Anchorage church establishing Valley outreach

An Anchorage church is establishing a Valley outreach as a way to keep up with growth -- both in the Anchorage congregation, and the number of Valley families attending.

The St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church is beginning an outreach for Byzantine Catholics living in the Valley.

The first Divine Liturgy is being celebrated on May 19 at 3 p.m., in the building that previously housed Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church at 1201 Bogard Road in Wasilla. Following the service a potluck reception is scheduled.

The establishment of the Valley outreach has been a long time in the making, one congregation member said.

"It's something that our church has been looking at doing, but just recently we have acted on it as more and more families come from the Valley into Anchorage every Sunday for services," said Gerri Tokar-Hines.

"It was kind of a parish decision, with the guidance of our pastor and administrator, Father Wesley Izer. It makes it easier for the families out here, and it also allows us to grow," she said.

Right now, between 12 and 18 families go to Anchorage to worship on Sundays, Tokar-Hines said.

The Valley is one of the fastest-growing places in the state, she said, so establishing a Valley outreach was the next logical step in the growth of the church.

"All of the families who live out here got together and decided we all needed to chip in to make it work," Tokar-Hines said. "We are committed to making it successful."

In addition to being more convenient for Valley families, the outreach could also attract more families to the church, Tokar-Hines said.

Divine Liturgy will be celebrated the first Sunday of of the month on a regular basis.

The Byzantine Catholic Church follows the liturgical traditions of the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, but is Catholic in as much as it is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II.

All Catholics may participate in its liturgical services and receive the Sacraments.

Tokar-Hines said that while the outreach is growing, things will start to look more like the traditional church.

"We don't have all the beautiful iconography like we do in Anchorage just yet, but we are just trying to get established and grow," Tokar-Hines said.

For more information about the church or the Valley outreach being established, interested people may contact the church at (907) 277-6731.