About St. Therese of the Child Jesus · Skagway, Alaska
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a small Catholic mission parish in the center of Skagway, Alaska — the old Klondike Gold Rush town at the head of the Lynn Canal. The parish serves about 20 local families and shares its priest with Sacred Heart parish in Haines. Locals simply call it "The Green Church," after its distinctive exterior paint, and a statue of St. Therese stands in front to welcome worshippers and visitors. Today the parish is part of the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (formerly the Diocese of Juneau until 2020) and offers a seasonal Sunday and weekday Mass schedule that depends on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry schedule in midwinter.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Therese of the Child Jesus)
- Rector
- Fr. Joseph Pasala
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau (formerly Diocese of Juneau until 2020)
Why belong here
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a small but enduring Catholic community in one of Alaska's most historic towns, where the faith has been celebrated continuously since the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. About 20 local families gather here year-round, and visitors — including the many summer cruise travelers who step off in Skagway — are warmly welcomed at Sunday Mass. Worshippers are drawn both to the parish's striking Gold Rush–era heritage (including the famous "Golden Staircase" mural painted by a parishioner) and to the close-knit, mission-style Catholic life shared with neighboring Sacred Heart parish in Haines.
Mass times at St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome to St. Therese of the Child Jesus
The Church of St. Therese is located in the center of Skagway, surrounded by the majestic beauty of the upper Lynn Canal. The parish extends a warm welcome to all who may wish to join us for worship or simply drop by for a visit. We currently have about 20 families in our parish, and we share a priest with Sacred Heart parish in Haines. May your stay in Alaska be enjoyable in every way; may God bless you and be your companion on the journey.
- About 20 local families
- Shares a priest with Sacred Heart parish in Haines
- Located in the center of Skagway on the upper Lynn Canal
Church History
Catholic life in Skagway is nearly as old as the town itself. The parish traces its roots to 1897, when Father Paul Bougis SJ became the first priest to visit the new gold rush town, traveling up from Douglas Island near Juneau. Within a year, Father Philibert Turnell SJ had established a formal mission, and the community consecrated its first church — St. Mark's, a converted store — with a capacity-filled Mass on Christmas Eve 1898.
- 1897 — Fr. Paul Bougis SJ, from Douglas, Alaska, becomes the first priest to visit Skagway
- August 1898 — Fr. Philibert Turnell SJ establishes the Catholic mission
- September 8, 1898 — First Mass offered in the local school on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Christmas Eve 1898 — St. Mark's Church (a converted store) consecrated to capacity
- March 1918 — Fr. Edgar Gallant, the first priest ordained in Alaska, assigned to Skagway; serves until 1959
- 1932 — St. Pius X Mission Boarding School for Native children built with the Catholic Extension Society, staffed by the Sisters of St. Ann of British Columbia
- November 1946 — School burns down; is rebuilt
- 1959 — Boarding school closes; Mass returns to private homes with visiting priests
- 1979 — Present church of St. Therese of the Child Jesus built with help of the Christian Brothers, the people of Skagway and the Catholic Extension Society
Inside St. Therese — Architecture & Art
Locally known as "The Green Church," St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a modest mission church whose interior tells the story of Skagway itself. The side entrance opens into a sanctuary that flows directly into a church hall providing extra pews, social space and an altar. A statue of St. Therese stands in front of the building to welcome worshippers, and a colored statue of the patroness sits to the left of the dramatic altar mural.
- "Golden Staircase" (also called "Golden Stirs") — sanctuary mural painted by parishioner Jerry Coon, depicting prospectors carrying supplies up the mountainside to the gold fields; Coon also helped build the church
- Colored statue of St. Therese to the left of the mural; another statue of St. Therese in front of the church
- Brass Stations of the Cross plaques on the side wall of the entrance to the hall
- Piano on the side wall
- Colored glass window
- Baptismal font of wood and brass
- Altar in the church hall originally used in the chapel of St. Pius X Mission School
The Clergy
St. Therese is currently served by Fr. Joseph Pasala, who also pastors Sacred Heart parish in Haines, about 26 miles south down the Lynn Canal. Like so many of his predecessors, Fr. Pasala travels between communities to bring the Mass and sacraments to the small towns of Southeast Alaska.
- Fr. Joseph Pasala — current pastor (shared with Sacred Heart, Haines)
- Fr. Paul Bougis SJ — first priest to visit Skagway (fall 1897)
- Fr. Philibert Turnell SJ — established the mission (1898)
- Fr. Edgar Gallant — first priest ordained in Alaska; served Skagway 1918–1959
Our Place in the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau
St. Therese belongs to the Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau. The parish's new shepherd is Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, who was appointed the first Archbishop of Anchorage–Juneau on May 19, 2020 by Pope Francis and installed September 17, 2020 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Anchorage. The archdiocese is strung out along 500 miles of islands, inlets and fjords that compose the panhandle of Southeast Alaska; its 53,000-square-mile area is served by nine priests, many of whom travel regularly by ferry and small plane to bring the Mass and sacraments to the small towns and villages of the diocese.
- Archbishop Andrew Bellisario — appointed May 19, 2020; installed September 17, 2020
- Nine priests serve the 53,000-square-mile archdiocese
- Priests travel regularly by ferry and small plane between parishes
Plan Your Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed at Mass or simply to drop by. Because Skagway is a mission parish served by a traveling priest, the schedule is seasonal and can be affected by ferry service in winter.
- Address: 9th Avenue & State Street, Skagway, AK 99840 (Mailing: PO Box 496, Skagway, AK 99840)
- Phone: (907) 983-2271
- Website: https://www.skagwaycatholicchurch.org/
- From Broadway Street, head northward; the parish is known locally as "The Green Church"
- No Mass available in January and February when the Alaska Marine Highway ferry cannot reach town — check https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Bougis SJ1897
First priest to visit Skagway; came from Douglas, Alaska.
- Fr. Philibert Turnell SJ1898
Established the Skagway Catholic mission; first Mass offered Sept. 8, 1898.
- Fr. Edgar Gallant1918–1959
First priest ever ordained in Alaska; built St. Pius X Mission Boarding School (1932).
- Fr. Joseph Pasalacurrent
Shared pastor with Sacred Heart parish in Haines.