The Ave Maria Catholic Mission was founded by Rt. Rev. Msgr.
John Judnic, who served as Colorado Springs Monsignor from
1913-1915. The area's first mass was celebrated in Deepe Dance Hall
in downtown Parker. On Feb. 5, 1915, G. W. Parker sold the land for
the new church, and the foundation and floor joists were laid 10
months later. The frame church was completed by 1916 as the result
of donations from local residents as well as The Extension Society
of Chicago. Local contributors included: Mr. and Mrs. William
O'Brien; Mrs. Katherine Cline, grandparents of Mrs. Jean Elliot, a
current resident of Parker; Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carberry
grandparents of Mrs. Geniveve Chubb; Mr. and Mrs. Tom O'Neil; Mr.
and Mrs. William Duray; and Mr. and Mrs. Cameil Vynekier. Father
William Larkin celebrated the first Mass on Jan. 12, 1916 and
served as parish priest for the first year. A Parcel Post sale
netting $65 was held on Dec. 28, 1917 to finance a belfry for the
structure. At that time the Mission of Ave Maria Parish was located
at the northern edge of an enclave of the small plains missions in
Elbert, Castle Rock, Kiowa, Elizabeth, and Monument.
Ave Maria Mission saw many priests during the period of 1917 to
1955. Pastors were: Father Larkin (1916-1917), Father C. J. Vaughn
(1917-1921), Father Joseph Bastine (1921), Father Andrew Murphy
(1922-1932), Father Bernard Gillick (1932-1933), and Father Walter
Steidel (1933-1955). In 1955, Catholic Church activities were moved
to Castle Rock; and the old church was boarded up and sat idle
until May 1982. St. Matthew's Episcopal Mission had acquired
several parcels of land just west of Pikes Peak and south of
Pilgrim Place. (In 1982, Pilgrim Place was known as University
Place.) They were looking for a worship space and learned about the
empty and unused Ave Maria Chapel. As they said, "We were a family
without a church; and the chapel was a church without a family."
Melba Investors offered the building to St. Matthew's and the
Mission started to get ready to accept this generous offer: raise
enough money to affect the move down Mainstreet, and construct a
foundation for its new location. Finally, in September 1982, Melba
Investors signed over the deed to the chapel and St. Matthew's
moved it to its current location.
On March 10, 1983, Archbishop James V. Casey officially renamed
this Parker church "Ave Maria". In 1983, Father McDaid left
Colorado to study Cannon Law in Rome, and Father Dennis Dwyar
became pastor. The first Mass at the chapel was celebrated at 11
a.m. on Oct. 7, 1984. Official occupancy of the facility occurred
on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 1984 followed by its dedication on Feb. 20,
1985.
The chapel remained unfinished until 1985 when St. Matthew's
finished the interior and it finally became their worship space.
St. Matthew's used two of its parishioners to do the job: Dick
Lehman was the architect and Mike Gorman the general contractor
operating his business, McGee Construction. The curved framing in
the original windows were preserved in the current stained glass
window replacements.
By 1994, the 27x47 ft. size of the Ave Maria Chapel became too
small to handle the growing congregation at St. Matthew's. In
February 1995, St. Matthew's entered into a new agreement: this
time to "grow" the Ave Maria Chapel through its north wall. This
time St. Matthew's contracted with a Denver architectural firm, but
again used one of its parishioners, Mike Kelley as the general
contractor. Except for its north side the, Ave Maria Chapel remains
in its original condition.
St Matthew's has grown from Mission to Parish status over the
years since the chapel was relocated. There have been several
priests in residence during this time, too. Father Rick Myers was
the Vicar of St. Matthew's Mission in 1982; Father Michael
Richardson is currently the Rector at St. Matthew's Parish.
Presently there exists a new Ave Maria Roman Catholic Church on
East Mainstreet.