Norwegian Sun Cruise Ship

Booklet
Churches of Norwegian Sun Cruise 
Alaska Inside Passage 

This booklet is a compilation of blog posts from "Churches On Sundays" at http://www.churchesonsundays.blogspot.com of the chapel on the Norwegian Sun Cruise Ship and the churches in ports it visited on the Alaska Inside Passage.

Title Page

Table of Contents

The Booklet "Churches of Norwegian Sun Cruise, Alaska Inside Passage Churches" has been donated to the Norwegian Sun for placement in either the chapel or library.

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                     November 1, 2015

St. John's Episcopal Church 2015

St. John's Episcopal Church

Ketchican, Alaska

"St. John's Episcopal Church and St. Agnes Mission 
were newly built above the tides in 1902."
(REF.)

"St. John's was built in 1904 on the waters edge. Many of the congregation who attended would tie up their boats to the pier at the church's front door, climb up a ladder and make their way into the church to worship. St. John's was constructed by local shipwrights and craftsmen using red cedar milled about three miles south of town in Saxman. Due to the growth of Ketchikan the pier which St. John's sat on has been replaced with a hard surfaced road known as Mission Street. " (Link 1.)

"In 1898, St. Agnes Mission was built in what is now St. John's parking lot. That native school was operated for almost 25 years before being turned over to the Office of Indian Affairs.

"The clergy house on the other side of the mission was enlarged between 1908 and 1912, and converted to a 12-bed hospital. In the 1970's and 1980's, it served as the Seamen's Center.

"In the 1960's, St. John's welcomed back the native congregation of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church, a mission church which had been formed out of the congregation of St. John's. Maintaining its presence in Ketchikan's downtown has remained a priority for St. John's, hosting weekly meals for the homeless and providing meeting space to various community groups.

Side View 2015

"To this purpose, parishioners keep the church open all week during the summer so visitors can share in the beauty and serenity of our sanctuary which is adorned with handsome stained glass windows, the oldest of which dates back to the 1930's. St. John's remains firm in both its mission--serving to the glory of God in Ketchikan---and its location--its steeple rising from the center of town as a visible symbol of God and his work.

Rear of Church 2015

"The old rectory which once stood behind the church was taken down to provide for the widening of Dock Street." (Link 2.)

                                                                        Sanctuary

(Link 1.)

"Upon entering the church you are immediately drawn to the stained glass windows which adorn the sanctuary, some of which date back to the 1930's. The alter and pipe organ are without a doubt some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  (Link 1.)

                                         Statue carved from whale bone and

                                    adorned with gold from the 1800's gold rush.

(Link 1.)

                         Stained Glass Window (Link 1.)

                                           Stained Glass Window (Link 1.)

                                                Stained Glass Window (Link 1.)

Note: For map see Blog Post October 18, 2015.                                        

Exterior Photos: Taken in September 2015 by SW.
Reference:  Our Town, Discover Ketchikan Alaska.

Link 1: http://www.rwal54.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/07/2905625-st-johns-episcopal-church-ketchikan-ak
Link 2: http://www.stjohnsketchikan.com/aboutus.htm

                                                                                                         October 25, 2015

St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church
(The Green Church)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church
Skagway, Alaska

"Gold was discovered near Dawson in the Klondike in 1896, and the town of Skagway was founded in 1897 by Captain William Moore. With the influx of miners and prospectors heading for the Klondike, Skagway quickly became the most populated town in Alaska, with a population of 3,117 in 1900.

"The first priest to visit Skagway was Father Paul Bougis SJ, from Douglas, Alaska (near Juneau). He arrived in the fall of 1897 and offered Mass in the homes of Catholic families that fall and the following spring. In August, 1898, Father Philibert Turnell SJ came to Skagway and established a mission. He made temporary arrangements to use the school for Sunday Masses, and his first Mass was offered on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Three months later the Catholic community purchased a large empty store, converting it into a church and naming it St. Mark’s. The church was filled to capacity for the first Mass which was offered on Christmas Eve, 1898.

" In March of 1918, Father Edgar Gallant was the first priest to be ordained in Alaska. His first assignment was Skagway, where he was to serve until 1959. Father Gallant’s first goal was to improve St. Mark’s Church. In 1932, with help from the Catholic Extension Society, he built St. Pius X Mission Boarding School for Native children. The school stood on the site of the present Garden City R.V. Park and was staffed by the Sisters of St. Ann of British Columbia. In November of 1946, the school burned to the ground, but was soon rebuilt and operated until 1959.

"After the boarding school closed, Masses were once again offered in the homes of local Catholic families. Priests visited from Juneau, and sisters came to Skagway to visit and offer religious instruction for the children. We were once again a mission parish, but the dedication of the good people of Skagway and the visiting clergy and sisters kept the faith alive and flourishing to this day.

"Our present church—St. Therese of the Child Jesus—was built in 1979 with the help of the Christian Brothers and the good people of Skagway. Much of the funding was provided by the Catholic Extension Society, to which our community is most thankful.

Statue of St. Therese

(In front of church)

"The parish of St. Therese is a member of the Diocese of Juneau, shepherded by Bishop Edward J. Burns who was installed April 2, 2009. The Diocese of Juneau is strung out along 500 miles of islands, inlets and fjords that compose the panhandle of Southeast Alaska. This 53,000 sq. mile area is served by nine priests, many of whom travel regularly by ferry and small plane to bring the Mass and sacraments to the small towns and villages of our diocese." (Link 1.)

The residents of Skagway refer to their five churches not by their denomination, but by the color paint on the exterior. 

Presbyterian-White                                                         Assembly of God-Red                                                           Fellowship Lifelink-Gray                                                      Mormon-Brown                                                           St. Therese Catholic Church-Green

Hence St. Therese Catholic Church is identified as "The Green Church".  A statue of St. Therese in front of the church welcomes church members and visitors.

The entrance/narthex is on the side of the building. Inside  is the sanctuary which opens up to the church hall behind it.  Behind the altar on the front wall of the sanctuary is the dramatic painting of prospectors on foot carrying their supplies up the mountain side to the gold fields. It was painted by Jerry Coon, the brother parishioner Linda Coon. It is titled Golden Stirs/Golden Staircase. Jerry Coon also helped to build the church. (Judy)  A colored statue of St. Therese sits to the left of the painting.

Sanctuary

Front Wall of Sanctuary

Statue of St. Therese

(In Sanctuary)

The church hall provides additional pews for seating in the sanctuary, an area for social activities and an altar.  On the side wall of the entrance to the hall is the church piano.  Also on the side wall are brass plaques of the Stations of Cross.

Pews extending into church hall

(Piano on the right)

Station of the Cross

In 1932 a Catholic Boarding School for native children was built in Skagway, St. Pius X Mission Boarding School.  It closed its doors in 1959.  "The Chapel at the school was named in honor of St. Therese.  The altar in our hall is the altar used in the Chapel in the school." (REF.)

Altar from St. Pius X School 

(In church hall.)

Other architectural  features in the church are a colored glass window and

the baptismal font of wood and brass.

Colored Glass Window

Baptismal Font

Thank you: To Judy and her daughter at Mile 0 B&B for information on 

                         the church.

Note: See map of area at Blog Post October 18, 2015. 

Photos: Taken in Sept. 2015 by SW while on a cruise on the Norwegian Sun.

Reference: Church handout on the history of the Church and School.

Link 1: http://www.skagwaycatholicchurch.org/

Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9r%C3%A8se_of_Lisieux

                                                                                                               October 18, 2015

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church

2015

St. Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church
Juneau, Alaska

Inside Passage Cruise

Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican (north to south)

(Link 2.)

"The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through westernBritish Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington state, in the United States. Ships using the route can avoid some of the bad weather in the open ocean and may visit some of the many isolated communities along the route. The Inside Passage is heavily travelled by cruise ships, freighters, tugs with tows, fishing craft and ships of the Alaska Marine Highway,BC Ferries, and Washington State Ferries systems.

The term "Inside Passage" is also often used to refer to the ocean and islands around the passage itself. The Inside Passage is also sometimes referred to as the "Inland Passage" which is in turn a reference to early explorers' quests to locate the Northwest Passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean." (Link 2.)

"The City and Borough of Juneau  is the capital city of Alaska. It is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle, and it is the second largest city in the United States by area. Juneau has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of what was then the District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900. The municipality unified on July 1, 1970, when the city of Juneau merged with the city of Douglas and the surrounding Greater Juneau Borough to form the current municipality,^[2] which is larger by area than both Rhode Islandand Delaware.

"In 2014, the population estimate from the United States Census Bureau was 32,406, making it the second most populous city in Alaska after Anchorage. Juneau's daily population can increase by roughly 6,000 people from visiting cruise ships between the months of May and September.

"The city is named after gold prospector Joe Juneau...

"Juneau is rather unusual among U.S. capitals in that there are no roads connecting the city to the rest of Alaska or to the rest of North America...

(Link 3.)

School, Church, Rectory before 1917
(REF.)

St. Nicolas, 1945

(Link 1.)

                                                                                  The Dome, Dec 2010

                                                                        (Link 1.)

Juneau was the first stop of the Sept. 14-21st cruise ship Norwegian Sun.  And it is  here that sits the  "oldest, continual use Orthodox structure in Southeast Alaska" (Link 1.)  St. Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church.

"Although there were no Russians in Juneau at that time and Alaska had been under United States control since 1867, the Russian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas was established there in 1894... it was the native Tlingit people who were the catalyst for the establishment of our church, " (Link 1.) (because services were in their own language.)

"After word reached Moscow that the work in Juneau had been established, the (Orthodox Missionary) Society sent architectural drawings and two thousand silver rubles to build and equip the church.  Another significant donation of 400 dollars came from Rev. Ivan Il’ich Sergiyev, known better to us as St. John of Kronstadt. The Iconostasis was constructed and provided by Ivan A. Zheverzheev’s Factory and Store of Church Utensils....In October 1893, a fundraising event was sponsored by a local Juneau physician. A total of $400 was raised at a "fancy dress ball" at the Court House where participants sought to win prizes, dance to an orchestra, and eat ice cream.

"Also included in the shipment were articles of interior church furnishings - candle stands, chalice set, censer, banners, a full icon screen and festal icons. Many of these items can still be seen (and some are still in use) at the church today." (Link 1.)

Interior Church Furnishings from Russia

Original Candelabra from Russia

"This building was constructed in 1893-1894 in Juneau with local timber, local labor, and under the supervision of Ellingen and Rudolph, a local contractor....(It was the last of the Orthodox churches made in this shape.-REF.) The (seven bay) iconostasis (icon screen) is the only part of this building that was made in Russia and assembled here.

Oconostasis

St. Nicolas

Center Painting on Iconoctasis

Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary

Painting to Left of Center on Iconostasis

St. Methodios

Far Right Painting on Iconostasis

"At the time of the consecration, there was no dome or belfry in place on the building. The characteristic "onion" dome was constructed and placed in 1895. The bell and belfry were constructed and placed in 1905 or 1906.  Inscriptions on the bell indicate that it was cast (or at least sponsored) in St. Petersburg, Russia." (Link 1.)

Painting Above Sanctuary Entrance From Narthex

(Painted by local artist Charles Rohrbacker)

The octagonal shaped church consists basically of two rooms, the sanctuary and the narthex.  The congregation stands in the sanctuary during Sunday worship services.

On the walls of the sanctuary are groupings of liturgical paintings, many of which are enhanced gold leaf backgrounds or details.

Liturgical Painting Groupings On Side Walls of Sanctuary

In the narthex is a glass case of objects used in church services. Plaques describing the churches history line the walls.

19th Century Wedding Crowns

(In Case In Narthex)

A $120,000 restoration project was completed in 1979.  And in recent years parts of the church have again been restored.  "In 1990 the parishioners repainted the church inside and out..." "A $5000 grant...(paid for a) dome restoration in 1992." "The belfry was removed in... 2007, stored on the lawn, restored as part of the narthex restoration,  and replaced... (in) 2012." The roof of the old rectory was replaced in 2013.  Foundation work was done on the church in 2014. (REF.)

In 1974 St. Nicolas Orthodox Church in Juneau, Alaska was elected to the National Register of Historic Places. (REF.)

Thank you: To Patrick and Julia for guiding me around the church and gift

                 shop-in the original rectory next to the church.

Reference : The First Hundred Years 1984-1994 page 12, available at the
                 church gift shop.
Photos: Taken in Sept. 2015 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.stnicholasjuneau.org/
Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage
Link 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneau,_Alaska
Link 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Russian_Orthodox_Church_
                (Juneau,_Alaska)

The Walrus Capital of the World
Savoonga Presbyterian Church
Savoonga, Alaska

"The Walrus Capital of the World" is Savoonga, Alaska on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. To get there you must first fly to Anchorage then 449 miles north west via Nome and weather permitting, to Savoonga. There in the land of the midnight sun where it snows September to May live 643 people, mainly Yupik Eskimos with relatives in Siberia. Those who aren't Yupik are the teachers mostly from "the lower 48" at the Hogarth Kingeekuk Memorial School for students kindergarten to grade 12.  In 1900 reindeer were introduced to St. Lawrence Island. The herd grew to over 10,000 by 1917. The town of Savoonga grew from a reindeer camp established in 1916 to a village in 1930. Under the Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 it received joint title to St. Lawrence Island with its only other town, Gambell. The main subsistence livelihood is hunting of whales and walrus and carving of figures from walrus ivory and whale bone. The main outdoor sport is snowmobiling.


The Savoonga Presbyterian Church has been there as long as April, the Kingeekuk Memorial School secretary remembers. A large bell sits  to the left of the church doors. April also remembers that it would ring during church services when she was about 10 years old.  That was 28 years ago. She said today there are about ten people in church on a Sunday morning. The present minister of the church is Jacob Meadows. However, there isn't always a minister and then members of the community lead the Sunday services.  Buildings other than the school, housing, and the two churches are: the store, the post office,  a coffee shop, a medical clinic, a bingo hall with a snack shop, an airplane hanger, and a government building. 

Research: Thank you to April, school secretary at Kingeekuk Memorial School 
          in Savoonga, Alaska. 
Link:http://savoongapresbyterianchurch.blogspot.com/
Link: http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Savoonga,_Alaska
Photo: Taken by teacher Laura (Wilson) Misner 2006.

**************

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)