Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs, Wyoming, was closed for regular worship after its last Mass on November 22, 2025, as the Diocese of Cheyenne moved to relegate the building to non-sacred use. The closure, driven by deferred maintenance costs estimated at $1.6 million and a strategy to unify parishes at the new Holy Spirit Catholic Community campus, has sparked a significant local preservation effort.

A grassroots group led by Mary Hamilton has formed a nonprofit to purchase and maintain the historic landmark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. While the Diocese initially suspended the relegation decree until February 15, 2026, for further consultation, parishioners have appealed the decision to Rome, arguing the structure is sound, and its loss would erase a vital piece of the city’s Slavic immigrant heritage.

• Historical Significance: Built in 1925 by Eastern European immigrants working in Union Pacific coal mines, the church is one of only two historic Catholic churches in Rock Springs.

• Current Status: The building is slated for sale to fund a new parish campus, though its canonical status remains contested by parishioners who view the relegation as insufficiently justified.

• Community Response: Over 300 signatures have been gathered on petitions to save the church, with supporters emphasizing its role as a community anchor and cultural landmark.

Cowboy State Dailycowboystatedaily.com Historic Rock Springs Church Faces Closure After A Century Of Worship | Cowboy State Daily

December 17, 2025 - Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs are fighting to save a century-old church now slated for closure and sale to fund a new parish campus. (Courtesy Photo) The founders of Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs started their church a century ago to give immigrant parishioners a place of worship where they felt comfortable and could speak their own languages.

Wyoming News Nowwyomingnewsnow.tv

Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church on Wyoming watchlist of endangered historic places |December 12, 2025 - Rock Springs, Wyo. - On October 19th, 2025, the Bishop of Cheyenne published a decree relegating the historic Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs, meaning that they intended to remove the church from sacred use.

Wyoming Newswyomingnews.com › rocketminer › Not over yet: Local parishioners take fight for SCM to the Vatican | Rocket Miner | April 1, 2026 - ROCK SPRINGS — Although a formal decree from the Diocese of Cheyenne recently reaffirmed the closure of the historic Sts. Cyril and Methodius (SCM) Catholic Church

K2 Radiok2radio.com › rock-springs-church-debateCommunity Rallies To Save Historic Church In Rock SpringsDecember 12, 2025 - Wyomingites are once again proving how deeply they value their history. This fall, news that the Diocese of Cheyenne planned to remove Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs from sacred use touched a chord across the state.

Y95 COUNTRYy95country.com › ixp › 101 › p › rock-springs-church-debateWhy Rock Springs Residents Are Rallying For Their Historic ChurchDecember 30, 2025 - Wyomingites are once again proving how deeply they value their history. This fall, news that the Diocese of Cheyenne planned to remove Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs from sacred use touched a chord across the state.

NewsBreaknewsbreak.com › 104.7 kiss fm › community rallies to save historic church in rock springsCommunity Rallies To Save Historic Church In Rock Springs - NewsBreakDecember 12, 2025 - Wyomingites are once again proving how deeply they value their history. This fall, news that the Diocese of Cheyenne planned to remove Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs from sacred use touched a chord across the state.

Wyoming Newswyomingnews.com › rocketminer › Saints Cyril & Methodius Church added to AHW Watchlist | Rocket Miner | December 12, 2025 - On Oct. 19, the Bishop of Cheyenne published a decree relegating the historic Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs, meaning that they intended to remove the church from sacred use.

Wyoming Newswyomingnews.com › news100th anniversary celebration turns somber due to church's unknown future | Local News | wyomingnews.com November 30, 2025 - Churchgoers gather after the last mass at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Rock Springs on Saturday, Nov. 22. Bishop Steven R. Biegler from the Diocese of Cheyenne suspended the Relegation Decree for the church until Feb.Wyo4Newswyo4news.com › home › bishop suspends the relegation decree for saints cyril and methodiusBishop suspends the Relegation Decree for Saints Cyril and Methodius - Wyo4News

November 20, 2025 - According to correspondence received ... the Relegation Decree for Saints Cyril and Methodius effective November 19, 2025, through February 15, 2026....

Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Saints_Cyril_and_Methodius_Catholic_Church_and_RectorySaints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church and Rectory - WikipediaMay 26, 2026 - Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church and Rectory, also known as North Side Church, is a historic church in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

Wyowyoshpo.wyo.gov › home › programs › national register › national register: wyoming listings › view full list of national register: wyoming listings › saints cyril and methodius catholic church and rectory

The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius acted as a unifying force for the many Slavic immigrants who began entering the community of Rock Springs in the early part of the 20th century looking for jobs in the Union Pacific coal mines. These recent immigrants wanted a parish in which their unique ...

GCatholicgcatholic.org › churches › usa-13 › 34709Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Rock Springs, Wyoming, USAA church of the Diocese of Cheyenne, in Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA

Historicwyominghistoricwyoming.org › home › watchlist › watch list: saints cyril & methodius catholic church, rock springsWatch List: Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, Rock Springs - Alliance for Historic WyomingDecember 12, 2025 - For decades, the church was not only a place of worship but a gathering place and a symbol of the hard-won stability these families found in Wyoming. Today, the church is home to the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, a vital community resource whose future is now uncertain. Saints Cyril & Methodius remains one of the most visible and meaningful testaments to the immigrant history that shaped Rock Springs.

Historicwyominghistoricwyoming.org › home › historic wyoming › saints cyril and methodius catholic church and rectorySaints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church and Rectory - Alliance for Historic WyomingOctober 15, 2023 - Within the city of Rock Springs stands the grandiose Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church that was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22nd, 2015.