Juneau

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

🕯️ 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

Lodge of St. Thérèse (pilgrim accommodation) — Retreat accommodations at the shrine. Contact shrine office. Website

Juneau Hotel ⭐⭐⭐ — Downtown Juneau, 23 miles from the shrine. Reserve this hotel

Westmark Baranof Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Historic landmark hotel in downtown Juneau since 1939; the city's most distinguished address, 23 miles from the shrine. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel

Silverbow Inn ⭐⭐⭐ — Boutique inn in a restored 1914 building in downtown Juneau; artisan breakfast included, excellent base for the Alaskan pilgrimage. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel

🚗 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.

🔗 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." — St. Thérèse of Lisieux