Nightmute - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church
Nightmute is a Central Yup'ik Eskimo village located along the Toksook River on Nelson Island in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. In 1964 many of Nightmute's population moved 28 miles further to Toksook Bay village.
Catholic missionaries arrived in the area of Nelson Island before the turn of the twentieth century. Early evangelization of the Nightmute community is credited to Catechist Simeon Sipary whose work began in 1929.
In 1931 Fr. John Fox, S.J., one of the principal pioneering Jesuits to serve the people of Nelson Island, described construction of the church at Nightmute in this way: "The Little Flower, the mission barge, comes down from Holy Cross to put up a chapel at Nightmute. Fr. Lucchesi, S.J., and Mr. Thomas Cunningham accompanied Brother John Hess and some of the big boys from Holy Cross. (They) put up the present Nightmute chapel." Later, in 1938, a small living quarters was added. Fr. Paul Deschout, S.J., built a new church in 1949 and dedicated it to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
There is a long list of Jesuits who served the spiritual needs of the Nightmute community over the last hundred or so years of its existence. Most Jesuits were visiting priests who came from Tununak and Chefornak. The most recent ones to serve were Frs. Thomas Provinsal, (1987-1991), Eugene Delmore, (1992-1994), Henry Hargreaves, (1994-1998), Mark Hoelsken, (1998-1999), and David Anderson, (1999-present). Fr. John Hinsvarck, a diocesan priest, also served Nightmute from 1966 until 1974.
The Sisters of St. Ann also assisted in Nightmute parish work from 1983 until 1988. These were: Sister Jeannette Larose and Sister Patricia Richard.
Resident deacons at Nightmute are presently Catholic witnesses to the parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Parish administrators are being trained to help meet the day to day needs of parish community.