Father Madison Hayes was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau on August 6th, 2021. His Alaskan family roots trace back to Old Valdez, where his maternal grandfather spent his childhood. Although Father Madison was born in Merced, California, he spent his formative years in an overseas military community in Germany.
In 2006, Father Madison embarked on his academic journey, enrolling at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota. There, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Communications, which he successfully completed in 2010. In 2012, he joined the United States Air Force, where he served as an aircrew member aboard the E-3 AWACS, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
In pursuit of his religious calling, Father Madison furthered his studies. In 2015, he attended the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity in Minnesota, focusing on philosophy. In 2017, he embarked on a significant chapter of his spiritual journey when he was sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, to deepen his theological understanding.
Father Madison received his S.T.B. (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) in 2020 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He also earned an S.T.L. (Licentiate in Sacred Theology) in Moral Theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome.
In 2022, Father Madison was assigned to serve the parishes in the Valley, and he also ministers as a military chaplain in the Air Force Reserves at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.