The Christian Review: Former resident John W. Blewett described the Catholic atmosphere in his piece Riches Above, Riches Below: “One of the Masses I loved to serve as a boy was the 5:15 a.m. mass in our parish. The church was filled with miners carrying their breakfast/lunchpails. In some instances their wives and children would be with them at that early hour. For everyone there, the Holy Eucharist was the first and most important nourishment taken that day. When the Mass was ended, and we had finished begging St. Michael for God’s protection, the miners headed for what was called “The Richest Hill on Earth” . . . . Knowing that one of them might not come out of the mine alive, it was comforting to know that they had already offered the prayer, works, joys, and sufferings of the day to Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” Full account with miracle story of Our Lady’s 90 foot statue is here.
