Ketchikan
Alaska
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Holy Name Catholic Church
About Us:
We welcome you in a true spirit of Christian Hospitality. We hope that you will find an oasis of peace in our midst while taking this time of spiritual re-creation and refreshment.
We are in the Diocese of Juneau - located in mountainous Southeast Alaska. The diocese is unique because it differs in a major way from the other dioceses in the United States. It borders Northwest Canada and a large part of the diocese is an archipelago. Territorially the diocese consists of 37,566 square miles of islands and tidelands geographically isolated from the rest of Alaska as well as the other states. It was established as a diocese in 1951 and is the smallest in the United States in terms of population and one of the largest in terms of territory.
The Juneau Diocese, with its far-flung villages, is still considered a mission diocese. Holy Name Church is responsible for the spiritual needs of Ketchikan General Hospital, The Pioneers' Home (a nursing home), the State Jail and the Community of Metlakatla, Alaska, on nearby Annette Island. Annette Island is the only Indian Reserve in the state of Alaska. Your generosity in helping to support our efforts will be greatly appreciated.
We invite you to share refreshments and fellowship with us after all the Sunday Masses. We hope you enjoy our unique "First City of Alaska" and the rest of our incredible state with its crystalline beauty. May your stay, no matter how brief, be refreshing, enjoyable and memorable.
Holy Name is one of nine parishes in the diocese and has 425 registered families and supports the only Catholic school in the diocese.
In 1898 the first Mass was celebrated in Ketchikan by a visiting priest, Fr. Trivelli, S.J. 'Me Catholic community continued to rely on visiting priests for masses that were held in the Redman Hall or the Library until 1904. That year, a small school house was acquired and refurbished for use as a church on Main Street and Mass was offered on a regular basis.
In the early years, the roads of Ketchikan were in very poor condition, making travel with newborns very difficult, so the priest would make home visitations for baptisms. Most families would not bring their children to church until they were able to walk. The first Baptism celebrated in the church building occurred in June of 1907. The first marriage celebrated in the church was in August of that same year.
In the fall of 1920, a neat and convenient parish hall was erected next to the rectory on Main Street. The hall became the center of church socials that were attended by townspeople of all faiths. As Alaska continued to grow, so did the church communities of the state. As the population of Ketchikan grew the parishioners felt it was time to begin a school. In 1946 alterations were made to the parish hall and the first four grades of Holy Name School moved in.
The School was forced to close in May 1960 due to a lack of adequate facilities. Property was purchased in that same year at the parish's present site, but construction on the new school was not begun until 1965. The property was large enough to build the school and eventually a separate church building.
In 1970 the Main Street property was sold to provide funds for the new church complex. The church was moved into "temporary" residence within the school building, this "temporary" residence lasted 15 years. The dream for a separate church building persisted and in 1976, under the direction of Fr. Joseph Saba and Bishop Francis Hurley, initial steps were taken to the realization of that dream.
On Sunday, October 21, 1984, the ground breaking ceremony for the new church building was celebrated. Many old-time parishioners enjoyed ringing the bell salvaged from the Main Street church and temporarily rigged up for the celebration. The bell tower was dedicated that day to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. The cornerstone for the church, displayed at the groundbreaking, was a piece of marble obtained at nearby Marble Island. It was later blessed by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Alaska in May of 1984.
The solemn blessing and dedication of Holy Name Catholic Church by the Most Revered Michael Kenny, Bishop of the Juneau Diocese, was held on October 20, 1985, just one day short of a year from the groundbreaking. The first weekend Masses were celebrated September 14 & 15 of that year.
We welcome you in a true spirit of Christian Hospitality. We hope that you will find an oasis of peace in our midst while taking this time of spiritual re-creation and refreshment.
We are in the Diocese of Juneau - located in mountainous Southeast Alaska. The diocese is unique because it differs in a major way from the other dioceses in the United States. It borders Northwest Canada and a large part of the diocese is an archipelago. Territorially the diocese consists of 37,566 square miles of islands and tidelands geographically isolated from the rest of Alaska as well as the other states. It was established as a diocese in 1951 and is the smallest in the United States in terms of population and one of the largest in terms of territory.
The Juneau Diocese, with its far-flung villages, is still considered a mission diocese. Holy Name Church is responsible for the spiritual needs of Ketchikan General Hospital, The Pioneers' Home (a nursing home), the State Jail and the Community of Metlakatla, Alaska, on nearby Annette Island. Annette Island is the only Indian Reserve in the state of Alaska. Your generosity in helping to support our efforts will be greatly appreciated.
We invite you to share refreshments and fellowship with us after all the Sunday Masses. We hope you enjoy our unique "First City of Alaska" and the rest of our incredible state with its crystalline beauty. May your stay, no matter how brief, be refreshing, enjoyable and memorable.
Holy Name is one of nine parishes in the diocese and has 425 registered families and supports the only Catholic school in the diocese.
In 1898 the first Mass was celebrated in Ketchikan by a visiting priest, Fr. Trivelli, S.J. 'Me Catholic community continued to rely on visiting priests for masses that were held in the Redman Hall or the Library until 1904. That year, a small school house was acquired and refurbished for use as a church on Main Street and Mass was offered on a regular basis.
In the early years, the roads of Ketchikan were in very poor condition, making travel with newborns very difficult, so the priest would make home visitations for baptisms. Most families would not bring their children to church until they were able to walk. The first Baptism celebrated in the church building occurred in June of 1907. The first marriage celebrated in the church was in August of that same year.
In the fall of 1920, a neat and convenient parish hall was erected next to the rectory on Main Street. The hall became the center of church socials that were attended by townspeople of all faiths. As Alaska continued to grow, so did the church communities of the state. As the population of Ketchikan grew the parishioners felt it was time to begin a school. In 1946 alterations were made to the parish hall and the first four grades of Holy Name School moved in.
The School was forced to close in May 1960 due to a lack of adequate facilities. Property was purchased in that same year at the parish's present site, but construction on the new school was not begun until 1965. The property was large enough to build the school and eventually a separate church building.
In 1970 the Main Street property was sold to provide funds for the new church complex. The church was moved into "temporary" residence within the school building, this "temporary" residence lasted 15 years. The dream for a separate church building persisted and in 1976, under the direction of Fr. Joseph Saba and Bishop Francis Hurley, initial steps were taken to the realization of that dream.
On Sunday, October 21, 1984, the ground breaking ceremony for the new church building was celebrated. Many old-time parishioners enjoyed ringing the bell salvaged from the Main Street church and temporarily rigged up for the celebration. The bell tower was dedicated that day to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. The cornerstone for the church, displayed at the groundbreaking, was a piece of marble obtained at nearby Marble Island. It was later blessed by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Alaska in May of 1984.
The solemn blessing and dedication of Holy Name Catholic Church by the Most Revered Michael Kenny, Bishop of the Juneau Diocese, was held on October 20, 1985, just one day short of a year from the groundbreaking. The first weekend Masses were celebrated September 14 & 15 of that year.