On July 11, 2023, at noon, the Holy See communicated that Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop for the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska. The ad comes after a year of vacancy in that territory.
In the Omnes magazine In this month's special report on the Church in Alaska, we reported on this vacant see.
The new Bishop of Fairbanks is Monsignor Steven Maekawa, a Dominican priest who, until now, was pastor of Holy Family in the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. An architect by profession, he entered the Dominican order at the age of 24. Seven years after pronouncing his vows, he was ordained a priest.
Pastoral assignments
Msgr. Maekawa has had several assignments throughout his ecclesiastical career. He was a member of the Provincial Commission for Dominican Vocations from 1999 to 2003. He was also part of the Provincial Council from 2003 to 2007, an assignment he held again from 2015 to the present.
For 5 years he was on the consultative group on sexual misconduct (2003-2005) , served on the provincial council for Dominican formation and chaired the Provincial Vocation Commission from 2007 to 2015.
The newly elected bishop has also held assignments in the U.S. Navy Reserve, serving as chaplain to various groups. This earned him a special active duty medal.
As of July 11, Bishop Maekawa begins his new apostolic assignment in Fairbanks, a 409,849-square-mile diocese. This territory, like Alaska as a whole, is considered a mission land for the Catholic Church, given the challenges facing pastoral care.
