Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northwestern United States, comprising the northern regions of the state of Alaska. It is led by a prelate bishop which serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the City of Fairbanks. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

The See of Fairbanks was established as the Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska on July 27, 1894. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate on December 22, 1916. The Diocese of Juneau was carved out of the apostolic vicariate on June 23, 1951. On August 8, 1962, the apostolic vicariate was elevated to a diocese.

The first seven bishops of Fairbanks were missionaries of the Society of Jesus. On June 7, 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed Donald Joseph Kettler as the first non-Jesuit bishop of Fairbanks.

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[edit] Sexual abuse litigation

In February 2008, the diocese announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, claiming inability to pay the 140 plaintiffs who filed claims against the diocese for alleged sexual abuse by priests or church workers dating from the 1950s to the early 1980s.

The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, was named as a co-defendant in the case, and settled for $50 million. The Diocese, which reports an operating budget of approximately $6 million, claims one of the diocese’s insurance carriers failed to "participate meaningfully".[1][2][3][4]

[edit] Ordinaries/Bishops

  • Paschal Tosi (1894-1897)
  • Jean Baptist Rene (1897-1904)
  • Joseph Raphael John Crimont (1904-1945)
  • Walter James Fitzgerald (1945-1947)
  • Francis Doyle Gleeson (1948-1968)
  • Robert Louis Whelan (1968-1985)
  • Michael Joseph Kaniecki (1985-2000)
  • Donald Joseph Kettler (2002-present)

[edit] High Schools

[edit] Resources

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Fairbanks Catholic Diocese filing for bankruptcy. KTUU.com. WorldNow (2008-02-15). Retrieved on 2008-03-03. “More than 150 claims were filed against the church for alleged crimes at the hands of clergy or church workers between the 1950s and 1980s.”
  2. ^ United Press International (2008-02-15). Diocese of Fairbanks plans bankruptcy. Moldova.org. Moldova Foundation. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. “Robert Hannon, who serves as a special assistant to Bishop Donald Kettler and is the diocesan chancellor, told the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News that officials believe bankruptcy is the fairest way to compensate victims.”
  3. ^ Baldino, Megan (2008-02-15). Diocese of Fairbanks to file for bankruptcy. CNA. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. “The negotiations allegedly failed because one of the diocese’s insurance carriers did not “participate meaningfully.” ... Robert Hannon, chancellor and special assistant to Bishop Donald Kettler, said bankruptcy would provide a way for church assets to be distributed fairly among abuse victims.”
  4. ^ Fairbanks diocese will file for bankruptcy. The Anchorage Daily News. The McClatchy Company (2008-02-13). Archived from the original on 2008-02-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
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