Stebbins - Saint Bernard Catholic Church
Stebbins is located on St. Michael Island in Norton Sound eight miles from the village of Saint Michael. It is a Central Yup'ik Eskimo village whose inhabitants originate from places such as Nelson Island and Pikmiktalik. At one time, reindeer herding was the chief occupation of Stebbins life.
The Stebbins mission station was established in 1908 by Fr. Joseph Chapdelaine, S.J., and dedicated to Saint Bernard. Fr. Chapdelaine visited Stebbins from Saint Michael. Early missionaries suffered many hardships such as malnutrition and traveled in risky conditions by dog team often encountering unpredictable weather along the coast sometimes resulting in fatalities. One such happening took place on January 1911. While traveling with a load of lumber for the new church at Stebbins, Brother Ulric Paquin, S.J., froze to death while driving a dog team in a blinding snow storm between Stebbins and St. Michael. Most commuting missionaries, however, arrived to their destinations in safety regardless of their inexperience, health or adverse traveling conditions.
One earlier missionary to Stebbins was Fr. Aloysius Robaut, S.J. He worked one year at Stebbins from 1918 to 1919 as resident priest. Fr. Robaut is one of three priests, two of them Jesuits, to have been the first to arrive in Alaska during 1886-1887. His other two traveling companions to Alaska were Fr. Paschal Tosi, S.J., and Archbishop Charles Seghers, the founder of the Alaskan missions, who was subsequently murdered near Nulato in 1886. Evangelization of the Alaska missions was made secure by the selfless work of these and other early Jesuit pioneers.
Fr. Jules Convert, S.J., was one in a succession of visitor priests to Stebbins. He built a new church there in 1953. Throughout most of its existence, Saint Bernard parish has had visiting priests who traveled to Stebbins from Saint Michael with one exception. He is Fr. Gerald Ornowski, M.I.C., who took up residence at Stebbins and served as Pastor there from 1990-1994. Fr. Tom Carlin, S.J., later came as a Visiting Priest from St. Michael until he died in July of 1999.