Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...

 in the northwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, comprising several boroughs and census areas in the state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

. It is led by a prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...

 archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 which serves as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

 of the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...

, Cathedral of the Holy Family
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Anchorage
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Anchorage is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is the motherchurch of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and is the seat of the prelate archbishop...

 in the Municipality of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...

. The archbishop is concurrently metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...

 of the suffragan dioceses of the Province of Anchorage: Fairbanks
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northwestern United States, comprising the northern regions of the state of Alaska. It is led by a prelate bishop which serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of the...

 and Juneau
Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northwestern United States, comprising the southeastern part of the state of Alaska. It is led by a prelate bishop which serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of the...

.

The See of Anchorage was canonically erected on January 22, 1966. It took its territories from the Diocese of Juneau. Anchorage's large population and burgeoning community development rectified the creation of a new archdiocese in the city as opposed to elevating the already existing Diocese of Juneau to that rank.

The Archdiocese played host to visits from Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 multiple times, most notably in 1980 when he celebrated Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...

 on the Anchorage Park Strip before 50,000 people.

Bishops

The bishops who have led the diocese are:
  • John Joseph Thomas Ryan
    John Joseph Thomas Ryan
    John Joseph Thomas Ryan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop for the Military Services from 1985 to 1991, having previously served as Archbishop of Anchorage from 1966 to 1975....

     (1966–1975)
  • Francis Thomas Hurley
    Francis Thomas Hurley
    Francis Thomas Hurley is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Anchorage from 1976 to 2001.-Biography:...

     (1976–2001)
  • Roger Lawrence Schwietz
    Roger Lawrence Schwietz
    Roger Lawrence Schwietz, OMI is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Archbishop of Anchorage.-Biography:...

     (2001–present)

High schools

  • Holy Rosary Academy, Anchorage
  • Lumen Christi Junior/Senior High School
    Lumen Christi Junior/Senior High School
    Lumen Christi Junior/Senior High School is a private Roman Catholic high school located in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, affiliated with the Archdiocese of Anchorage.-History:...

    , Anchorage

External links

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