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Dove Creek
is forty-five miles north of Cortez. The town is isolated, and citizens must
travel to do their shopping, usually into Cortez or Monticello. In the winter,
conditions can be treacherous, making it difficult for the priests to drive from
Cortez to Dove Creek for mass. Farming is the predominant industry with fields
of alfalfa and beans covering the countryside.
The church
in Dove Creek had its beginnings in McPhee, which was at one time one of the
largest lumber camps in Colorado. When the mill shut down, so did the town,
leaving behind the charming old church of Our Lady of the Assumption. The church
was built in 1929, when the lumber industry was still thriving in McPhee, but by
1948, the church was abandoned and deteriorated from disuse. At that time, the
Diocese suggested that the church be moved to Cortez to satisfy the town’s
need for a church. The Cortez congregation graciously rejected the offer, hoping
instead for something bigger and better than the run down church from McPhee.
The
Catholics of Dove Creek, however, were enthusiastic about the prospect of having
a bona fide church of their own. For years they had been celebrating mass
whenever and wherever they could. With the leadership of Fr. Papesh, who
visited Dove Creek monthly, and the help of the congregation, the historic
church of Our Lady of the Assumption was saved and relocated, along with its
original finery to the parish of Dove Creek. By 1949, the little church in
the dell had become the little church in the dry lands. The relocated
church was renamed St. Jude.
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