When the United States purchased Alaska in 1867 from the Empire of Russia, it was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Vancouver Island in Canada.

Althoff established the first permanent Catholic presence in Alaska when he founded Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell on May 3, 1879.

After learning of Segher's death, Reverend Pascal Tosi of the Society of Jesus unilaterally took control of the Alaska missions.

He transferred all of Alaska from the Canadian Dioceses of Vancouver Island and New Westminster and appointed Tosi as the prefect apostolic.

[2] Due to poor health, Tosi was forced to resign in 1897; Leo XIII replaced him with Reverend Jean-Baptiste René from the Society of Jesus.

When Rene resigned in 1904, Pope Pius X named Joseph Crimont of the Society of Jesus as what would be the last prefect apostolic.

In 1948, Pope Pius XII appointed Reverend Francis Gleeson of the Society of Jesus to lead the vicariate.

[4] In 1962, Pope John XXIII suppressed the Vicariate of Northern Alaska and replaced it with the new Diocese of Fairbanks, with Gleeson as its first bishop.

To assist Gleeson, Paul VI in 1967, named Reverend Robert Whelan of the Society of Jesus as coadjutor bishop of the diocese.

Pope John Paul II named Reverend Michael Kaniecki of the Society of Jesus as coadjutor bishop in 1984.

In 2002, John Paul II appointed Reverend Donald Kettler of the Diocese of Sioux Falls as the first non-Jesuit bishop of Fairbanks.

In 2023, Francis appointed Reverend Steven Maekawa, O.P., a Dominican priest of the province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, as the sixth bishop of Fairbanks.

In 1964, Monsignor John E. Gurr, the vicar general had received a letter from a priest who complained that Lundowski was sexually abusing boys in his parish.

Thirty-three men from villages such as Stebbins, St. Michael and Hooper Bay, accused Lundowski of multiple attacks.