The origin of Ave Maria Parish is clouded due to the lack of records and data, but it is believed to be one of 13 missions administered by Msgr. John Judnic out of Colorado Springs from 1913-1935. Due to the distances and means of transportation available, Mass was generally celebrated by various priests once a month. Around 1955, along with the other missions, Ave Maria closed. The altar, organ, statues and other church furnishings were taken to Castle Rock and auctioned. The church building was boarded up until it was moved by St. Matthew’s Episcopal Mission to its present location at 6930 East University Park Place in Parker.

In 1975, Theatine Father Pat Valdez came to Parker to celebrate Masses at the home of a parishioner. The number of families grew so quickly that a move was made to Parker United Methodist Church. In January 1976, the Parker Catholic Mission was formally established and moved to Joy Lutheran Church. Father J. Anthony McDaid became administrator of the mission that fall. Masses were soon moved to Pine Lane Elementary School (now Pine Lane Intermediate School), then to Parker Junior High School. In May 1979, the Parker Catholic Mission Council approved the establishment of a fund for a permanent facility. In March 1983, Archbishop James V. Casey officially established Parker Catholic Mission as a parish and restored the former name of Ave Maria. Construction of the new church was hampered by many delays brought on by a harsh winter. The first Mass was celebrated in the new church on Oct. 7, 1984. Ave Maria was the first church dedicated in the new Diocese of Colorado Springs on Feb. 10, 1985. A 70,000 square-foot evangelization center (school) opened in 2000 and includes the first Catholic pre K-8 elementary school in Douglas County. The parish has grown 350 percent in the past 16 years and 200 percent since 1990. A new parish life center opened in September 2011.

Corpus Christi, the second Catholic parish in Colorado Springs, was established on Aug. 17, 1916, by Father Felix C. Abel. The parish was a spinoff from St. Mary Parish downtown and embraced the missions of Palmer Lake, Monument, Modern Woodmen of America Sanitarium and the north end of Colorado Springs. The new parish was comprised of Catholics of English, Italian, Spanish and Slavic descent. Many of their descendants are still in the parish today. A Baptist church building with a seating capacity of 170 located at the corner of Tejon and Caramillo streets was purchased and moved to the site of the present church. Father Abel celebrated the first Mass in the new sanctuary on Oct. 28, 1916. In 1921, Father Abel established the first parish school with an enrollment of 66 students. In 1925, increased enrollment prompted the construction of a two-room frame school on the property adjacent to the convent. Monsignor Anthony Elzi then served as Pastor of Corpus Christi for 31 years until his retirement in 1972. The core of the present brick school building, built at a cost of $140,000, was dedicated on March 12, 1950, with room for 350 children. Four more rooms were added to the school building in 1959, which by then had an enrollment of 550 students.

On July 10, 1955, a one-day building fund drive was held and approximately $75,000 was raised toward the construction of a $400,000 church. The church was completed in 1956 on the same spot where the Baptist church building had been located. The new church seated 750 people, but six Sunday Masses were needed to accommodate 3,000 parishioners. Father Robert Keikeisen served as pastor from 1972-1985. He was known for his gift of singing and the RENEWAL retreats offered in the parish. Father Gerald Bruggeman served as Pastor from 1985-1994. He developed collaborative lay ministry and increased the number of parish volunteers exponentially. Following his retirement, he remained very active as a chaplain at Penrose-St. Francis Hospital. Father Bill Carmody served as pastor from 1994-2000. His efforts at stewardship and tithing laid the groundwork for a new wing to be added to the school in 1998 and a parish hall built in 2000. Father Stephen Parlet served as pastor from 2000-2007 and Father Mark Zacker from 2007 until the present.

In 2014, Corpus Christi Catholic School was recognized by the Colorado Springs Gazette as one of the best elementary schools in the city.

When the eastern limits of Colorado Springs stretched to Union Avenue in 1947, Denver Archbishop Urban J. Vehr saw the need to meet the physical and spiritual growth of the community. On Nov. 6, 1947, the Archdiocese of Denver purchased property on what is now the present site of Divine Redeemer Church and school.

Divine Redeemer Parish began with visits from Father Duane Theobald of the cathedral parish in Denver. In July 1950, Father Theobald was appointed the first pastor. Since there was no church building at that time, Masses were first celebrated in the St. Francis Hospital chapel. With the help of U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson, the abandoned Officer’s Club at Ent Air Force Base was used as a temporary church.

Groundbreaking for a new church and school was held June 1955. The building was dedicated in October 1956, and the school opened its doors with six classrooms in grades 1-6. A grade was added each year, and the first graduation of eighth-graders was in June 1958. In February 1968, Father Frederick McCallen was assigned pastor, and he presided over the beginning of the construction of a new church building. Three years later, Father Omer Foxhoven saw the dream become a reality. On Feb. 21, 1971, the new church was dedicated. That year, school enrollment was 513 students (grades 1-8), and the school had 16 classrooms.

Holy Apostles began as the Northeast Catholic Community in 1972, when 13 families began meeting in what is now the neighborhood of Village Seven. In July 1973, with Msgr. John Albert as pastor, the new parish was officially designated “Holy Apostles.” On Nov. 18, 1973, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the church. It quickly became too small for the increasing number of parishioners in the area. From 1974-80, with Father Maurice McInerney as pastor, the parish acquired an apartment building at 4605 Picturesque Dr., which was used as the pastoral center and church offices. The Holy Apostles Preschool for children ages 3-5 was held in the basement of the church. When Father Paul Wicker joined the parish in 1981, parishioners began looking for a larger home site. They purchased 5.6 acres just east of the church and two more acres facing Oro Blanco Dr. On Aug. 15, 1983, on the Feast of The Assumption, the parishioners dedicated their church to Mary, the Queen of the Apostles, asking her guidance in the planning of the new church.

In August 1984, a fund drive was in the early stages of organization when the dream was delayed due in part to the establishment of the Colorado Springs Diocese that January. The infant diocese was not yet able to support such a large building project. On Nov. 5, 1984, Bishop Richard Hanifen gave his permission to continue with the project and construction began. The church was dedicated on Sept. 20, 1987. The parish completely retired the project’s $4.2 million its debt on March 1, 2005. Fr. Jim Baron was installed as pastor of Holy Apostles in 2016.  In 2017, a side chapel was converted in the Divine Mercy Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, and Perpetual Adoration was established on February 11, 2017. A new front entry plaza renovation was completed in 2021 to increase gathering space. A newly-restored set of antique Stations of the Cross was also added to the church at this time. In 2022, Fr. Tom Jamka was installed as pastor.

Today Holy Apostles has 1200 registered families and continues to welcome new parishioners as we encounter Christ and make disciples together.

Rt. Rev. Joseph Machebeuf said the first Mass in California Gulch at the blacksmith shop of Thomas Starr in 1860. The first church in present day Leadville was Sacred Heart Church which was vacated in 1880 but continued to serve the French Communities until 1886. The little French Church was moved to the properties of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth where it slowly deteriorated beyond recognition.

Drawn to mines in search of a good life, first the Irish and then the Slovenes, in dramatic numbers, came to Leadville in the 1870s and 1880s. Annunciation Parish was founded by the Irish in 1879 and St. Joseph Parish was founded by the Slovenes in 1899.

With Leadville at 10,430 feet above sea level, the Church of the Annunciation is credited as having the highest church spire in North America. The sanctuary features a hand-carved marble altar, stained glass windows and canvas panels with oil paintings from Italy. In 1886, Margaret Tobin married James J. Brown in this church; she would later become the legendary “unsinkable” Molly Brown who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The original Church of St. Joseph, a wooden structure built in 1899, burned to the ground approximately 20 years later. The present brick church stands on the same land and contains some of the finest examples of Slovene folk-art in America. In 1926 the pastor, Father George Trunk, began a two-year project painting the entire interior of the church with biblical scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

In the 1920s, Hispanics from the Southwest came also seeking a better life. That same pattern continues today with Mexican nationals coming, no longer for the mining, but to work in the many resorts and service jobs in the area.

The Catholic Community of Leadville was formed in 1988 when Bishop Richard C. Hanifen united the two parishes under one pastor. The two parishes in the community were merged to form Holy Family Parish in a decree from Bishop Michael Sheridan on Oct. 22, 2007. The community still utilizes both churches. On Feb. 18, 2013, Holy Family Parish in Leadville was raised canonically to the status of being named a Center for Hispanic Ministry, a personal parish to minister to the Hispanic faithful for the Western Deanery.

Holy Rosary Chapel was built in memory of Thomas and Mary Green Cusack by their son, Frank, and given to the care of the Archdiocese of Denver. Archbishop Urban J. Vehr blessed the chapel at the fi rst High Mass and dedication on July 31, 1931.

Spiritual care was given by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate until 1984 when, under the pastorate of Father LeRoy Clementich, CSC, the Congregation of the Holy Cross assumed the pastoral leadership of Holy Rosary Chapel, Sacred Heart Parish in Colorado Springs and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Manitou Springs.

Standing at an elevation of 7,391 feet, the chapel boasts a Romanesque style and was built with red rock from Pyramid Mountain in Rampart Range. Colorado Springs architect Charles E. Thomas designed the chapel, which won a national award for church architecture.

The chapel, nestled in the Pikes Peak foothill town of Cascade just off Highway 24, is still active with a Sunday Mass. It is currently part of the Sacred Heart Parish run by Holy Cross priests.

On Aug. 28, 1959, Denver Archbishop Urban J. Vehr established Holy Trinity parish.  Land was acquired from A.V. (Tony) Venetucci, who sold 5.6 acres to the parish.  Venetucci returned half of the purchase price as a donation in memory of his brother Rocco, who had died in a well explosion on the property 15 years before.   Father John L. Aylward, was named the founding pastor.  When he arrived, Holy Trintiy had 450 families, but no buildings, so Father said Mass in the Crazy Cat Lounge, a bar on N. Nevada Ave.

Upon Father Aylward's death in 1963, Father Walter Jaeger became the second pastor of Holy Trinity.  Father Jaeger broke ground with a golden shovel on a $250,000 school in January 1965, which opened the next year..

Father Edward T. Madden served as pastor from 1971 - 1976.  Father Michael A. Walsh became pastor in 1976. In January 1977, a new building was necessary for the 950 families in attendance. The last pew as put in place in June 1979, two months before the parish's 20th anniversary.

Father George V. Fagan served as pastor from 1982 - 1985;  Father Karl Useldinger served as pastor from 1985 - 1989; Father John Auer served as pastor in 1989. When Father Auer left, Fr. Mike Butler served with other diocesan and Holy Cross priests until Father Mark Zacker's arrival in 2004. Father Zacker served as pastor from 2005 - 2008. Father James Williams served as pastor from 2008 - 2013. Father Kizito Osudibia served as pastor from 2013 - 2015. Father Michael Goodyear became pastor in 2015 and with the generosity of donors, both the rectory and the sanctuary went through major renovations. Father David Boroff became the pastor of Holy Trinity in August 2018.

Immaculate Conception Latin Mass Parish was established in 2000 as a mission from St. Mary Cathedral for Catholics who found themselves attracted to an older form of the liturgy, the Tridentine Mass. Society of St. Peter Father Thomas Fritschen was assigned to serve the community as its chaplain even before the community had a place to call home.

The Masses are all in Latin and are in full communion with the church in Rome. The community, or oratory, eventually moved to the southern end of the city and held services along with St. Joseph Parish in Fountain. In 2006, the mission acquired an existing church building from Gold Start Trust Company. Bishop Michael J. Sheridan blessed the oratory in May 2006.

The church was consecrated after extensive remodeling in 2006. Pope Benedict XVI gave his support of the Tridentine Mass in his 2007 motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. In April 2008, the oratory was elevated to parish status by Bishop Sheridan. On July 1, 2008, Fraternity of St. Peter Father Stéphane Dupré was assigned pastor of the parish.

Immaculate Conception relies heavily on the work of many volunteers to do everything from painting to making kneelers. The church underwent another extensive renovation of the sanctuary in 2010.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish was originally founded at 407 S. Tejon St. in 1948 by Theatine priests to meet the needs of the local Spanish-speaking Catholic community. In the mid-1940s, the Denver Archdiocese began to send a Spanish-speaking priest, Father Emmenuel Sandoval, to St. Mary Cathedral. Father John Ordinas began celebrating a monthly Spanish Mass at the cathedral shortly thereafter.

In July 1948, Archbishop Urban J. Vehr orchestrated the purchase of the Second Congregational Church on Tejon Street, with a house on Costilla Street serving as the social center. The first Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Sept. 19, 1948. The parish was designated a national parish, which meant any Hispanic in the region was welcome to worship at Our Lady of Guadalupe as his or her home parish. Theatine Father Anthony Barcelo was the first pastor, installed in Sept.1949.

Theatine Father Francis Colom (known as “Padre Poncho”) was the driving force as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe for nearly 30 years (during two stints). He oversaw the transition from the parish’s Tejon Street location to its current building, where Our Lady of Guadalupe has stood since 1984.

Father Colom served at Our Lady of Guadalupe until 1993, when Deacon Emilio Reyes took over administration of the parish. Father Francisco Quezada served as pastor from August 2004 until leaving in July 2006 to start the diocese’s Office of Hispanic Ministry. Father Alfredo Garcia was installed as pastor on Aug. 6, 2006. Father John Toepfer, O.F.M. Cap. was installed pastor in August 2012, assisted by Deacon Ernest Romero.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish was founded in Colorado City in 1860 to minister to the first settlers in the area. On July 30, 1882, Bishop Joseph Machebeuf dedicated a Catholic Church in Manitou Springs. The new church, built by the Gillis brothers at 218 Ruxton Ave., was dedicated on Aug. 1, 1889, with Father Frederick Bender as its pastor. A small rectory was built that same year. Four years later, Father J.B. Francolon became the pastor and built Miramont Castle. On Aug. 3, 1903, the original church was destroyed by fire. A new structure was built and dedicated by the following October, when Father Michael F. Callahan added the Lourdes Grotto.

In 1926, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate took charge of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, serving it as a mission from the expanded and now-renamed Sacred Heart Parish in Old Colorado City. The Congregation of Holy Cross assumed pastoral leadership in 1984.

Fourteen Catholic families met at the Black Forest Community Center in July 1961, to discuss the need for a Catholic parish. Representatives from that group drove to Denver, to present their ideas to Archbishop Urban J. Vehr. Religious instruction for children was their first priority. In 1963 a chaplain from the Air Force Academy celebrated Mass in an open field. On August 14, 1964, Father Wood, a chaplain at St. Francis Hospital, celebrated the first weekly mass. That same year, Archbishop Vehr approved a donation of $50,000 from the Archdiocese for the construction of the church in the Black Forest.

At midnight on December 25, 1965, the first mass was celebrated at Our Lady of the Pines. In 1987, an addition to the church began. This new construction doubled the seating capacity, added six classrooms and a kitchen.

In 1995, Bishop Hanifen assigned Jesuit Father Gerald Borer as sacramental administrator. In 2003, Father Michael Butler was assigned as Sacramental Minister and Deacon Dave Camous was assigned Parish Director. A new church building was constructed in 2004. On December 8, 2004, Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, dedicated the new sanctuary. On July 1, 2010, Father Andrzej Szczesnowicz was appointed Pastor of Our Lady of the Pines. On July 1, 2020, Fr. Bradford Noonan was appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Pines.

The Church of the Visitation was the vision of Father Dennis Dwyer, who, in 1995, led discussions about a mission church in Elbert County. Father Dwyer met with people in Elizabeth, Kiowa, Franktown and Elbert to assess the interest and need..

On Easter Sunday 1996, Father Dwyer celebrated the first Mass at St. Mark’s Fellowship Hall in Kiowa. From 1996-97, Masses were held on a regular basis at the temporary location off County Road 17 near Highway 86. In the summer of 1997, Father Dwyer celebrated Mass outdoors on newly acquired property on County Road 33. In spring of 1998, Bishop Richard C. Hanifen and Father Dwyer conducted the groundbreaking ceremony. On Nov. 28 of that same year, Bishop Hanifen celebrated the dedication for Our Lady of the Visitation.

Father Brian Mohan was reassigned from Ave Maria Parish in Parker to become the new pastor of Our Lady of the Visitation in June 2007. In September 2011, Father Marek Krol took over as pastor. Father Robert Newbury, Jr. was assigned as pastor in July 2015. Father John Stearns became pastor in July 2022.

Father Michael Kavanagh founded Our Lady of the Woods Parish in 1954 as a mission to the churches in Cripple Creek and Victor. Masses were held in the Woodland Park High School gymnasium for 17 Catholic families. In February 1954, construction on the church building began. Families from Denver, Woodland Park, and Wichita, Kan. donated the land. The original church was dedicated on Aug. 12, 1955. The community paid off the church debt in 11 years, primarily with funds raised from its popular “Christmas in August” celebration. The pastor originally had an apartment in the basement of the church. A rectory was built in 1967 and has recently been remodeled. Father Kavanagh was pastor for 14 years, and the field behind the church is named after him.

The new church was completed in August of 2014 and the first Mass was held on September 5, 2014. Bishop Michael Sheridan presided over the dedication Mass on November 21, 2014. The church was built with a mountain architectural design and doubles the sanctuary of the original church. It also has a very large gathering space as well as two confessionals. Future projects will include a new parish center, offices and classrooms.

While beginning as the mission church to Cripple Creek and Victor, today, Our Lady of the Woods in Woodland Park has grown to be the main church for the parish. Our Lady of the Woods provides all Faith Formation programs for the parish and handles all business transactions, correspondence, and communications for the parish.

Bishop Henry Tihen of Denver dedicated the first church building of Our Lady of Victory Parish on June 2, 1925. The construction was largely done by Henry Thibault and other parishioners, taking two years and costing $3,500. The original church building is the present day site of St. Mary Church in Flagler. The parish hall for Our Lady of Victory is a converted Army barracks building and was added in 1947. Archbishop Urban J. Vehr of Denver dedicated the present church building on June 8, 1961. To accommodate the moving of the resident priest from Hugo to Limon, a rectory was constructed in 1994.

From 1925 until the Colorado Springs Diocese’s estabishment in 1984, the parish was served by a variety of priests from the Denver area. Father Jerry Kelleher, a Colorado Springs diocesan priest, was assigned pastor from 1984-1992.

A new era was ushered in 1982, when Vincentian priest Father Bill Rhinehart became pastor. The Vincentian Fathers committed themselves to serving the parishes of the diocese on the eastern plains for a 10-year period. That commitment was renewed in 1992, and Vincentians served the community until 2002, when Father George V. Fagan, a previous diocesan chancellor and judicial vicar, was appointed pastor.

In 1987, Bishop Richard C. Hanifen identified a clear need for a parish to be established in the rapidly growing northern portion of Douglas County. In a mission diocese with a limited number of priests, Pax Christi was founded, and a lay parish director was appointed with the role of mission organizer to serve the pastoral and administrative needs of the growing community. On June 6, 1988, 40 families gathered to celebrate Mass in the gym of Northridge Elementary School, and Mass continued to be celebrated there for the next 10 years. The parish was served by Jesuit priests from the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Sedalia and Regis University in Denver, as well as other priests in the area.

The Archdiocese of Denver gave 15 acres of land to the Diocese of Colorado Springs for Pax Christi to build a church. After a decade of celebrating Mass in a school gym, the parish of 700 families moved. In May 1999, Bishop Hanifen blessed a new chapel and a multi-use building.

On July 27, 2000, Pax Christi welcomed its first resident pastor, Father Ken Przybyla. At that time, 800 families were registered. In just nine years, the parish grew to more than 1,940 families. On Sept. 29, 2002, Bishop Hanifen dedicated a new church building. Also in 2002, the multipurpose building was retrofitted into an educational, social and office facility, now known as the Christi Center. The office space was remodeled in summer 2009.

In September, 2011, Father Brian Mohan was installed as the second pastor of Pax Christi by Bishop Michael Sheridan. Father Jim Baron was appointed parochial vicar in August 2012 and named parochial administrator in February 2014. Father Marek Krol served as our pastor from July 2015 until June 2020 when we welcomed our current pastor, Father Andrzej Szczesnowicz.

Fathers Godfrey Raber, Anthony Abel and George Fenske were in charge of the Catholic congregation in Cheyenne Wells from 1909-1912. In August 1912, 24 lots of property were purchased from H.M. Schumm by Bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz of Denver for the sum of $1. In June 1913, excavation began and the church was completed by October.

Father Alfonso Keiffer, known to many as Padre of the Plains, became the first permanent pastor in 1918. He built a rectory that is still in use today and, in 1921, organized the construction of Sacred Heart School. In the 1920s then cattle market crashed, causing the parish to go into debt. Father Keiffer began his famous Living Rosary Crusade to raise funds. Father Keiffer had Columbine Hall constructed in 1949 for social and recreational events. Due to failing eyesight, Father Keiffer discontinued active ministry in 1952.

For the next three years, the Bethlehem Fathers took care of the parish. In 1955, when Father John Canjar was assigned there, the congregation had outgrown the church, and Columbine Hall was converted into the present Sacred Heart Church. The new sanctuary was dedicated in 1957. The old church building was demolished in 1958.

Father George Kearney was appointed pastor in 1959 and organized an altar boy program. Father Clement DeWall served as pastor from 1966-69, followed by Father Gerald Stremmel. In 1970, the last graduation of eighth graders was celebrated and the school was closed in 1971 after 58 years of service. Also in 1971, Father Daniel Balzereit was appointed pastor. Under his tenure, the church was remodeled with funds from a good wheat crop and from the generosity of Father Keiffer, who had passed away on Oct. 7, 1971.

Father Leonard Hoeffler served the parish from 1973-1982, followed by Father James Morgan (1982-1984), Father James Halloran (1984-1987) and Father Thomas Kihn (1988-1991). Father Edward Sullivan arrived in 1991 and was instrumental in remodeling the church balcony and adding classrooms behind the front of the church. In 1993, Vincentian Father Thomas Kloppenborg came to Cheyenne Wells and was responsible for the new church entrance. Father Kloppenborg also started a community food pantry. In 1995, Sacred Heart School building was demolished for insurance reasons.

In June 2002, Father Khanh Pham Nguyen was named pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and tried to jumpstart parish life before having to leave in 2004 due to poor health. In August 2004, Father Jaimes Ponce became the parish administrator of Sacred Heart Parish. He organized a complete renovation of the church, which was completed by the end of July 2005 and rededicated in September of the same year. In 2007, Father Ponce went to Rome to study canon law, and Father Boleslaw Kuzma was named parish administrator. Father Kirk Slattery became pastor in October 2009. In March 2012, Father Carlos Gallardo-Morales was named temporary administrator. Father Alfredo Garcia was named pastor later in 2012, followed by Father Rafael Torres-Rico in 2013. Father Jason Keas was installed as pastor Aug. 30, 2015. Father Roylan Recio was installed as pastor on Aug. 19, 2019. In Sept. 2020 Father Dan Ayers was assigned as parochial administrator.

In 1888, St. Mary’s Church of Old Colorado City was a mission of the oldest church in the diocese, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Manitou Springs. On July 16, 1922, it was renamed Sacred Heart Church and expanded. In 1926, care for Sacred Heart, as well as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was taken over by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In 1984, when the Vicariate of Colorado Springs became a full-fl edged diocese, the Congregation of Holy Cross assumed leadership of Sacred Heart Parish, including Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Holy Rosary Chapel.

In October 1981, seven Korean families attended a Korean-language Mass at Holy Trinity Church in Colorado Springs. In 1982, Father Peter Ryui, a student at Regis University in Denver, came every other month to celebrate Mass with the Korean community. From January 1983 to August 1984 Father Benito Suh, a Korean Benedictine, began celebrating Mass every Sunday afternoon.

In April 1985, Father Raymond Lee, a priest from the Diocese of Punsan, Korea, arrived to celebrate Mass with the community until August 1986. From April until August 1987 Father James Chang was temporarily assigned to celebrate Mass with the growing Korean Catholic Community in Colorado Springs. In December 1987 Father Phillip Kim from the Diocese of Masan, Korea, was formally appointed to the community by Bishop Michael Park, a first in the history of the community.

Father Kim was in Colorado Springs until October 1988, when Father Peter Heo arrived. In May 1996 Father Adriano Lee Jae Chul was assigned pastor. In March 1997 a new main church building was completed, and the following month, the Korean Community of Colorado Springs was officially given the name of St. Andrew Kim by Bishop Richard C. Hanifen.

Jesuit priest Father Bergman Lee Yong Woo came to the community as pastor in September 1997. The new church building was dedicated in May 1998. Father Mathew Koh Young Hwan, on sabbatical from Dae Chon Parish in Korea, was assigned pastor from March to November 2001.

Father Michael Kang began saying Sunday Mass at St. Andrew Kim in November 2001 and was assigned parochial vicar in August 2002. In March 2003 he became the pastor. In January 2005 ground was broken on a new parish hall. Bishop Michael J. Sheridan blessed the new hall on Sept. 10, 2006. Father Dong-Ho Chae was named pastor on Jan. 21, 2007, followed by Rev. Ju Hong (Joseph) Jeon on Jan. 10, 2012  and Rev. Kyoung Sik Choi (Jacob) in Oct 2016. Father Dong Young (Augustine)  Kim was installed as a paster of St Andrew Kim on Feb 7, 2021.

In 1901, a small church, 20 feet wide by 30 feet long, was built under the direction of Franciscan Father Hugo Kummer by Nelson H. Woods. The Franciscan Fathers took care of the mission parish along with other places along the Kansas Pacific and Rock Island railroad lines until 1909. By that time Rock Island had a spur to Colorado Springs and Father Godfrey Raber, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Colorado Springs, and his assistant were given charge of the mission parishes. In 1912 Father George Fenske was appointed pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Stratton and was also responsible for the Catholic communities in Burlington, Cheyenne Wells, Hugo and Limon.

In February 1913, Bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz of Denver appointed Father Alphonse Keiffer to the Stratton Parish with responsibility for all the missions. In May 1918, Father Keiffer moved from Stratton to the newly opened parish of Cheyenne Wells and was given the missions of Kit Carson, Hugo and Limon. Father Keiffer’s assistant, Father Michael A. Horgan, was appointed pastor of St. Anthony in Hugo along with the missions of Limon, Deer Trail and Strasburg in 1923. Three acres of land were acquired by Father Horgan, and he moved into a new rectory on Jan. 1, 1924. In August of that year the small church was moved to a site next to the new rectory, and a sacristy was added. In 1944, Father Horgan obtained a 24-by-86 feet building from the Civilian Conservation Corps, and had it moved near the church. Later on further improvements were made and the building remains as the parish hall.

In October 1945 tragedy struck St. Anthony when Father Horgan was fatally injured in an automobile crash. He was 52 years old and had been a priest for 28 years, having served 22 of them as St. Anthony’s pastor. In December 1945, Father John Scannell was appointed pastor. In 1947 Father Francis Pettit was appointed new pastor in Hugo and Limon and built a new church. The cornerstone was laid on Dec. 4, 1949, and the new church dedicated on Feb. 20, 1950. The cost of the church was $34,000. In October 1950, the Hugo Catholic Calvary Cemetery was plotted and fenced. The cemetery was started at the bequest of a man who left the property to the church suggesting that it be used for a cemetery.

In 1992, Vincentian Father Bill Rhinehart became pastor, ushering in a 10-year period when the Vincentian Fathers committed themselves to serving the parishes of eastern Plains. Father Jay Jung, another Vincentian priest, was appointed pastor and served the community from July 1999-2001. Father George V. Fagan, a former chancellor and judicial vicar for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, was appointed pastor in 2002.

Fathers Godfrey Raber, Anthony Abel and George Fenske were in charge of the Catholic congregation in Cheyenne Wells from 1909-1912. In August 1912, 24 lots of property were purchased from H.M. Schumm by Bishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz of Denver for the sum of $1. In June 1913, excavation began and the church was completed by October.

Father Alfonso Keiffer, known to many as Padre of the Plains, became the first permanent pastor in 1918. He built a rectory that is still in use today and, in 1921, organized the construction of Sacred Heart School. In the 1920s then cattle market crashed, causing the parish to go into debt. Father Keiffer began his famous Living Rosary Crusade to raise funds. Father Keiffer had Columbine Hall constructed in 1949 for social and recreational events. Due to failing eyesight, Father Keiffer discontinued active ministry in 1952.

For the next three years, the Bethlehem Fathers took care of the parish. In 1955, when Father John Canjar was assigned there, the congregation had outgrown the church, and Columbine Hall was converted into the present Sacred Heart Church. The new sanctuary was dedicated in 1957. The old church building was demolished in 1958.

Father George Kearney was appointed pastor in 1959 and organized an altar boy program. Father Clement DeWall served as pastor from 1966-69, followed by Father Gerald Stremmel. In 1970, the last graduation of eighth graders was celebrated and the school was closed in 1971 after 58 years of service. Also in 1971, Father Daniel Balzereit was appointed pastor. Under his tenure, the church was remodeled with funds from a good wheat crop and from the generosity of Father Keiffer, who had passed away on Oct. 7, 1971.

Father Leonard Hoeffler served the parish from 1973-1982, followed by Father James Morgan (1982-1984), Father James Halloran (1984-1987) and Father Thomas Kihn (1988-1991). Father Edward Sullivan arrived in 1991 and was instrumental in remodeling the church balcony and adding classrooms behind the front of the church. In 1993, Vincentian Father Thomas Kloppenborg came to Cheyenne Wells and was responsible for the new church entrance. Father Kloppenborg also started a community food pantry. In 1995, Sacred Heart School building was demolished for insurance reasons.

In June 2002, Father Khanh Pham Nguyen was named pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and tried to jumpstart parish life before having to leave in 2004 due to poor health. In August 2004, Father Jaimes Ponce became the parish administrator of Sacred Heart Parish. He organized a complete renovation of the church, which was completed by the end of July 2005 and rededicated in September of the same year. In 2007, Father Ponce went to Rome to study canon law, and Father Boleslaw Kuzma was named parish administrator. Father Kirk Slattery became pastor in October 2009. In March 2012, Father Carlos Gallardo-Morales was named temporary administrator. Father Alfredo Garcia was named pastor later in 2012, followed by Father Rafael Torres-Rico in 2013. Father Jason Keas was installed as pastor Aug. 30, 2015. Father Roylan Recio was installed as pastor on Aug. 19, 2019. In Sept. 2020 Father Dan Ayers was assigned as parochial administrator.

In 2004, a few local Catholic families started talking about the need for a parish and a Catholic elementary school in Falcon. This idea was brought to the attention of Bishop Michael Sheridan, who was well aware of the population projections for the area. A community meeting was scheduled with diocesan officials for Jan. 19, 2005, in the gymnasium of Falcon Middle School. The best guess, based on word of mouth, was that about 20 to 25 people might attend; 120 very interested Catholics attended. On Ash Wednesday of that year, a special Mass was celebrated in the gym for 200 of the faithful. On May 22, 2005, the Catholic Community of Falcon started having Mass every Sunday, with priests provided by Father Paul Wicker, pastor of Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs. Father Paul was instrumental from the beginning in the promotion of this new faith community, and is currently the canonical pastor. On July 11, 2005, the Feast of St. Benedict, Bishop Sheridan designated the Falcon Faith Community as a quasi-parish, naming it after that most venerable saint and in honor of the newly named Pope Benedict XVI.

A religious education program started in September 2005 for 70 students in first grade through first-year Confirmation preparation. Twenty children received their first holy Communion that school year. In the 2006-07 school year, the religious education program grew to 92 students, with 18 receiving first holy Communion and 20 receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. St. Benedict has added adult religious formation, kindergarten classes, a vacation Bible school during the summer and a youth program. Due to a shortage of priests in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, in December 2006 Bishop Sheridan appointed Deacon Lynn Sherman as parish director of St. Benedict.

In July 2012, St. Benedict Parish purchased a thirty-five acre ranch that included two houses and a large barn/loafing shed. Parishioners assisted with extensive clean-up of the property. The barn was the Parish Hall. One house served as the church office. The other house was designated for a rectory for the first pastor.

The remodel of the Parish Hall into the new church began in March 2017 and was completed in late September 2017. Bishop Michael Sheridan dedicated St. Benedict Catholic Church, on October 8, 2017, and consecrated the altar.

On July 1, 2017, Fr. Jaimes Ponce became the first Pastor of St. Benedict Catholic Church. On July 1, 2019, Fr. Francisco Quezada became the Parochial Administrator for St. Benedict.  On July 1, 2020, Fr. Michael Goodyear became the pastor of St. Benedict Catholic Church.

In 1910, a priest would come from Colorado Springs and say Mass once a month in Burlington. At that time, Mass was held in homes, using chairs, wooden benches and occasionally bales of hay for seating. In 1916, the parish was established and a small wood frame church was built under the guidance of Father Alphonse C. Keiffer, pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Stratton. As the parish steadily grew, the bishop assigned Father Joseph Lane as the first resident pastor in September 1949. In 1969, a building fund was established for the purchase of property and new, larger church. In 1974, Archbishop James V. Casey granted permission to proceed with the building. In August 1975, the parish gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony. Archbishop Casey celebrated the dedication Mass for the new church on July 3, 1976. The mortgage on the church was retired in December 1986. During this time the youth of the parish held their classes at the local Knights of Columbus hall and at a nearby Lutheran church. The youth programs quickly outgrew their facilities. Father Hank Grodecki created a fundraising drive for a parish hall. Raising half of the funds needed and pledges for the rest, groundbreaking for the center took place in the spring of 1996. The mortgage for the parish center was retired in the fall of 2006.

On Jan. 9, 2004, vandals desecrated and set the church on fire. Father Frank Quezada was pastor at the time and called for parishes in the diocese, especially those in the Plains and churches around the country, to come together to help and lend financial support to the restoration of the church building. The church was rebuilt by the parishioners. The design, most of the wood furnishings, the great cross, door handles, the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in bronze, the bell tower and louvers have all come from the hands of parishioners. The statue of St. Catherine of Siena, the only one to have survived the fire unscathed, along with the rebuilt Stations of the Cross and the original processional cross from the first church have been placed in the new church and are a constant reminder of the heritage and the struggles of the people of the eastern Plains of Colorado. Bishop Michael J. Sheridan presided over the dedication Mass of the refurbished church on Oct. 1, 2005.

In 1910, after having Mass once a month in a hall above a bank, St. Charles members built a church. Father Alphonse C. Keiffer was appointed the first pastor in 1913. In 1915, a two-story brick rectory was built, followed by an academy in 1920. After the Great Depression and drought, timely rains returned, followed by good crops and the generosity of the parishioners, leading to a new and larger church dedicated on July 28, 1949. In 1952 a large hall, auditorium, kitchen and dining facilities were built and dedicated on Dec. 15, 1952. In 1969, the academy was closed, torn down and left a vacant lot. In 1996, in an effort to eliminate taxes on the church’s unimproved lot, Father Will Menard created prayer parks, “Our Lady of the Plains” and “Our Lord of the Plains.” The prayer parks were funded from garage sales, bake sales, memorial funds and gifts of time and talent. They are adorned with bronze statues created by Herberto Maestas of San Luis, Colo., and Norbert Ohnmacht of Burlington, Colo. These parks are visited frequently by travelers off I-70 and tour groups.

The parish also stresses vocations to the priesthood. Over the years three young men have become priests, one has entered the permanent diaconate and eight women have entered religious life.

One of the most popular activities of the parishioners is the annual St. Charles Bazaar, originally known as the Fall Festival and the Harvest Festival. The bazaar started out as a way to erase the church debt and, over the years, has turned into a tradition. Along with a dinner served by the Altar Rosary Society, bingo, carnival games, a quilt raffle, an auction and a reverse raffle make for a popular community event and fundraising effort.

When St. Catherine of Siena Church was destroyed by vandalism and a fire in 2004, St. Charles Borromeo Parish provided spiritual support and facilities.

On Nov. 30, 2008, Holy Family Parish in Security and St. Joseph Parish in Fountain merged to form a new parish, St. Dominic. Nick Venetucci and his wife Bambi donated 15 acres of land on the Venetucci Farm property to be used to build a new Catholic Church in the Fountain Valley.

Bishop Michael Sheridan and Father Bill Carmody, pastor of both St. Joseph and Holy Family parishes, celebrated a Blessing of the Land on May 9, 2004. The parishioners celebrated this occassion by having a picnic after the blessing. Bishop Sheridan, along with Father Carmody and the Building and Grounds Committee, led the official groundbreaking ceremony on July 7, 2007.

Both St. Joseph and Holy Family Parishes had a contest to name the new church and three possibilities were submitted to Bishop Sheridan. Bishop Sheridan made his choice and these two parishes together became St. Dominic Parish on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2008. The official dedication of St. Dominic Church took place on March 16, 2010.

On 1 July 2014 Fr. John D. Stearns was assigned as Parochial Vicar to St. Dominic Catholic Church. After the death of Fr. Bill Carmody, Fr. John was appointed administrator and on 1 July 2017, he was assigned as the 2nd pastor for the parish. On 1 July 2022, Fr. John was transferred to Our Lady of the Visitation in Elizabeth, Colorado and Fr. Ricardo Rosales was assigned as the 3rdpastor of St. Dominic Catholic Church.

The parish’s first church was financed partly through the efforts of Henry Hart of Ireland, who came to Douglas County in 1880, to visit his nephew, William Dillon. Hart saw the need for a church, and Adeloide Hart of Ireland, William’s mother, left money as a nucleus for a building fund. The family’s one request was that the church be named St. Francis of Assisi in honor of William’s brother, who was a Franciscan priest.

By 1887, pledges amounting to $500, some from non-Catholics, had been collected. It was decided that the church would be built of rhyolite stone from the local quarries. The carpenters’ names are unknown although stories tell of donated labor. In December 1888, the Castle Rock Journal reported: “The dedication of the new Catholic church took place last Sabbath (Dec. 16, 1888). Quite a large congregation was in attendance. The church having been blessed and dedicated, a collection was then taken up and $27.50 realized, the whole of which sum was handed to Mr. Dillon to assist paying off the small debt still remaining on the church.”

In 1966, the parish relocated to the present location on Fifth Street and the original church building is now a restaurant on The Square. St. Francis of Assisi serves the needs of Catholics in Castle Rock, Sedalia, Larkspur, Franktown and other surrounding communities. On October 4, 2011, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a newly completed sanctuary was dedicated which now seats over 800 parishioners.

In the early 1980s, a small group of Catholics approached the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at Mount St. Francis about joining them for worship services. Eventually this community that serves the northwest Colorado Springs area was granted mission status by Bishop Richard C. Hanifen in 1981.

As the community of parishioners grew, Bishop Hanifen named St. Francis a parish in 1987, under the direction of a parish director. In February 1989, a 50-year lease was signed between the Sisters of Mount St. Francis and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which gave the parish a home.

As the parish continued to grow, it became necessary to remodel the worship space. This renovation was completed in 1997. New construction of a ministry center was then begun and was completed and dedicated in August 2001. The ministry center provides additional meeting rooms/classrooms, a parish hall, a kitchen and a narthex. Rev. Kenneth Przybyla become Pastor on September 1, 2011.

In January 1998, a small group of Catholic lay people met to discuss the creation of a parish in northern Colorado Springs. Over the next few months, planning continued, culminating with the first Mass celebrated by Fr. Paul Wicker at Mountain Ridge Middle School on May 4, 1998.

In December of 1999, St. Gabriel and the Diocese of Colorado Springs purchased 17 acres of land for a new church. A generous dowry from St. Patrick’s Parish was also used for the land purchase and construction. During his first episcopal visit on June 11, 2000, Bishop Hanifen granted St. Gabriel full parish status and Fr. Gus was installed as the parish’s first pastor.

Ground was broken for a new church in October 2003, with Bishop Michael J. Sheridan presiding.  The new worship space was blessed on Dec. 19, 2004. Fr. C. Robert Manning was installed as pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel on Aug. 5, 2007 - March 2012. Fr. Kirk Slattery was installed as pastor on March 18, 2012. Additional office space and classrooms were added in 2012.

Under his leadership the parish was guided to create a unique community event called Briarfest which brings in the surrounding community of more than 30,000 guest over 3 days each year.  In 2021 (amid Covid) a new parish center was built that included a parish hall, kitchen, adoration chapel, reliquary, bell tower, child care center, vesting rooms, expanded Narthex, music room, playground & Shroud of Turin center of education.

FUTURE SCHOOL, RECTORY and Mater Filius home starting this summer of 2022. St. Gabriel Classical Academy  - Stgclassical.com  First Day of Class opened Aug. 2022.

The mission of the St. John Henry Newman Chapel and Catholic Student Center is to form lifelong missionary disciples in Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.

Newman Centers are facilities located on or near secular college and university campuses throughout the United States, helping young adults come to and remain in the Catholic faith.

Catholic worship was first held in Fairplay in the early 1860s by Father Joseph Machebeuf, a French missionary, who had been sent to Colorado from New Mexico. In the early years, Father Machebeuf traveled by wagon train from Denver to South Park to say mass and for pastoral visits to the mining camps that were located throughout the area.

In the years that followed, Father Machebeuf continued to serve Colorado and became the first Bishop of Denver. One of his first acts was to appoint a young, energetic priest, Father Henry Robinson, to serve the local community in and around Fariplay, which included Alma and Como. Father Robinson established St. Joseph’s Catholic Mission in 1874.

Now, 135 years later, the small, wood frame church is still standing and continues to be the focal point for a growing Catholic community that includes visitors and all of the communities west of Kenosha Pass in northern Park County. On June 25, 2010, St. Josephs Church entered a new era with the dedication of a brand new church adjacent to the historic one. Now there is enough room to welcome both locals and visitors alike into the growing community.

The first Mass in the Salida area was celebrated by Father Henry Robinson in 1875 at the home of the Burnett family in Poncha Springs. Father P.J. Gleason became the first resident pastor in Salida in 1885. He offered Mass at Central School because fire had destroyed the small frame church that was believed to have been built by Father Robinson in 1880. A new church was built in 1889 and would later be used as a school. By the turn of the century, 56 Catholic families were living in Salida and Buena Vista. The current church on the corner of Fifth and D streets was built by Msgr. Dean T. Wolohan in 1909. Father Maurice Gallagher was the pastor who organized the construction of a new school building, which opened its doors in September 1957. Father Gallagher also supervised the remodeling of the interior of the church to follow the directives of the Second Vatican Council.

Father Gerald Bruggeman (1970-80) had to replace the plaster on the ceiling with wood paneling, when it began to crack and fall, to prevent injury. Father Joseph Halloran was assigned to St. Joseph until January 1991 and was followed by Father Ernie Bond. Father Bond had the difficult task of suspending operation of the school. In 2004 the Chaffee County Boys and Girls club began leasing the building.

In June 1995, Father Kenneth Przybyla came from the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., to be the parish administrator and began renovation of the church. On Feb 2, 1997, Bishop Richard C. Hanifen rededicated the remodeled church. During the summer of 1999, transformation of school building began in earnest. The building that had served the community as a school for so long is now a state-of-the-art conference center. Father Bogdan Siewiera, a priest of the Diocese of Tarnow, Poland, became pastor on June 30, 2007. In March 2009, St. Joseph Parish celebrated the 100th anniversary of its church building. In August 2013, Father Jim Williams became pastor of St. Joseph Parish.

In March 1966, a small group of Catholics from the Southgate area of southeastern Colorado Springs, with a petition signed by over 1,000 people, approached Archbishop Urban J. Vehr urging him to form a new parish in their area. On June 24, 1966, Archbishop Vehr appointed Father Dean Kumba, then the assistant pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Denver, the founding pastor of St. Joseph Parish.

The new parish included Stratton Meadows, Park Meadows, Stratmoor Hills, Stratmoor Valley and parts of Ivywild neighborhoods. Groundbreaking for a new church took place on March 12, 1967. Medals of St. Joseph and St. Jude were buried under the site. The new church was dedicated on May 1, 1968, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Over 500 people attended, including 100 priests for the historic Mass. The parish facility included a sanctuary with seating for over 400 people, classrooms, a social hall and parish offices. The statues and Stations of the Cross were hand sculpted by Giaccomo V. Mussner of Bolzano, Italy. The church received an Area Beautiful Award as one of the most attractive additions to the City of Colorado Springs in 1969.

In the past 30 years, St. Joseph Parish has grown in numbers, ministries and programs with the involvement of its members. During the Jubilee Year 2000, Father Khanh San Hoang designated St. Joseph Church as a stewardship parish, dedicated to the principles of Christian stewardship. On Feb.10, 2001, the renovated St. Joseph Church was dedicated. The new construction at St. Joseph Parish consisted of an expanded sanctuary, a choir area, two new wings in the nave with increased seating for 175, a new confessional, a cry room and a baptismal font. Classrooms and a social hall that seats 250 were also added. In January 2011, the parish completed construction of new offices and a rectory.

From the beginning days of the diocese, discussions were held about establishing another parish in northern Douglas County. The questions to be answered were: Where? When? Bishop Hanifen met with concerned Catholics in the Highlands Ranch area. St. Mark was established and the first Mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday 2000 at Thunder Ridge High School.

Groundbreaking for the church building took place on March 21, 2004. The first Mass in the church was April 4, 2005. The church dedication took place on April 25, 2005, the Feast of St. Mark. A new rectory was built on the parish grounds in 2014.

In early January 1947, Denver Archbishop Urban J. Vehr granted Father Edward Dinan permission to say Mass and “administer whatever sacraments might be necessary or useful” in Flagler. Father Dinan was traveling to Flagler once a month from St. Charles Church in Stratton. By the end of that same January, Father Dinan had a plan in place to purchase a school building for $1,775 and have it moved to Flagler. The people in Flagler signed up to furnish the foundation for the building. Archbishop Vehr pledged $500 for “either the construction work or for the furnishings of the interior of the chapel.”

After the construction of the foundation and addition of a vestibule, the church was ready for the first official Mass on Oct. 26, 1947. Father Dinan reported that approximately 75 people attended Mass every Sunday. By 1952, Father Dinan was in the early stages of planning for a school. In July 1959, St. Mary Parish got a new church, as was reported by The Flagler News.

Along with new shrubs and benches in the front the church the parish has recently dedicated a new statue of Mary.

St. Mary of the Rockies was established in 1990 for the eastern portion of Park County along Highway 285, west of Kenosha Pass. Bailey is not a true town, but a Post Office that serves more than 3,850 boxes in the area, plus Pine, Shawnee and Grant boxes. Many of the residences are in subdivisions that are considered the “neighborhoods” of the parish.

With the parishioners doing much of the construction, a new worship space and parish center was completed in 2001. A scenic cross tower with tuned wind chimes greets those who arrive and leave church. A decorative sign was also created to call attention to the location of the church along the principle access road. The parish pastoral council published a parish pastoral plan for 2006-10 that uses the Diocesan Pastoral Plan as its blueprint.

The parish offers religious education for children through high school grades, RCIA and youth ministry and spiritual formation for adults. The mountain community is unique in many ways and the parishioners are deeply committed to enhance the spiritual and physical needs of the community.

St. Mary’s Cathedral is the mother church of Roman Catholicism in the Pikes Peak Region. Pioneer priest Father Joseph Machebeuf said the earliest public Mass in Colorado Springs in May 1873, when the city was 2 years old. The congregation attended services in stores, meeting halls and several temporary chapels until 1888, when the present property on Kiowa Street was purchased for $3,100. By 1891, the basement of the present structure was completed. The superstructure was completed in 1898 and dedication ceremonies were held Dec. 19, 1898.

From 1902-04, a substantial interior remodeling project was conducted and the bell towers were added. Gothic arched plaster ceilings, the six side aisle windows and electric lighting were added in 1907. During 1923-24 the stained glass windows of the clerestory and the stained glass windows on the east and west walls of the apse were added. In 1930, limestone facings were added to the three main entrances and adjacent windows and the rose window over the choir loft was changed to its current configuration. The exterior of the church underwent a major renovation in 1961, resulting in the main entrance steps and ramp. The interior was modernized in 1963, with new lighting, decoration, pews and the construction of a new sacristy.

In January 1984, the Diocese of Colorado Springs was established and Richard C. Hanifen was installed as its first bishop. This event ushered in another remodeling effort to turn a parish church into a diocesan cathedral. By the late 1990s, the cathedral was in need of repair and remodeling. In 1998, the Nehemiah Team — a group of volunteers and professionals from the parish and diocese — was formed to guide the project. Over the next 18 months, many planning and consultation meetings led to the development of a $7.5 million project which provided total renewal of the worship space, a new entrance way on Kiowa Street, a gathering space, a plaza on the east and north sides of the church,15 new meeting rooms and classrooms, new sacristies, hospitality rooms and a catechumen room. Groundbreaking took place in May 2002, and construction was completed fall of 2003 under the leadership of current Bishop Michael J. Sheridan. The cathedral is recognized as a national historic landmark. In 2009, a new rectory was built on the north side of the property.

St. Michael parish was founded in 1905. Father G. Raber built the first church in Calhan, now known as St. Michael.  Gradually, four other churches were consolidated and a new church was built in 1967. As the years progressed our lovely church is now joined by a large two- story education building and a freshly remodeled rectory. This parish is a very close knit family, always ready to welcome new parishioners. We are truly dedicated to serving The Lord through our beautiful parish out on the plains.

There are active men’s and women’s clubs, and highlights of the year include Christmas caroling, the annual bazaar and a Seder meal. On June 26, 2005, St. Michael celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Mass and a carnival.

St. Patrick was established in July 1981 as a part of the Archdiocese of Denver, with Father John Slattery as founding pastor. In 1984, it became a part of the newly established Diocese of Colorado Springs. From a start of 30 families, St. Patrick’s has grown to more than 6,700 members.

In April 1987, the original church facility was dedicated. In December 2004, an intensive nine-month construction project was completed and a new Center for Formation and Mission (CFM) was dedicated. A major renovation and remodeling of the sanctuary of the church was also completed. In July 2012, the parish celebrated the elimination of its entire debt on the center, with Father Larry Solan burning the mortgage papers. The Bonzel Hall and Church Kitchen were renovated in 2014.

St. Paul was designated a parish on Nov. 15, 1925. Father Louis Hagus was the first pastor and served from 1925 until his death in July 1935. The second pastor was Msgr. Michael Harrington, who served from 1935 until 1974. He served at St. Paul’s in Emeritus status from 1974 to 1984 and died May 16, 1986. Pauline Memorial School opened in September 1955 with kindergarten and four grades. A convent was built for eight nuns in 1961. The school had grown to eight grades by 1962.

The congregation celebrated Mass in Pauline Chapel until the present church was built in 1959. The first service was Christmas Midnight Mass in the year of construction. The church was dedicated by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr on Feb. 2, 1960. The third pastor for St. Paul Parish was Father Theodore Haas, who served from 1974 to 1984. Father Robert Mann replaced him in 1984 and served there until 1987.

The convent was converted into an administrative offices/activities center in 1985. Father John Slattery served as pastor pro-tem from 1987 to 1988, when Father Thomas Currier was assigned there. Father Currier served until 1992, when Father John Auer was named pastor. The parish’s current pastor, Msgr. Bob Jaeger, who also serves the diocese as vicar general and vicar for clergy, was assigned there in July 2008. St. Paul Parish serves the Broadmoor neighborhood of southwestern Colorado Springs.

St. Peter Parish traces its heritage to 12 families who celebrated Mass at the Modern Woodmen of the World Hall in Monument in the early 1900s. Construction of a church began in 1911, and this building currently stands north of the new church. By the middle of the 1970s, the mission’s members numbered 90 families. Ground was broken for a new church in 1977 under the guidance of Father William Vollmer. The church community became a parish with a new church building in 1984, with Father Dean Kumba being named the first resident pastor.

Growth led to St. Peter building another new church. It was dedicated on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in 1994, and the old church became the parish hall. The St. Peter community continued to grow under the direction of Father (now Msgr.) Robert Jaeger, who was appointed pastor in 1994 after Father Kumba’s retirement. St. Peter completed the building of its parish education center next to the church in January 2003. In May 2004, St. Peter completed its first full year of preschool and kindergarten in the education center, with first grade added in 2005. The school has added a grade each year since then and graduated its first eighth-grade class in 2014.

The parish completed a $5 million expansion project to include a parish hall/gymnasium with a commercial kitchen, four classrooms for the school and religious education programs, an expansion of the church and a new office complex. Holy Cross Father Jeffrey Schneibel served as pastor of the parish from July 2008 to June 2010. On July 1, 2010, Father Don Brownstein was named pastor of St. Peter Parish. Fr. Gregory  Golyzniak was named pastor of St. Peter Parish on August 19, 2003. A new rectory was built across from the church in 2014. The parish serves communities in Monument, Palmer Park, Larkspur, Gleneagle, Woodmoor and north El Paso County.

Cripple Creek evolved from the Colorado gold mining boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. St. Peter Parish was founded in 1892, when Denver Archbishop Nicholas Chrysostom Matz sent Cripple Creek its first resident priest, Father T. Volpe, who selected the highest hill in town for the church. The foundation stone was laid in 1897. A school located on the lot closest to the church opened in 1901, under the charge of the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy also opened the town’s first hospital in 1894 across the street from the church.

The town of Cripple Creek began to suffer from the decline of the gold mining boom, leading to lower attendances by the 1930s. The town held a relatively quiet existence for several decades before legalized gaming was approved for Cripple Creek in the early 1990s. Casinos quickly sprouted up and have brought new attention to the town as a tourist destination.

St. Peter is now a Chapel of Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Woodland Park. St. Peter Chapel features ornate altars in the pre-Vatican II style, liturgical artwork, and handcrafted stained glass. It also features a grotto dedicated to the Blessed Mother. A new roof installed a few years ago increased the church’s visibility, particularly when the roof reflects sunlight to the view of the townspeople.

Before Buena Vista came into existence as a town, French missionary Father Joseph Machebeuf had a mission station in the vicinity at a place called Cottonwood, (the site of the present Buena Vista). Beginning in the late 1850s, he used to celebrate Mass at different homes for a very small congregation. When the Rio Grande Railroad came in 1880, Buena Vista grew rapidly. The first Catholic church was built that year by Father Thomas Cahill. Father Cahill left Buena Vista in 1881 and was succeeded by Father Michael C. Brennan. The parish has been cared for by various diocesan priests along with the Benedictine Fathers from Cañon City, who served the parish from 1921-1923 and again from 1944-1956.

In 1956, the parish was taken over by the Diocese of Pueblo, with Father John F. Shockley assigned as pastor. He served until 1960, when he was named full-time chaplain of a reformatory but was available to assist at Mass at St. Rose whenever needed. In 1963, Father Joseph Reade was appointed administrator, and he was followed by Father Michael Corbett in 1965. It was under him that the new church, hall and rectory (now the parish center and rectory) were started. He was succeeded in August 1967 by Father Jerome Rykowski, under whom the building project was finished. After the church hall and rectory were constructed, the old original church was no longer needed, so it was proposed that it be burned down by the Buena Vista volunteer fire department in the spring of 1969. However, Mrs. Marie Skogburg moved the church to Forest Square Park, where it now serves as the visitors center and office of the Buena Vista Area Chamber of Commerce.

After serving the church for 10 years, Father Rykowski was replaced by Msgr. Francis Faistl in 1977. Msgr. Faistl retired in 1980, and Father Gerald Bruggeman was appointed pastor. In 1984, St. Rose of Lima became part of the newly created Diocese of Colorado Springs. It was also in 1984 that construction began on the present church. Father John Auer was assigned to St. Rose that year, and the church was completed under him. On Dec. 8, 1985, Bishop Richard C. Hanifen dedicated the new church. Father Auer was pastor until 1988, when Benedictine Abbot Warren Heidgen was assigned and served for 14 years. Vincentian Father William Rhinehart succeeded him in 2002 and served until 2007, when Father Stephen Parlet was appointed pastor.

The Catholic Center is a ministry of the Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Conrad. St. Francis of Assisi did not wait for the people to come to him, but instead went into the streets and markets of his time proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today the Capuchins seek to bring this same Gospel message to the modern marketplace.

In July 1975, the first Vietnamese immigrants settled in Colorado Springs. Father Matthew Minh Thanh Tran, working for the United States Catholic Council, came to Colorado Springs in 1976 to celebrate Mass for about half a dozen families at a home on Wahsatch and Platte avenues downtown.

The first president of the local Vietnamese Catholic Community was Nguyen Van Cuong. The community celebrated Mass from 1984-92 in the Pauline Chapel at St. Paul Parish in the Broadmoor section of Colorado Springs. In 1992 the Vietnamese Catholic Community moved to the basement of the diocesan chancery (at that time located on Kiowa Street across from St. Mary’s Cathedral) to celebrate Mass. That year, the quasi-parish of the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs was formed by the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

In 2001, with the help of the diocese, Vietnamese Holy Martyrs acquired a church at 1133 Wahsatch Ave., where the community continues to worship. Father Matthew Minh died in 2005 shortly after retiring and was replaced by a parochial administrator, Father Augustine Nguyen. In June 2009, Father Joseph Vu, a priest of the Diocese of Tulsa (Okla.) who recently retired as a military chaplain for the U.S. Air Force, was named the first pastor.