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Holly and Bristol are on the very eastern edge of the
Pueblo Diocese, in the lower Arkansas Valley. Contrary to the beliefs of many,
there are no mountains in this part of Colorado: the greatest outstanding sight
on the horizon are grain elevators placed strategically wherever there is a town
or railroad siding. In the entire parish there is not a single stoplight, only
hundreds of country intersections.
Both towns are situated on the old Santa
Fe Trail. This is the route used by Indians, trappers, explorers, traders,
homesteaders, missionaries, the military and pioneers of all kinds as they
traveled from the civilized east to the untamed west. Markers point out where
the trial is still visible between the two towns. Other trails have also left
their mark on the area: The Arkansas River has carved a path through the heart
of the parish, as have the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and US Highway
50.
Holly parish serves people in three counties:
eastern Prowers (Holly, Hartman Granada and Bristol), many in Kiowa County
(Sheridan Lake and Towner), and those in western Hamilton County, Kansas, where
there are no resident priests, (Coolidge and Syracuse). Since this is an
agricultural area with farming, ranching, hog farms, feed lots, and dairies,
there are many Mexican Nationals who live in the area. Language, culture, and
customs can sometimes be a challenge in integrating parish life and activities.
Evangelization also becomes a challenge.
Catholics in this area were first cared for by
the Jesuit priests form Pueblo, either from St. Ignatius (later known as Scared
Heart Cathedral) or St. Patrick’s. Beginning in 1872, the two priests assigned
to St. Ignatius would alternate: One priest would travel by railway, and visit
the riverside parishes that stretched along the Arkansas River from Salida to
the Kansas border. The other would stay in Pueblo.
Holly became a mission of Lamar in the early
1900s. Soon after Holly became a mission, the pastor, Fr. Bastien, recorded his
first Building Fund donation of $50.00 from the Knights of Columbus. By the end
of that year, 1909, he had collected $756.00 towards the construction of St.
Joseph’s Church in Holly. It would be eleven years before the church was given
status as a parish and assigned its own pastor.
The church of St. Joseph served the community
of Holly until 1959, when Bishop Buswell, in one of his first official acts,
granted permission to build a new church to replace the old St. Joseph. The new
church was dedicated St. Frances of Rome, October 20, 1960. Since St. Frances is
said to have been blessed with the sight of her Guardian Angel, it was
appropriate to grace the front of the church with a large bronze angel.
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