PHOTOS: Craig Parish's Next 100 Years Begin with the Family
- Guest Contributor
- 11 hours ago
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St. Michael Parish in Craig gathered to joyfully celebrate its centennial with Archbishop Aquila — a moment of grace, communion and unwavering faith.
By Gregory Effinger
Church bells rang at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael Parish in Craig, on a late September Sunday morning. These particular bells had not been heard in recent memory, and their joyful sound marked a historic occasion: the 100th anniversary of this northwestern Colorado Catholic community.
Parishioners and guests from across the Yampa Valley — Hayden, Rangely, Meeker, Oak Creek and Steamboat Springs — filled the church to capacity. The day was not only a celebration of the past century but also a renewal of faith for the generations to come.
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila presided over the centennial Mass, which included the baptism of a child — symbolically linking the parish’s past with its future.
“Baptism is the sacrament that opens the doorway to all the other sacraments,” Archbishop Aquila said during his homily. “It is a small seed of faith, opening our hearts to the Lord.”
He celebrated in both English and Spanish, uniting the diverse cultural backgrounds of Craig’s Catholic community: descendants of miners and ranchers alongside families of today’s youth and hospitality workers. Faces in the pews reflected the wide cross-section of the Yampa Valley and its many gifts.
“As Archbishop, it gives me great joy to celebrate 100 years of faith in Craig. Tremendous changes have taken place over the last century, but the faith of this community remains strong — especially within the Hispanic community. It is a great blessing," the archbishop commented. "Having a baptism at the beginning of this Mass shows new life in the parish. It begins with the family, which is really beautiful to see in Baptism, when parents bring their children to be baptized.”
“The next 100 years begins with the family,” he continued.
At the end of Mass, Father John Croghan, the parish’s pastor since 2024, expressed gratitude to the volunteers who spent countless hours preparing for the centennial. The church was adorned with flowers, polished vessels, fresh altar cloths and clouds of incense.
“More people were in attendance than anyone can remember,” said David Lopez, who coordinated altar servers and was responsible for the floral arrangements. “We had to move votive candles, chairs and even the communion table out of the sanctuary to make room for the celebrants, musicians and altar servers.”
The parish also surprised Archbishop Aquila with birthday gifts: a statue of St. Michael the Archangel, patron of the parish, and a mitre from Poland embellished with gold embroidery.
Outside, tents and long serving tables stretched the length of the parking lot. As photos were taken with the Archbishop inside, families and friends lined up around the block, enjoying food and desserts in the warm fall sunshine.
(Photos by Greg Effinger/Denver Catholic)
Bennie and Diann Otero, parishioners since 1980, recalled their decades of service at St. Michael.
“It’s the love of our town and the love of our church,” said Bennie, who once trained altar boys in the old church building that stood where the parking lot is now. Diann praised the parish’s pastors over the years, especially Father Croghan, “who always relates the Gospel in ways we can understand.”
Part-time parishioners Jim and Margie Hibbard, who have spent nearly every summer in Craig since 1977, echoed that welcome.
“Never fails, every priest has greeted us as if we were home,” said Jim, a Knight of Columbus with Council 4131.
Ed Coverston, also a knight, was baptized in Oak Creek by Father Prinster, who traveled each Sunday by horse-drawn buggy from Steamboat Springs to Hayden and Oak Creek to celebrate Mass in the early days of St. Michael Parish. Ed later married his wife, Corky, at St. Michael during the Easter Vigil of 2000.
“All these years later, we are still faithful and love our church community,” he said.
Nissa and Tim Brodman, ranchers north of Steamboat Springs, came with their children.
“We love Father John and wanted to support our closest neighboring parish,” said Nissa.
Tim added, “Congratulations to St. Michael’s Parish. It’s wonderful to see you thriving after 100 years.”
The centennial is a meaningful milestone, indeed, Father Croghan reflected.
“A hundred years is the celebration of the constancy of God’s love," he shared. "We celebrate with St. Michael and all the holy angels, as we spread the Lord’s word for another century, sharing in the Eucharist. The children are hungry for truth! Our society offers only death, but the Church offers them the Lord of life.”
Sitting together during the festivities were Mary, Father Croghan’s mother, and longtime parishioner Dorothy Seip, who proudly displayed her first communion booklet from 1942, when she was known as Dorothy Martinez.
“They are so good to me,” Dorothy said of her parish family.
