Holy Family Old Cathedral, Anchorage
Holy Family Old Cathedral was the mother church of the Archdiocese of Anchorage from 1966 to 2020. The original parish was established in 1915 when Anchorage was founded. The first building was made from cement blocks with a wood frame. It was the first church built in the city.
Construction on the new church began in 1946 after years of fundraising. It was designed by architect Augustine A. Porreca in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. Though services began in this church in 1947, it wasn't completed until 1952.
Pope John Paul II held a papal audience in the Cathedral during his visit to Anchorage in 1981. The event attracted a crowd estimated at about 80,000 people.
The church was given the moniker of Old Cathedral in 2020 after the Archdiocese moved to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. This move came because the size of the church could no longer hold the ever-growing congregation.
Visitors who wish to see the interior of the church may visit up to one hour before public masses on Monday through Friday and 30 minutes before public mass on Saturday and Sunday. All weekday masses take place at noon. Weekend mass occurs at 9 AM on Saturday and on Sunday at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Construction on the new church began in 1946 after years of fundraising. It was designed by architect Augustine A. Porreca in the Romanesque Revival architectural style. Though services began in this church in 1947, it wasn't completed until 1952.
Pope John Paul II held a papal audience in the Cathedral during his visit to Anchorage in 1981. The event attracted a crowd estimated at about 80,000 people.
The church was given the moniker of Old Cathedral in 2020 after the Archdiocese moved to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. This move came because the size of the church could no longer hold the ever-growing congregation.
Visitors who wish to see the interior of the church may visit up to one hour before public masses on Monday through Friday and 30 minutes before public mass on Saturday and Sunday. All weekday masses take place at noon. Weekend mass occurs at 9 AM on Saturday and on Sunday at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Anchorage. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Holy Family Old Cathedral on Map
Sight Name: Holy Family Old Cathedral
Sight Location: Anchorage, USA (See walking tours in Anchorage)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Anchorage, USA (See walking tours in Anchorage)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Anchorage, Alaska
Create Your Own Walk in Anchorage
Creating your own self-guided walk in Anchorage is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Anchorage Historical Buildings
As a perfect basecamp for exploring much of what Alaska has to offer, Anchorage is the font of the state’s history. The Downtown’s convenient grid pattern – compact enough to be walked by curious visitors ready to explore the 49th state's largest and most important city – was set up at the same time as the construction started on the Government Hill neighborhood in 1915.
Many of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Many of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Anchorage Introduction Walking Tour
Anchorage was settled in 1914 and incorporated as a city six years later. It was named after a hardware and clothing store that was held in a dry-docked steamship nearby. That store was called "The Anchorage." The city holds almost half of the population of Alaska and is one of the largest cities by area in the United States.
Though Anchorage was settled in the 20th century,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Though Anchorage was settled in the 20th century,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles