December 27, 2011 – Seeing Faces of Mission in Alaska on a Journey Home

Many cultures, miles of territory, extreme weather and terrain.

That was the Alaska that greeted Father Andrew Small, OMI on his first mission visit as National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, which ended with his journey home in the early morning hours of December 27. But what he found as well in the Diocese of Fairbanks – the only U.S. diocese that remains dependent on support from the Pontifical Mission Societies – was a people filled with a vibrant faith, and priests, religious and laity hard at work and ready, despite the difficulties, to bring the “Good News” of the Light of the world, Jesus, born at Christmas, to waiting hearts.

Take Sister Dorothy Giloley, SSJ, once a schoolteacher and director of religious education in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the past 10 years, Sister Dorothy has been a missionary in Alaska, working mostly in religious education. Several years ago, she offered reflections on her service to The Alaskan Shepherd. “The Yup’ik people here really know what is most important in life,” she said. “Their faith, their culture, and their families are what sustain them. God walks among the Yup’ik people who treasure their Catholic heritage and live their faith each day.”

Her prayer, Sister Dorothy will tell you, remains the same today as expressed during that interview more than a half dozen years ago – “a prayer for more priests, Brothers, Sisters, and lay ministers to join us in this wonderful ministry, for more native deacons and dedicated laity as well.” “Amen,” Father Andrew offered to that prayer, having seen firsthand what that missionary outreach accomplishes – and how great the needs remain.

That same prayer of the Lord Himself – “pray the Lord of the harvest send out laborers” (Matthew 9:38) – was answered with a hearty, “This laborer has reported for duty!” by Father Fred Bayler, now pastor of Immaculate Conception in Fairbanks, and by so many other missionary priests going back decades. (In fact, Father Andrew offered his own prayer of gratitude that the first Catholic missionary priest to enter Alaska was a member of his own Religious Community, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Jean Séguin, coming from Canada, spent a winter (1862-63) at Fort Yukon.)

While there are some 20 priests and 15 Sisters serving the Fairbanks Diocese – which is about two-thirds of the state of Alaska – there are many more laity, some 1,000, who are leaders in key ministries and volunteers. Father Andrew was blessed to share Christmas dinner at the home of one such lay person, Teresa Usibelli, development associate for the diocese, and her family. He even stayed at the family home, and helped prepare breakfast the next morning, with assistance from Sister Dorothy, who stayed and celebrated with the Usibelli family as well.

On this mission visit, Father Andrew learned of the missionary history of Immaculate Conception parish in Fairbanks – its connection to gold rush days of the past and its outreach in the present day to those most in need in that community. He even got to help with the parish’s annual Christmas brunch for the homeless. On a visit to St. Theresa Church in Nenana he learned about the “rail belt” – a string of Catholic parishes that stretches 110 miles parallel to the Alaska railroad, from Nenana to Cantwell. A priest assigned to the “rail belt” circuit becomes a “missionary on wheels” – traveling extensively to serve the six communities of faithful.

On this mission visit, Father Andrew treasured his time with students and families at St. Mark’s University parish, also in Fairbanks, grateful to share a pot luck supper there and thankful that his presence enabled pastor Father Sean Thompson to journey some 300 miles west to Nulato, to celebrate Christmas Mass for the small faith community there – their first such celebration in a decade. He valued his well his time with Bishop Donald Kettler of Fairbanks, hearing of the greatest needs for his diocese, including support for diocesan youth ministry programs, and for residences for Sisters in ministry in the region of remote Eskimo villages between the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers.

On this mission visit, Father Andrew gave thanks for the privilege we share to be partners with missionaries and mission churches around the world. How wonderful to know that our prayers support the work of Father Chuck Peterson, SJ and Susan McCarthy at Immaculate Conception at Bethel, and Father Robert Fath at St. Nicholas parish in North Pole. How grateful to be able to provide, through the Pontifical Mission Societies, support to the Diocese of Fairbanks and other mission dioceses around the world for service to body and soul.

Above all on this mission visit, Father Andrew celebrated our unity in faith in this “one family in mission”! It was the ever-present Light in all darkness that characterized Alaska at this time of year. It was reminiscent of the same Light that pierced the darkness of Bethlehem more than two millennia ago, a Light heralded by the angels and proclaimed by the shepherds that first Christmas – and celebrated by Father Andrew with our mission family in Alaska at Christmas 2011.

For more pictures from Father Andrew’s complete mission visit to Alaska, visit our Facebook page.