About St. Malachy · Medicine Bow, Wyoming
St. Malachy is a Catholic mission church located in Medicine Bow, a small town in Carbon County, Wyoming. It is served by the parish of St. Ann in nearby Saratoga and falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Cheyenne. The mission is listed in the diocesan directory as a Roman-Latin rite church situated along Highway 30 in Medicine Bow (ZIP 82329).
- Patron
- St. Malachy (Saint Malachy of Armagh)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Cheyenne
Why belong here
St. Malachy offers Catholics in Medicine Bow and the surrounding Carbon County ranching country a local place to worship on Highway 30. As a mission of St. Ann Parish in Saratoga, it extends that parish's sacramental life to the small Medicine Bow community — making regular Mass and the sacraments accessible to families who otherwise face long drives across rural Wyoming.
St. Malachy Mission, Medicine Bow
St. Malachy is the Catholic mission church serving the small community of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. It is administered from — and receives pastoral care through — the parish of St. Ann in Saratoga, part of the Diocese of Cheyenne. The mission is located along Highway 30 in Medicine Bow (ZIP 82329) and shares its phone line with the St. Ann Parish office.
- Listed by the Diocese of Cheyenne as a Roman-Latin rite mission church.
- Mission of: Church of St. Ann, Saratoga, Wyoming.
- Address: Hwy. 30, Medicine Bow, WY 82329.
- Telephone (via St. Ann, Saratoga): (307) 326-5461.
Diocese of Cheyenne
St. Malachy falls under the Diocese of Cheyenne, the Roman Catholic diocese that covers all of Wyoming. The diocese's cathedral is the Cathedral of St. Mary in Cheyenne, and it is currently led by Bishop Steven Robert Biegler. The diocesan directory lists St. Malachy among its parishes and missions across the state.
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Cheyenne.
- Diocesan cathedral: Cathedral of St. Mary, Cheyenne.
- Diocese covers the entire state of Wyoming.
Relationship with St. Ann Parish, Saratoga
Because St. Malachy is a mission church, it does not have an independent resident priest. Instead, the pastor and staff of St. Ann Parish in Saratoga (218 W Spring Ave., Saratoga, WY 82331) provide sacramental ministry, pastoral care, and administration for the Medicine Bow mission. The same phone number — (307) 326-5461 — is the contact line for both the parish and its missions.
- St. Ann Parish address: 218 W Spring Ave., Saratoga, WY 82331.
- Telephone: (307) 326-5461.
- Sister mission: St. Joseph Mission, Hanna, Wyoming.
Community and Setting
Medicine Bow is a very small town in Carbon County, Wyoming, historically important as a Union Pacific Railroad town and a stop on the Lincoln Highway (today's U.S. Route 30). Like many small rural Wyoming communities, its population has declined in recent decades, which directly affects the rhythm of worship and ministry at small mission churches like St. Malachy. The mission exists to keep the Catholic faith accessible to local ranching families and residents who would otherwise travel long distances across sparsely populated territory for Mass and the sacraments.
- Town: Medicine Bow, Carbon County, Wyoming.
- Located on Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway corridor).
- Population and economy of Medicine Bow have declined in recent decades.