Year of Faith pilgrimage: Our Lady of the Light Mission

Intermountain Catholic

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Our Lady of the Light Mission in Beaver was dedicated in 2009. Sister Yvonne Hatt recalls that during the search for a suitable site, she noticed this house for sale. With its large yard and double-car garage, ?It was just a wonderful place,? she said, adding that while she was looking around, a car drove in. Thinking it was the owner and hoping to ask questions, she went over, but to her surprise out jumped Michael Lee, who was in charge of the Diocese of Salt Lake real estate; Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, then the vicar general; and a real estate agent. They looked at other properties, but decided this site was ideal.

(Editor’s note: For the Year of Faith, which ends Nov. 24, Bishop John C. Wester has designated 12 churches in the Diocese of Salt Lake City as pilgrimage sites. This article is one in a series about the sites. More information can be found at http://www.dioslc.org/images/year-of-faith/pilgrimage/Year%20of%20Faith%20Passport%20Booklet%20Version%20English.pdf.)

 BEAVER — We Catholics who live along the Wasatch Front and other urban areas of Utah are spoiled with our easy access to Mass whenever we wish to go.

I came to this conclusion the Saturday I went to Mass at Our Lady of the Light Mission in Beaver. I didn’t have a choice of Mass times: It was either 7 p.m. Saturday or not attend Mass during my pilgrimage to the mission.

Our Lady of the Light is administered by Christ the King Parish in Cedar City, which also serves the missions of Saint Dominic in Bryce Canyon, Saint Gertrude in Panguitch, Saint Sylvester in Escalante and Saint Christopher in Kanab. However, the celebrant for Our Lady of the Light Mission is Father Hernando Diaz, who is pastor of Saint Bridget in Milford, Saint John Bosco Mission in Delta and Holy Family Mission in Fillmore. With his schedule, Fr. Diaz is able to celebrate Mass only once a week in Beaver, an assignment he accepted about four months ago.

The mission, he said, "has an environment of love. The character of this community is unity and friendship."

I felt that friendship during my visit. Before the Mass, people greeted each other warmly; afterward, a group of them chatted with me over coffee.

Our Lady of the Light is named after an image of the Virgin Mary from Guanajuato, Mexico. Nuestra Señora de la Luz is credited with saving the people of the area from epidemics, storms and plagues. The mission’s congregation is about 70 percent Hispanic, said Holy Cross Sister Yvonne Hatt, who serves the community.

The mission serves many tourists who visit the area. Also, "We have many summer people who have summer cabins there; they come there real regularly during the summer and participate in everything," Sr. Yvonne said.

The Mass is celebrated in English and Spanish, with the homily in both languages. The missal contains the Liturgy of the Word and hymns in both languages. As one of the parishioners told me during my visit, the community needs both languages to celebrate God and their faith.

Our Lady of the Light Mission is one of the newest in the Diocese of Salt Lake City; it was dedicated in 2009 after Catholics in the area petitioned Bishop John C. Wester for their own church. The nearest Catholic church to Beaver is in Milford, 30 miles away.

With help from Monsignor Michael Winterer, who was then pastor in Cedar City; and financial support from Catholic Extension, the diocese purchased and renovated a house in Beaver. The ground floor now serves as a chapel; the second floor contains quarters for the priest if he needs to stay overnight during bad weather.

Having their own meeting place has helped Catholics in the area practice their faith, and pass it on to their children. Before, it often was difficult for parents who work full time to take their children to religious education classes in Milford, a drive of about an hour, they told me as we chatted.

The year the building was purchased, Sr. Yvonne was teaching catechism at the library in Beaver; they were able to finish the class in the new church.

"It was quite exciting," she said. "The people are very proud [of the new church] and they keep it up. They are interested in getting their children to catechism … We have had two First Communion classes … and one confirmation there so far. They are establishing a Catholic community, and they are very supportive of each other and try to watch out for each other. They’re very welcoming, and they chat with everybody after Mass. It’s just a really nice community."