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St. Patrick Church in Silverton, a mining
community, is nestled in the southwestern high country, surrounded by the steep
San Juan Mountains on the edge of the Grand Junction Deanery. The church, and
the two dozen families it serves, is blessed with the majesty of spiraling
peaks, and clean mountain air, but it is also isolated by its location, hard
winters, and treacherous mountain passes.
The community of Silverton was
established in the early 1870’s, after gold bearing ore was discovered in the
area and prospectors flocked to claim their share. Because Silverton was
difficult to reach, Catholic services were not available on a regular basis. The
first mass in the town was celebrated in 1877 by Fr. Thomas Hayes. Subsequently,
a priest managed to visit the San Juan mining towns nearly every year. Then in
1882, the completion of the railroad from Durango to Silverton allowed Catholics
to celebrate mass monthly.
The first Catholic church in
Silverton was built in 1883, and was assigned its first resident pastor in 1884,
Fr. Edmund Ley. The wooden church was physically moved within the city of
Silverton twice, and eventually sold in 1905.
A new structure was constructed of brick
and stands as a continuing embodiment of the history of the town and of a people
who, for over a century, have kept the faith in an environment that is often
harsh and difficult.
In 1958 St. Patrick parishioners and
others in the community erected the Christ of the Mines Shrine on Anvil Mountain
to ask God’s blessing on the mining industry of the San Juans. It remains a
symbol of faith and a reminder of man’s dependence upon God.
Due to the decline of mining operations,
St. Patrick Church was designated a mission in 1931, and has remained a mission
except for brief periods when a resident pastor has been assigned. Today the
parish has a congregation of twenty-five families. |
