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Sacred Heart serves those living in the east end of
the north fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The church is situated in the town
of Paonia, which sits at the base of the west side of the Rocky Mountains. Most
of the residents are coal miners, fruit growers, cattle ranchers, artists, or
retired persons. The area has some 5,000 residents. Catholics are a minority in
the mostly Protestant and Mormon area: A typical Sunday attendance at Sacred
Heart is about 120 souls.
In 1888, the first Catholics to move into the
Paonia area settled on the present day mesa know as Lamborn Mesa. Other families
from Croatia, Italy, Ireland and Germany moved into the surrounding towns of
Hotchkiss, Crawford, Somerset and Bowie between 1898 and 1908. Because travel
was difficult, only occasional visits by priests were made into those lonely
areas.
When the Delta parish was established in 1911,
the first pastor, Fr. Bertrand, was assigned to the mission parish in Paonia.
Services were provided in homes, the schoolhouse or the town hall. It was during
his tenure that the church property was donated, remodeled and dedicated to the
Sacred Heart in 1920. Although there was now a church standing, travel and
isolation made it difficult for priests to visit on a regular basis. Then in
1922 a permanent priest was stationed in Paonia. As the rectory was unfinished,
he lived with an area family. From 1922 until 1932, eight priests administered
to the faithful. Masses and education were minimal, as the pastor had to cover
five different areas. During this time, the church survived a wave of animosity,
moved the mission parish, established the Altar and Rosary Society and continued
building and growing. There were 150 families in the area.
In 1970, the present Sacred Heart Church was built.
Today it has a faithful following of seventy families and continues in its
spiritual directives of growth through its many established commissions,
committees and out-reach programs.
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