Sister heads south to North Country

Then picture moose, salmon and berries as a regular part of your diet, with grocery shopping done by mail.

Speaking of mail, it arrives by plane each day, weather permitting.

Those are the conditions that Sister Linda Hogan, CSJ, faced during her recent ministry in Alaska. As the newly appointed parish life director of St. Cecilia's Church in Warrensburg, she'll experience her share of cold winters, but nothing like her time in the 49th state.

North to Alaska

"It gave me a chance to become acclimated to the cold and the dark without being very isolated," she said.

But her next assignment would prove much more challenging. From Fairbanks, Sister Linda went to Kalskage, a Yupik Eskimo village of 150 people. The village, which is farther west than Hawaii, is on the Kuskokwim River; and its residents live a subsistence lifestyle, depending on fish, wildlife and berries for food.

Snow and mud

In her ministry at Immaculate Conception parish, Sister Linda oversaw lay ministry and religious education. Although there wasn't a language barrier, since most Yupik Eskimos speak English, performing her work was difficult because they would criticize her when she wasn't doing things right but wouldn't tell her the proper way to carry out her duties.

The Yupik people learn by watching, she explained, so it was hard for them to express themselves in words when Sister Linda wasn't working in a way to which they were accustomed.

Problems

"The pain that they carried was phenomenal," Sister Linda said. "Every single family carried the memory of some kind of tragedy."

As for health care, both modern equipment and skilled doctors were lacking. The clinic where residents went for treatment was in tight quarters, and health aides -- some had only an eighth-grade education and attended workshops for training -- diagnosed patients' illnesses and provided care.

Despite such problems, Sister Linda appreciated the opportunity to minister to the Yupik people in a village where she, essentially, was a minority and had to fit in with a new way of life.

"It was a marvelous experience to live in another world, to be the only white person there and to learn another world view," she said.

Nun's best friend

It was uncommon for women not to have mates, so she gave her pet the name "Honey" after the children's initial query.

After she left Kalskage, Sister Linda went to Tok, a town with a population of 1,250. Located on the Alaskan highway, it is unique in that it has no government or taxes; there's a militia, and state police provide law enforcement.

Tok draws a variety of people, Sister Linda noted. Many are trying to start over and forget about their past. Some are Vietnam veterans; others ended up there because they didn't have the means to go any farther; some have lived there since birth and are stuck.

Cold and lonely

A priest visited twice each month to celebrate Mass. One family drove 60 miles from their home for the liturgy, while a young man who was in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program arrived by plane.

The weather would get so cold that she couldn't even see her neighbors through the ice fog. Temperatures would drop to 50 degrees below zero, which was about the coldest it could be if you wanted to get a car started. Snowmobiles tended to start better when the weather got colder.

Sunlight was a rarity. On some days, the sun would rise at 11:30 a.m. and set 90 minutes later. One source of inspiration and encouragement came from parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes in Syracuse and St. Jude's in Wynantskill, who sent her letters wishing her warm regards.

Moving on

Rather than introduce herself as Sister Linda Hogan, she tells people in town that her name is Father Tremblay as a way to make them realize that parish life won't be that different now that he's gone.

"The people here have been wonderful. This has been hard for them, but they're not complaining," she said.

Connections

In her first month at St. Cecilia's, Sister Linda has met several parishioners who have visited Alaska and come into contact with people she knew during her years of ministry there. They have made her feel welcome.

She lives in the spacious rectory, complete with a screened-in patio and a manicured yard with flowers and shrubbery in abundance. Parishioners have been lending a hand, and the transition from Father Tremblay's leadership to Sister Linda's has been smooth.

"It's like starting something new," she said.

(08-06-98)

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