Immaculate Conception Parish celebrates 50 years

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester (left) said his grandfather Wester was a theologian who said, ?Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door see all the people.' Bishop Wester said it is the people who have created the history of Immaculate Conception Parish, and Christ who is the light that draws us together and joins us as a community.

COPPERTON — Immaculate Conception Church is small, and there was standing room only for the 50th Anniversary celebration Mass March 2.

Bishop Wester concelebrated the golden jubilee Mass with Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City and Father Dennis Ruane, serving as pastor of Immaculate Conception while Father James Semple, pastor, is on medical leave.

"You have a beautiful building," said Bishop Wester in his homily. "This church is homey and comfortable. You have a wonderful history. Bishop Lawrence Scanlan was your first pastor in 1890. There is a lot of history with all the mining and all the aspects of the many cultures of Copperton."

Bishop Wester said no matter which angle you choose to look at Immaculate Conception Parish, you are looking at the people. They are the face of this parish. The church is all of us together in Christ.

Immaculate Conception was a station of Holy Rosary Parish. Holy Rosary Parish included Bingham Canyon, Lark, and Copperton.

On Nov. 3, 1947, Bishop Duane G. Hunt, bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City from 1937 to 1960, wrote to the Catholic Church Extension Society explaining that all the property in and around Bingham was owned by the Utah Copper Company, according to "The Salt of the Earth," by Bernice Mooney. "The Copper Company was taking over more and more of the property for mining purposes. This forced the people to move out into the valley, the first stop being the new town of Copperton.

"For this reason, as well as to take care of the Catholics already living there, it is immediately urgent that we have some kind of church in Copperton," wrote Bishop Hunt.

"In 1948, the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement arrived to serve Holy Rosary Parish and what would become Immaculate Conception Parish; a convent was obtained for them.

"In 1949, the Society donated $5,000 toward the construction and Immaculate Conception Church was completed in 1949. Msgr. John J. Sullivan (then Father) was the first pastor of the new parish and served from 1955 to 1966. A new rectory was constructed in Copperton in 1957. In 1958, the last Mass was celebrated in Holy Rosary Church and the parish seat was moved to Copperton."

Larry Arritola has been an Immaculate Conception parishioner all his life. He was born in Bingham Canyon. Arritola said his mother, Marguerite Arritola, was the organist, and she had a good time playing the organ until she died in 1961.

"I remember while the LDS students were taking seminary in school, we were taking classes from Father Sullivan during school one-half block away at the church," said Arritola, who graduated from Bingham High School in 1965. "Then when they built the new Bingham High School (in 1971), and the old school became a junior high, the classes stopped. I also remember the Franciscan sisters taught CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes."

Theresa Pazell has been a member of Immaculate Conception Parish all her life, which is more than 60 years. She said she loves everything about the parish including the people and the town.

A brunch was held at the Lions Club following the golden jubilee Mass. Representatives from the Lions Club and the LDS Church also attended the brunch. Two tables were filled with scrap books, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, and a guest book.