Riverside Casino Laughlin Catholic Mass
A stay at Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino places you in the heart of Laughlin, steps from Casino at Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort and Riverside Casino. This casino resort is 0.5 mi (0.7 km) from Laughlin Event Center and 0.6 mi (0.9 km) from Edgewater Casino. Popular Hotel Amenities and Features. - Charlie Urnick stands in a backstage hallway at Don's Celebrity Theater, tucked inside the thrumming Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Churches. 3055 El Mirage Way Laughlin, NV 89029.
- Offering three and four day air/hotel packages to select Laughlin resort casinos from various cities in the U.S. Air transportation only is also available from some locations. For Flight Information, call 1-800-800-6557, Reservations, call 1-800-227-3849, or visit our website.
- Charlie Urnick conducts communion services during St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Mass on Sept. 9 at the Riverside Casino in Laughlin, Nev. The church is the only Catholic church that.
Forget about Nevada’s reputation as a state of sin. A priest known locally as Father Charlie regularly celebrates Mass and takes confession in a Laughlin casino.
The Rev. Charlie Urnick leads parishioners each week in Mass and hears confession at Laughlin, Nevada’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino. (Image: The Los Angeles Times)
The Rev. Charlie Urnick, 71, leads his parishioners at the Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino. He is also the administrator at the nearby St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
Mass is held inside the 700-seat Don’s Celebrity Theater. When not used as a temporary church, it is often the site of musical performances or magic shows.
Finding God in All Things
“The pope says priests should be where the people are,” the Rev. Urnick recently told the Los Angeles Times. “There are 11 casinos in Laughlin, so this is where we have taken our services. And to those who might say that God could not possibly be here, I say he is.”
When asked for comment, the Rev. Richard McGowan, a Jesuit priest who teaches at Boston College and has widely studied gambling trends, recalls how Pope Francis said in 2013 he wanted priests to go out among the flocks and be with the faithful who they serve.
The pope told a crowd of about 10,000 in St. Peter’s basilica during his first “Chrism” Mass priests should be like shepherds, living with “the smell of the sheep.”
Pope Francis wants his priest to ‘smell like their sheep,’” McGowan told Casino.org. “So, Father Charlie is certainly doing that in Vegas.”
McGowan points to a tradition of his own order, the Jesuits, whose motto is to “find God in all things.”
Still, there are some gambling themes associated with Father Charlie.
During the passing of a collection basket some worshipers put in casino chips or slot machine receipts, the AP said.
Church Souvenir Casino Chips
The parish also sells a souvenir chip that is used for fundraising. It says, “Pray with us… It’s a sure bet.” It lists hours for Mass.
The parish also proudly proclaims on its website it is the only US Catholic Church which “meets every weekend in a casino (Riverside Resort, Laughlin, Nevada) so, of course, we have our own casino chips.” The price at the parish gift shop is $3.
To celebrate the parish’s 25th anniversary in 2017, it began to offer silver casino chips, too.
Only a limited supply is offered, and they will not be recast when the original supply is sold. They sell at the gift shop for $7.
In Father Charlie’s church office, visitors will additionally spot two slot machines, with one called the “God Game.”
Masses in the casino commenced in 1992 by Father John McShane. There are now three Masses each weekend in the casino. The regular church offers Masses, as well.
The Rev. Urnick came to Laughlin in 2008. Earlier he served in various clergy roles in his home state of New Jersey, such as Air Force chaplain, teacher and parish priest.
During sermons, he often jokes with parishioners. He also likes to tell stories.
A popular one, recounted by the Times, is when a priest came to visit Laughlin. The visiting priest complained about the sin found in the city, and chastised “all those pathetic old people putting money into machines and they don’t know God.”
To which Father Charlie responded, “Those pathetic old people are my parishioners.”
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A Riverside Update concerning new Covid-19 Restrictions from Matt Laughlin
With new restrictions released from our Nevada Governor last night, November 22, 2020, I thought I would reach out to keep our friends and family in the loop. Our goal is to have as little impact on your Riverside experience as we expect these new restrictions for only 3 – 4 weeks. As I receive more news and information, I will be reaching out again to update you all.
New Riverside Casino Restrictions starting tonight at midnight (12:01 AM, November 24):
- Casino Floor, Casino Bars & Table Games – No change to our current spacious casino floor. Per NV Gaming Control Board, Riverside Resort is currently at 25% Fire Code Occupancy
- All Full-Service Restaurants – Reservations Required; Maximum 25% Occupancy
- All Fast-Food Outlets & Snack Bars – No Reservations Required; To-Go Options Only
- Bingo Paradise – Maximum 25% Occupancy
- Bowling – Open Bowling with maximum of 25% Occupancy
- U.S.S. Riverside – Limited to 22 guest maximum per cruise
- Riverside Cinemas – Maximum 25% Occupancy
- Arcades and Laser Tag – Maximum 25% Occupancy
- Retail Shops, Hair, Nail & Spa Services – Stay at 50% Occupancy
- Invitational Special Event VIP Parties will be cancelled until January 2021
- Don’s Celebrity Theatre & Karaoke – Closed until further notice
- Losers’ Lounge – Closed until further notice
- Fitness Center & Business Center – Closed until further notice
- Riverside Air Program – Limited Flight Schedule Available
This announcement does not come lightly, but we must follow our Governor and NV Gaming Control Board decisions and continue to strive for a great Riverside Resort experience. With full transparency, we will keep you updated with any and all changes. I truly appreciate your continued support.
Be safe,
Matt Laughlin, COORiverside Resort Hotel & Casino
THE RIVERSIDE RESORT HOTEL & CASINO PROPERTY-WIDE SAFETY MEASURES DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN A FUN AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT!
We continue our quest to physically space our casino floor with everyone’s favorite machines. We have taken a lot of your comments from a previous post into consideration, and I am happy to say we have added video poker machines to our non-smoking casino floor as well as kept as many “favorite machines” spaced apart and ready for your return.
Newly implemented protocols are outlined below.
- Guests will be advised to practice physical distancing by standing approximately six feet away from other groups of people not traveling with them while standing in lines, using elevators or moving around the property. Six foot floor markers will be visible throughout the resort to help.
- In active restaurants, there are a reduced number of tables and physical layouts will be arranged to ensure appropriate distancing. Active restaurants include the 24-hour Riverview Restaurant, Sidewalk Café, Casino West Snack Bar, The Prime Rib Room on the River open for dinner reservations only, and a new sit-down casual eatery, BBQ on the River, located in the former Riverside Buffet area.
- The slot floor has also altered physical layouts to ensure distancing as well as rows with every other game shut down, following Nevada Gaming Control Board’s safety guidelines.
- Table games will limit the number of people allowed to play at any one time, at each game.
- Pools will be open with altered lounge chair layouts to help with physical distancing.
- Riverside Lanes will be open operating every other lane to help with physical distancing.
- Bingo Paradise will be open with 50% occupancy.
- USS Riverside boat tour along the Colorado River with 50% occupancy.
- AZ to NV water taxi shuttle service available with 50% occupancy per boat.
Riverside Casino Laughlin Flight Schedule
- Masks, or mouth and nose coverings, will be required for all employees who work in direct guest-service areas and, where applicable, gloves as well. Riverside Resort requires all guests wear a mask. Masks for our guests are available at the King of Clubs Player’s Club booth for convenience.
- Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the resort.
- An additional Safety & Sanitation Crew has been hired to continually clean high touch areas throughout the property, including gaming areas, hotel areas, and more, 24/7.
- All hotel guests will receive a personal-sized hand sanitizer bottle and two pre-packaged masks in their hotel room, per stay.
- The Riverside Resort employs EMT security staff on property for guest safety and will require hotel guests to complete a symptom self-evaluation upon check-in. If EMT’s are not on property for any reason, front desk staff or security will provide temperature screenings upon hotel check-in.
- Losers’ Lounge, Don’s Celebrity Theatre, Live Keno and Bowling Snack Bar will not be open right away.
- Valet Bellmen will meet guests at their vehicle.
- The valet area may still be utilized for drop-off/pickup with bellmen available for luggage service.
Our Casino Guest and Employee Safety Procedures is available on our Riverside Resort website at http://www.riversideresort.com/covid19/
Laughlin's first hotel and casino.
Riverside Laughlin Mass Schedule
The Riverside Resort is located on the banks of the beautiful Colorado River. Owned and operated by Don Laughlin and his family, guests will find a number of fun activities while staying at Laughlin's family-friendly resort. Enjoy Nevada-style gaming action and entertainment 24 hours a day in a relaxed, small-town atmosphere.