About Ascension · Denver, Colorado
Ascension Catholic Parish is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the Montbello neighborhood of northeast Denver, Colorado, serving the faithful from 14050 Maxwell Place in the 80239 ZIP code. Founded in 1971, it belongs to the Archdiocese of Denver and is one of the most Mass-rich parishes in the city, offering roughly 18 Masses each week in both English and Spanish, with the vast majority celebrated in Spanish. The parish's motto — "We are a strong and diverse community united in Christ" / "Somos una comunidad fuerte y diversa unidos en Cristo" — captures its identity as a multi-ethnic, working-class community that has long partnered with the City of Denver on outreach in Montbello, including COVID-19 testing and food distribution during the pandemic.
- Established
- 1971
- Patron
- The Ascension of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Dan Norick
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Ascension Catholic Parish is a welcoming bilingual community where English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics can pray, worship, and serve side by side. With six Sunday Masses, daily Mass, two days of confessions, extensive Eucharistic Adoration, and dozens of prayer groups, choirs, Bible studies, youth groups, and marriage and family movements, there is a place for nearly every age and devotion. The parish also has a strong outreach footprint — food distribution, charity sandwich-making, English-language classes, pro-life work, and home visits to the sick — making it a natural home for Catholics who want to live their faith through service in the Montbello community.
Mass times at Ascension
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30–6:30 pm (English/Spanish)
- Friday 5:30–6:30 pm (English/Spanish)
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 am – 6:30 pm (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Church or Small Chapel)
- Friday 9:00 am – 6:30 pm (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Church or Small Chapel)
- First Friday of the month 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
About Ascension Catholic Parish
Ascension Catholic Parish is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in Denver's Montbello neighborhood, part of the Archdiocese of Denver. The parish's welcome message — "We are a strong and diverse community united in Christ" — reflects both its cultural mix and its long history of serving the northeast Denver community.
- Archdiocese of Denver
- Montbello neighborhood
- Bilingual English/Spanish parish
History of Ascension Parish
The Montbello Catholic parish began in 1971 with two people and $23 in its treasury. Within a few years it had grown to roughly 380 families. Its founding pastor, Rev. James F. McQuade, spoke publicly about the parish's racial diversity — about 60% white and 40% Black — and the conscious effort to welcome everyone. The parish has continued that diversity into the present, now predominantly Hispanic alongside English-speaking parishioners.
- Founded 1971 in Montbello
- Started with two members and $23 in treasury
- Rev. James F. McQuade served as founding pastor
- Diverse congregation from early years (approx. 60% white / 40% Black in the 1970s)
- 2020 partnership with Mayor Hancock and City of Denver on COVID-19 testing, food pantry, and backpack giveaway
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the Mass in a variety of liturgical roles, including ushers/greeters, altar servers (fourth grade through adult), lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar decoration, and choirs in both English and Spanish.
- Ushers / Greeters — Ruben Garcia (720) 982-0301 (Spanish), Fr. Dan Norick (303) 373-4950 x113 (English)
- Music Ministry — Leonard Lujan 303-373-0917 (English); Manuel Guardado 303-332-3803 (Spanish)
- Altar Servers — Rocio Galindo 303-884-9151 (Spanish); Scarlett 303-668-6415; Diana Johnson 303-373-1035 (English)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (also visit homes and hospitals)
- Lectors
- Altar Decoration
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education classes are offered for ages 8 and up through adults, preparing students for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, and Confession. Aletse Banuelos serves as Coordinator of Religious Education. The parish also walks with inquirers through the Becoming Catholic / RCIA process.
- Religious Education for ages 8+ through adults (Coordinator: Ms. Aletse Banuelos, x116, [email protected])
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic (Entrando la Fe Católica)
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Confession preparation
Small Groups & Faith Communities
Ascension hosts an unusually rich network of small groups — some in English, some in Spanish, and some bilingual. Bible study, the Camino Neocatecumenal, Comunidad de Cristo, Crecimiento Espiritual, marriage encounter, and youth and young-adult groups all meet on parish grounds.
- Bible Study — Tuesdays 6:00 pm, Room 0 (Deacon David 720-419-4210)
- Camino Neocatecumenal — English (Stephen 719-320-0934) and Spanish (Jorge 720-810-1245), Saturdays 7:00 pm Rm 4–5
- Comunidad de Cristo — Thursdays 7:00 pm, Rm 7 (Rosaura 720-229-7971)
- Crecimiento Espiritual — Tuesdays 7:15–9:00 pm, Rm 4–5 (Liz y Saul 720-366-1469)
- ESNE — some Sundays 4:00 pm (Chary)
- Encuentros Matrimoniales (Maria & Marco Govea 720-385-6361)
- Escuelas San Andrés
- Prevención y Rescate
- Young Adults / Jóvenes Adultos (Claudia 720-327-5062)
- High School Youth Group — Tuesdays 7:00 pm, Rm 4–5 (Greydi 720-447-5243)
Devotions & Prayer Groups
Beyond the Mass and the Sacraments, parishioners gather for ongoing devotions including the Divine Mercy Rosary, Adoración Nocturna, and the Consecrated Hearts of Jesus and Mary men's and women's groups.
- Divine Mercy Rosary — Friday 9:00 am in the Church (Diana Johnson 303-373-1035)
- Adoración Nocturna
- Consecrated Hearts of Jesus — Mass 1st Saturday 8:00 am (Diana Johnson 303-373-1035)
- Consagrados Corazones de Jesús y María — 3rd Saturday Men 9:00 pm (Carlos 720-727-3135), 4th Saturday Women 9:00 pm (Rufina 720-324-6667)
Outreach & Charitable Works
Ascension has a deep culture of service to the surrounding Montbello neighborhood, including regular food distribution, sandwich-making for the homeless, English-language classes, a pro-life ministry, visits to the sick, and health and learning initiatives like Vuela por Salud and La Piñata de Aprendizaje.
- Food Distribution — Mondays & Fridays 8:00 am
- Charity — Sandwiches for the Homeless
- Visita a los Enfermos (Visits to the Sick)
- Pro-Vida (Pro-Life)
- Clases de Inglés (English-language classes for parishioners)
- LA Piñata de Aprendizaje — Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 am–12:00 pm, Rm 12 (Blanca 303-505-1113)
- Vuela por Salud — Friday 5:30 pm (Maria Elena 303-503-9314)
- Parish Planning (Fr. Dan Norick 303-373-4950 x113)
- Cleaning / Limpieza
Our Team (Clergy & Staff)
Ascension is served by a pastor, two vicars, three deacons (including a seminarian), and a small lay staff who keep the parish office, religious education, and facilities running.
- Rev. Dan Norick, Pastor — [email protected] (x113)
- Rev. Alvaro Panqueva, Vicar — apanpe@[email protected] (x114)
- Rev. Sebastian Splawinski, Vicar (x115)
- Deacon Ruben Estrada — [email protected]
- Deacon Dave Cadregari — [email protected]
- Deacon Seminarian Jacob Machado — [email protected]
- Mrs. Rocio Ramirez, Office Manager (x117)
- Mrs. Mariela Corona, Secretary (x111)
- Ms. Aletse Banuelos, Coordinator of Religious Education (x116)
- Juvenal Gallegos, Janitorial Staff
Visit & Contact
The parish office is at 14050 Maxwell Place in northeast Denver. Office hours are extensive on Mondays (until 9:00 pm) to accommodate working parishioners.
- Address: 14050 Maxwell Place, Denver, CO 80239
- Phone: (303) 373-4950 — Fax: (303) 373-4954
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday 9:30 am–12:00 pm & 3:30–9:00 pm; Tuesday–Thursday 9:30 am–12:00 pm & 3:30–6:00 pm; Friday 9:30 am–3:00 pm
Giving
Ascension offers electronic giving / débito directo to support the parish's mission and charitable works.
- Electronic Giving / Débito Directo available through the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James F. McQuade1971–?
Founding pastor of the Montbello Catholic parish; spoke publicly in the 1970s about the parish's racially diverse membership.