About Our Lady of the Mountains · Jackson, Wyoming
Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Jackson, Wyoming, is a vibrant parish rooted in faith, community, and tradition. Serving the spiritual needs of a growing Catholic population since 1887, it offers worship, fellowship, and service in English and Spanish. The parish is part of the Diocese of Cheyenne and is known for its historic Chapel of the Sacred Heart and its commitment to outreach, especially to the Hispanic community. With a rich history of expansion and renovation, including a major 2003 renovation, the parish continues to adapt to the needs of its diverse congregation.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Mountains
- Rector
- Fr. Eduardo Laude
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cheyenne
Why belong here
Join a parish that offers worship in both English and Spanish, supports community service, and fosters spiritual growth through sacraments, faith formation, and outreach programs. The parish is deeply rooted in tradition and actively serves a growing, diverse community, including a strong Hispanic presence, through ministries like Hearts for the Hungry and the Ministerio Hispano.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Mountains
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm on Saturday afternoon
- By appointment (call 307-733-2516)
Adoration times
- 8:30am – 5:15pm on Thursday
- All night adoration every 1st Friday of every month (8:00pm Friday night to 7:30am Saturday morning)
History
Prior to a church in Jackson, Masses were held in homes and the American Legion building. Father Gerard Schellinger came once every six months. Between 1936 and 1955, priests came to Jackson whenever they could to serve the needs of the people. Father John O’Connor tried to come once a month. We were a mission church served by Kemmerer. During this time bazaars, bake sales, and breakfasts were held in order to raise funds to convince the Bishop that we should become an independent parish. At this time there were thirteen Catholics in the valley. Lots for the first church were purchased for $225.00. Our Lady of the Tetons and the Sacred Heart Chapel were built in 1935 by Henry Dale at a cost of $6000.00. The original church was located on property now occupied by First American Title. The original church building now stands as the Virginian Restaurant. It took parishioners several years to decide to build a new church. The new Our Lady of the Mountains Church was designed by Kellogg and Kellogg in 1955. Ground was broken for the new church in 1962 on land donated by Josephine Spicer. The estimated cost of the church was $90,000 but the final cost came to $116,000. Slim Wassenberg was the contractor. The John Wort home was purchased as the rectory. The 25th Anniversary of the parish was celebrated in 1980. Father Doudican was the first permanent priest and faithfully served the parish for 11 years. They continued to grow and in August, 1987 the parish had 192 families. During the ensuing years, Our Lady of the Mountains parishioners saw many modifications and improvements to the church building to accommodate the growing and changing Catholic population within the Jackson community. In 1988, under the direction of Father Richard MacLellan, the parish hall was expanded and additional classrooms were added. Year-round tourism and an influx of Latino residents began to impact the services offered on the weekends as overcrowding became a serious problem. Thirty years after the current church was built, it was again time to expand and change. This time it was a major undertaking. Serious planning began in 1995. Planning received considerable attention for a time and then circumstances delayed continuation. Time passed and then in early 2000, a $3.5 million Capital Fund Campaign was launched for a complete renovation of the church with the prayerful theme, “Something Beautiful for God and Our Lady.” Under the leadership and spiritual guidance of Father Carl Beavers, the present Our Lady of the Mountains church was dedicated on August 10, 2003. More than 1000 attended the Dedication, Mass and Reception. The project was designed by Ward + Blake Architects, with Ken Mahood as lead designer, architect, and parish agent. Ormond Builders was the contractor, with Gerg Hostert as Superintendent, and Byron Beck as Project Foreman. Our Lady of the Mountains celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May 31, 2005. The Parish community had 685 families and single people registered. As of 2015, Our Lady of the Mountains continues to grow with over 1000 families and single members, about half of the parishioners being of Hispanic descent.
Ministries
The parish offers a wide range of ministries to serve the spiritual, educational, and social needs of its community. These include faith formation for children and adults, sacramental preparation, outreach programs, and support for the Hispanic community through the Ministerio Hispano. The parish also runs Hearts for the Hungry, providing meals and support to those in need.
- Ministerio Hispano
- Hearts for the Hungry
- Faith Formation
- Sacraments
- Outreach Programs
Sacraments
Our Lady of the Mountains offers all seven sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. Sacraments are celebrated regularly, with special emphasis on the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Spanish-language services are available for the Hispanic community.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders