About Our Lady of Lourdes · Salt Lake City, Utah
Our Lady of Lourdes is a historic Catholic parish in the Marmalade/Maryvale area of Salt Lake City, founded in 1913 under Bishop Lawrence Scanlan and dedicated in 1914. It sits on the 7.7-acre Judge Memorial campus at 670 South 1100 East, sharing the property with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and Judge Memorial Catholic High School. The parish is known for being diverse and multicultural, with Mass celebrated in English, Korean, Filipino (Tagalog), and Spanish, and it is currently led by Fr. Jaya Kumar Penugonda, who also serves as chaplain to the school's students. It belongs to the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
- Established
- 1913
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Reverend Jaya Kumar Penugonda
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salt Lake City
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the oldest Catholic parishes on Salt Lake City's east side, with more than a century of history built around a single worship site and its adjoining Catholic school. It is a genuinely multicultural community: weekend Masses are offered in English, Filipino, Korean and Spanish, and the pastor, Fr. Jaya Kumar Penugonda, himself speaks Telugu, English, Spanish and Hindi. The parish shares a campus with Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and Judge Memorial Catholic High School, giving families a seamless K-12 Catholic education in one location, and it is known for its longstanding stewardship of Lourdes Elementary and the Lourdes Middle School Academy.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm or by appointment
Parish History
Our Lady of Lourdes was established in 1913 under Bishop Lawrence Scanlan, the first Catholic bishop of Utah, after he set wide parish boundaries east of 700 East to serve the growing east-side neighborhoods of Salt Lake City. The cornerstone was laid on June 29, 1913, on the corner of 1100 East and 700 South, adjacent to the Judge Mercy Catholic Hospital, and the church was dedicated on June 14, 1914. The original building was a simple, nave-only structure with a tall steeple and a marble altar that had been moved from St. Mary Magdalene Church to make way for the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Over the decades the parish has served as the seedbed for St. Ann (1938) and St. Ambrose (1948), helped found Judge Memorial Catholic High School, and built and maintained Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School and the Lourdes Middle School Academy.
- 1910: Bishop Lawrence Scanlan sets parish boundaries
- June 29, 1913: cornerstone laid
- June 14, 1914: church dedicated
- 1919: stained-glass windows added and priests' residence built
- 1921: Judge Memorial Catholic High School (originally Cathedral School) opens on former hospital site
- 1938: St. Ann Parish spun off
- 1948: St. Ambrose Parish spun off
- 1949: Lourdes takes responsibility for Judge Memorial's lower grades
- 1950s: transepts, Celtic cross, foyer and basement social hall added
- January 1, 1978: mortgage-burning ceremony
- June 29, 2014: 100th anniversary Mass with Bishop John C. Wester
Our Pastor — Fr. Jaya Kumar Penugonda
Father Jaya Kumar Penugonda was born and raised in Narasapuram, India, the son of Joseph and Ancy (a nurse), and was ordained to the priesthood on May 5, 2012, by Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash for the Diocese of Eluru. He served as a pastor for ten years in several Indian parishes before coming to the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 2022, where he was first appointed parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine and then of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem. In 2023 he was assigned as chaplain to the University of Utah Medical Center, Primary Children's Hospital and the Huntsman Cancer Institute while also returning to the Cathedral of the Madeleine as parochial vicar. He is now Administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School, and serves as chaplain for Judge Memorial Catholic High School and for Saint Ann Catholic Church. Fr. Jaya speaks Telugu, English, Spanish and Hindi, and is currently learning Korean. He can be reached at the parish office at (385) 775-4521.
Parish Staff
- Fr. Jaya Kumar Penugonda — Administrator / Pastor — 385-775-4521
- Erika Mackbee — Parish Secretary
Catholic Schools on Campus
The parish shares the 7.7-acre Judge Memorial campus at 650 South 1100 East with two Catholic schools. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School serves the lower grades adjacent to the church, and Our Lady of Lourdes Middle School Academy opened on the Judge Memorial campus in 2021. Together with Judge Memorial Catholic High School, they form a K-12 Catholic education complex, and Fr. Jaya serves as chaplain for both Lourdes schools and Judge Memorial.
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (parish elementary)
- Our Lady of Lourdes Middle School Academy (opened 2021 at Judge Memorial)
- Judge Memorial Catholic High School
Campus & Preservation
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is a contributing property to the Salt Lake City East Side Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The 7.7-acre Judge Memorial campus — including the church, rectory, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and Judge Memorial Catholic High School — has been on the market since 2022. In December 2025 the Diocese of Salt Lake City announced a grade realignment taking effect August 2026: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School will become a middle school for grades 3–8, with K–2 moving to Kearns–St. Ann School. If the campus is sold, diocesan statements indicate the parish could be merged into St. Ann's. The church building has no local demolition protections, though its historic-district status may entitle a future owner to tax credits if it is preserved and adaptively reused.
- Salt Lake City East Side Historic District (National Register, 2003) — contributing property
- Campus on market since 2022
- December 2025 grade realignment announced; effective August 2026
- Possible merger with St. Ann's if campus is sold
A Diverse, Multicultural Parish
The parish describes itself as 'diverse and multi-cultural,' with weekend worship offered in English, Korean, Filipino and Spanish. Fr. Jaya himself speaks Telugu, English, Spanish and Hindi and is learning Korean, reflecting the international character of the congregation.
- English Masses — Saturday 5:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am & 11:00 am
- Filipino Mass — first Sunday of the month, 3:30 pm
- Korean Mass (scheduled per parish calendar)
- Spanish Mass (scheduled per parish calendar)
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (801) 322-3330 or by mail at 670 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102. The parish secretary is Erika Mackbee, and Fr. Jaya can be reached directly at (385) 775-4521. The parish's official website is lourdes-slc.org.
- Address: 670 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
- Phone: (801) 322-3330
- Fr. Jaya direct: (385) 775-4521
- Website: www.lourdes-slc.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John J. Schwall
Pastor at the 100th anniversary Mass on June 29, 2014.