Check out the 13 ideas to prepare and celebrate the Feast of the Birth of Jesus Christ as prophesied in the Old Testament, and reflected in the history of theChurch
(July 18, 2024) We are pleased to announce that Chris Lyford, presently the Communications Director and editor of the "North Coast Catholic" in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, CA, will be joining the staff at Our Lady of the Snows as Pastoral Associate in early August. He says his decision to leave California and come to the Wood River Valley is mission-driven and a call from God. Chris and his wife, Vickie, are looking forward to beginning their work here, and will be a welcome addition to our parishes. Please join us in praying for them, that as they make this important transition there will be many fruits to their labor of love in the vineyard of the Lord.
This system allows users to choose how they would like to receive audio: 1.) by streaming it into their smartphone via the Listen Everywhere app; 2.) by using one of our parish-supplied Listen Everywhere receivers; 3.) by using one of our parish-supplied neck loops that connect with telecom-enable hearing aids. Click the title above to access a flier with instructions.
Karin moved to the area in 2020 after working in corporate America, and is the owner of Ballarena Landscaping in Northern California. Her expertise in running a small business and familiarity with back office work will serve our community well. Karin joined the Catholic Church in 2007, saying that day was "one of the best days of my life." She and her late husband spoke about moving to the valley, and after his death she decided to follow through on this shared dream.
Richard has been in church ministry for about 45 years – from volunteering in a parish to being a diocesan director and director of parish life to being a Director of Religious Education. He has two degrees in theology. His wife Catherine has been a catechist and a member of an RCIA team, and since her marriage to Richard has worked in Returning Catholics programs and has prepared children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They are enthusiastically preparing to move to Ketchum and will begin at Our Lady of the Snows on July 1st, when they will discern, with Fr. Ron and ministry leaders, how to best serve the community. Dick will be joining us as Parish Facilities Manager. He has lived in the Wood River Valley for 35 years, and was a banker for 40 years before retiring in 2019. Construction lending was his favorite aspect of banking. He considers himself a handyman, able to fix or repair many things; woodworking is a favorite hobby. He was married at OLS in 2000 to Shirleen and they attended the dedication ceremony in 2007 after the new construction. Dick is honored to be in this new position and looks forward to working with Father Ron and staff, trying to ensure that this wonderful, beautiful and sacred building stays in prime condition.
Our Lady of the Snows in Sun Valley will have morning Mass on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m. St. Charles Borromeo in Hailey will have morning mass in English on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m., and in Spanish on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Ordinarily, on mornings when Mass is not offered at Our Lady of the Snows, there will be a Communion service at 8:30 a.m.
We are pleased to announce the hiring of a new Music Coordinator/Choir Director for Our Lady of the Snows and St. Charles Borromeo, Ashley Mekeel. Ashley and her husband moved to the area in 2019 and hope to make the Wood River Valley their home for many years to come. Click on the title above for a short bio of Ashley.
Please click on the title above for a detailed job description. Contact the Parish Office at 208-622-3432 or [email protected] if you are interested or have any questions.
Fr. Ron arrived in the valley on July 6 and will celebrate his first Mass at Our Lady of the Snows on Thurs., July 8 at 8:00 a.m. He is also pastor of St. Charles Borromeo, Hailey and Immaculate Conception, Fairfield. Click the title above for a letter from Fr. Ron.
Regarding the COVID-19 guidelines and protocols for Sun Valley, Our Lady of the Snows will be following the recommendations of the state of Idaho and city of Sun Valley and the directions of Bishop Peter Christensen. Therefore, the use of face masks indoors and on the parish grounds is voluntary. Fr. Brady asks that you make the decision that best meets your needs, and that our parish move forward with charity, patience, and kindness.
Due to progress being made against the spread of Covid-19, Idaho State Governor Brad Little, along with the Idaho State Department of Health and Welfare, have announced that as of 11 May, Idaho is moving into Stage Four of the Idaho Rebound Guidelines. In response to this, Bishop Peter Christensen is instructing the Catholic Parishes of our Diocese “to remove COVID-19-based restrictions as we continue to move toward pre-pandemic conditions”...
"The Sacraments," a 6-session video series featuring Bishop Robert Barron, will be hosted by Deacon Bob Barros-Bailey on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. April 22-June 3 (except for May 20) at Our Lady of the Snows. No registration is required and drop-ins are welcome. If you would like to purchase a study guide (not required), click HERE.
Fr. Justin Brady announced at Mass on April 10th and 11th that he will be beginning a new assignment as the pastor of St. Paul's in Nampa, Idaho on July 6th, 2021. Fr. Ron Wekerle will be his successor at Our Lady of the Snows, Sun Valley; St. Charles Borromeo, Hailey; and Immaculate Conception, Fairfield. Click on the title of this article to read the announcement from Fr. Brady.
To meet social distancing protocol and for your safety, Our Lady of the Snows is limiting attendance and requiring reservations and face coverings for our Easter Sunday Masses. You can reserve your seats online by using the link on our homepage. Reservations close on April 1 at 12:00 p.m. We will also be live streaming all of our Holy Week services (except for Good Friday) on the home page of this website for those unable to attend in person.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to postpone our First Communion classes until further notice. These classes will not be starting up again on Jan. 26 as planned.
To meet social distancing protocol and for your safety, Our Lady of the Snows is limiting attendance and requiring reservations and face coverings for our Christmas Masses. You can reserve your seats online by using the link on our homepage (starting Dec. 9 at noon). Reservations close on Dec. 22 at 3:00 p.m. and are limited to 6 seats and 1 Mass per household. We will also be live streaming our Christmas Masses on this website for those unable to attend in person.
This year we will be providing 5 families from Blaine County with warm coats, boots, scarves, gloves, and toys for their kids. To cover the cost of these items, we are asking for online or in-person monetary donations to be used by our Giving Tree Committee to purchase the gift items. The Giving Tree will be in the church entryway starting Nov. 28, along with donation envelopes and a special box to drop the envelopes into. To donate online, click above on the title of this announcement.
As you may be aware, since switching over to our new live streaming platform in early November, some of our live streams of Holy Mass have failed to broadcast. Please know that this problem is not on your end, but is on our end, as we work to fine tune the many software and hardware components that must up-to-speed (literally!) and playing well together in order for a broadcast to be successful. We appreciate your patience, and ask for your prayers.