A new priest has arrived to shepherd the Catholic community in southeast Utah. Father Rowland will oversee services at St Joseph Catholic Church in Monticello, Sacred Heart Catholic Mission in La Sal, and St Pius X Church in Moab.

Originally from Nigeria, Father Rowland has been in the United States for the past seven years, including four years with the diocese in Salt Lake City.

Father Rowland said that his goals in the area are to “help parishioners understand Catholic teachings and grow in their faith, to understand God, to love one another, and to recognize what God has given us.”

The St Joseph Catholic Church in Monticello is scheduled to be formally dedicated in September.