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
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
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
 View from Entrance on the right  Statue of Mary & Bell  Painting of original building |  Close-up of the altar  Close-up of the Processional Crucifix  Sign to the right of entrance |  View from altar to back of church  Piano to right of altar  Sunset after mass - God's painting |
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