St. Marguerite Parish gets renovation after 30 years

Intermountain Catholic

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Father Samuel Dinsdale is shown with some of the remodeling that has been done to Saint Marguerite Catholic Church. IC photo/Laura Vallejo

TOOELE —Laminated wood flooring, ventilators in the roof and new lights in Saint Marguerite Parish have spruced up the worship space that last was renovated in 1974.

"They replaced the carpets but now the carpets were 39 years old and now it’s this laminated wood," said Father Samuel Dinsdale, pastor.

The resources to make these changes possible came from the parish building funds "but it was a community effort," said Fr. Dinsdale.

"We are a growing community and they are very involved and dedicated to the church." The parish serves both Anglo and Hispanic communities.

"The Hispanic community here is unique because most of the people can understand English and many of our Anglo community members also know how to speak Spanish," said Fr. Dinsdale.

All the community members made different efforts to gather the funds for the renovations and contribute to the building fund.

"We also had people volunteer to paint the walls," said Fr. Dinsdale.

Before the walls in the parish were monochromatic, and now they have a subtle contrast.

"We put some ventilators in the roof. The air was getting stuffy," said Fr. Dinsdale.

The sacristy also underwent renovation: All the carpet was changed for a new flooring, and they also were able to clear the clutter from the choir space, said Fr. Dinsdale.

St. Marguerite Parish started as a mission in 1910 after Bishop Lawrence Scanlan arranged a monthly Mass for the people of Tooele, many of whom had come to the area after the Anaconda Corporation of Montana erected a smelter there in 1907. According to Salt of the Earth by Bernice Maher Mooney, a plot of ground was donated by Edward McGuerrin of Salt Lake City, and the first Catholic church in Tooele was built at 411 E. Union Ave.

"It was named and dedicated on Nov. 20, 1910, by Bishop Scanlan," according to Salt of the Earth. "The church’s bell had formerly been used at St. Mary Magdalene’s Pro-cathedral built in Salt Lake City in 1874. The parish expanded under the leadership of Father Valmore C. Marceau when government work moved to Tooele, and in 1951 the church rectory was enlarged and a social hall was procured. In 1959, a half-acre plot of ground was purchased at the corner of Seventh and Vine streets for the construction of a new parish center and a school."