The "Highest" Mission…

Rev. Jay Jung, CM, in Colorado with some of his youngest parishioners.

It was the mid-1980s when Rev. John Gagnepain, CM, began discussions with the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado, regarding Vincentian mission work in this western community. A shortage of priests in the Diocese, and a recognition from them that the Vincentian charisms were in keeping with their own, opened the door to this cooperative effort.


	Rev. Bill Rhinehart, CM

By the early 1990s, the Midwest Province was ready to take action and Rev. Bill Rhinehart, CM, visited Limon (in the eastern plains of Colorado Springs) to assess the feasibility of the Province taking on this project. He recognized early on that this would be a special type of mission. "In taking on this work, we would not be able to live together in community but would be spread out," he shared. "We recognized and then accepted the request to form this type of community – with three guys living out on the Plains – due to the need for our help in this Diocese," he added.

In 1993, a six-year contract began, renewed again for three more years in 1999. After nine years on the Plains, and in keeping with missionary spirit of this work, it was time to move on. Hence, the Colorado Mountain Region Mission began in July, 2002.

The new work has been taken on in the same vein of the original contract – to serve in the rural areas of the Colorado Springs Diocese, but move from the Plains to the mountain region. The Confreres assigned to this apostolate are Rev. Bill Rhinehart, CM, Rev. Jay Jung, CM, and Rev. Henry Grodecki, CM.

Fr. Bill is located in Buena Vista (8,000 ft. elevation) at St. Rose of Lima Parish, with a Mission Church in Fairplay (South Park.) He is working with 300 families in this region. Fr. Jay is working in Leadville (10,200 ft. elevation and 40 miles to the north of Buena Vista). His parishes consist of St. Joseph & Annunciation – called the "Catholic Community of Leadville" and have about 400 families and a large Spanish-speaking population between the two.


	Rev. Henry Grodecki, CM

Fr. Henry lives in Salida (7,000 ft. elevation and 25 miles to the south of Buena Vista) and serves at the largest of the churches, St. Joseph’s Parish, with 700 families.

The Parishes in Leadville & Salida are in poorer communities and have a number of Spanish speaking members. (Both Fr. Jay & Fr. Henry speak some Spanish and are working at becoming more fluent in the language.) In these churches, they have already recognized the need for more Parish Formation Programs. Whereas in Buena Vista, much is already organized in this area but there is a greater need for outreach. "At this point, we are not sure what the future holds for us as we continue to work in these parishes," shared Fr. Bill. "It is really too early to tell the ultimate direction we should go in as we will need to be here one to two years to decide the path of each parish individually," he added.

They will be recognizing and addressing needs as they arise. However, important to all communities, and a priority of the Diocese, is the development of stewardship – of time, talent and treasure.

What lies ahead is unknown but exciting. Fr. Bill concludes, "Regardless of the future, at this time the shortage of priests in this Diocese, the receptivity of the people, and the magnificent beauty of the surrounding mountains are enough to make this quite an enjoyable Apostolate."

Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.

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