Fishers of Men by Adriaen van de Venne, Oil on panel, 1614 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you (Jer. 1:5)…Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mt. 5:19).
As the Scripture passage from Jeremiah reminds us, each of us has been chosen by God to live our lives in a particular way. From the moment of conception God has chosen each of us by name to fulfill the mission of proclaiming the Good News of Christ to the world and to announce to the nations that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mt. 10:7). Through our baptism we are all called to this mission to proclaim the Kingdom. Some do this through work in the secular world as doctors, lawyers, mothers, fathers, or a myriad of other professions and states in life. Others, though, are called to proclaim the Kingdom through a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Countless numbers of men and women throughout the history of the Church have consecrated their lives in a special way by following their call to enter the priesthood or a religious community.
The Diocese of Fairbanks, from its very inception has relied on men and women from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Ursuline Sisters, Franciscans brothers and sisters, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, the Little Sisters of Jesus and scores of other religious communities, as well as dedicated diocesan priests to spread the Good News throughout northern Alaska. Each of the men and women who have faithfully served the diocese discerned their call to the priesthood or religious life through prayer and discussion with friends, family and trusted priests, brothers, or nuns.
If you feel that God may be calling you to the priesthood or religious life and would like to speak to someone about your vocation in life, please contact:
| Fr. Robert Fath, Rector | Fr. Ross Tozzi, Director of Vocations |
| St. Nicholas | St. Joseph |
| 707 St. Nicholas Drive | P.O. Box 1010 |
| North Pole, Alaska 99705 | Nome, Alaska 99762 |
| (907) 488-2595 | (907) 443-5527 |