Baptisms bring new life to Saint Gertrude Mission

Courtesy photo/Cassandra Smith

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Cassandra Smith (third from left) is shown with her newly baptized daughters Angelina, Kiera, Lydia and Alyssa; husband Tony Russo; and the girls' godparents, Paul Hensyel (far right) and Jessica Russo (far left.)

PANGUITCH — Cassandra Smith’s family fills a pew in Saint Gertrude Mission, representing about a sixth of the regular congregation, and the baptism of Smith’s four daughters, who range in age from 13 years to 20 months, brings new life to the community, said Emily Shakespeare, who has been a parishioner since the Garfield County mission opened in 1989. "Most of the members – they’re all great, but most of them are on in years, and so having this new, young faith come in it brings life into the family of Christ, and into the body of Christ," Shakespeare said.

Before moving to Tropic, Utah (on Highway 12 about 11 miles from Bryce Canyon) from Las Vegas four years ago, Smith’s situation didn’t allow her to attend Mass. When she got to Utah, "That’s the first thing we did, we started going to church," she said.

Originally the family attended Saint Dominic Mission at Bryce Canyon Resort, which is open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. About a year ago, they discovered Saint Gertrude Mission in Panguitch, and began attending there. Smith enjoys the small, family-like congregation, and so do her two oldest daughters.

"There’s a lot of people here that we know," said Kiera, 11.

The girls began taking catechism classes from Shakespeare, who obtained teaching materials from Holy Cross Sister Yvonne Hatt.

Shakespeare has enjoyed her students. "They’re a family of faith," she said. "I don’t have any children of my own and they’re like the children I haven’t had yet."

In addition, the girls "are just excited about the classes, and that’s what makes it great," she said, adding that she has grown in faith with the girls. "I’ve always loved my faith, but I’ve had to study it more deeply, because you can’t pass on what you don’t have."

Shakespeare is a good teacher, said Alyssa, 13. "She makes it easy so we can follow along better, and she lets us ask questions if we don’t get it so it helps us more."

In addition to catechism, Shakespeare taught the girls some basic differences between the Catholic faith and that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shakespeare grew up in Panguitch and she recalls being teased because her beliefs were different from most of her friends.

The girls also have been teased, Smith said. "When we first came out here, all their friends were LDS and they were teased if they wore their crosses or stuff like that, but they learned how to stick up for themselves really quickly. But they’ve never let anyone really upset them."

Smith said she frequently talks to her daughters about faith. "I tell them, ‘That’s your inside strength,’" she said. "I really think that they’ve gotten it. Anytime they’re upset or anything, they say a prayer. If they’re scared, they take their rosary with them. That’s what makes them feel safe."

Her daughters wanted to be baptized, she said. "I’m really glad that they believe in this, that they wanted it for themselves, that they’re growing in faith, that their feelings are really strong about it. That’s what I wanted from the start."