Church-Hopping in Utah
  • Preface
  • Pilgrimage
  • Thoughts
  • Q & A's
  • Utah Catholics
  • Locations
  • Humor
  • E-mail Me

Our Lady of the Snows

1/25/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Ever find yourself with a dilemma on Sunday when the ski slopes are calling you, but you haven’t attended Mass?  Head up Highway 210/Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta, where you can ski all day and then attend Mass without having to move your vehicle.  For about twenty years, Catholic Utah skiers have been able to have the best of both worlds with a blessed convenience.  Mass is celebrated each Sunday throughout the Ski Season at 5:00pm.  Christmas and Easter Masses are at 10am as of the posting of this blog.  Our Lady of the Snows Center Station is located directly across from the Alta Canyon Lodge on the main road at 10185 E. Highway 210 ∙ Little Cottonwood Canyon ∙ Alta, UT 84092.  This station is served by Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Salt Lake City ∙ Phone: (801) 272-9216

Today’s blessing was a pilgrimage within a pilgrimage if you are a winter buff, such as myself.  The higher I climbed in elevation, the more snow and “winter wonderland” I was able to experience.  After about fifteen minutes up Little Cottonwood Canyon, just past a 


garage structure and up a few steps, is a flat roofed concrete building which is Our Lady of the Snows Center Station.  The original building, an “A” frame structure, was destroyed by an avalanche in 1983.  The concrete flat roof provides both strength and ease for the snow to pass overhead, so it does not destroy the structure.  The front of the building features glass panels for optimum views and lighting along with two glass doors, one at each end.   

Just inside and immediately off to the right is rack for coats and then a small hallway that leads to the restrooms and storage.  Being that the church is a multipurpose room, the chairs for the congregation are stack-able conference room chairs.  Prior to celebrating mass, volunteers place the chairs in two segments of 4 rows facing a middle aisle that at one end is the altar and the other end is the podium for the readings and Gospel.  The altar table is adorned with two candles, the Roman Missal and Holy Water.  Immediately to the right of the table is the white processional crucifix with a beautifully hand-carved Jesus.  Just behind the altar is an accordion divider so the multipurpose room can expand if needed.  To the right of the divider is a piano that was covered and adorned with lovely red poinsettias.  Left of the altar table is an elegant statue of Mary on a stand that is right next a framed picture of her.  Just below the statue is an assortment of poinsettias.  The bell, that signals the beginning of mass, is immediately to the left of the picture of Mary and before the door that leads to the Sacristy. 

Father John Norman welcomed parishioners before mass and asked where everyone was from.  There were people at the mass I attended from Russia, Finland, Australia, Canada and throughout the United States.  Fr. John coined it perfect when he stated, “the world is our classroom.”  I sincerely urge you to take a drive up to Our Lady of the Snows and attend mass on Sunday at 5pm during the ski season.  The sunsets are beautiful and it’s a spectacular drive back with the evening lights reflecting on the shimmery snow.  Father John Norman is most gracious and so are the core parishioners.  I thank all of them for their hospitality and kindness.  May God always bless your building with His presence and look kindly on all who enter. 

Marie Mischel, Editor of the Intermountain Catholic, wrote an insightful column about the 20th Anniversary and those involved with Our Lady of the Snows.  http://www.icatholic.org/article/our-lady-of-the-snows-celebrates-20-years-of-masses-7826372

Picture
View from Entrance on the right
Picture
Statue of Mary & Bell
Picture
Painting of original building
Picture
Close-up of the altar
Picture
Close-up of the Processional Crucifix
Picture
Sign to the right of entrance
Picture
View from altar to back of church
Picture
Piano to right of altar
Picture
Sunset after mass - God's painting
1 Comment
Gretel Gonzales
4/19/2015 07:37:07 am

I just skiied Alta and Snowbird and purchased a time share at Iron Bolsom and I am so happy to know that there is a place for me to attend Sunday Mass!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Please click on the link above for up-to-date information.

    Archives

    November 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Categories

    All
    Abbey Of Our Lady Of The Holy Trinity
    Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
    Blessed Sacrament
    Carmelite Monastery
    Cathedral Of The Madeleine
    Christ Prince Of Peace
    Christ The King
    Duck Creek Chapel
    Four Corners Regional Care Center
    Good Shepherd
    Holy Family Church
    Holy Family Mission
    Holy Spirit
    Immaculate Conception
    La Sal
    Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum
    Notre Dame De Lourdes
    Our Lady Of Guadalupe
    Our Lady Of Lourdes - Magna
    Our Lady Of Lourdes - SLC
    Our Lady Of Perpetual Help
    Our Lady Of The Light
    Our Lady Of The Snows
    Prison Mass
    Sacred Heart - La Sal
    Sacred Heart - SLC
    San Andres
    San Felipe
    San Isidro
    San Juan Diego
    San Pablo
    San Rafael
    Santa Ana
    St. Ambrose
    St. Andrew
    St. Ann
    St. Anthony Of Padua
    St. Anthony Of The Desert
    St. Bridget
    St. Catherine Of Sienna
    St. Christopher's
    St. Dominic
    St. Elizabeth
    St. Florence
    St. Francis Of Assisi
    St. Francis Xavier
    St. George
    St. Gertrude
    St. Helen
    St. Henry
    St. James The Greater
    St. James The Just
    St. Jerome
    St. John Bosco
    St. John The Baptist
    St. Joseph - Monticello
    St. Joseph - Ogden
    St. Joseph's Villa
    St. Joseph The Worker
    St. Jude
    St. Jude Marionite
    St. Lawrence
    St. Marguerite
    St. Martin De Porres
    St. Mary
    St. Mary Of The Assumption
    St. Mary's
    St. Michael The Archangel
    St. Olaf
    St. Patrick - Eureka
    St. Patrick - SLC
    St. Paul
    St. Peter
    St. Pius X
    St. Rose Of Lima
    Sts. Peter And Paul
    St. Sylvester
    St. Therese Of The Little Child Jesus
    St. Thomas Aquinas
    St. Thomas More
    St. Vincent DePaul Parish
    W.S.U. - Newman Center
    Zion National Park

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.