On November 24, 2024, Catholics in Shiprock, NM gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their parish, Christ the King.
In the early 20th century, the people of Shiprock were occasionally visited by Franciscans from St. Michaels and Lukachukai, AZ, until in 1924 the first priest was assigned to say Mass regularly in the small log cabin of a government boarding school. By 1935, the Franciscans had been able to purchase land and fund the construction of an actual church, which was officially dedicated in 1935.
Several decades later, a new church was needed to accommodate the growing needs of the population, and the current parish of Christ the King was built and dedicated in 1972. The original church building now serves as the parish hall.
Delilah Tsosie, a parishioner and volunteer at Christ the King, remembers attending Mass and catechism classes at the original church.
“My dad was a shift worker at part of the plant there in Fruitland [NM]. And he used to drop us off in the morning. All my siblings, we all went there for catechism.”
They like to find the one spot in the old parish where their family would sit, and reminisce about the choir and former pastors. The elders of the parish, she says, particularly miss the Franciscans, with their signature brown robes.
Tsosie and her son, Shane, have been pitching in at the church and helping the parish administrator, Deacon James Scott, with tasks ranging from bookkeeping to maintenance to planning the 100th anniversary celebration.
“They drove by and saw me out there stressing so bad, like, hey, what can we do to help? I was just running circles up there,” Deacon Scott recalls. “I’ve known them since [Shane] was an altar server.”
To prepare for the 100th anniversary, the three spent many busy days cleaning, making repairs, hanging banners and decorations, and ordering food for everyone.
“We had a good turnout. It was probably at least 260 [people],” Deacon Scott said. “The bishop was there, we had Mass, and he came over and had the meal with us.”
It was a heartening day for the Tsosie family, too, who worry about declining attendance numbers, especially from children and young families.
“They don’t have the bus anymore. There’s a lot of kids back then that went. But now it’s like, maybe you’re lucky to have one or two,” Delilah says.
But despite the fewer parishioners – or normal challenges like leaking roofs and vandalism – the Catholics in Shiprock love their parish as much as they did in the old days, when it was a simple sandstone building.
“They’re always anchored back to that Christianity, that Catholic church there. That’s where it’s centered…right across from the chapter house,” Deacon Scott says. “We’re still that anchor there, that they can come to and know that there’s going to be some type of communication or resolution.”
“Because we have some people that come over too for food, they want food or just somebody to talk to,” Delilah adds.
They hope the parish will stand strong for another hundred years – and in the meantime, plan to keep pitching in wherever needed. They hope to plant a garden, with grass and corn, and to open the parish hall for event rentals to make a little extra income.
And for parishioners like Delilah, whose family has deep roots in Shiprock, Christ the King will always represent her home.
“My heart is there. I’ve always gone to church here. It’ll always be our church.”