Our Pastoral Administrator Rev. Robert W. Puhlman

Building Our New Church!

 La Virgen de Guadalupe Church

Building Fund. Donations

 

 

At the entrance of the Church you will find a replica of a church where donations are accepted for our Building Fund. Donations can be dropped into the "Little Church" or mailed directly to the Church office. Thank you in ad­vance and may God reward your generosity.

 

Mesquite is a fast growing community and our parish increases in size every year. Since we became a parish in 1999 there has been the chal­lenge to meet the needs and interests of our parish­ioners. There are several opportunities available to be active. Eucharistic Ministers take communion to our Catholic residence at the nursing home every Sunday. For weekend services one can par­ticipate as a Lector, Usher, Extraordinary Minister, Altar Server or sing in the choir. For Spiritual en­richment Adoration is on First Friday after the morning Mass into the evening. Novenas to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the Divine Mercy are said during the week after morning Mass. To share your talents and ideas we have the Knights of Columbus and a Women's Club. Our Religious Education Program administers to over 300 students every week.

 

 

 

Our Parish Goals for OUR NEW CHURCH 

 

 

 

We Have Completed The Red , White and Blue Challenge is only a few DOLLARS AWAY from being completed!!!!

As We Work Together...

We Can Reach Our Goal

Together!!!

 

The Home of OUR New Church'sLocation

 

History of How We Came To Be Your Parish

 

The City of Bunkerville was established January 5, 1877 by a group of 24 persons arriving on the Mesquite Flat. They settled their "United Order" community of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons, on the south side of the Virgin River. The members of the LDS Church put a small lumber building on top of the hill and called the location Bunkerville, after Ed­ward Bunker Sr. the leader of the company.

 

Fr. Ed Fronske served as pastor in Overton at St. John's Mission Church from 1974-1983. There were approximately

15 to 20 Catholicswho would  gather for Mass each week either in a pri­vate home or in room #6 at the Valley Inn Motel, donated by the Mormon owner, when Father came to Mesquite. Gloria Hernandez, one of the few who participated in these earlier Masses still has the three inch statue of Christ The King that had been used as their patron saint.

 

From 1984-1991 Catholics traveled to St. George, UT or Overton to celebrate Mass. During this time the appointed priests at St. John's in Overton were only available to the people of the valley for visits and special needs.

 

In 1991, Bishop Walsh of Las Vegas appointed Fr. Frank Yncierto as pastor of St. Johns in Overton.  At the same time Bishop Walsh learned that the LDS church wished to sell their former meeting hall in Bunkerville. The building was purchased for $90,000 and because the property changed hands near the feast of Our Lady of Gua­dalupe and the church is near the Virgin River the mission was dedicated "La Virgen de Guadalupe."

 

On Sunday, February 16, 1992 many His­panic and Anglo parishioners were elated to have their own place of worship. Michael G. Waite, Bishop of the LDS Church emotionally "turned over" the chapel to the Catholic Church. He said his own father helped to build the church as well as many other pioneers. He was barely able to contain his feelings as he expressed the happiness he felt that the building would remain a church.

 

On October 1, 1999 our mission church was established as a parish with Fr. Gustavo Cruz as pastor.

 

Our present Pastoral Administrator, is Rev. Robert W. Puhlman. He came to the Diocese of Las Vegas from the Diocese of Orange County, California.

 

Our parish has grown to over 600 families and with the continued growth in this valley it is time to think about building anew church. 10 acres of land in Mesquite has graciously been donated to our church by Builder Developer Bryan Vail and so we begin the process of design, donations and determination. Through prayer and the generosity of our own parishioners and benefactors we can make it happen.

   Welcome to our humble church and we pray that your visit has been spiritually Rewarding and that you arrive to your destination safely.