Toksook Bay - Saint Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church
The Central Yup'ik Eskimo village is located on Nelson Island, 6.5 miles from Tununak, in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The village was established in 1964 when most of the population moved from Nightmute to the new location at Toksook Bay.
Catholicism originated with the earlier Nightmute community at the turn of the 20th century. Consequently, the entire village of Toksook Bay is Roman Catholic. Fr. Francis Fallert, S.J., built the first church in 1966 and dedicated it to Saint Peter the Fisherman.
Some men of the Society of Jesus who served the Toksook Bay Catholic population in its early years, including Fr. Fallert are: Frs. Daniel Tainter, Bernard McMeel, Richard Case (who later was elected Diocesan Administrator after Bishop Michael Kaniecki's untimely death in August of 2000), Richard McCaffrey and Henry Hargreaves. Fr. Thomas Provinsal, S.J., served in 1991, Fr. Eugene Delmore, S.J., (1992-1994), Frs. Paul Cochran, S.J., and Henry Hargreaves, S.J., (1994-1997), Fr. Mark Hoelsken, S.J., (1997-1998) and David Anderson, S.J., (1998-present). Resident Deacons have been assigned to Saint Peter's since 1976 to assist the Jesuits in parish work.