It was a sort of locomotion we had not bargained for, and the situation was such as to make the horse tremble with fear and greatly disturbed me. At last, with much watchfulness and care in keeping our feet, we arrived safe on the rocky plateau below. And so began the story of the Reverend J.J. Gibbons, newly appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Ouray, Colorado, and the man responsible for bringing the Catholic religion to the small box canyon mining town of Telluride, Colorado. While the community has gone though many changes in the later '80s and into the '90s, in 1999 the church is welcoming another trend in the community. Many of those who bought homes during the real estate surge are beginning to settle down in Telluride, whether as retirees or simply those fed up with city life.
People seek a cleaner environment and a slower-paced existence.