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Sacred Heart Parish has
a congregation of 320 families. It is located on the Western Slope in the city
of Fruita, ten miles west of Grand Junction. It also serves the towns of Loma,
which is six miles west of Fruita, and Mack, which is three miles west of Loma,
and extends to the Utah boarder. Theirs is an agricultural and ranching valley,
bordered to the north by the Bookcliffs and to the south by the Colorado
Monument. The area’s population is growing rapidly, due in large part to the
appeal which their hot summers and mild winters holds for retirees.
In 1889, even before there was a church
building, there was Calvary Cemetery, which continues to be part of the parish,
although it can no longer be used for burials. The original church was built in
1890 on Harrison Avenue, in the Cleveland addition to Fruita, and was dedicated
to St. Malachy, an Irish Saint. It was served by priests from St. Joseph’s, in
Grand Junction, until 1911. Once a month a priest would travel ten miles to
Fruita on horse and buggy, or on the Interurban train. When word reached town
that a priest was coming, a member from the Altar and Rosary Society would clean
the church in anticipation of mass. In 1911, St. Malachy was appointed its own
pastor, and a rectory was built.
Fruita grew, and in 1921 the decision was made
to build a larger church at its current location on Aspen Avenue. The rectory
was relocated next to the new church. The old church building was torn down and
the bricks used to build a garage in the back of the rectory. The old church
windows served as windows for the basement of the new church. When Bishop Henry
Tihen came from Denver to dedicate the church, he decided that it would be
called Sacred Heart, rather than named after an unknown saint. Yet to this day,
there remains a stained glass window above the main door bearing the name, St.
Malachy. The church continued its expansion when the corner Mormon Church was
bought in 1965 to serve as the parish hall. For many years the Altar and Rosary
Society cooked and served dinners to help pay off the debt on the hall.
In the late 1970s through late 1980s,
many improvements were made on the parish center, and the interior of the church
was remodeled to meet the criteria set by Vatican II. However, except for some
slight additions, the exterior of the church has remained the same.
In 1992, Sacred Heart was clustered with St.
Joseph’s, and once again priests travel from Grand Junction to Fruita, only
now they travel much faster and more frequently. Today a resident parish
director administers the parish. Sacred Heart remains alive and vibrant because
of the love and devotion of its people—which is the real legacy of Sacred
Heart.
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