First MassMay 13, 1779
| Location | Suemez Island, Bucareli Bay |
|---|---|
| State/Territory | Alaska |
| County | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area |
| Modern Diocese | Diocese of Juneau |
| Historical Diocese | Diocese of Guadalajara(?) |
| Date | May 13, 1779 |
| Priest | Fr. Juan Antonio García Riobó and Fr. Matías de Santa Catalina Noriega, O.F.M. (with Fr. Cristóbal Antonio Díaz also present) |
| Religious Order | Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) |
| Rite | Roman (Latin) Rite |
| Expedition | Bucareli Expedition (Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra) |
| Confidence | confirmed |
| Submitted by | @_catholicwest |
Documentation
- EWTN/Catholic News Agency, "Alaska celebrates 230th anniversary of first Catholic Mass in the state"
- History Link
Notes
On the feast of the Ascension, chaplains with a Spanish naval expedition under Ignacio de Arteaga and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra said Mass on Suemez Island in Bucareli Bay, southeastern Alaska. The expedition (ships Favorita and Princesa, out of San Blas) had been sent north to chart the coast and assert Spanish claims against Russian expansion into the area. About sixty Native Alaskans reportedly attended; Mass was said under a tent, with a cross cut from a pine log and a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary placed on the altar. This predates the later, much better-known Russian Orthodox missionary presence in Alaska by several years, and is distinct from it. Independently confirmed via HistoryLink.org's account of the 1779 Arteaga/Bodega y Quadra expedition, which matches the date and location.
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