Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks
Encyclopedia
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 Sacred Heart
in the City of Fairbanks
. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Anchorage
.
of Alaska on July 27, 1894 which was created from the Diocese of Vancouver Island
. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate
on December 22, 1916. The Diocese of Juneau
was carved out of the apostolic vicariate on June 23, 1951. On August 8, 1962, the apostolic vicariate was elevated to a diocese.
The first seven bishops of Fairbanks were missionaries
of the Society of Jesus
. On June 7, 2002, Pope John Paul II
appointed Donald Joseph Kettler
as the first non-Jesuit bishop of Fairbanks.
In February 2008, the diocese announced plans to file for Chapter 11
bankruptcy
, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs who filed claims against the diocese for alleged sexual abuse by priests or church workers dating from the 1950s to the early 1980s. The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province
, was named as a co-defendant in the case, and settled for $50 million. The Diocese, which reports an operating budget of approximately $6 million, claims one of the diocese’s insurance carriers failed to "participate meaningfully".
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 Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
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 the northern regions of 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...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
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 Sacred Heart
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Fairbanks
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is the motherchurch of the Diocese of Fairbanks and is the seat of the bishop of the diocese...
in the City of Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Anchorage
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northwestern United States, comprising several boroughs and census areas in the state of Alaska. It is led by a prelate archbishop which serves as pastor of the mother church,...
.
History
The See of Fairbanks was established from the Prefecture ApostolicApostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
of Alaska on July 27, 1894 which was created from the Diocese of Vancouver Island
Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria
The Diocese of Victoria is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Headquartered in Victoria, the diocese encompasses all of Vancouver Island and several nearby British Columbia islands. A suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, the diocese's...
. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
on December 22, 1916. The Diocese of 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...
was carved out of the apostolic vicariate on June 23, 1951. On August 8, 1962, the apostolic vicariate was elevated to a diocese.
The first seven bishops of Fairbanks were missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. On June 7, 2002, 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 ...
appointed Donald Joseph Kettler
Donald Joseph Kettler
Donald Joseph Kettler is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Bishop of Fairbanks, and the fourth since the creation of the Fairbanks diocese in 1962.-Biography:...
as the first non-Jesuit bishop of Fairbanks.
In February 2008, the diocese announced plans to file for Chapter 11
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs who filed claims against the diocese for alleged sexual abuse by priests or church workers dating from the 1950s to the early 1980s. The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province
Sexual abuse scandal in the Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus has had different episodes of Catholic sex abuse cases in various jurisdictions.-Diocese of Fairbanks:In February 2008, the diocese of Fairbanks announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs who filed claims against the diocese...
, was named as a co-defendant in the case, and settled for $50 million. The Diocese, which reports an operating budget of approximately $6 million, claims one of the diocese’s insurance carriers failed to "participate meaningfully".
Diocese Demographics
As of 2007, the diocese contains 47 parishes, 27 priests, providing service to 18,000 Catholics, in an area of 409849 square miles (1,061,504 km²). It also has 20 religious sisters, 18 religious brothers.Ordinaries/Bishops
- Paschal Tosi (1894–1897)
- Jean Baptist ReneJean Baptist ReneJean Baptist Rene was the second Roman Catholic Prefect Apostolic of Alaska.Born in France, Rene was ordained in 1876. On March 16, 1897, Father Rene was appointed prefect apostolic of Alaska resigning on March 28, 1904....
(1897–1904) - Joseph Raphael John CrimontJoseph Raphael John CrimontJoseph Raphael John Crimont, SJ was a 20th century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the Vicar Apostolic of Alaska from 1917-45.-Biography:...
(1904–1945) - Walter James FitzgeraldWalter James FitzgeraldWalter James Fitzgerald, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Vicar Apostolic of Alaska from 1945 until his death in 1947...
(1945–1947) - Francis Doyle GleesonFrancis Doyle GleesonFrancis Doyle Gleeson, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Fairbanks from 1962 to 1968, previously serving as Vicar Apostolic of Alaska .-Biography:...
(1948–1968) - Robert Louis WhelanRobert Louis WhelanRobert Louis Whelan, SJ was a 20th century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks in the state of Alaska from 1969-85.-Biography:...
(1968–1985) - Michael Joseph KanieckiMichael Joseph KanieckiMichael Joseph Kaniecki, SJ was a 20th century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks from 1985-2000.-Biography:...
(1985–2000) - Donald Joseph KettlerDonald Joseph KettlerDonald Joseph Kettler is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Bishop of Fairbanks, and the fourth since the creation of the Fairbanks diocese in 1962.-Biography:...
(2002–present)
Churches & locations
Services are provided in English. But due to the growing Hispanic population in Fairbanks, services are also provided in Spanish.- Alakanuk - Saint Ignatius Catholic Church
- Aniak - Saint Theresa Catholic Church - 1910
- Barrow - Saint Patrick Catholic Church
- Bethel - Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
- Chefornak - Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
- Chevak - Sacred Heart Catholic Church
- Delta Junction - Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
- Emmonak - Sacred Heart Catholic Church
- Fairbanks - Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
- Fairbanks - Sacred Heart Cathedral - 1962
- Fairbanks - Saint Mark's University Parish
- Fairbanks - Saint Raphael Catholic Church
- Galena - Saint John Berchmans Catholic Church
- Healy - Holy Mary of Guadalupe Catholic Church
- Holy Cross - Holy Family Catholic Church - 1888
- Hooper Bay - Little Flower of Jesus Catholic Church
- Huslia - Saint Francis Regis Catholic Church
- Kalskag - Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
- Kaltag - Saint Teresa Catholic Church
- Kotlik - Saint Joseph Catholic Church
- Kotzebue - Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church
- Koyukuk - Saint Patrick Catholic Church
- Little Diomede Island - Saint Jude Catholic Church
- Marshall - Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
- McGrath - Saint Michael Catholic Church
- Mountain Village - Saint Lawrence Catholic Church
- Nenana - Saint Theresa Catholic Church
- Newtok - Holy Family Catholic Church
- Nightmute - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
- Nome - Saint Joseph Catholic Church
- North Pole - Saint Nicholas Catholic Church
- Nulato - Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church
- Nunam Iqua - Saint Peter Catholic Church
- Pilot Station - Saint Charles Spinola Catholic Church
- Ruby - Saint Peter in Chains Catholic Church
- Russian Mission - Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
- Saint Marys - Church of the Nativity Catholic Church - 1972
- Saint Michael - Saint Michael Catholic Church
- Scammon Bay - Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
- Stebbins - Saint Bernard Catholic Church
- Tanana - Saint Aloysius Catholic Church
- Teller - Saint Ann Catholic Church
- Tok - Holy Rosary Catholic Church
- Toksook Bay - Saint Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church
- Tununak - Saint Joseph Catholic Church
- Unalakleet - Church of the Holy Angels Catholic Church
Education
The diocese has only 2 schools for education.- Immaculate Conception Elementary, Fairbanks
- Monroe Catholic High SchoolMonroe Catholic High SchoolMonroe Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fairbanks, Alaska. It is the only Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks. It is the northernmost Roman Catholic high school in the Americas.-Background:...
, Fairbanks
Health Care
Due to the vast area, low population density, and financial restraints, the diocese has no hospitals.- Hospital ministry - Catholic services to the sick & injured in existing hospitals & nursing homes.
- Stephen ministry - interdenominational companions for people in grief, illness, loss, family breakdown, etc.
Media
The diocese provides communication to its community by:- The Alaskan Shepherd, a newsletter
- KNOMKNOMKNOM is a non-commercial Catholic radio station in Nome, Alaska, broadcasting at 780 AM and 96.1 FM. The station owner and licensee is the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska. The FM signal is 1000 watts and covers the city of Nome and immediately surrounding environs...
radio. Established in 1971, KNOM is the oldest Catholic radio stationRadio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the country.