100 years for St. James the Greater Parish

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis presides at the Sept. 23 Mass in St. James the Greater Catholic Church, which celebrated the parish’s 100th anniversary. Among the concelebrants were several priests who had previously ministered in Vernal as well as the current pastor, Father Edward Leondhas.

VERNAL — The old and the new came together at St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Vernal on Sept. 23, when the parish celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding and the 75th anniversary of their church building.

The roots of the parish go back to 1885, when priests from either Colorado or Salt Lake “journeyed through the Uintah Basin administering to the needs of the scattered Catholic population at least once a year,” according to Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese in Utah 1776-1987.

In 1922, Father Duane G. Hunt, who became the fifth Bishop of Salt Lake in 1937, was tasked with establishing a parish in Vernal. A year later, Father Louis J. Fries became pastor and a house was purchased that, with remodeling, served as both church and rectory. Named Our Holy Redeemer Parish, it served Vernal and Catholic missions in White Rock, Duchesne, Myton and Roosevelt.

Between 1924 and 1948, the parish went through several name changes. The original building was sold and the existing church was built in 1947. Bishop Hunt decreed the parish be named St. James the Greater, in honor of the parishes’ benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Cosgriff, according to Michael Courtney, the diocesan archivist.

In preparation for the 100th anniversary celebration, the parish council approved a renovation of the altar area and the cry room. As part of the project, the interior walls were repainted, the carpeting replaced and the floor refinished. The sidewalk and steps leading up to the church also were redone.

“So far every person I’ve talked to has liked” the renovation, said Lisa Stringer, who helped with the effort. “It took a lot of people to make it happen,” she added, noting that many of the contractors donated to the project, as did others who are not members of the congregation.

Also part of the anniversary effort was a compilation of a parish history, which was undertaken by parishioner Roni Greenhow, who said she started with nothing, not even a photo.

“I started with zero files and I ended up with 622 files on the church; I have pictures back to the 1930s to current,” she said.

Her research led not only to photos but also interesting facts, such as that the house that served as the first church still stands, but “nobody knew what it was,” she said.

Now completed, the book includes an account of the arrival in 1938 of the Paulist Fathers, who taught out of a motor chapel donated to them by movie actress Loretta Young; and a newspaper account of what the paper called a “Gun Fight on Desert,” recounting how ranch hand Peter Glennon attempted to kill the pastor, Father Paul Reinfels, and Clara Sherer, a woman Glennon was in love with.

Greenhow said that before she started researching the parish history she “never once thought of how [the church] got here,” but “after doing the research, I realized there’s so much work and dedication from a lot of different individuals to make this happen.”

The anniversary Mass on Sept. 23 was celebrated by Bishop Oscar A. Solis. Concelebrants included several priests who previously served the parish as well as others: Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general; Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus; Msgr. Joseph M. Mayo; Father Arokia Dass David; Fr. Rodelio Ignacio; Fr. Anil Kakumanu; Fr. Showri Kalva; Fr. Rowland Nwokocha; and Fr. Edward Leondhas, the current pastor.

In his opening remarks, the bishop said, “For 100 years, Christians have gathered in the Uintah Basin to be strengthened by God’s holy word in Scripture and nourished with the Eucharist – the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the many courageous priests and religious sisters who laid the foundation for Catholicism in this valley are smiling and very proud as they look down on our gathering this morning.”

Speaking in English and Spanish the bishop added, “Today we gather in thanksgiving for the countless blessings that God has bestowed on this church community.”

In his homily, the bishop said that despite the difficulties the members of the community endured, they were able to not only keep “this holy place open, but more importantly kept your Catholic faith strong. Hence, you have made this church the living presence of God and a beacon of hope in our world. … Through the grace of God, you were able to build not only a house of worship but a faith community in one Body of Christ, united in love and in service to one another.”

He urged the community to not be content with the success of the past, but for every member of the parish community to undertake the sacred responsibility to maintain “the rich legacy of this church” and keep “it as a vibrant and welcoming church for everyone – for this generation and for the next to come. … This is an important time for this community to review your faith and rededicate your church as well as your heart to God.”