Bishop's travel to St. Jude Parish on Little Diomede Island

Flight from Nome near the coast of Teller on the way to Little Diomede Island. 

St. Jude Church on Little Diomede Island.

Panorama view of the helicopter landing pad in front of Little Diomede community. In the background, 2.3 miles away, is Big Diomede Island, Russia.

The island of Little Diomede is located off the northwestern coast of far-western Alaska. Two miles to the west, on the other side of the international dateline, is the island of Big Diomede (Russia), and twenty-five miles beyond is Russian Siberia. For thousands of years, an Alaska Native community has lived on Little Diomede. In the 1950s, the Little Sisters of Jesus established a community in the village. They lived on the island for over 40 years and are well-remembered by the people. In 2015, Fr. Ross Tozzi went to celebrate Ash Wednesday, intending to stay a few days. Storms and transportation issues prevented his return to Nome until the Friday before Palm Sunday. Currently, there are about eighty residents in the village. A priest from Nome visits Diomede twice a year. In late July, I was able to visit the community. It was a blessing to meet many of the villagers, hear their stories, and celebrate Mass for them. 

~ Bishop Steven J. Maekawa, O.P.