Houck, 35 miles west of Gallup on I-40 was named after James D. Houck, a once horse-riding mail carrier before he started a trading post in the vicinity in 1874.
Returning to the United Stated after decades of service in Argentina was difficult, especially after being assigned to a town hit hard by the abuse crisis. But Fr. Peter Short sees his vocation as a pilgrimage, firmly guided by God.
