WEST JORDAN – The parish of St. Joseph the Worker commemorated the 10th anniversary of its church with a bilingual Mass May 1 celebrated by Bishop Oscar A. Solis. Concelebrants were Father Patrick Carley, who ministered at the parish from 2000 to 2017 and now is retired; and Father Javier Virgen, pastor. Deacons Sunday Espinoza and Armando Solorzano assisted. Many of the parish’s founding members attended the Mass, during which the Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard.
Prior to the Mass, Deacon Solorzano welcomed Bishop Solis and Fr. Carley, who, he said, “was a foundation, a pillar, for the construction and reconstruction of this beautiful church.”
Deacon Solorzano then welcomed those in attendance, especially the founders of the parish, “these beautiful people who, thanks to their sacrifice, to their efforts, to their faith, made possible the construction of this church. To you, our recognition, heart and God bless you always; welcome to this special celebration.”
The original St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in West Jordan was dedicated on May 16, 1965 by the Most Rev. Joseph L. Federal, sixth Bishop of Salt Lake City. That building was replaced with the current structure, which was dedicated May 1, 2011 by the Most Rev. John C. Wester, ninth Bishop of Salt Lake City.
Ten years later, during the anniversary Mass on May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, Bishop Solis commended not only the building itself but also the parish community.
“We come here as a faith community to celebrate this special moment in the life of this church; it is a beautiful place for people to worship as a community of faith, in order to encounter the living presence of God among us,” Bishop Solis said in his homily. “The church is a sacred dwelling of God in the world. For this reason, it is described as a place where heaven meets earth and where men can encounter God here on earth.”
“This church was built, therefore, as a welcoming, sacred place for anyone to pray, to praise and give thanks to God, to find a refuge and uplift in times of trials, sorrows and joys, and to find a faith family for the community to belong,” he continued. “Hence, this anniversary is nothing else but the love story between God and this faith community: it is about the holy story of love for God. This anniversary celebration reminds us that God is always with us.”
At the end of the Mass, Deacon Espinoza thanked those who had come to celebrate the occasion.
“Today’s celebration of the Mass is quite special, in and of itself, but it means so much to all of us here especially because we’re celebrating a beautiful day, our May 1 anniversary and the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker. It is special because it speaks also of the many contributions of the people in this parish, beginning with the founders of our parish and those current members, new members, who continue to do and build the foundation of this wonderful, wonderful church,” Deacon Espinoza said.
Fr. Virgen then presented Bishop Solis with a wooden statue of St. Joseph the Worker. He also presented Fr. Carley with a crucifix from Jerusalem.
“Fr. Carley spent 16 years of great service, dedication, love, commitment; he shared his friendship, most of his life here,” Fr. Virgen said as he thanked Fr. Carley for his service.
For the anniversary, the church vestibule was filled with memorabilia that included photographs and items from the former church as well as the groundbreaking, construction and opening of the current building.
“I was the co-chairperson when we built the new church, so reading, preparing all this stuff, I was spellbound; it was my whole life for five years,” said Tricia Johnson, who helped organize the displays.
As she greeted those at the anniversary Mass, Johnson said, “It is so good to see everybody that we haven’t seen for over a year [due to the pandemic].”
After the Mass, parishioners and guests, wearing masks and socially distancing, wandered through the displays and gathered outside for refreshments.
“It is great to come today and to see everyone,” said Fr. Carley, who now lives in Park City and visits the parish occasionally.
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