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'''Alaska''' is a state in the northwestern [[United States]], the largest by land area and one of the most sparsely populated, known for its vast wilderness, indigenous cultures, northern climate, and historical ties to Russian Orthodox and later Roman Catholic missionary efforts. Covering approximately 1,723,337 km² (including land and water), it has an estimated population of around 740,000 (as of recent 2024-2025 U.S. Census projections). Catholicism, introduced in the late 19th century through Jesuit missionaries following earlier Russian Orthodox presence, is a minority religion, with recent data from the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study indicating that about 15% of adults identify as Catholic. The state is divided into two Latin Rite jurisdictions: the [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]] (southern Alaska, including the panhandle and south-central regions) and the [[Diocese of Fairbanks]] (northern and interior Alaska), forming an ecclesiastical province with limited but resilient Catholic communities serving diverse populations, including indigenous groups and remote missions.<ref name="pew-ak">{{Cite web |title=People in Alaska |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/alaska |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref><ref name="wiki-anch">{{Cite web |title=Archdiocese of Anchorage–Juneau - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archdiocese_of_Anchorage–Juneau |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-01-27}}</ref>
{{AdministrativeSubdivision
{{AdministrativeSubdivision
|subdivision_name=Alaska
|subdivision_name=Alaska
|country=United States
|country=United States
|continent=North America
|continent=North America
|region=Pacific Northwest
|region=Northwest / Pacific
|area_sq_km=1723337
|area_sq_km=1723337
|population=733391
|population=740000
|catholic_population=50000
|catholic_population=111000
|catholic_percentage=6.8
|catholic_percentage=15
|rank_among_religions=2
|rank_among_religions=Minority (third or lower after nones and Protestant/evangelical groups; varies by survey)
|official_languages=English
|official_languages=English (de facto)
|capital_city=Juneau
|capital_city=Juneau
|date_catholicism_introduced=1847
|date_catholicism_introduced=Late 19th century (1870s-1880s)
|catholicism_status=Second-largest Christian denomination
|catholicism_status=Small minority religion with missionary roots in remote and indigenous areas
|ecclesiastical_provinces_count=1
|ecclesiastical_provinces_count=1 (Province of Anchorage-Juneau)
|dioceses_count=1
|dioceses_count=2
|patron_saints=Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Herman of Alaska
|patron_saints=No single statewide patron; local devotions (e.g., Our Lady of the Snows or indigenous-related titles)
|historic=No
|historic=No
}}
}}
'''Alaska''', known as "The Last Frontier," is the largest state in the United States by area, situated in the northwest extremity of North America.  It covers more than 663,000 square miles (1,717,856 square kilometers), making it twice the size of Texas. It is divided into several regions like Southeast (the Panhandle), Southcentral, Interior, Southwest, and the Arctic.


Alaska has a rich cultural heritage with various indigenous groups like the Inupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Tlingit, Haida, and Athabascans.
== Geography ==
[[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>
 
== History ==
[[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"/>
 
== Demographics ==
[[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"/>
 
== Catholic church ==
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"/>
 
=== Structure ===
The Province of Anchorage-Juneau oversees:
* [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]] (metropolitan see, southern Alaska including Anchorage, Juneau, and panhandle)
* [[Diocese of Fairbanks]] (suffragan, northern and interior Alaska, covering vast remote areas)<ref name="wiki-anch"/><ref name="wiki-fair"/>
 
== Introduction of Catholicism ==
Catholicism was introduced in the late 19th century, with the first permanent presence established by Jesuit Father John Althoff at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell on May 3, 1879. Earlier missionary efforts followed Russian Orthodox dominance, with Jesuits expanding into interior and northern regions.<ref name="wiki-fair"/>
 
== Key historical events ==
* First permanent Catholic parish in Wrangell (1879).
* Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska (1894).
* Vicariate Apostolic divisions and Diocese of Juneau (1951).
* Diocese of Fairbanks (1962).
* Archdiocese of Anchorage (1966).
* Merger creating Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau (2020).<ref name="wiki-fair"/><ref name="wiki-anch"/>
 
== Catholicism status ==
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"/>
 
== Administrative structure ==
[[Alaska]] has no counties but boroughs and census areas for civil governance. Catholic dioceses divide the state north-south.
 
== Cultural influence ==
=== Festivals and traditions ===
Indigenous-influenced Catholic devotions and parish feasts in remote areas.


== Catholic Church ==
=== Education and charity ===
Limited schools; outreach through missions and charities.


=== Diocese of Fairbanks ===
=== Art and architecture ===
The [[Diocese of Fairbanks]] is the geographically largest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States, covering the northern part of Alaska. It serves a vast, sparsely populated area with numerous indigenous communities.
Historic mission churches in rural settings.


=== Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau ===
== Notable Catholic sites ==
The [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]], as mentioned, was created from the merger of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau. This change reflects the Church's efforts to better serve the Catholic population in southern Alaska amidst demographic and pastoral considerations.  
=== Pilgrimage sites ===
Remote mission sites and cathedrals like Our Lady of Guadalupe (Anchorage) and Sacred Heart (Fairbanks).


=== Parishes ===
=== Historical churches ===
Saint Rose of Lima (Wrangell, earliest); various mission chapels.


==Dynamic content==
== Saints and blesseds ==
=== Patron saints ===
No statewide patron; local Marian or saint devotions.


=== Dioceses list ===
=== Associated saints and blesseds ===
Missionary figures (e.g., Jesuit pioneers); no major canonized saints born or martyred here, though associations with broader North American missionaries.<ref name="wiki-fair"/>
 
== Challenges to Catholicism ==
Remoteness, small numbers, secularization, historical abuse issues in some dioceses, and serving vast indigenous territories.
 
== Social and political influence ==
The Church engages in charity, indigenous outreach, and advocacy aligned with [[Catholic Social Teaching]], though limited by scale.
 
== Fun facts ==
* The [[Diocese of Fairbanks]] covers about 409,849 square miles (over two-thirds of Alaska), one of the largest U.S. dioceses by area but with fewest Catholics.
* Catholicism's permanent presence began in 1879 at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell, predating statehood by nearly a century.
* The 2020 merger created the [[Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]] to better serve southern Alaska's growing population.
* Remote parishes often rely on air travel or boats for sacraments, reflecting Alaska's unique missionary challenges.
* Jesuits played a key role in early interior missions, building on 19th-century efforts.
 
== Dynamic content ==
=== Dioceses ===
{{State dioceses}}
{{State dioceses}}
== Related ==
 
=== Populated places ===
{{State Populated Places}}
 
=== Shrines ===
{{State Shrines}}
 
== References ==
<references />
 
== External links ==
* [https://aoaj.org Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau]
* [https://dioceseoffairbanks.org Diocese of Fairbanks]
* [https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/country/US-AK.htm GCatholic.org: Alaska dioceses]
Retrieved from "https://saintapedia.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/21244"

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