But aside from the common book, these Catholic outposts have myriad other religious acts that bind them together.
B.J. Hill, who helps administer St. Therese in the fishing village of Naknek, said “Father Scott has us pretty well covered,” as the priest flies the 64 air miles from Dillingham, on most Sundays.
Hill said about seven families make up the core of the St. Therese Catholic community.
Like most of the little communities, parishioners at St. Therese take advantage of services that can be celebrated, while they wait for a priest.
“We have a really nice church with hand-carved Stations of the Cross,” and someone from the parish will lead the stations each Friday in Naknek, said Hill.
On the road system south of Anchorage lies sparsely populated Cooper Landing, the site of many great sport fishing adventures. For Tom and Chris Farrington, it has been home since they moved from Anchorage several years ago.
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Someone from the little parish of St. John Neumann takes a turn leading the Stations of the Cross each Friday during Lent, said Chris, and often there’s a Bible study in someone’s home. The congregation is so small that “everyone has a key to the church” she said, “and a lot of people make a visit every day.”
Cooper Landing is served by Father Richard Tero from Sacred Heart in Seward, and he receives help from retired associate Father Bill Hanrahan. The extra aid allows the parish to celebrate Mass every Sunday, although they won’t have a Holy Thursday or Good Friday service.
In Homer, and farther north in Talkeetna, Catholics celebrate a Lenten tradition that larger parishes often do not – each offers a Passover Seder dinner (a traditional Jewish meal) during Holy Week, with advice and help in Homer offered by a Jewish neighbor. The meal is slightly modified for Christian use and recognized as a forerunner to the Last Supper, at which Jesus instituted the Eucharist.