It is said that many hands make light work; and as my mother used to say, every little bit helps a little bit!

Thanks to the many, sufficient money was raised to purchase the materials for a new faux Spanish tile metal roof at St. Joseph’s / San José mission church in La Cholla.

The panels were ordered through Los Pinos, the local lumber and hardware store. It took three weeks for delivery; but on July 11, the truck rolled up to St. Joseph’s and the materials were unloaded. Two days later the panels started going up.

“This new metal roof will last a lifetime,” said church sexton Bob Keller. “At least it will last my lifetime and well beyond. The metal is nearly impervious to the desert sun and should withstand any storm God throw at it.

“We are so grateful to the many people who responded to our appeal to help fund the new roof. It was in bad shape and the monsoons were approaching,” Keller added.

St. Joseph’s serves primarily the Cholla Bay and Sandy Beach areas, which are primarily English speaking, though Catholics come from all over Puerto Peñasco. Consequently, it offers a bilingual Mass.

“Prior to the Covid-19 restrictions, we had Mass at 8 a.m. every Sunday,” Keller said. “With the grace of God, we will be back to regular services when the seasonal residents and visitors return in the fall.”

Six years ago, the church was a cinder block shell with no windows, doors, flooring, power or water. With the support of visitors and locals, and the continual efforts of Keller and local laborers, it has become a beautiful and comfortable house of worship.

For more information, contact Bob Keller at P.O. Box 297, Lukeville, AZ 85341, by e-mail at bob@keller.net or by phone at 928-706-6928.

Cutline:

Workers unload the roofing panels at St. Joseph’s church in La Cholla. At deadline for the Times, the new roof was going up and was expected to be completed well before the next issue.