St. Rose Parish celebrates 75th anniversary
LAYTON — Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church’s 75th anniversary celebration attracted all sorts of parishioners: old and young, Anglo, Hispanic, Filipino, African, those who have been long-established in the parish and those who are new.
The first St. Rose of Lima church building was dedicated in April 1948; it was located at Church and Main streets in Layton. Fr. James McLean, CSP, was the parish’s first pastor. Over the next 50 years the congregation grew so much that a larger church was needed. The current building, on Chapel Street, was dedicated in 1994.
The anniversary event began with a Mass on April 29. Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided; the concelebrant was Father Gustavo Vidal, pastor. Deacon Lynn Johnson and Deacon Bernardo Villar assisted.
As part of the celebration, a wall with pictures of the parish’s 12 pastors was unveiled.
“We gather this evening to celebrate the 75th anniversary of St. Rose of Lima Parish, built in 1948 with the help of the Paulist priests that faithfully served in this diocese for many years,” Bishop Solis said in his opening remarks.
“St. Rose of Lima is a house of faith that shares a variety of cultures, languages and ethnicities that are one in spirit and one in the body of Christ,” he added.
Speaking in both English and Spanish, the bishop said in his homily that “This is an ideal time to remember the rich and colorful history of this faith community, rooted in their deep faith, hope and love for God through those years. Today, we recall the beautiful covenant relationship and the enduring love this parish has with God, tested by the passing of time.”
Since 1948 St. Rose has provided a spiritual refuge, a house of worship where people can pray and seek and find the love of God, he said. “We honor those who faithfully served St. Rose of Lima with generosity, dedication and sacrifice – the clergy, religious, lay leaders and all who contributed to this church for 75 years. Their labors were rewarded by God. Through his grace this community was able to build not only a house of worship but a faith community united in love and service for one another.”
However, the celebration should not look only at the past, “but focus on our continued mission in preserving the rich history of this Church,” he said. “I encourage you to rededicate yourselves to be missionary disciples of Christ, and to be a sign and instrument of our union with God and one another in our divided world today.”
Much has changed in the 75 years since the church was built, “but our identity and mission remain the same,” the bishop said. “We are God’s sacrament of communion and a Christian community of disciples who learn from one another to find strength in being together in good times and in bad. We must live our identity as children of God who love, forgive and serve anyone, transcending boundaries that separate us, and treat one another as brothers and sisters, members of one family, the Body of Christ.”
He concluded by saying, “Let us celebrate the rich history of this Church, glorifying God with grateful hearts for the boundless blessing he bestowed upon this parish. Through the intercession of St. Rose of Lima, may God’s grace help us become the living stones of this Church that God called us to be.”
In his remarks, Fr. Vidal noted that “one of the bishop’s missions is to confirm the people in their faith and every time that a bishop is out in the parishes that is what he does. … I thank him for confirming our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Saying he felt blessed to be the pastor of St. Rose, Fr. Vidal recalled the many sacraments that have been celebrated at the church over the years. “We are nothing without the celebration of the sacraments; our spiritual life is being transmitted through the celebration of the sacraments; we have been shaped by the celebration of the sacraments.”
He also thanked the members of the community. “Without you the parish will not exist,” he said. “…. We are here, all of us, you and I, are here to proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Those who built the church “probably never thought that 75 years afterward we were all going to be here today: the ushers, the lectors, the extraordinary ministers, the CCW, the Knights of Columbus, la Divina misericordia, the Hispanic ministries … from different cultures, from different backgrounds – this is what makes us what we are today,” he concluded.
After the Mass was a social hour and dinner, followed by a cultural program and a dance.
Being able to celebrate the milestone was “real good,” said parishioner Joe Peogger. “There are a lot of good people in this parish; we feel very welcome.”
Fred Patino echoed the feeling, saying that “being Catholic means the world” to him, and being at the celebration was very special.
Laura Tirado had a similar emotion. A St. Rose parishioner for 10 years, every Sunday she undertakes the 45-minute walk from her home to the parish to attend Mass, no matter if it is raining, snowing or if the temperature is above 100 degrees.
“It has been a blessing to me,” she said. “When I get into this church, I really feel blessed. … The church is not the building, it is the community, and this is a great community.”
The anniversary was “a wonderful celebration of the dedication and perseverance of a faith community that stayed involved and active in the Layton area for all these years,” said Susan Black, adding that the parish community has a great rapport with all the other churches in the area, “ since we work together bringing the kingdom of God to life.”
Everyone who comes to St. Rose is welcomed, she said, and “to have a milestone like this is a beautiful testimony to the spirit of God in Utah.”
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