Farewell Ceremony, Anchorage, Alaska (26 February 1981)

On 26 February 1981, the Holy Father spoke in Anchorage to the people of Alaska in a farewell address.

Dear friends, 

1. On my return trip to Rome from my pastoral visit to the Philippines, Guam and Japan, I am pleased to have been able to stop here in Anchorage. It was a joy for me to be able to spend these few hours with you, meet the people of Alaska and above all celebrate the Eucharist with my brothers and sisters of the Catholic faith. 

2. At this point I would like to thank you for the warm welcome and hospitality you extended to me. I am grateful to everyone who contributed so generously to the preparation and organization of this day. Let me also add a special word of gratitude to President Reagan, who sent a personal delegation to meet me here in Anchorage. 

3. Before continuing my journey I would like to take this opportunity to extend my greetings to all the citizens of the United States of America. This brief stop in Alaska and the cordial welcome I was given bring to mind my previous pastoral visit to your country, the grateful memory of which is always present to me. I pray to God to bless you and your families. 

And now that I am about to leave Alaska for the last part of this pastoral journey that has taken me around the world, my thoughts turn to God and his praises expressed in the words of the psalmist: “O Lord, our God, how great is your name in all the earth!” ( Ps 8:2). 

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