Holy Family Church in Afton
by Deacon Bill Hill
As he was driving out of the parking lot at Holy Family Church in Afton, Fr. Joseph Geders, the former pastor at Our Lady of the Mountains parish in Jackson, remarked that “somebody would be going to jail if the Fire Marshall had attended Mass”. On that particular Sunday in the late summer of 2009, the pews had been full, people were sitting in the confessional, standing in the back of the church, sitting on folding chairs in front of the door and standing on the porches at the open doors. The congregation was clearly outgrowing the present building and the time to make a decision was clearly at hand.
Holy Family had begun raising money in 2002, under the leadership of Fr. Carl Beavers, to construct a new church at a site north of the town of Thayne in the center of the Star Valley. The fund raising project had been steadily raising money, but not enough to begin construction. Fr.Geders realized that something different would have to be tried to get the project moving. He decided that pursuing a design-build approach to the project might make it feasible. He contacted a building contractor in Jackson who believed that the timing was right to bring the project in for a manage- able sum of money. The architect was contacted about doing the design for a fixed fee and the contractor, Peter Stewart of Stewart Construction, agreed to man- age the project free of charge. The cost analysis for the new church revealed that $240,000 additional dollars would be needed to start construction. While the Diocesan Building Committee reviewed the concept, designs, and plans, a grant request was prepared and submitted to Catholic Extension Society, the entity that had assisted in the initial construction of the Star Valley church in 1977. Bishop Etienne had visited the Afton church shortly after his ordination, and had enthusiastically endorsed the project after meeting with the parishioners. The project received the endorsement of the Diocesan Building Committee after their review in the summer of 2010, and the parish waited to hear the outcome of the grant request. In early November, Matt Potter, Director of Development for the diocese, received the joyous news that Catholic Extension had issued a dual challenge to the Star Valley congregation. If they could raise $60,000, Extension would provide $180,000, enough to begin construction. If the parish could raise $100,000, Extension would provide $200,000. If the challenge amounts were raised, the additional funds would allow the parish to finish the classrooms in the lower level, which were being delayed to bring the project in at the lowest possible cost. Along with the good news that Catholic Extension Society had issued the challenge came the sad news that Fr. Joe Geders was being transferred to Rome to head up the Financial Office of the Vincentian Congregation. To alleviate the loss of Fr. Joeʼs leadership, Bishop Etienne asked Deacon Bill Hill to help keep the project moving forward. With the Bishopʼs support, the parish is continuing to move ahead with the project, re- grouping behind the leadership of Fr. Marcelo, the Parish Administrator, and moving forward with the fund raising. Funds have been coming in, and the parish is confident that groundbreaking will happen in the spring of 2011. People who are interested in donating to help the parish may send donations to Holy Family Catholic Church, PO Box 231, Afton, WY. 83110. If you have questions or desire additional information, contact Deacon Bill Hill – (307) 389-6005 or bill2hill@ bresnan.net.