Latham woman hears calling all the way from Ketchikan

Thanks to her teenage experiences in Latham, Nicole Blair is now in Alaska as pastoral associate for youth ministry at Holy Name parish in Ketchikan, an island with about 14,000 residents.

"It wasn't until I experienced Christ in the Life Teen program [at St. Ambrose] that I decided to dedicate my life's work to the Lord," she told The Evangelist. "During those years, I fell in love with the Church as the Body of Christ alive.

"I learned that God put me in that program so I could use my [leadership] skills. I learned that the adults in my life cared enough about me to introduce me to being open to being loved unconditionally by God. They gave me the opportunity to learn leadership skills and to use those skills with others."

North to Alaska

Ms. Blair found her way to Alaska while a college senior and searching for jobs in Catholic parishes around the country. The position "looked interesting, so I contacted the parish by email," she said.

She then visited Ketchikan on a "bright and sunny" day in February, and took the weather "as a good omen." When she returned to college, she prayed about the job and decided to accept the position.

"I arrived here on July 29, and coming off the ferry from Seattle was like stepping into another world," she said.

'Special' parish

Holy Name parish has approximately 115 students in the religious education program. The staff consists of a pastoral associate for administration, a director of religious education for pre-K through eighth grade, and Ms. Blair.

Her job includes establishing a Life Teen program, and training Eucharistic ministers, lectors, altar servers and sacristans.

"There is something really special about this parish," she said. "People come here from all over the world, and parishioners are noted for their hospitality. They are really supportive of each other, too. Many people are in need, and parishioners rally around each other, always willing to help when someone needs it. The people are wonderful. I love it here."

(Ketchikan, known as Alaska's first city, "receives only a few snowfalls each winter, and the temperatures drop to only around 30 degrees during the coldest months," said Ms. Blair. "For a native Albanian, that seems mild. It rains approximately 295 days of the year. People here tell me that you have to keep busy. I love to draw, so I have been catching up on my artwork." Fishing is Ketchikan's main industry; tourism is second. Ms. Blair describes the area as "an abundant land with abundant waters. There are no big-city skylines, just a quiet, small-town feel.")

(9/16/04)