Alaska: Difference between revisions

Alaska is located in the far northwest of [[North America]], bordered by [[Canada]] (Yukon and British Columbia) to the east, the [[Arctic Ocean]] to the north, the [[Bering Sea]] and [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west and south, with the [[Aleutian Islands]] extending toward [[Asia]]. Covering 1,723,337 km², its terrain includes vast tundra, mountains (including Denali), glaciers, fjords, and remote islands. This extreme geography has shaped Catholic ministry through missionary outreach to isolated indigenous communities, often accessible only by air, boat, or snowmobile.<ref name="wiki-ak">{{Cite web |title=Alaska - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref>

Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, with Roman Catholicism arriving via Jesuit missionaries in the late 19th century amid a dominant Russian Orthodox presence from earlier Russian rule. The Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska was established in 1894, evolving into vicariates and dioceses: Diocese of Juneau (1951), Diocese of Fairbanks (1962 from northern vicariate), Archdiocese of Anchorage (1966), later merged into [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]] (2020).<ref name="wiki-fair">{{Cite web |title=Diocese of Fairbanks - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Fairbanks |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref><ref name="wiki-anch"/>

Alaska has a population of approximately 740,000, with Catholics estimated at about 15% of adults (per Pew 2023-24 data; some older sources suggest variations around 16-21% including adherents). Catholicism is a minority in a state with high "nones," evangelical Protestants, and indigenous spiritual traditions, amid secularization trends.<ref name="pew-ak"/>

The [[Catholic Church]] in Alaska consists of two Latin Rite dioceses under the Ecclesiastical Province of Anchorage-Juneau: the [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]] and the [[Diocese of Fairbanks]]. It includes remote parishes, missions, and institutions serving indigenous and diverse populations.<ref name="wiki-anch"/><ref name="wiki-fair"/>

Catholicism is a small minority religion in Alaska (around 15%), with strong missionary history but challenges from remoteness, secularization, and cultural diversity.<ref name="pew-ak"/>

Alaska has no counties but boroughs and census areas for civil governance. Catholic dioceses divide the state north-south.