| We, the people of St. Margaret Mary Parish,
are a growing, diverse, multicultural, faith-filled and faithful
Catholic community, guided by the Holy Spirit and the special
intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the
Americas. Our love of God and life-giving support for one
another is always to be extended to all who come. The
center of our community is our Eucharistic celebration, offered
together in praise and thanksgiving to our loving God.
This faith is put into action and shared through evangelization
and outreach to all within and beyond our community. We
believe that through our actions and stewardship we will call
forth others to share their gifts, that together we might build
up the Body of Christ in beautiful Western Colorado. |
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St. Margaret Mary is located in Hotchkiss, which is
approximately twenty miles east of Delta. The town is situated on the Western
Slope of the Rocky Mountains, in the north fork of the Gunnison River. The
church serves Hotchkiss, Rogers Mesa, and Crawford community. Most of the
parishioners grow fruit or ranch cattle. Many are retired.
In 1898, a few Catholic railroad workers moved to the
Hotchkiss area. During the next ten years a few more Catholic families settled
in Hotchkiss and Crawford to engage in agriculture. At that time, the visiting
priest traveled from Montrose to celebrate mass in the old Sears Hall in
Hotchkiss. His name was Fr. Cornelius Farell, and he initiated the building of a
church in Lazear: The church was named, St. Margaret Mary. The structure was
completed in 1911 without any outside financial assistance. When Fr. Bertrand
began his mission visits to Paonia in the 1920’s, the church at Lazear was the
only Catholic structure in the valley. It was time to build more. In Paonia,
Sacred Heart Church was established, and onto land donated by the Hotchkiss
brothers, St. Margaret Mary Church was moved from Lazear, reestablished in
Hotchkiss, (where it remains today), and enlarged.
In 1925, during a time of great Ku Klux Klan activity,
and anti-Catholic sentiment, a fire was set at the church. Fortunately the fire
was detected early and dowsed, saving the church from destruction. Parishioners
conducted bazaars, raffles, and miscellaneous sales to raise money to fix the
church. In 1945, after years of fund-raising, the building needs of the church
were finally met.
In 1940, priests began to use Sacred Heart Church, in
Paonia, as their centrally located residence, and St. Margaret Mary became its
mission. Although it has no resident priest, it has sustained many of the
organizations and programs created at the parish. Today it boasts a following of
forty families who ensure that St. Margaret Mary remains a vibrant and dynamic
place to worship.
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