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Our mission... We, the church community of St.
Ignatius, a people of faith on a spiritual journey, are
committed to spread the Good News of Christ. God has
entrusted and blessed our parish membership with diverse
cultures and talents, which enables us to grow as a strong
Christian community. We wholeheartedly assume the
responsibility to become good stewards and practice what Jesus
taught. We accept the challenge to become personally
motivated in touching the lives of our family, neighbors,
community and the world. |
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St. Ignatius Parish is located within the Southern Ute
Reservation. The town of Ignacio is roughly one half mile away, and has a
population of about 800; however, the surrounding area has approximately 6,000
persons. Located in Southwestern Colorado, the elevation is well over 6,000
feet, with high mesas and mountains surrounding Ignacio. The town is twenty-six
miles away from Durango, and only thirty miles from the New Mexico border. The
area is mostly dedicated
to cattle and agriculture, with the Sky Ute Casino contributing many jobs to the
locals and Native Americans. Ignacio is the headquarters of the Southern Ute
Tribe.
The parish
encompasses several small communities: Allison, Tiffany, Arboles, Bayfield, and
Oxford.
The
earliest dates on the history of the church date back to 1881. The Durango
Narrow Gauge Railroad had been completed, which allowed travel by train.
However, padres on horseback made the circuit to settlements in the surrounding
areas. As there was no permanent structure, mass was said in private homes or
out in the open.
In 1898, a
small clapboard church was erected at the same location of the present church.
At that time, the church community was made up of mostly Native Americans, and
the only standing buildings in the immediate area were the Agency, the train
depot and the church. In May 1903, the location became official when the
application from the Roman Catholic Church was made to the Department of
Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, to set aside three acres for missionary
purposes. Later that year, permission was granted to the Southern Ute Tribe to
set aside a track of land for the church. The church became a mission under
Sacred Heart in Durango.
The
Catholic population continued to increase, and by 1917 a new church was
necessary. The church was dedicated based on historical papers found in a jar in
the cornerstone of the old church. According to one of the documents, an earlier
congregation had picked St. Ignatius as its namesake. The church was dedicated
in 1927.
A parish
hall was made possible by salvaging the old railroad station in 1961, and in the
mid-70s, the old baggage room of the depot was converted into a rectory and
office for St. Ignatius’ first full time priest. Then in the early 1980s, the
church was replaced for the third time. Structural damage to the old adobe
church made repairs unfeasible, so the building was razed until only the bell
tower was left standing. Bishop Arthur Tafoya dedicated the rebuilt church in
1981.
Today,
St. Ignatius is no longer a mission, but its own parish with missions at St.
Bartholomew, in Bayfield and St. Peter/St. Rose, in Arboles. The parish,
which has continued to expand since its inception, is now planning to build a
new hall and classrooms for their growing congregation, which currently numbers
300.
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