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Show ST. CHRISTOPHER'S Community is going to have a birthday! Not that we don't have one every year, of course, but this one is going to be very special. On St. Christopher's Day, July 25, H163, we will mark the 20th Anniversary and founding of this work that has come to be known as the last Western Frontier of the Church in this country. Actually, it was July 14th, 1943, that the little band of six pitched their tents on the banks of the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah, and this Mission was born. But we have traditionally celebrated with St. Christopher, who carried the Light of the World across the River and on the next page you will find our "western" brand, duly r egistered in t.he county courthouse, which signifies this example and goaL And so we are going to have an old·fashioned birthday celebration! The Navajo rug on the cover portrays our stone altar and hangs in the church just behind it. It is one of the earliest and most complete Christian depictions to come from this part of Navajoland. This rug has been chosen to be the symbol for this Year of Anniversary for it emphasizes the centrality of the altar, from whence our work derives its reason and strength, and is a fine example of the work of a Navajo artist that has found it so. We would li.ke this, our special day, to be a common sharing of our whole community - the Navajo people whom we serve, our staff, our great company of workers and benefactors the whole country over. After Solemn Evensong on J uly 24th, Father Liebler will preside at an alumni banquet given in honor of all previous workers here. Brother Juniper is compiling a list which now numbers around 140 from Bishops to teen-agers and special invitations will be sent to them. On St. Christopher's Day the Pontifical Euchalist will begin festivities at ten o'clock. A dinner will be served by our staff and women, consisting of Navajo fried bread, beans and mutton stew - a typical Navajo meal and so delicious! In the afternoon there will be two competitions with cash prizes for rug weaving and general artwork in painting, silver, leather or other. This is our first big step in encouraging native artists and artisans in quality workmanship. Many games will follow, including sack races, water boiling, chicken pull and bread baking, then after Solemn Evensong, campfires will be lighted for family suppers and fireworks from on top of the towering bluffs. We hope to have a "squaw dance" beginning late in the evening - this usually lasts all night long u ntil sunrise. The drums and high falsetto singing of the men and boys is a spine-tingler without equal. It will certainly be a day to r emember! Many of our readers may want to plan their vacations to this beautiful land a round this day. A good hard surface highway 2 makes us very accessible, and modern accommodations are available in nearby Bluff and Blanding. In the past few years our attendance on St. Christopher's Day has numbered around 500 of our people and this year we would like to count on at least that many visitors. It will be a day when two great cultures can meet in the Life of the Church and each go away with deeper understanding, respect and love. Of those of you who will not b ble to attend, we ask that you be with us in ought and prayer and remember us with yo contributions if you can. S INCE the Christma Newsletter, work has gone on amidst joy nd difficulties. Father Wayne's ordination in · It Lake City was attended by 12 of our pe Ie as guests of Bishop Watson. Hasteen Tom, e local medicine man and stonemason, his wi and 10 teen-agers witnessed the action of t Apostles in making a man a priest. For the cond winter now our weather has briu :: unprecedented cold and record low te»1it6i.i~W"g for which our people a tl .,..... not prepared. We simply said it must be the "winter doldrums", ordered more coal, built fires to thaw pipes, dressed as warmly as possible and carried on as best we COUld. 22 degrees below was our record low this year. WE KNOW you would like to hear about our Christmas Day which was possible only through your generous assistance. It was a beautiful day - one with clear skies and a warm afternoon. The ten o'clock Christ Mass was attended by a full church and followed by an archery contest. At noon over 500 people were served a goodly portion of elk meat, beans, cheese, bread, cranberry Sauce, orange juice, coffee, cake and candy and later the children all received toys. The Christmas Carols singing out over this desert valley that day were a thrill to all Creation - from the eternal bluffs looking down to the very persons of all who were looking up. Thanks again for helping to gladden this glorious season for us alL Some of you have not received acknowledgments for your gifts. Our package receipt book was taken just after Christmas and although we tried to reconstruct a complete list, surely many were missed. Thanks to those who have written advising of their shipments and apologies to those who have not been thanked. Work has been completed in renovating the old Doctor's house now the Vicarage. We are presently endeavoring to build a new kitchen which will accommodate any future requirements for staff, school children and hospital patien ts. The monthly and weekly schedules have been kept up in spite of being so shorthanded. Helen has been our mainstay in the Instruction and Religious Education da"". Jo,n ,nd B'~th3". Juuip"· , ,. h~ work bringing our mailing list up-to-date and from them comes the caution to let us know when you have summel' and winter addresses, for returns are costly and these multiply with each address difficulty. The time has come when our thoughts are turnecl toward selecting summer workers. As any St. Christopher "alumnus" will tell you, fun, work and prayer here are the perfect refreshments between years at college; vocations to any walk of life are tried and strained and proved. It is a challenge, but a rewarding one. Please suggest to any young man or girl interested that he or she need only apply to the Vicar. We will send our final note of acceptance on April 15 so don't delay. E XACTLY ten years ago this little Newsletter carried the headlines, "the fi rst ten years were the hardest, THE NEXT TEN YEARS are in your hands." You held us firmly, indeed, and this fact alone gives us grateful hearts that we can have a 20th birthday occasion. \Ve have grown and have had the accompanying growing pains - in some areas we have had to reform our forces and begin again, sometimes holding on by sheer determination, always hopeful that strength would come. We know that tangible results cannot often be expected but encouraging is the fact that we now number 700 baptized (a good portion of those are confirmed) and maint.ai n 8 different I' ations on. a regular basi.s, 7 ReltglOus Educatto classes, a weekly NavaJO language broadcast. are happy to announce that our clinic work now been r esumed on a limited basis with return of Doctor Find-ley, though we still not accommodate over-night patients or deliveries except in emer-gencies. All this is being carried on by two priests ( Liebler is now retired!) and a staff of four, tem-porary staff of wonder that our energies are s T EN YEARS first time . ditions to $12,500 per was your have briefly blossoming of this work in Southeastern Utah and we ask that you give it earnest attention in your prayers in the months to come. $8,000 for readying of six staff rooms which will provide (from older quarters ) an office, common room dining room, library. Upkeep - $1,000 per year. $..'),000 for adequate kitchen for eventual facilities which considers staff, school, hospital. |