Saint Olaf pioneers recall the parish's founding years

Courtesy photo/Marianne Fratto Brunatti

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Marianne Fratto rides the Saint Olaf Parish float in the 1958 Cantaloupe Days Parade in Bountiful, Utah. Fratto's uncle, Joe Jacketta, donated a truckload of cantaloupes to the event every year.

BOUNTIFUL — The family names Jacketta, Fratto, Williams and McGregor are among the pioneers who started Saint Olaf Parish in the 1940s.

Marianne Fratto Brunatti and her sister, Diane Fratto Chase, whose maternal grandparents were the Jackettas, spent time reminiscing about their first parish after finding some old photographs. They are now members of Saint John the Baptist Parish.

Guerino (James) Jacketta and his wife, Rose, moved to Bountiful in 1933 to farm fruits and vegetables. Their daughter, Teresa Jacketta, married Frank Fratto in 1934; they returned to Bountiful in 1943 with their children: Marianne and Guery. Their third child, Diane, was born in Bountiful.

Until 1943, there were no Catholic churches between Salt Lake City and Ogden; Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Madeleine and religious instruction was given by visiting nuns. Then Bishop Duane G. Hunt invited the Paulist Fathers, who had been conducting trailer missions since 1938 in the Uintah Basin, to move their operations to Bountiful.

"There being few Catholics in the Bountiful area was attractive to the Paulist Fathers," said Father Eric Andrews, Paulist Fathers president-elect. "The Paulist Fathers would come and organize mission parishes and get people together to celebrate their faith and give them a sense of enthusiasm in the midst of an environment that would not have been open to them."

St. Olaf was established as a Paulist mission on May 26, 1943 to include all of Davis County. Masses and catechism were held at the American Legion Hall, Layton Town Hall, Stoker School and private homes, according to Salt of the Earth by Bernice Maher Mooney.

In 1944, a small brick house at 55 East First North in Bountiful was purchased and converted into a church, seating 45 people, with living quarters for three priests in the basement. Bishop Hunt dedicated the new church on Oct. 22, 1944.

Bishop Hunt confirmed the parish’s first class on June 11, 1944, and Paulist Father John Mitchell gave the first class its First Communion on July 1, 1945.

"We were glad when we could start going to the little church for Mass," said Marianne Fratto Brunatti. "I had my First Communion there in 1947."

Roger Jacketta, Tom Branagan and James Williams were the first to be baptized in the little church; Guery Fratto was one of the first altar boys.

Robert and Melva Williams moved to Bountiful in 1941 and were instrumental in finding the home that became the church. Robert owned K&W Carpet and Flooring and provided the carpeting for the new church.

"I’ve lived in Salt Lake the past few years, but I still consider myself a member of St. Olaf," said Melva Williams, after 70 years.

In 1949, the boundaries of St. Olaf Parish were redrawn to include all of Davis County south of Farmington, and the Paulist Fathers moved to Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Layton. Father James T. Kenny was assigned as St. Olaf pastor (1949-1954) and the church was remodeled to seat 80 people; 160 were attending three Masses.

In 1950, the McGregors moved to Centerville. Rosemary McGregor chaired the St. Olaf Catholic Youth Organization activities and her husband, Gordon, coached CYO boys baseball.

"I still feel connected to baseball because most of those boys came to Gordon’s funeral in 1986," said McGregor, a parishioner for 63 years.

St. Olaf also had a girls softball team.

The Altar Society was formed in 1947 "to take care of the altar and clean the church," said Williams. "Our parish really grew from nothing, but once we had our own place we became a tight-knit group."

On March 20, 1955, Father John Sullivan was St. Olaf pastor; he purchased a house with five acres of land at 1795 South Orchard Drive where the church and school stand today. The small house was used until 1960.