Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church has been part of Salt Lake City's Catholic community for over a hundred years. Its story starts with Mary Judge, the widow of mining magnate John Judge, who was a partner of U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns in Park City's Silver King Mining Company. She donated land and resources to the Diocese of Salt Lake City. The property became the Judge Memorial Miners' Home and Hospital, designed by architect David C. Dart and opened in 1910 to care for retired and ill miners, especially those with black lung disease from Park City's mines. The hospital closed after a few years, but during the 1918 influenza pandemic, Bishop Scanlan gave the building to the Red Cross to treat patients from across the Salt Lake Valley. In 1922, the property became Judge Memorial Catholic School.

Our Lady of Lourdes parish was created to serve the campus community. On June 29, 1913, the parish held a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for a new church next to the old hospital. The church opened in 1914 and was designed by Dart & Wardrop in a traditional style, with masonry walls, stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and a tall tower. At the first Mass, 50 children received their first Holy Communion. The sanctuary featured a marble altar that came from St. Mary Magdalene Church, which once stood at 200 East on South Temple before it was demolished to make way for the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

The church was first built as a simple structure with a tall steeple and one main hall. About 40 years later, it was renovated: transepts were added, the steeple was replaced with a Celtic cross, the foyer was updated, and the basement was turned into a social hall. On New Year's Day 1978, the parish paid off the building debt and celebrated by burning the mortgage.

Throughout the next century, the church and campus kept changing to meet new needs. During World War II, the parish supported the war effort by buying war bonds. In 1949, it took on responsibility for the lower grades at Judge Memorial, and in 1965, a new elementary school opened with almost 450 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Judge Memorial became one of the top Catholic high schools in the area. The church was also used as a filming location for productions like the Stephen King adaptation The Stand. Alcoholics Anonymous has held meetings at the church for over 50 years.

Today, Our Lady of Lourdes serves a diverse congregation. Nearly 300 parishioners attend weekend Masses in English, Korean, Filipino, and Spanish. The community has spoken out against any plans to close the parish or tear down the church building.