St. Olaf Parish celebrates 75th anniversary

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis (right) thanks Fr. Reynato Rodillas and Deacon Scott Dodge for their leadership at St. Olaf Parish during the May 27 anniversary Mass.

BOUNTIFUL — Bishop Oscar A. Solis joined the St. Olaf Parish community on May 27 for a Mass that commemorated not only the Feast of the Holy Trinity but also the 75th anniversary of the church.

“This is truly a milestone,” Bishop Solis said before asking the longtime members of the parish to stand for acknowledgement.

The parish “is a vibrant faith community,” the bishop said, adding that he hoped the anniversary was “a sign not only of growth but continued progress in building God’s family in our community.”

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Solis thanked Fr. Reynato Rodillas, the pastor, and Deacon Scott Dodge for their leadership in “continuing the mission of God’s salvation and evangelization here in the community of St. Olaf Church.” He asked those gathered “to continue to pray for them, support them in any way that you can, so that they may remain steadfast in their commitment of continuing to proclaim the gospel of love and salvation not only in this faith community of St. Olaf but all over the world.”

In his brief comments, Fr. Rodillas invited all of those present to join the luncheon that followed the Mass, and encouraged them to attend the evening concert that was organized by choir director Holly Dodge.

At the concert, three choirs, including the parish choir, performed. Among the musical pieces were three that were composed in honor of the parish anniversary.

During the Mass, Fr. Rodillas thanked all those parishioners who “have shared their talents and their treasures and their time and their wisdom so that we could come up with a … simple but memorable celebration for all us here in St. Olaf.”

Many of those attending the luncheon were longtime parishioners. Among them was Mike Lemieux, who recalled joining St. Olaf’s in 1961, when the pastor was Msgr. Robert Pollock. Lemieux’s wife, Shirley, was the parish organist and choir director for 44 years, he said. She played at three Masses each weekend for at least 15 years and started a children’s choir, he said.

“She ended up with 110 kids, and they sang all over the valley;” their crowning achievement was singing three years in a row at Symphony Hall for the Children’s Museum of Utah’s benefit concert, Lemieux said.

Like most of the longtime parishioners, many of his memories center around the parish’s growth – when he first came the church was in what is now St. Olaf School, and the priest lived in the basement, which also housed classrooms.  

Frank and Cecile Wanner, who joined the parish 46 years ago, recall building the church.

“It just brought community,” Cecile Wanner said.

One of the original parish members, Mickey Adelhardt, and her daughters worked in the kitchen to feed those who were working on the church, Cecile Wanner said. “Everybody came out. We refinished the pews. The kids helped. … It was just a wonderful community to have that happen. And to think we built the church ourselves. … We were fortunate to have the school here for our kids when they were growing up – that’s why we moved here, because of St. Olaf School.”

Ed Ortega, who grew up in the parish, remembers having Mass in the school. He attended public schools but went to CCD classes at the parish.

“At the time I was being taught by the nuns,” he said. “It was great growing up here. … We were a small community but we were very tight-knit.”

He made many friends in the parish as he went from kindergarten to adulthood, he said. “You grow close as a family.”

“Family” is also a word that Paul Tinker uses to describe the St. Olaf Parish community, which he joined eight years ago. Although a cradle Catholic, he drifted away from the faith after college, but while visiting his parents in Oklahoma he attended Mass with them in the church where they were married and celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.

“I was at Mass and it spoke to me,” he said, so when he returned to his home in Bountiful, he spoke with Msgr. Rudolph Daz, who was then pastor of St. Olaf Parish.

They spoke for several weeks, Tinker said, and finally Msgr. Daz told him, “‘Paul, you need Communion. Come to Mass.’ And I’ve been involved and en-gaged ever since,” he said.

A member of the Knights of Columbus, he is involved with parish activities and his grandson attends the school, he said. “From the outside it looks to be an older community, but from the inside we’re vibrant from the bottom up. I’ve been embraced and … I found family.”