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The isolated town of Springfield can be found
along a lonely strip of Highway 160 in the far southeastern corner of Colorado,
only thirty-three miles from the Oklahoma border. The town boasts a population
of approximately 1,600 residents, nearly all of whom are farmers or ranchers.
Only 5% of the population is Catholic.
The small Springfield
church, is well adapted to its surroundings, simple and rustic, having changed
little since its construction during the Depression.
Before it obtained
status as a parish in 1949, Our Lady of the Annunciation was a mission of Most
Holy Trinity Parish, in Trinidad. On occasion, when the parish was without a
resident priest, it was also a mission of Lamar, which is an hour’s drive from
Springfield.
In
spite of the hardships caused by isolation, lack of monetary resources, and a
small congregation base, the pastor, Jesuit Fr. James Walsh, and parishioners
have sustained their small church on the prairie though dedication to lay
participation and volunteerism, and a deep desire to maintain their own place of
worship. Along with Kim and Walsh, the Springfield parish serves approximately
eighty families.
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