6, 1981, when Fr. Kim Chang-moon of the Diocese of Busan, at the invitation of the local Archbishop, traveled to Anchorage and gathered approximately 130 Korean faithful for the first Korean-language Mass. The community's growth over the following decades is documented on the Korean Catholic Community of Alaska's website.
Founding (1981)
Fr. Kim Chang-moon of Busan celebrated the first Korean Mass in Anchorage on February 6, 1981. In its first decade the community had no resident priest and was cared for by visiting clergy and spiritually guided at St. Anthony parish under Monsignor Coghil.
First Resident Priest & Daegun Hall (1990)
On November 2, 1990, Fr. Jinheum Na (Augustino) became the first resident Korean priest of the Anchorage community. Ground had been broken on October 14, 1990, for the Korean community's Daegun Hall next to St. Anthony parish, and the community began celebrating its own weekly Korean Mass that same month.
Elevation to Parish Status (2007)
On May 6, 2007, during the pastorate of Fr. Yu Min-sung (Peter), the Korean community was officially elevated from a 'community' to a full independent parish of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau under Canons 515 and 518 — giving it canonical equality with the host St. Anthony parish.
New Church Building (2009)
Fr. Yu Min-sung led the purchase and remodeling of a former Protestant church at 7206 Lake Otis Parkway. The new Korean Catholic church was consecrated on July 18, 2009, by Archbishop Chang Bong-hun of the Diocese of Cheongju — fulfilling a decades-long dream of a church building of the community's own.
Languages & Liturgy
Liturgies are celebrated in English and Korean. The Thursday 7:00 PM Mass is the parish's principal Korean-language celebration, reflecting the parish's identity as Anchorage's Korean Catholic parish.
- English
- Korean
Parish Life & Cultural Events
The parish is a community where faith and Korean culture meet. Its most visible community event is the annual Korean Food Bazaar, a fundraiser organized by parish volunteers that also serves as a cultural bridge introducing broader Alaska to Korean hospitality and cuisine.
Korean Food Bazaar
Held each year (e.g., May 3, 2025), the Bazaar features a wide spread of Korean home cooking — pork cutlet, kimbap, bibimbap, bulgogi, seafood pancake (pajeon), black-bean (jjajang) rice, cabbage hangover soup (ugeoji haejang-guk), fresh banchan and kimchi, plus home-made desserts such as sweet rice donuts and hotteok. A garage-sale section raises additional funds. Volunteers describe it as 'a labor of love,' and the event draws Korean-American families, friends, and food lovers from across Anchorage.
Patron Saint
The parish is named for St. Andrew Kim Taegon (Andrew Kim Dae-geon, 1821–1846), Korea's first native-born Catholic priest and a martyr of the persecutions of the 19th century. He was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984, alongside 102 other Korean Martyrs. He is the principal patron of the Korean clergy and of Korean Catholics worldwide.
- Feast day: September 20 (with the other Korean Martyrs)
- Patron of the Korean Catholic Church and Korean clergy
Location & Contact
The parish church sits on Lake Otis Parkway in midtown Anchorage, with parking available on site.
- Address: 7206 Lake Otis Parkway, Anchorage, AK 99507
- Phone: (907) 333-5307
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
Clergy
The current pastor is not listed in the readily available online sources. Past pastors documented in the parish's Korean-language history include Fr. Kim Chang-moon (founder, 1981), Fr. Jinheum Na (first resident priest, 1990), Fr. Cho Sung-hak (fifth pastor, who petitioned for parish status), and Fr. Yu Min-sung (pastor during the 2007 parish elevation and 2009 church consecration).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Kim Chang-moon (김창문)1981 (founding)
Diocese of Busan; invited by the Archbishop to Anchorage to gather Korean Catholics and celebrate the first Korean Mass. Found ~130 faithful.
- Fr. Jinheum Na / Augustino Na (나진흠 아우구스티노)Nov 2, 1990 –
First resident Korean priest of the Anchorage Korean community; arrived the same month the Daegun Hall broke ground.
- Fr. Cho Sung-hak (조성학)–
Fifth pastor; repeatedly petitioned the Archbishop for parish status (per Canon Law 515 & 518).
- Fr. Yu Min-sung / Peter Yu (유민성 베드로)–
Pastor during whose tenure the community was formally elevated to parish status on May 6, 2007, and who initiated purchase of the 7206 Lake Otis Pkwy building; new church consecrated July 18, 2009.