Jolly ol’ St. Nicholas Parish - The Catholic church at the North Pole
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Saint Nicholas
12 min read
The article contrasts secular Santa Claus with the Catholic parish named after the historical saint. Readers would benefit from learning about the real 4th-century bishop of Myra whose acts of generosity and miracles inspired both the church's patron and the modern Santa figure.
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Fort Wainwright
16 min read
The article explains that 50% of parish families are active duty military from Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. Understanding this major Army installation near Fairbanks provides context for the transient yet vibrant community described in the article.
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North Pole, Alaska
14 min read
The entire article is set in this uniquely-named city. Readers would find it fascinating to learn about how this small Alaskan town embraced its Christmas-themed identity, including year-round decorations and Christmas-named streets, providing deeper context for the secular vs. sacred tension the article explores.
In the city of North Pole, Alaska – some 20 minutes from Fairbanks – along St. Nicholas Drive, sits the Santa Claus House.
The famous attraction draws visitors from all over the world, eager to meet Santa and his reindeer, take a picture in the iconic red sleigh, and try the gift shop’s fudge and other treats.
Less than a mile away, along the same street, stands St. Nicholas Church – a quiet, unassuming building, and a stark contrast to the sparkle and shimmer of the tourist site down the road.
The irony of ministering to the faithful in the shadow of a shrine to the secular celebration of Christmas is not lost on Father Yakubu Aiden, the pastor of St. Nicholas.
“If you come in here to the North Pole, it is all about Santa, Santa, Santa,” said Aiden, who is originally from Nigeria. “The Santa house is not far from us.”
“But you are not dealing with Santa here at St. Nicholas,” he told The Pillar. “You’re dealing with the Catholic Church and Jesus Christ.”
There are a number of similarities between the Santa Claus House and St. Nicholas parish. For one thing, children are abundant at both.
At the Santa Claus House, kids run around, excited to see the man himself.
At St. Nicholas Church, children crowd the front pews, hoping for a chance to see the altar.
Father Robert Fath, the former pastor and current vicar general for the Diocese of Fairbanks, worked hard during his seven years at St. Nicks to make the parish a family-friendly place.
Once or twice a year, Fath said, he would use his homily for what he called a “family meeting,” making a point of reinforcing that families were welcome in the church.
“I would encourage families to bring their kids, you know, only use the cry room to calm them down, bring them back in, that there is no such thing as a walk of shame,” Fath said. “If your child was acting up, sit close to the front so that your children can see what’s going on.”
“But at the same time, I was addressing those of us that didn’t have children or who had adult children out of the house, that, you know, we have a responsibility to support those families,
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