Huntsville mission celebrates silver anniversary

Friday, Sep. 18, 2015

HUNTSVILLE — Hundreds of people gathered for Mass under a canopy behind Saint Florence Mission on Sept. 13 to celebrate a quarter of a century as a Catholic community. 

In his homily, Father Charles Cummins, who shepherded St. Florence for 20 years, compared the community to the locomotive in the children’s story “The Little Engine that Could.”

“Twenty-five years ago the bishop [the Most Rev. William K. Weigand, seventh Bishop of Salt Lake City] wanted to bring something over the mountain to you people here. He wanted to do it, and some people didn’t think he could, but you people with your faith said, instead of ‘I think I can,’ said ‘I believe I can. I believe I can.’ And through that, you did,” said Fr. Cummins, who presided at the Mass. Concelebrating were Trappist Fr. Patrick Boyle from the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity in Huntsville; Fr. Kenneth Vialpando, pastor of the mission and of St. Joseph Parish in Ogden; and Fr. David Trujillo, St. Joseph parochial vicar.

After complimenting St. Florence on its choir, the fact that people drive from 20 miles away to attend Mass, and the American flag that flies 24 hours a day in front of the church, Fr. Cummins  joked that there is no large baptismal font, “but you do have a dunk tank” that raises $300 a year for Mother Theresa’s fund.

St. Florence is “the little church that thought it could, and did. A church is not made of stone, it’s made of people. … When you go by St. Florence and see that flag flying day and night, think about all the people that made this possible for 25 years,” Fr. Cummins said.

Fr. Patrick Boyle, who concelebrated the mission’s Dedication Mass 25 years ago, recalled that the mission grew out of a group of about 10 people who met regularly for Mass in the Trappist monastery’s conference room. 

From that initial congregation, “you’ve been handed over the truth,” Fr. Patrick said. “Our job in the world is to continue to hand on this truth.”

Catholic Extension provided significant financial support to establish the mission, and “[i]t would be impossible to name the deacons, priests and dedicated laity who have in the past and continue today to provide ministry for the community,” wrote Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, diocesan administrator, in a congratulatory message that appeared in the anniversary booklet. “Truly, over these 25 years God’s presence and goodness have been evident in the life of the community.”

St. Florence is “a friendly little church,” said Jacquelyn Harrop, a founding member who had a child married there, and also had her husband’s funeral celebrated there. While Charles Harrop was ill, Fr. Cummins was very good to him, Jacquelyn Harrop said, adding that she has only good things to say about the priest, who with Deacon Douglas R. Sliger (now deceased) were the mission’s founding parochial administrators. “He is a special man.”