It’s a long way from tropical Vietnam to icy Nulato. Fr. Thinh Van Tran, OFM, a native of Vietnam, feels the difference, particularly this time of year, as he goes through his priestly rounds in Alaska. The days get shorter, far shorter than they do in the Lower 48, as Alaskans refer to the rest of the country. The snows come and the isolation increases.
As the pastor of Our Lady of the Snows Parish and as priest moderator for St. Teresa Parish in Kaltag, Alaska, Fr. Thinh works in the interior region of the largest state in the area. In Nulato, he ministers to a small parish community, where about 50 people gather for Mass each Sunday. They are part of the Athabaskantribe, part of a 1,500-population village.
The Athabaskans are an indigenous Alaskan tribe, who have traditionally lived along five Alaskan rivers in the huge state’s interior. The group’s native traditions honor and revere the natural elements.
Fr. Thinh previously served as a parochial vicar in the Chicago area and got used to winter. But the Windy City is practically balmy compared to the Yukon region. The 32-mile–travel between his parishes is largely via airplane, although the river can serve as a conduit in the warm-weather months. But at this time of year, everything begins to ice, making navigation impossible. Little things, such as Amazon deliveries of needed supplies, are often out of the question. Snowmobiles are a favored mode of transit. Winters can feature 60-degree below temperatures and snow that can accumulate to six feet or more. The spring often brings floods and mud.
The area’s waters are fished by the natives, who spend much of the summer preparing for the onslaught of winter, which begins to show itself in October as the winter chill sets in and the darkness increases.
“It’s very challenging,” said Fr. Thinh. Pastoral challenges include a high rate of alcohol and drug addiction. Poverty is the norm. The people rely on what is a well-established church for guidance and support. The Diocese of Fairbanks, where Nulato and its sister parishes are located, is larger in area than all of New York State, but it contains only about 12,000 Catholics. The church in the region dates to 1877, when Belgian Bishop Charles Seghers came to Nulato to fulfill a promise he had made to evangelize the native peoples. The bishop was murdered by his guide, but his dream lives on in the Our Lady of Snows Parish, founded in 1887. Bishop’s Rock is a local landmark, named for the slain missionary.
Largely because of his efforts, Nulato became the first Catholic mission in Northern Alaska.
Nulato remained a center of missionary activity. The year 1887 marked the beginning of many years of uninterrupted Catholic presence, especially for Jesuit priests who served in Nulato until the mid-1980s, and for the Sisters of St. Ann, who served there from 1899 until the mid-1980s. The Sisters helped open a Catholic school. They also taught English to the local people.
The Franciscans took over the spiritual direction of the community in 1986.
Fr. Thinh is among just 22 priests in the Diocese of Fairbanks, where he has served for four years, including a time during Covid when the grueling isolation became even more than usual
It can be rough, but he sees the ministry as part of his Franciscan commitment. A motto he embraces from Scripture is “Be Not Afraid.” The challenges are great. The parish church needs repairs. Religious education is a priority. A pressing concern is the high rate of suicide in the region, particularly among the young who see only a bleak future. “A lot of ministry work needs to be done,” said Fr. Thinh.
He is assisted by a small Franciscan community, which is spread out over mission parishes. Br. Bob Ruzicka, OFM, and Bro. Justin Huber, OFM, serve out of St. John Berchmans Parish in Galena, 36 miles away. They have served the area for decades.
Because of the hardships, some missionaries return home, unable to bear the burdens. But Fr. Thinh recognizes that, in many ways, the conditions make it easier to live out his Franciscan vocation.
“I am living with the poor,” he said. As a Franciscan, “being with the poor is the calling.