We have approximately 1500 families involved in all aspects of the Christian and Catholic way of life making our Community in Idaho Falls a vibrant and exiting place of which to be a member.

All people from other faiths and all walks of life are welcome to our Catholic Community. There are many ways to become involved in our Church even if you are not yet Catholic. If you are interested in becomming Catholic and joining the Idaho Falls Catholic Community please go to our Religious Education link and click on the information under the heading ""RCIA.""

Please read on to learn more about the rich history of our Catholic Community in Eastern Idaho.

The history of the Catholic Church in Idaho began as far back as 1847 when the "traveling Bishop" Augustine Blanchet and his Catholic missionaries came through this area from Fort Laramie in Wyoming to Fort Hall in what is now Pocatello. Bishop Blanchet made known to his superiors his concerns for the souls of the people in this area. Because of his concerns, in 1863, Fr. Toussaint Mespile began his missionary journey through the northwest and by 1868 Rev. Louis Lootens was made the first Vicar Apostolic of the Idaho Territory.

In 1884 a forward looking priest and missionary, Fr. XXXXXX, had the foresight to buy land in the fledgling railroad community of Eagle Rock. At that time Mass was usually held in the home of a parishioner every couple of months, but by 1891, the Catholics in Eagle Rock decided it was time to build a Church. The cornerstone for the first Holy Rosary Church was laid on Eastern Avenue. Soon to follow was the building of a rectory and a small convent for the sisters who were also serving Eagle Rock. Today, these buildings still stand, except, to the dismay of many our first Church is now a tattoo parlor with the original rectory still attached!

From the time the Catholics of Idaho Falls built their first Church until the present, many changes and construction projects regarding our Catholic Community have taken place. The first Church had rooms added to it to accommodate the growing number of priests and parishioners, After a fire or two, more rooms and side altars were constructed and by 1919 the Pastor, Fr. Thomas Purcell, felt that the Church no longer served the needs of the community and bought land at 9th and Lee Streets near our present location. Building and changes continued as schools and convents were built or acquired. By 1930 the parish Church had outgrown the ability to serve the social and educational needs of the Parish and an old telephone exchange building was bought and remodeled to serve as a parish social hall.

By 1921 the old Church and facilities could no longer support the growing catholic population nor maintain enough facilities to educate the children in the parish and so a two story building was built to house the school and the Church. The school was on the second floor and the Church was on the first floor. For 47 years the parishioners worshiped on the first floor of the Church/school building and when that no longer served the needs of the community, the parishioners of Holy Rosary Parish made the difficult decision to leave their church and school building and build the building we call Holy Rosary Church. The building was first used on Easter Sunday 1949.

So many changes have taken place to our Church and School over the last 60 years they are hard to recount. By 1951 the School had been completely remodeled. In 1952 the Brady Estate gave the "new" High Altar that you see today. In 1954 a new rectory and office for the priests was added onto the back of the Church building. By 1955 plans for a new convent were in place to accommodate twelve sisters (this is our current office building on 9th Street.)

Changes continued to be made to the present Church building. In 1963 new pews and new altar railings were installed; plans emerged and were immediately executed for the two side altars (today for the Holy Family and Our Lady of Guadalupe); in 1963 the beautiful front window over the choir loft was installed followed by the windows in the lower church, finished in 1966. By 1968 the new Holy Rosary School was built and blessed by Idaho's beloved and holy Bishop, The Most Reverend Sylvester Treinen, who was one of the original Bishops present for the Second Vatican Council.

In 1977, following the dictates of the Second Vatican Council, Holy Rosary Church was again extensively remodeled. Installed were new altar furnishings and a new altar, and the rearrangement of and addition of the pews around the altar bringing the congregation closer to the Holy Sanctuary. The Church has had three organs and they, along with the beautiful sounds of newer instruments, guitars, drums, and an electric piano, have served a number of music groups.

Perhaps the biggest construction project and change to Holy Rosary parish came when Msgr. Verhoeven was the pastor at Holy Rosary. He realized, due to continued growth and lack of facilities and resources that the parish warranted dividing into a second Catholic Parish and Church for Idaho Falls. Through generous donations and a substantial dowry, Christ the King Parish was established in 1966. Construction began and the building was completed in 1967.

A new rectory was built at Christ the King and a new Parish Center was completed in 1980. Christ the King was built to help one's heart soar to the heavens while being intimate enough for 560 people to worship "around" the main altar.

In 2003 the two parishes came back together to form the Idaho Falls Catholic Community. Both parish staffs came together under the one title of The Idaho Falls Catholic Community as well as all of the committees, religious education and school programs. We now serve all of Idaho Falls and our two missions, St. Ann's and St. Anthony's.

As time marches on we continue to grow and change and are excited for the future. The Diocese holds in trust 40 acres for our future expansion. However, at this time we continue to work on building up the body of Christ through our Stewardship and other programs. WE must continue to work on building our family, before we can look to the future and build a new home.

So, come join us! Experience the presence of Christ in our parish and in your heart as you make the Idaho Falls Catholic Community your Catholic home in Eastern Idaho!

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