There is no cell phone coverage inside the canyon. But when God closes a door, He opens a window. So, there is an S.C.A.P. Service (Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest) each Sunday at 8AM from Palm Sunday through
Unless you are staying at Zion Lodge, you cannot drive up to the lodge by private vehicle and you’ll need to take a shuttle from the Visitor’s Center. The shuttles come every 5-10 minutes, are handicap accessible and free of charge. Enter through the main door into the lodge and head to the right where you’ll see a sign above double doors with “Auditorium”. Once inside and immediately to the left is a long table with misselets, offertory baskets and church bulletins. The walls inside are covered with knotty pine wood and provide a rustic feel to the room. Large windows line the right side of the room and incorporate the spectacular outside views with the ambiance inside. An extremely large rock fireplace stands on the left wall that is about four and a half feet high and about six feet wide and is quite beautiful.
There are about eight rows of chairs divided into two sections with a main aisle and two side aisles. At the end of the main aisle is a small round rustic hickory wooden altar table adorned in white linen. A Ciborium (metal container with a lid used to store consecrated hosts) is covered with a delicately embroidered white drape and just behind a brown standing crucifix. Two lit candles are on each side of the crucifix. Off to the right and sitting is Deacon Mark Bourget, Sr. who has been traveling from the St. George area to serve Zion National Park Station for sixteen years. He was the officiator of today’s service and is a very welcoming, humble and passionate deacon. Just before the service started, he introduced himself and asked for volunteers for the readings, responsorial and collections. Because the parishioners for each service are visitors from around the world and do not know each other, asking for volunteers helped to center everyone and bring us together as a Family of Christ. Deacon Mark spoke of the importance of volunteering in our own churches and he emphasized the need for more people to step up to the plate.
Even though it was a service without a priest, it was extremely special and filled with the Holy Spirit. To all the travelers, May God's Angels guard and keep you all the way that you must travel. Till earth's days are past when blossoms fade and time is fleeting fast. In times of purest joy or pain and fear. God's Angels guard and keep you safe. - http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=2950
For a virtual experience of this amazing park and Angel’s Landing, here’s a great link: http://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/photosmultimedia/angels-landing-ehike.htm
UPDATES:
- Sadly, Deacon Mark Bourget, passed away on November 30, 2017 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. May God rest his soul.
- The SCAP Services now take place at Zion Park - Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Blvd. in Springdale, every Sunday at 8:30 AM from Palm Sunday through the end of November. (SCAP is a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest)