St. Patrick Catholic Church Kemmerer WY

St. Patrick Catholic Church is serving the Kemmerer community and engaging and encouraging others through a life-changing journey in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Our mission is to nurture a diverse and welcoming community, committed to following fearlessly wherever God is leading us and make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of Kemmerer and the world!

 

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A Brief History of St Patrick’s Kemmerer, Wyoming on the occasion of Father John Murray’s 40th jubilee of ordination

May 25, 2000

The history of the Catholic Church in southwest Wyoming begins before Wyoming was even a territory. The first Mass was celebrated by Fr. Pierre DeSmet, a Jesuit missionary from St. Louis, on the 5th of July, 1840. The Mass was celebrated near present day Daniel, Wyoming, which was part of the Kemmerer parish until the 1950’s.

In 1876 the first emigrant family settled near the Hamsfork River about 12 miles north of Kemmerer. The first coal production in the area began in 1868 near what is now Diamondville.

The Oregon short line of the Union Pacific railroad was established just before 1900 between Granger, Wyoming and Idaho. This line ran through what later became the towns of Opal, Diamondville, Kemmerer and Cokeville. Diamondville was settled by the Diamond Coke & Coal Co. in 1894. Kemmerer was incorporated in 1898.

Until that Time [sic], Kemmerer was a mission of Evanston. The first Mass in Kemmerer was celebrated by Fr. Peter Casey in 1898 at Keenan’s Opera House.

The old St. Patrick’s church (Sage & Sapphire Sts.) was dedicated in 1900. The 1st baptism in the church was May 6, 1900. The parish was incorporated in 1901.

In 1919 St. Dominic’s Church in Cokeville was built. St. Anne’s, Big Piney, Our Lady of the Mountains, Jackson and Sacred Heart chapel in Moran were also missions of Kemmerer making it perhaps the largest parish in sq. miles in the country at over 12,000 sq. miles.

The bell tower of the new St. Patrick’s church (built in 1973) was added in 1988 and houses the bell from the old church. The bell was purchased in 1912.

Five native priests come from St. Patrick’s: Frs. Eugene Hall, Robert Head, Charles Taylor (1953), William Gianola (1962) and Farrell Peternal (1984).

Pastors (21 of them) have been Frs. Golden, Blanik, Woldene, Duchesneau, Kennedy, Barrett, Lavelle (1906), Duffy (1910), Lynch (1911), G. Schellinger (1919), & (1935), Short (1921) & (1924), Szymanski (1923), McDevitt (1933), O’Connor (1940), Bartek (1972), Chleborad (1975), Cleary (1978), G. Sullivan (1982), Espenshade (1989), Taylor (1993), and Murray (1998).

“It takes a great number of people to see a parish priest through 40 years; to those people go a great deal of thanks and appreciation.” These words were written last year by a famous priest, Gerald Sullivan, (or was it his brother). I concur, so am “lifting” the words to begin my note of thanks.

Special thanks of course to go my good parents – Mom, Helen (96) and Dad, Lawrence, whose 7th anniversary of death came this month. My brother, Larry, died of cancer a year ago. May he and dad both live in peace. Thanks to all my relatives and friends, living and dead. Some special friends have been especially helpful: Martin Murphy, Diana Sims and Kathy Bettas.

Many thanks to the parishioners of Cheyenne, Casper, Rock Springs, Pinedale, Guernsey, Sheridan, Lander, Wheatland, Saratoga, Douglas and Kemmerer. These have been the parishes in which I have lived during these 40 short years.

Thank you parish council, especially Connie Bertagnolli, The C.C.W., music ministers, C.Y.O., K of C, and to all who have brought this evening to be. Special thanks to the music people and others who came all the way from Douglas and other towns to be with us on this festive occasion. (Now that people are living longer, maybe we will celebrate 25th and 50ths and forget the 40ths, but we priests like these parties.)

My very special thanks to you, Mary, to my patron saints John, Edward, Andrew, to the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests, to my guardian angel(s) and to all you saints and angels.

Thank you, Bishop Hart and Bishop Ricken for being here and to you Bishop Newell, R.I.P., for ordaining me and to you, my brother priests. Sisters, Brothers and Deacons for your prayers, good example and encouragement.

Most of all of course, my thanks to you. God, for both calling me to the priesthood and seeing me through the years. As You know, some years I needed extra help.

God bless you all, John Murray

From: https://dioceseofcheyenne.org/pdfs/history/kemmerer1900-2000.pdf