A History of Sacred Heart and St. Margaret Mary

American Settlement in the North Fork Valley

Prior to settlement by Americans, the North Fork Valley was part of the ancestral home of the Ute Indians. However the area was also claimed by Spain as part of their New World colonies since the 1500’s. The earliest documented presence of non-indigenous people in western Colorado was by the Spanish in the 18^th Century. The first documented travel of the Spanish was by Juan Rivera, who traveled into western Colorado in 1765 to promote the interests of the Spanish Crown.[i] The second was the better-known Dominquez-Escalante Expedition in 1776. This second expedition was an attempt by the Spanish to locate an overland route from their province of New Mexico to the province of Alta California. The expedition was a small group of fourteen people and their necessary livestock. The group was led by two Franciscan priests – Fray Francisco Atanasio Dominquez and Fray Silvestre Velez de Escalante and included a Spanish military officer, traders and public officials. The group began their thousand-mile journey in July 1776 and arrived back in Santa Fe on January 2, 1777. Their journey brought them through the North Fork Valley on August 30 and 31, 1776. Their travel in the North Fork Valley took them through areas that would become the towns of Hotchkiss and Paonia. Although they were not successful in locating an overland route from New Mexico to Upper California, they are the first Catholics known to travel in the North Fork Valley.[ii]

The Mexican War of Independence occurred in 1821 and Mexico became an independent country from the Spanish Empire. Western Colorado was considered part of Mexico at that time. The United States acquired western Colorado from Mexico through the Guadeloupe Hidalgo Treaty for the American-Mexican War of 1846-1848. The United States government officially recognized the North Fork Valley was part of the ancestral home of the Ute Indians in the Treaty of March 2, 1868 with the Ute Indians.[iii] It was known as the Confederated Ute Indian Reservation. Following the Meeker Massacre on September 29, 1879 and the subsequent treaty of June 15, 1880, titled “An act to accept and ratify the agreement submitted by the confederated bands of Ute Indians in Colorado, for the sale of their reservation in said State, and for other purposes, and to make the necessary appropriations for carrying out the same” [iv], the Utes were removed to reservations in Utah and southern Colorado. The former reservation was opened to American settlement on July 28, 1882.[v] Settlers began to move into the North Fork Valley in the fall of 1882.

Records in the Department of Interior General Land Office database show that the land that Sacred Heart Church is located on – NE¼NE¼ Section 6, T14 S, R91W was originally acquired by William A. Clark. President Benjamin C. Harrison signed the patent for the land on October 27, 1890. The land was sold to Clark by the United States government as part of a 160-acre parcel, for $1.25 per acre or $200 total. William A. Clark was a well-known settler and developer in Paonia. The land that St. Margaret Mary Church is located on – N½NW¼ Section 31, T14S, R92W, 6^th PM was originally acquired by Monett Hotchkiss.[vi] President Grover Cleveland signed the patent on January 27, 1888. The land was sold to Mr. Hotchkiss as part of a 160-acre purchase, for $1.25 per acre or just under $200 total.[vii] The money was to be transferred to a Trust Fund for the Ute Indians. Each $200 purchase in 1888 and 1891 has a value of over $5300 in 2018, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator.

The Churches

The primary source of information on the early days of the Catholic Church in the North Fork Valley is a ten page typewritten history by Father Emil A. Eckert, written in 1945.[i] Father Emil’s tenure was from 1937 to 1945. Concerning the beginnings of the catholic church in the North Fork Valley Father Emil wrote, “As far as can be established, the first catholics, Messrs.’ Carl Vogel and Mathew Gonner moved into the parish confines in the year 1888, into the neighborhood of Paonia, what was called before W.W. I the German Mesa and what is now known as Lamborn Mesa.”[ii] There have been resident Catholics in the North Fork Valley since that time.

From the time the Western Slope was opened to American settlement in 1882 until the first church was opened in the North Fork Valley, catholic residents were served by priests from larger communities. At that time, all of Colorado was part of the Diocese of Denver, which was created in 1887. Father Emil wrote that priests from Silverton, Ouray, Montrose and Delta performed marriages and baptisms for North Fork Catholics through 1906. It seems this practice lasted for a longer period as an item published in The Newspaper of Paonia on Friday November 13, 1908 noted, “On Wednesday evening (November 18, 1908), Father O’Farrell will meet all Catholics at Horning Rooming House.”[iii] However long this period lasted, the point is that Catholics in the North Fork Valley had to travel to larger communities for religious services or could only receive them at home on a limited basis until a church was built in the North Fork Valley and assigned a resident priest.

The first church to be constructed in the North Fork Valley was actually in Lazear, on Roger’s Mesa. Father Emil reported that in 1908 Father Cornelius O’Farrell, pastor of Montrose, was able to get five newly immigrated farmers on Roger’s Mesa to build a small frame church at Lazear.[iv] Father O’Farrell dedicated the church in the spring of 1909 and brought six vocalists with him from the Montrose parish. The Montrose guests were hosted by the Miles Keogh and Albert Smith families, who had recently moved to the area from Kansas.[v] Another account says the church was dedicated on May 28, 1911 on a spot of land donated by the Stone family.[vi] Whichever account is correct, it appears that the mission priests used the church in Lazear as well as continuing to provide religious services in the other communities in the North Fork Valley.

In 1911 a parish was established in Delta and the church in the North Fork became a mission of St. Michael’s Parish. Rev. Nicholas Bertrand was appointed the first pastor of St. Michaels in Delta.[vii] Father Bertrand visited the mission territory every month – celebrated Mass, administered the Sacraments and taught catechism. He would travel by divers means of locomotion, sometimes by train, as far as was available, by buggy, or by rail push cart, which the Rail Road officials lent him. Father Nicholas spent a week visiting the missions of Lazear, Crawford, Paonia and Bowie and Somerset. Since the only church in the North Fork Valley was at Lazear, in the other communities services were held in private homes or in the public school houses, the Masonic Hall, the theater or community recreation hall.[viii] An article in the June 13, 1912 edition of The Paonian newspaper stated, “Father Bertrand of Delta held Catholic services Friday morning in the Gayety Theatre.”[ix] Another article in The North Fork Times newspaper of Hotchkiss on December 20, 1923 gave notice, “Catholic Service Sunday December 23^rd Mass will be said in Sare’s Hall at 10’o’clock, and on Christmas Day Mass will be in Sare’s Hall at 9 o’clock.”[x] Father Bertrand served the Delta Parish until 1922 when Rev. Joseph Erger replaced him. Father Erger appealed to the Bishop in Denver, Most Rev. John Henry Tihen, for assistance and Father James P. Gookin was assigned to serve the missions of the Delta Parish.[xi]

All indications are that the building that was on the site in 1918, when the property was purchased, served as the church until it was replaced by the current church building in 1970. Another building on the property served as rectory. The church faced north onto Third Street and was situated where the current parish hall is located – see the above photo. The original rectory sat at the rear of the church, near where the storage shed is currently located.

In 1940 the Church acquired Lots 1 and 2 that laid to the west of the property acquired in 1918, from Ora G. Beckman.[i] This gave the church all the property west and north of the two alleys. This is the property configuration that exists today that the current church and rectory are located on.

In 1957 a new rectory was built. This is the current rectory that sits to the south of the current church. The Catholic Church Extension Society provided a $2,000 grant to assist in the construction of the $15,000 building.[ii] The Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator indicates this would cost $137,00 in 2018.

The Diocese of Denver was made an Archdiocese in 1941 and the Diocese of Pueblo, was created covering all of southern Colorado, in that same year. Sacred Heart Parish was included in the Diocese of Pueblo and it remains a part of that Diocese.

Apparently, discussions with the folks in Lazear resulted in a decision to move the church from that community to Hotchkiss rather than build a new church. An article in the March 6, 1924 edition of The North Fork Times stated, “ The Catholic Church of Lazear is being moved to Hotchkiss this week, and should be here in another day or two, as it is now on the Hotchkiss-Delta Road.”[i] The March 13, 1924 edition of the newspaper gave the following update, “The Catholic church building recently moved from Lazear to Hotchkiss was brought Friday. It will soon be placed and ready for use.”[ii] The May 16, 1924 issue of The North Fork Times gave notice “At The Catholic Church On Sunday, May 18, mass will be said in the Catholic Church Hotchkiss at ten o’clock a.m. Sunday School both before and after mass. Mrs. E.D. Smith teacher of Sunday school. Jeremiah O’Farrell, Pastor.”[iii] Apparently not all residents of Hotchkiss were pleased with the new Catholic Church. An article published in the May 22, 1924 edition of The Paonian newspaper stated, “The Catholic Church building, recently moved from Lazear to Hotchkiss is fired and damaged by vandals.”[iv] The Ku Klux Klan, who was active at that time, was considered as being responsible for the attempt.[v] Oral tradition in the Parish says that church members took turns guarding the church, after the attempt to burn the church down.[vi]

Unfortunately, there is no documentation as to what the church in Lazear was actually called. While some accounts describe the church being named St. Margaret Mary, this seems unlikely. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was not canonized a saint until May 13, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.[vii] However, it does seems likely that when church was moved to Hotchkiss the church members selected the name of this recently canonized saint, when their church was dedicated in 1924. I believe the newspaper article from The North Fork Times on December 13, 1923 supports this.

The church from Lazear that was built in 1909 or 1911 is still a part of the current St. Margaret Mary Church. As can be seen in the above photo from the 1950’s the entry to the church was on the north side, facing Bridge Street. That arrangement lasted for a long time. As the unknown writer of the church history that was prepared during Monsignor Faistl’s time wrote, “The church (in Hotchkiss) has been remodeled and enlarged at different times and now has an annex with rest rooms; it is used for social meetings, classes and to accommodate the congregational overflow.”[i]

In 1973 Monsignor Faistl received approval to purchase Lots 16, 17 and 18, of Block 5 of Haley’s Addition to the Town of Paonia, to be used for a parking lot for the parish. The monsignor noted that there were 5 churches within 75 yards of Sacred Heart Church, creating a potential crisis for parking. The asking price was $600 per lot or $1,800 for all three lots. Monsignor Faistl also noted the area could be used for a playground for the CCD program. Bishop Buswell approved the purchase and the lots were purchased on November 13, 1974.[i] This parcel is still used for parking.

The Sacred Heart Parish Hall was enlarged by adding a second story in the late 1980’s; this second floor currently provides classrooms for CCD. This work was completed by volunteer labor by parishioners. Another major project was replacing the roof on the church and hall. This work was completed in the late 1990’s.

This history only covers the major matters related to the establishment of the churches. Both Sacred Heart and Saint Margaret Mary have had many repairs and upgrades that have been done on a continuing basis. Parishioners in both churches have worked hard at maintaining functional and attractive church buildings. We have been blessed with their hard work and care.

The Names of Our Churches

The Priests

There have been twenty-six priests assigned to the parish in the North Fork Valley since it was established in 1922. The names of the priests and their tenure are shown below in Table 1. The longest tenured priest was Monsignor Francis Faistl (pronounced Face-tul), who served from August 1967 to August 1977. It was under his administration that the current Sacred Heart church was built. The shortest tenured priest was Father Peter Costello, who came in the summer of 1930, but stayed only three months. Father Costello served as a chaplain in the Australian forces in World War I and was a great orator. However, the solitude and primitive state of conditions of the parish was apparently too much for him.[i] Father Emil noted that in the first ten years, from 1922 to 1932, eight resident priests administered to the faithful. The reasons for the short terms seem varied, from not liking the Valley (Father Peter Costello) to transfers (Father Joseph Minot to Fruita) to reducing the Parish to Mission status (Father James Heneghan) as well as illness. The priest who stayed the longest during this early period was Fr. Joseph Fleck, who stayed two years and eight months, but left because of ill health in 1930.

Father Emil also noted that the practice of altering the time of the Sunday Mass between Hotchkiss and Paonia was established by Father Gookin in 1922.[ii] All the priests seem to have continued the practice, until Father Bill Nelson changed the practice to always have Mass at Sacred Heart at 8:30 am and Mass at St. Margaret Mary at 10:30 am. The reason for the change was that waiting until 10 o’clock to drive to Hotchkiss was safer, during the winter months. The early priests also seem to have rotated their residence between Hotchkiss and Paonia, as well. It was Father Emil who made the move to reside full-time in Paonia. He wrote, “In August 1937 Fr Emil A. Eckert was sent to the parish. Considering the central location of Paonia, its rectory and Church more adaptable, the climate more agreeable, he chose to take there his residence.”[iii] Father Emil wrote a number of anecdotes about the priests who preceded him. In the interest of brevity I won’t repeat them here. However, if you are interested I encourage you to read his manuscript. It is an interesting and enjoyable read.

It seems that over the years a number of priests assigned to the parish have been from outside of the United States. Father Peter Costello seems to have been Australian. Father Thomas Hickey was Irish; Father Sylvester Schoening was German. More recently Father Albeiro Herrara Ciro was from Columbia, Father Pius Nwanzor was from Nigeria, Father Chrysogonus Nwele was also from Nigeria, Father Nicodemus Urasa was from Tanzania and Father Wojcieck Pelczarski, our current priest, is from Poland. In spite of the challenge to the congregation of their various accents, these priests have been welcomed and appreciated. The challenges to the priests seem to involve adjusting to American culture and the isolation of the North Fork Valley. The Parish is fortunate to have a resident priest.

Father Emil stated that the Parish served about 300 Catholics in 1945. Father Faistl in the1970’s reported that Sacred Heart Church served 100 families and St. Margaret Mary 25 families. The Parish Census from 2017 showed 94 families registered at Sacred Heart Church, representing approximately 150 Catholics. Mass attendance averages 113 people at the Saturday and Sunday Masses. St. Margaret Mary Church shows 25 families registered, though this is believed to be low because many of the Hispanic families seem reluctant to register. Mass attendance at St Margaret Mary averages 60 people.

In spite of our small size both Sacred Heart and St. Margaret Mary have many active ministries. Both churches have a council that assists the pastor. In addition, parishioners serve as Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Eucharistic Ministers for the Homebound, Lay Proclaimers or Lectors, Altar Servers, Ushers and Greeters. Both churches have CCD programs for children and a Religious Education Program for adults. Both churches sponsor snacks and a social period following Mass on Sunday. This ministry has enhanced the social interaction between parishioners since Father Mike Smith initiated it in the 1990’s. Sacred Heart has an especially vibrant Music Program. Various musicians provide music for Sunday Mass on a rotating basis. In addition, an Annual Christmas Concert for the community was initiated in 1998 and has continued ever since with the exception of one year. Various parishioners serve by assisting with meals for funerals and cleaning the alter linens and vestments. The Parish also has a Prayer Chain that provides Prayers for Special Intentions. Sacred Heart also sponsors a Food Donation Ministry called Phil De Cart, conducted in conjunction with the Paonia Christian Fellowship Church[i], which distributes the food to needy recipients. In 2016 Sacred Heart initiated an Emergency Response Team to provide medical and security training and assistance for various emergencies that might occur during Mass. In 2016 a Mercy Pantry was established to provide emergency food assistance in case of a disaster. A Knights of Columbus Council – the North Fork Valley Council (#16769) was established on June 25, 2017, with Father Nicodemus’ strong support. This council serves both churches. Saint Margaret Mary sponsors an English as a Second Language Program. The numbers of parishioners may seem small but the efforts of the Church members are substantial.

A final note concerning the number of churches in Paonia. There is a commonly told story that Paonia was once listed in either the Guinness World Book of Records or Ripley’s Believe it or Not for having the most churches per capita of any town or city in the country. I could not locate any actual document that would validate this claim. However, in the book titled Elk Mountain Odyssey: West Elk Loop Scenic/Historic Byway Guide published in 1998, there is a section titled “Paonia’s Pious Populous.” It states, “Sometime in the 1930’s, the popular Ripley’s Believe or Not featured Paonia as having the most churches of any town or city in the U.S. In 1965 an article in the Denver Post corroborated Ripley by reporting 16 churches for a population of 1,080 – a church for every 67 residents.”[ii] As I said, I was not able to document the original claim, through research at the Paonia Public Library, discussions with long-time residents or on the Internet. I did find an interesting entry in Wallace Eubanks’ Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919. It states in the March 11, 1915 issue of The Paonian newspaper, “As there are 11 different religious denominations in Paonia, Editor Craig thinks that most of them could unify.” Paonia currently has twelve churches; see the endnote for their names.[iii] A per capita calculation shows – 12 churches in a population of 1,500 gives you one church per 125 people. I am not sure if this number of churches indicates that Paonians are especially pious or I have also been told maybe it means they just can’t get along. Whatever the reason, while it cannot be determined if Paonia ever held a record for most churches per capita, it can be stated that Paonia has many churches for the size of the community.

Conclusion

After nearly 100 years, Sacred Heart Parish continues to serve the Catholics of the North Fork Valley. In spite of our size, it is a vibrant and welcoming community. Our small size and limited financial means have always presented challenges in serving our members and the other residents of the North Fork Valley. But with God’s grace and the continued contributions of time, talent and treasure by our members these efforts will be sustained.

Authored by David Bradford (November 9, 2018), resident of Paonia and parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish since March 1993. The information presented in this account comes from Father Emil’s manuscript and other Sacred Heart Parish files, previous write-ups, discussions with long-time parishioners, the Resume of Items in Paonia Newspapers by Wallace Eubanks at the Paonia Public Library, Copies of the North Fork Times at the Hotchkiss-Crawford Museum, Records at the Delta County Courthouse – County Clerk and Assessor’s Offices, Gini Wall at the Diocese of Pueblo and previous historical research I have done about the North Fork Valley. This account details the history of the Catholic Church in the North Fork Valley as best as I was able to determine. I am sure that some information presented may differ with some recollections. I have tried to cite and document all factual information – see the following endnotes. Any factual errors are inadvertent and I apologize for any that may occur.

Endnotes:

[i] Steven G. Baker. Juan Rivera’s Colorado, 1765: The First Spaniards Among The Ute And the Piute Indians On The Trails To Teguayo. Lake City, Colorado Western Reflections Publishing Company, 2015. Page 1, This 384 page book is the most extensive and comprehensive study of the Rivera journeys.

[ii] Ted J. Warner, editor, translated by Fray Angelico Chavez. The Dominquez-Escalante Journal, Their Expedition Through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in 1776 (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1976), pages 25-35.

[iii] The Statutes at Large, Treaties and Proclamations of the United States of America, from December 1867 to March 1869, Volume XV. Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1869, pages 619-628. The Spanish called the area that is currently the State of California, Alta California or Upper California. This was to differentiate the Baja Peninsula, which is known as Baja California or Lower California.

[iv] The Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from April 1879 to March 1881 and recent Treaties, Postal Conventions and Executive Proclamations. Volume XXI. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1881, Chapter 223.

[v] The Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from April 1879 to March 1881 and recent Treaties, Postal Conventions and Executive Proclamations. Volume XXI. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1881, Chapter 357.

[vi]Andrew Monett Hotchkiss was the son of Enos T. Hotchkiss, from his first marriage to Hannah Jackson Sealy. Not sure why Monett was the applicant for the 160-acre purchase.

[vii] General Land Office on-line records, GLO records.blm.gov . Under the terms of the June 15, 1880 Treaty, the Utes ceded the former reservation lands to the U.S. government. The government could make the land available for settlement but only through land sales, homesteading was not allowed. The money would go in to a Trust Fund for the Ute Tribes to be used for their support. The land sales were made under the terms of the Cash Act of 1820. The land could be purchased for a minimum of $1.25 per acre and in 160-acre parcels. This requirement regulated settlement from 1882 until 1902, when the Congress changed the policy to allow homesteading, under the various homestead laws, in a special act (32 Statute 384).

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[i] Typewritten manuscript in Parish files. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, ten pages.

[ii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 1. German Mesa was the original name of the large mesa just south of Paonia – named after the German immigrants that originally settled there. The name was changed during World War I. The U.S. Congress declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. The Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919, Page 327 shows in The Paonian newspaper on July 12, 1917, “Editor Craig wants to rename German Mesa to what? He will use “Lamborn” for time being.” In the August 2, 1917 edition of The Paonian, “Many proposals for a new name for German Mesa coming in to the paper, such as: American, Liberty, Orchard. The paper is using the name Lamborn in its columns.” Apparently the newspaper led the effort to rename German Mesa. After August 1917 all mention of the mesa in the newspaper refer to it as Lamborn Mesa.

[iii] Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919, Page 91. The Horning Rooming House was on upper Grand Avenue in Paonia. This house was a 2½ story, colonial design that was built in 1901 by Mrs. Alice Wannamaker. The house burned down on Thursday, December 10, 1914. Notice of the fire was published in The Paonian newspaper on December 17, 1914 - Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919, Page 262. It is believed that the house was located at the current location of High Country News.

[iv] The five families were Frank Blide, Arthur Blide, Albert Smith, Carl Smith and Miles Keogh. The Blides were parishioner Mark Taylor’s great-grandfather and great uncle. Personal communication with Mark Taylor on October 27, 2018.

[v] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 2. Albert Smith was parishioner Mark Smith’s great-grandfather and Carl Smith was his grandfather. Personal communication with Mark Smith on October 28, 2018.

[vi] Typewritten manuscript, from Parish files. Unsigned, written during Monsignor Faistle’s term, 1967-1977.

[vii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 3.

[viii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 3.

[ix] Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919, Page 176. The Gayety Theatre was located on South Grand Avenue. It was the old brick schoolhouse and was established by the Wance Brothers in 1908. Information in the records of the newspapers indicates that the Baptists also used the Theatre for services. The Theatre was badly damaged in a fire that burned down the adjacent A.J. Cady Garage on Sunday February 19, 1928 according to The Paonian newspaper, February 23, 1928.

[x] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, Thursday December 20, 1923, page 3. I reviewed this newspaper at the Hotchkiss-Crawford Historical Museum in Hotchkiss, Colorado. According to Chuck Farmer, HCHS president, Sare’s Hall was located on Bridge Street where Weekender Sports is currently located.

[xi] The Diocese of Denver was created in 1887 and covered all of Colorado. At that time it was considered part of the Archdiocese of Sante Fe, New Mexico. The Diocese of Denver was made an Archdiocese in 1941 and the Diocese of Pueblo was created covering all of southern Colorado, in that same year.

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[i] Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. I, 1904-1919, Page 351.

[ii] Delta County Courthouse records– Warranty Deed transferring Lots 3, 4, and 5 of Haley’s Subdivision of the Town of Paonia to J.H. Tihen, Bishop of Denver, dated August 22, 1918, is on file there in Book 148, Page 138. Bishop John Henry Tihen was the third bishop of the Diocese of Denver, serving from 1917 to 1931.

[iii] Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. II, 1921-1935, Page 17.

[iv] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 4.

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[i] Delta County Courthouse records– Warranty Deed transferring Lots 1 and 2 of Haley’s Subdivision of the Town of Paonia to Most Rev. Bishop Urban J. Vehr for $500, dated June 4, 1940, is on file there in Book 262, Page 7. Bishop Urban John Vehr was the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Denver, serving from 1931 to 1967. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator indicates the $500 purchase price has a value of $9,070 in 2018.

[ii] Undated newspaper article from the Parish files. The article indicates it was written during Monsignor Faistle’s tenure, 1967-1977. The Catholic Extension Society is an organization formed by Father Francis Clement Kelley in 1905. Father Kelley was a Canadian-born priest that served as a Chaplain and Captain in the Michigan National Guard in the Spanish-American War of 1898, pastor in Lapeer Michigan, and bishop of Oklahoma. During his travels to frontier America, Father Kelley recognized that Catholics in geographically isolated areas did not have access to church buildings, or the regular presence of Catholic priests. Without weekly Mass or the sacraments, Catholics in these areas had little participation in the life of the church, and struggled to keep their faith alive and growing. In 1905, Father Kelley organized the Catholic Church Extension Society—now recognized as Catholic Extension—to raise money that would help bring the Catholic Church to these isolated faith communities. Originally headquartered in Lapeer, Michigan, the Catholic Church Extension Society was granted a charter by the state, highlighting a mission to construct church buildings, support priests, and develop the missionary spirit in Catholics across the United States. In 1907, Catholic Extension moved its headquarters to Chicago, Illinois, where it still exists today. As noted above Sacred Heart Parish has been the recipient of Catholic Extension funds at least twice.

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[i] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, Thursday December 6, 1923. This clipping was provided by Kathy McKee of the Hotchkiss-Crawford Historical Society, which has a full set of The North Fork Times. She provided all further clippings of the NFT.

[ii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 5. Delta County Courthouse records confirm this – A Quitclaim Deed transferring Lots 15 and 16 of Hotchkiss’s Subdivision from E. Clair Hotchkiss, Leon A. Hotchkiss, Fred S. Hotchkiss and Adair J. Hotchkiss to the Right Reverend John Henry Tehen (Bishop of Denver), dated November 22, 1923, is on file there in Book 176, Page 251. Note the Bishops name is misspelled – it should be Tihen.

[iii] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, Thursday December 13, 1923, page 4. Kathy McKee of the Hotchkiss-Crawford Historical Society provided this clipping.

[iv] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, December 20, 1923, page 5.

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[i] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, March 6, 1924, page 4. The church was moved with teams of horses on logs that were rolled, which is why it took several days to make the move. The Hotchkiss-Delta Road at that time was the road that is today called Riverside Drive and turns into J80 Road, Personal communication with Mark Smith, October 28, 2018.

[ii] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, March 13, 1924, page 4.

[iii] The North Fork Times Hotchkiss, Delta County, Colorado, May 16, 1924

[iv] Wallace Eubanks. Resume of Items in the Paonia Newspapers, Vol. II, 1921-1935, Page 87.

[v] Typewritten manuscript, from Parish files. Unsigned, written during Monsignor Faistl’s term, 1967-1977. While I did not find any written documentation that associated the KKK with the fire, I did find three newspaper articles in The Paonian newspaper in the 1924 to 1926 period that reported that a chapter of the KKK had formed in Paonia and was becoming quite strong. They held a parade in downtown Paonia in June of 1926 that included burning crosses at the intersections on Grand Avenue and on Cedar Hill. So the KKK was definitely a presence in the North Fork Valley during this time.

[vi] Mark Taylor, September 14, 2017 email and personal communication.

[vii] CatholicSaints.Info – Saint Margaret Mary Alcoque.

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[i] Typed, unsigned manuscript from Parish files that was written during Monsignor Faistl’s term, 1967-1977.

[i] Delta County Courthouse records – Book 599, Page 285, Reception No. 435665. This Quit Claim Deed transferred Lots 19 and 20 of Block 6 Hotchkiss Subdivision to the Town of Hotchkiss, to the Bishop of Pueblo for ten dollars in hand paid.

[i] Personal communication with Kathy Pobrik.

[ii] Personal communication with Bill Bear, Jr., Mark Taylor and Claudia King. Moeller Hall was the south side of the building that held the Paonia Library until 2009. This is currently the south side of the Glennie Coombe Gallery Building or Ollie’s at 138 Grand Avenue.

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[i] Delta County Courthouse records–Deed from Allen A. & Mattie Norris transferring Lots 16, 17 & 18 of Block 5 of Haley’s Addition to the Town of Paonia to Bishop Charles A. Buswell for $10 and other good and valuable consideration, dated October 15, 1974, is on file there in Book 444, Page 1708. Bishop Buswell was the second bishop of the Diocese of Pueblo, serving from 1959 to 1979. The phrase, “$10.00 and other good and valuable consideration” is often used on contracts and deeds when the purchaser or seller prefers to keep the actual price paid private.

[i] According to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon occurring on or after the vernal or spring equinox, following the general belief that Jesus was crucified around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first Full Moon following the vernal equinox. As a consequence Easter falls between March 22 and April 25. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter; and the Feast of the Sacred Heart is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. This means that the Feast of the Sacred Heart can be celebrated from May 29 to July 2.

[i] Fr. Jean Eudes was beatified on April 25, 1909, canonized in 1925. Feast day is August 19.

[ii] Margaret Mary Alcoque was born on July 22, 1647 in L'Hautecour, Burgundy, France the daughter of Claude Alacoque and Philiberte Lamyn. Margaret was sent to the Poor Clares school at Charolles on the death of her father, a notary, when she was eight years old. She was bedridden with rheumatic fever for five years until she was fifteen. She developed a devotion to the Blessed Sacrament early. She refused marriage, and in 1671 she entered the Visitation convent at Paray-le-Monial and was professed the next year. From the time she was twenty, she experienced visions of Christ, and on December 27, 1673, she began a series of revelations that were to continue over the next year and a half. In them Christ informed her that she was His chosen instrument to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart, instructed her in a devotion that was to become known as the Nine Fridays and the Holy Hour, and asked that the feast of the Sacred Heart be established. Rebuffed by her superior, Mother de Saumaise, in her efforts to follow the instruction she had received in the visions, she eventually won her over but was unable to convince a group of theologians of the validity of her apparitions, nor was she any more successful with many of the members of her community. She received the support of Blessed Claude La Colombiere, the community's confessor for a time, who declared that the visions were genuine. In 1683, opposition in the community ended when Mother Melin was elected Superior and named Margaret Mary her assistant. She later became Novice Mistress, saw the convent observe the feast of the Sacred Heart privately beginning in 1686, and two years later, a chapel was built at the Paray-le-Monial to honor the Sacred Heart; soon observation of the feast of the Sacred Heart spread to other Visitation convents. Margaret Mary died at the Paray-le-Monial on October 17, 1690. She, St. Jean Eudes, and Blessed Claude La Colombiere are called the "Saints of the Sacred Heart"; the devotion was officially recognized and approved by Pope Clement XIII in 1765, seventy-five years after her death. Her feast day is observed on October 16. Margaret Mary Alacoque was canonized by May 13, 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

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[i] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 7.

[ii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 6. Until Father Bill changed the practice, Sunday Mass was held in one of the two churches at 8:30 am and at the second church at 10:30 am. The rotation switched every year, so that one year Mass would be said at Sacred Heart at 8:30 am and St. Margaret Mary at 10:30 am, then the next year it would be Mass at St. Margaret Mary at 8:30 am and Sacred Heart at 10:30 am. Then back to the original arrangement in the third year, etc.

[iii] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 7.

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[i] Typewritten manuscript. Emil A. Eckert. 1945, page 1.

[ii] 16^th Census of the Unites States – 1940.

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[i] Also known as the Castle Church at 235 Box Elder Ave on the corner of Third Street and Box Elder Avenue. The program was once with the Wilson-Head Post of the American Legion.

[ii] Elk Mountain Odyssey: An Historical Perspective of the West Elk Loop. A Travel Guide for the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway by Paul Anderson and Ken Johnson. Page 53. Redstone Press, Carbondale, CO 1998.

[iii] Current Paonia churches – 1) Paonia Bible Center Church at 1117 3^rd St., 2) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Paonia Ward at 511 Oak St., 3) Immanuel Lutheran Church at 602 5^th St., 4) North Fork Baptist Church at 639 Samuel Wade Rd., 5) Paonia Assembly of God at 600 Oak Ave., 6) Paonia Christian Fellowship at 235 Box Elder Ave., 7) Paonia Church of Christ at 201 Doris Ave., 8) Paonia Church of the Nazarene at 602 3^rd St., 9) Paonia Friends Church at 231 Poplar Ave., 10) Paonia United Methodist Church at 307 Onarga Ave., 11) Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 235 North Fork Ave., 12) Seventh Day Adventist Church at 41006 Lamborn Drive.