On a forested peninsula overlooking Lynn Canal, twenty-three miles north of Juneau, stands one of America's most remote pilgrimage destinations. The Shrine of St. Thérèse sits on a small island connected to the mainland by a 400-foot stone causeway, its rough-hewn chapel rising among towering Sitka spruces. Built by hand between 1933 and 1941, the shrine offers pilgrims an encounter with sacred beauty in America's last frontier.
The shrine was the vision of Bishop Joseph Crimont, S.J., who arrived in Alaska in 1897 as a missionary to the Tlingit people and later became the first Bishop of Alaska. Crimont chose St. Thérèse of Lisieux—newly canonized in 1925—as patroness of his vast, rugged diocese. The shrine he built embodies her "Little Way" in material form: simple, unpretentious, yet profoundly beautiful.
Today the shrine welcomes pilgrims who may see whales in the channel, eagles in the trees, and bears on the shore. The chapel houses first-class relics of St. Thérèse. The Stations of the Cross wind through the rainforest. For those willing to make the journey to the end of the road in America's largest state, the Shrine of St. Thérèse offers an experience of faith in the wild.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
Bishop Joseph Crimont, S.J., served Alaska for over forty years, first as a missionary priest and then as bishop. When he chose a patroness for his vast diocese—stretching across 586,000 square miles of mountains, glaciers, islands, and tundra—he selected St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the French Carmelite nun whose "Little Way" of spiritual childhood had captured Catholic hearts worldwide.
In 1933, Bishop Crimont began construction of a shrine on a small island in Lynn Canal. The work was done almost entirely by hand, with stones gathered from local beaches. The project was a labor of love involving the small Juneau Catholic community and completed in 1941. The stone chapel, the Stations of the Cross, and the causeway connecting the island to the mainland remain largely as Crimont built them.
The shrine became a National Shrine in 2019. It draws pilgrims from throughout Alaska and from cruise ships that dock in Juneau, offering a contemplative counterpoint to the state's tourism industry.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Juneau
Shrine of St. Thérèse
A stone chapel on an island in America's last frontier
The shrine complex includes the Stations of the Cross winding through temperate rainforest, the stone Chapel of St. Thérèse on the island, meditation gardens, and a retreat lodge. The chapel houses first-class relics of St. Thérèse. Wildlife—whales, eagles, bears, seals—is frequently visible.
Retreat Lodge
The Lodge of St. Thérèse provides retreat accommodations overlooking the shrine and Lynn Canal.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — October 1
Principal celebration with Mass at the shrine.
Summer Pilgrimage Season — May-September
Extended daylight and mild weather make summer the prime pilgrimage season.
🛏️ Where to Stay
The Lodge and Shrine Cabins (pilgrim accommodation) — The shrine keeps five self-catering cabins on its own grounds, all bookable through one reservation system: The Lodge, sleeping up to 24, built in 1933 and renovated in 2013; Jubilee Cabin, sleeping 14, overlooking the Inside Passage; Little Flower Cabin and Post Office Cabin, sleeping up to 4; and the primitive Hermitage Cabin, sleeping 2, with no electricity or running water. None has a restaurant on site. Reserve
Aspen Suites Hotel Juneau (hotel) — An all-suite hotel near Juneau International Airport, on the way to the shrine and about 11 miles closer than downtown. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Juneau Hotel (hotel) — Downtown Juneau's only all-suite hotel, about 18 miles from the shrine. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Baranof Downtown, BW Signature Collection (hotel) — The landmark hotel built in downtown Juneau in 1939, now Best Western-branded, about 18 miles from the shrine. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Silverbow Inn (hotel) — A boutique inn built into the 1914 addition of downtown Juneau's historic Messerschmidt building, about 18 miles from the shrine. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Accommodation available to book near Juneau. Pilgrim houses and religious guesthouses are listed above — many take bookings directly and do not appear on booking sites.
🚗 Getting There
By Air: Juneau International Airport (JNU) is served by Alaska Airlines from Seattle, Anchorage, and other cities. Juneau is not accessible by road.
By Ferry: Alaska Marine Highway serves Juneau from Bellingham, WA, and other Alaskan ports.
By Car: From downtown Juneau, drive 23 miles north on Glacier Highway. The shrine is at the end of Lund Street.
📚 Further Reading
Monica Furlong. Thérèse of Lisieux — Accessible biography of the saint whose spirituality gave rise to this shrine.
ICS Publications. Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux — The foundational text of Theresian spirituality.
🔗 Useful Links
Shrine of St. Thérèse — Hours, retreat information.
Diocese of Juneau — Diocesan resources.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Sitka (150 km west via ferry) — St. Michael's Cathedral, historic Russian Orthodox church (ecumenical interest).
🪶 Closing Reflection
"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice."
