Church-Hopping in Utah - Pilgrimage

Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum

11/2/2018

During the late summer of 1897, Major Glendinning signed over 19.5 acres of vacant cemetery land for just one dollar, to the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. This land is adjacent to the Salt Lake City Cemetery and become known as Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Soon after, many Catholics in the area, transferred their family members buried elsewhere, to Mt. Calvary.

One hundred and twenty-one years later, on the Holy Cross Plat, a large crucifix overlooks the final resting place of Bishop Duane G. Hunt, Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal, along with many priests and sisters. Near the crucifix that was suggested by Bishop Joseph S. Glass many years earlier, is an altar that

San Juan Diego

12/29/2017

Saint Juan Diego, original name Cuauhtlatoatzin “the Talking Eagle” was born 1474 in Cuautitlán, Mexico. He was married but was not blessed with children. When he was 50 years old, he and his wife were among the first indigenous people to accept baptism and convert to Christianity after its introduction to Mexico by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries.

Juan Diego experienced his first vision of the Virgin Mary on his way to mass, he was visited by Mary, on Tepeyac Hill on the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. She spoke to him in his native language and asked him to tell the bishop to build a shrine for her on the hill. Sadly, the bishop did not believe Juan Diego’s story and asked for proof that Mary had appeared to him. While searching for a priest to administer last rites to his uncle, Juan Diego was visited by Mary again. He told her of the bishop’s answer, and she instructed him to gather roses and bring them to the bishop as a sign. She also informed Juan Diego that his uncle would recover from his illness. Juan Diego found many roses on the hill, even though it was winter. When he opened his cloak while appearing before the bishop, dozens of roses

Mass in Prison

10/14/2017

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ – Matthew 25:34-36

Did you know that there are hundreds of prison ministry staff and volunteers that visit the more than two million people who are incarcerated in the federal and state prisons, and county jails, across the United States? There are two prison facilities located in Utah: Central Utah Facility, located in Gunnison and Utah State Prison located in Draper. Father Jim Blaine serves at the Utah State Prison and is in charge of Prison Ministry for the Diocese of Salt Lake City which covers the State of Utah.

“Volunteers ensure the Department is able to meet the spiritual needs of inmates while maintaining a

Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel

9/14/2017

Did you know that the attack on Pearl Harbor was a wake-up call to our nation’s military? They realized that there was a need for increased military capability, which also included an expansion in chemical and biological warfare.

“On February 6, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt withdrew an initial 126,720 acres of Utah land from the public domain for use by the War Department. Six days later Dugway Proving Ground was established... Testing was under way by that summer. Dugway Proving Ground was authorized to fill the need for testing weapons and defenses against chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. Over the years, the proving ground underwent various name changes and periods of deactivation and reactivation. In 1943, the Army established biological warfare and testing facilities at Dugway… In 1950, the center resumed active status, and acquired an additional 279,000 acres of land for exclusive use… In 1968, the Fort Douglas-based Deseret Test Center and Dugway Proving Ground combined and became known as the Deseret Test Center. This alliance lasted until 1973, when the present Dugway Proving Ground became

St. Mary's Old Chapel

8/13/2017

Located about 40 minutes from downtown Salt Lake, and framed by the Wasatch Range, is the old mining town of Park City. Originally known for its mining of gold, silver and ore, Park City is now nationally recognized as an outdoor paradise. I was honored that my Pilgrim Train stopped at the oldest Catholic Church in Utah, located in Park City. It was a blessing to join in the Mass celebration at St. Mary's Old Town Chapel ∙ 121 Park Ave. ∙ Park City, UT 84060 ∙ Phone: 435-649-9676 ∙ Website: http://www.stmarysparkcity.com/ Mass is celebrated each Sunday, promptly at 8:00 A.M.

Instead of rephrasing the history of this beautiful parish, I elected to quote their website, http://www.stmarysparkcity.com/O, that states, “St. Mary's Parish was Established in 1881. A small wood framed church was built at the top of Park Ave. The Church burned to the ground a year later. A new

St. Michael the Archangel

7/9/2017

Today’s Pilgrim Train stopped at a mission that is a little over two hours southeast from the Orem area in Green River, Utah. Located on the banks of the Green River, a major tributary of the Colorado River. is the city of Green River. During the early to mid-1800’s an Old Spanish Trail trade route passed across the area and eventually a settlement was started as a river crossing for the U.S. mail. A ferry and way station was set up on the east side of the river in 1876 and eventually became a popular stopover for travelers with a ferry for transporting people, supplies, and animals across the river. Then in 1883, the line commonly known as the Utah Division of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, was built and a formal train station was opened. The west side of the river became known as "Greenriver" (later changed to Green River and

St. Sylvester

7/10/2016

The small town of Escalante was named after Silvestre Velez de Escalante, a Franciscan Missionary and the first European explorer in the region. During his journey in 1776, usually referred to as the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, Escalante and his companions passed by the Grand Canyon and were among the first white men to enter Utah. Fast forward about 100 years, the members of the Southern Utah militia, under the leadership of Captain James Andrus, passed through the Escalante area during the Black Hawk Indian War of the mid-1860s. They recorded finding wild potatoes growing in the area and named a valley just east of the Escalante Mountains “Potato Valley.” In 1872, a group of settlers from Panquitch investigated the area, meeting members of the John Westly Powell expedition. Powell’s group recommended any new community be named Escalante in honor of the explorer, even though the 1776 expedition never reached the remote valley. The community of Escalante was finally settled in 1875. - http://www.escalantecity-utah.com/about-us/escalante-history/ Today Escalante City, with only 850 residents, although it's considered a small ranching town, it's the largest town for 70 miles in all directions.

Located at the corner of Center and Main Street in the heart of Escalante, Saint Sylvester Catholic Church serves about a dozen faithful parishioners. Mass is at 6PM the second and fourth Monday of each month and is served by Christ the King Catholic Church in Cedar City. Before you go, confirm the time either on

St. Dominic

7/9/2016

Born to a well-to-do family in northern Spain in 1170, Dominic studied liberal arts and theology. After he was ordained a priest at twenty-five, he joined the Cathedral Canons. When he was about 30, Dominic escorted his bishop on several diplomatic missions in northern Europe where he was educated to the religious beliefs of the Albigensians, a Manichaean movement in southern France that believed that the soul is good, the body is evil and that man must be purified and needs to refrain from in any physical pleasures. Dominic founded the Dominican order, a religious community officially called the Order of Preachers. They are dedicated to preaching and based on a deep knowledge of the Scriptures and Christian truth. Wherever they went, they attracted others, and soon there were hundreds of followers of Dominic's ideal, many of them students and masters at various universities.

During the next 2 years Dominic traveled over 3,000 miles on foot, visiting and encouraging his men in Toulouse, Paris, Milan, Rome and in Spain. In 1220 the first meeting or general chapter of the friars took

Duck Creek

7/9/2016

I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. – John 10:11-15

Today’s Pilgrim Train stopped at a village that was once a favorite local spot for sheepherders. Today it serves as a gateway to several National Parks and many outdoor activities. Duck Creek is located at the edge of Cedar Mountain in the Dixie National Forest. The town’s people collaborated their talents to build a true community church for God. In other words, they used gifts that our Lord gave them and

Sacred Heart - La Sal

5/1/2016

Today’s pilgrim location has a name that comes from the Sierra de la Sal. La Sal was bestowed by Spanish traders as early as 1750 and referring to the snow-capped peaks. Detailed information appears in the 1776 diary of Father Escalante's exploration of the area on the Dominguez/Escalante Expedition. La Sal was originally a mining town and then went to farming and is comprised of a total area of 46 square miles. At an elevation of 6,978 feet, this tiny but mighty area has survived uranium booms, as well as oil and gas exploration.

What is the significance of the Sacred Heart? "Jesus has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, 'is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that... love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings' without exception” – C.C.C. #478 The Sacred Heart was a sign of the love of Jesus for us. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since then, his successors have