Pope John Paul II Memorial

A life-sized bronze statue of Pope John Paul the Second stands in the South Addition neighborhood of Anchorage, arms outstretched as if greeting a crowd. This memorial marks the pope's nineteen eighty-one visit to Alaska, the only time a sitting pontiff has ever set foot in the state. Local Filipino Catholics commissioned the statue, placing it here to commemorate the mass he celebrated at the nearby Delaney Park Strip. It remains a quiet focal point for those who remember that brief, chilly afternoon.