GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Alaska: AK-7
St. Catherine of Sienna Church
P.O. Box 90
Chefornak, AK 99561
Phone: 907-867-8702
History: St. Catherine of Sienna Church, Chefornak, Bethel Census Area, Alaska, has been a small and predominantly Native American (Yupik Eskimo) parish on the Kinia River at its junction with the Keguk River and in the Diocese of Fairbanks (Archives: Fairbanks, Alaska).
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1930s-1950s |
Jesuits (Oregon Province) (Archives: St. Louis, Missouri) visited Old Cheforniak (Yupik Eskimo) |
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Early 1950s |
To avoid periodic flooding, the residents of Old Cheforniak relocated the community to New Cheforniak |
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1952-1966, 1974-1983 |
Jesuits established and administered St. Catherine Church (Yupik Eskimo), New Cheforniak |
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1966-1974 |
Fairbanks diocesan priests administered St. Catherine’s |
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1972, 1975-1976 |
Fire destroyed St. Catherine’s, which was rebuilt, 1975-1976 |
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1983-1986 |
Fairbanks diocesan priests at Little Flower, Hooper Bay, attended St. Catherine’s |
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1983-1986 |
Sisters of St. Ann served the parish with religious education |
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1986-2000s |
Jesuits administered St. Catherine’s |
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1986-present |
Permanent deacons (Yupik Eskimo) and lay administrators (Yupik Eskimo) have served the parish and provided day-to-day administration |
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2000s-present |
Visiting Fairbanks diocesan priests and diocesan ministry team members have ministered to St. Catherine’s |
Fairbanks diocesan priests at St. Catherine’s attended Umkumute station (Eskimo), 1970-1979 (transferred to St. Joseph’s, Tununak).
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1969-ongoing
Volume: Few volumes
Description: Sacramental records (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials) for Native American parishioners of St. Catherine Church and Umkumute station.
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.
new2006/rev2020
