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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: The season of Advent is a time of waiting. We wait the coming of Christ in His glory. We wait to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. We wait for the end of the calendar year. Waiting brings with it excitement and anticipation, but at the same time, waiting can be difficult, challenging us to practice patience. But waiting also offers an opportunity for reflection. During Advent, the Church challenges us to reflect on the great gift of salvation that has been offered to us by God and the joyful expectation of eternity with Him in heaven. This gift of salvation is what the people of Israel longed for. They did not wait a few weeks or even a few years! They waited for generation after generation, being strengthened by the prophets, until the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Through joy and sorrow, plenty and want, the faithful of Israel kept watch for the day when the Messiah would come. Their perseverance and patient longing serves as an example to us in our own time of waiting.

Bishop Chad Zielinski, recently installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, MN, served as the Bishop of Fairbanks for eight years.

The Diocese of Fairbanks is actively looking for qualified individuals that want to work in a faith-based environment! See our job postings page for more information!

Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Andrew Bellisario, Archbishop of Anchorage-Juneau, as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Fairbanks.

Yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, Sept. 6) the Anchorage Daily News published an article about Fr. Gerardus Hauwert, IVE regarding an allegation of misconduct while he was serving in the Diocese of San Jose in 2011. Father Gerardus is currently serving at Immaculate Conception Church in Fairbanks. The ADN article is based on a previous article published in the San Jose Mercury News in 2018.

Please join us in saying thank you and farewell to Bishop Chad Zielinski on the weekend of August 27 & 28 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. There will be an all parish barbecue potluck after the 4:30 PM Mass on Saturday, August 27, and an Ice Cream

Pope names Bishop Chad W. Zielinski as Bishop of Diocese of New Ulm FAIRBANKS, ALASKA (July 12, 2022) - Pope Francis has named Bishop Chad W. Zielinski, 57, the fifth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota. The announcement was made today at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. His installation is set for Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

We the Catholic Bishops of Alaska acknowledge the Dobbs vs Jackson decision released by the US Supreme Court today. We recognize that abortion remains legal here in our State and to that end, we will continue to work to uphold the life and dignity of the human person created in Gods image, from conception until natural death.

The Diocese of Fairbanks, on the behalf of the faithful who reside within it, humbly submits this report chronicling the synodal process and its findings regarding the 2021-2023 synod, For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission. As all things should, the process began with a spiritual dimension relying heavily on the Holy Spirit to guide all involved and produce great fruits regarding the way in which the Spirit wants to hear from the faithful.

On Sunday, June 19th, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Corpus Christi in which we honor the true presence of Christ within the sacrament of the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi originated in Belgium when St. Juliana of Mont Carvillon, in her devotion to the Eucharist, petitioned the Bishop of Liege to institute a celebration in their diocese dedicated to the Eucharist.

A few months after I was ordained a bishop, I visited friends in Kauai. There was a mission church, and they asked me to celebrate weekend Masses. I saw a diversity of cultures: Filipino, Hawaiian, Polynesian, Japanese, and others creating a richness of experiences in worshipping God. At the end of Mass, everybody knelt and prayed for vocations. They prayed with intensity, believing God would answer their prayers.

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Read the statement here