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St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church
2200 Arctic Blvd
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
907-277-6731
/ Wasilla Mission / History of Mission

History of Blessed Theodore Romzha
Byzantine Catholic Mission 
Wasilla, Alaska

 The establishment of another Byzantine Catholic Church in Alaska was the dream of the late Right Reverend Mitred Archpriest Michael Artim, the third and longest serving pastor at Saint Nicholas in Anchorage. As pastor he traveled the length and breadth of Alaska attempting to gather the scattered Byzantine Catholics into communities for eventual missions. Unfortunately the numbers were too small to sustain such an effort in the Alaskan rural and bush communities. This was a great frustration for him, especially after his retirement in 1985.

 During the mid1990’s, a number of Saint Nicholas families began moving to Palmer and Wasilla where housing was less expensive than Anchorage, and a good highway linking Anchorage with the Valley was under construction. As families moved out to the Valley, the one hour commute became problematic, especially during the winter months. Some families abandoned Saint Nicholas for the more conveniently situated Roman Catholic parishes. Others came into Anchorage for either the Saturday or Sunday Divine Liturgy once or twice a month, while a few came weekly.

 Within a month of his arrival in Alaska during the winter of 2001, the Right Reverend Archimandrite Wesley Izer, SDB, Administrator of Saint Nicholas, noticed that a number of parishioners had moved to the Valley and others were contemplating the move there. His thoughts turned to establishing an Outreach to facilitate Sunday attendance at Divine Liturgy.

 One Sunday afternoon in late April of 2001, Father Michael began to share his dream as well as his frustration about spreading out from Anchorage. Father Wes shared with him his similar dream and felt that with the movement to the Valley the time was right to begin an Outreach. As Father Wes planned for the future, Father Michael offered his insights about starting an Outreach. A target date was set for after Pascha of 2002. Father Michael promised that he would help in spite of his 85 years. On October 29, 2001, Father Michael died before the Outreach could become a reality. Nonetheless his promise to help was realized with a generous bequest of money from his estate for missionary development in Alaska and a donation of his private chapel furniture to the future project.

Mitred Archpriest Michael Artim has a special place in the heart of parishioners and is regarded by them as its prime benefactor and cofounder of the work!

In October, 2001 Father Wes approached the Most Reverend Roger Schwietz, OMI, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Anchorage, with the plan and asked for direction to a church in the Valley that could be used for this new venture. Archbishop Schwietz enthusiastically supported the venture and suggested the use of the old Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla. Father Wes contacted the Reverend Kasparaj Mallavarapu, the Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, who was pleased to offer the old church, now used as an all purpose hall, to the fledgling community.

By January, 2002 there were already 12 families living in the Valley who were active parishioners of Saint Nicholas. During the winter months, Father Wes held planning meetings with them.  Finally, on Thomas Sunday, April 7, 2002, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated at old Sacred Heart Church in Wasilla. For the next 14 months, Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the first Sunday of the month.

The Most Reverend William Skurla, the new Bishop of Van Nuys, made the first Visitation of the Byzantine Catholic Outreach of Palmer-Wasilla, as it was called, in April of 2003. Seeing the vitality of the community, he requested that Divine Liturgy be celebrated every Sunday beginning in June of that year.

Parishioners generously assumed responsibility for their church. 

After three years of searching for property, a location close to Seldon and Wasilla-Fishhook Road in Wasilla was purchased as the site for the future church in August of 2005.

On February 16, 2006, Bishop William raised the Outreach to the canonical status of a Mission for Byzantine Catholics living in the Palmer-Wasilla area with Father Wes named as Administrator. The new Mission was placed under the heavenly patronage of Blessed Theodore Romzha, the 20th century martyred Bishop of Mukachevo. This act formally established a second Byzantine Catholic presence in the State of Alaska.

Today the mission is lead by Reverend Michael Sidun.  The Mission Community looks forward to the day it will have its own church, be named a parish and have its own full time pastor!


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