St. Patrick's Catholic Church - Telluride - (970) 728-3387

Parish Director: Deacon Michael Doehrman
Mass Schedule for Summer and Fall:
Saturday 5:30pm; Sunday 9:00am and 5:00pm.
Off-Season:
No Saturday Mass

In 1896, St. Patrick's Catholic Church was founded. It is the only remaining historic church in Telluride today. Before Telluride became a parish it was one of the missions of Ouray.

Father Gibbon's first trip was to Telluride, and his mission to baptize a young Margowski. He made the trip on horse back by the way of the Virginus Mine and over the slippery top of the pass at an elevation of 13,000 feet.

"My first trip was to Telluride and my mission was to baptize a descendant of Kosciusko and Brian Boru, a young Margowski. The roads were good and the most squeamish could make the trip without special risk of life or limb, save on the top of the pass at an elevation of 13,000 feet. Here for 300 yards you were compelled to take a trail that was always slippery from the constantly thawing snow, which fell nearly every time there was a storm. The trip to Telluride was made without an accident, but on my return about two inches of snow covered the ice on the pass. My horse's shoes were not sharp, and he fell before we had descended the mountain twenty-five yards. For ten minutes I paused to consider what course I should take. I concluded that I could not follow the trail, so I went down the side of the mountain, led my horse and took chances. Scarcely had I turned from the trail five yards, when a mass of snow, ice, mud and loose rock moved with it. It was a sort of locomotion we had not bargained for, and the situation was such as to make the horse tremble with fear and greatly disturbed me. At last, with much watchfulness and care in keeping our feet, we arrived safe on the rocky plateau below."

And so began the story of the Reverend J.J. Gibbons, newly appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Ouray, Colorado, and the man responsible for bringing the Catholic religion to the small box canyon mining town of Telluride, Colorado.

On June 29 and 30th, 1996 the church of St. Patrick celebrated 100 years in the town of Telluride. Friend and members of the church gathered to pay tribute to the lasting legacy of St. Patrick's: the church, its pastors and the parish members that have played, from the mining days to the present day ski resort, such a vital part in the community of Telluride. While the community has gone though many changes in the later '80s and into the '90s, in 1999 the church is welcoming another trend in the community. Many of those who bought homes during the real estate surge are beginning to settle down in Telluride, whether as retirees or simply those fed up with city life. People seek a cleaner environment and a slower-paced existence. What better place to head for than Telluride!

Tags: Catholic Church