Location Name
Holy Family Cathedral, Anchorage, Alaska

Street Address
5th and H St.

City
Anchorage

Type of Prayer Place
Chapel

capture-anchorage-holy-family-2Description
The Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage is a Catholic church originally formed in 1913 when Anchorage was called Ship Creek and had only a few residents. The present building was built in 1948 and survived the 1964 earthquake that destroyed most of Anchorage. A sign on the exterior of the church commemorates a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Upon entering the church you are greeted by a pair of open inner doors with the words, “Open Wide the Door for Christ” executed in wood above the doors. Carved onto the inside of the open doors are several lines in what I presume are words from the native clans of Alaska. One one of the doors there hangs a traditional native flat drum onto which an artist has done a pencil drawing of the face of Christ. Inside the sanctuary you will find a modern feeling sanctuary graced with niches such as one for a statue of Mary, another for a statue of the Holy Family and a third for an adoration chapel where an elaborate drape houses the host.

capture-anchorage-holy-family-3How I used this place of prayer
I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and was glad to find the chapel open for prayer and meditation. I explored the niches and then sat for a few moments of meditation.

Contact Information / Sponsoring Organization
holyfamilycathedral.org

Personal Tips
5th Street is one of the main thoroughfares in the business district. One popular landmark is the shopping mall, which is a few blocks down from the Cathedral. We were staying at the Captain Cook Hotel, and the church was within a block or two of our hotel.

capture-anchorage-holy-family-4Added by Karen Barber on September 30, 2014