About Holy Family · Fort Collins, Colorado
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Denver located at 326 N. Whitcomb Street in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded in 1924 (with its own church building erected in 1929), it grew out of a 1924 request by Father George Joseph LaJeunese of St. Joseph's Church for a priest to serve the Spanish-speaking Catholic community of sugar-beet and sugar-factory workers in the Alta Vista neighborhood. For nearly a century it has served as the spiritual heart of the Hispanic Catholic community across Northern Colorado, offering Masses in English, Spanish, and bilingually, and continuing today as a welcoming parish under the Archdiocese of Denver.
- Established
- 1924
- Patron
- The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Holy Family has been the spiritual home of Northern Colorado's Spanish-speaking Catholic community for nearly a century, offering daily and weekly Masses in Spanish on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and bilingual and Spanish Masses every weekend. The parish welcomes all who wish to worship at 326 N. Whitcomb Street in Fort Collins, where the legacy of priests like Father Fullana and Father Homar continues in a church that calls itself, simply, 'a parish for the people.'
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
- Tuesday: 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
- Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
- Thursday: 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Identity and Parish Overview
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Denver located at 326 N. Whitcomb Street in Fort Collins, Colorado. Itself a member of the Archdiocese of Denver (per GCatholic), the parish is bilingual in practice, celebrating Mass in English, Spanish, and bilingually, and welcoming worshippers from across Northern Colorado. The parish identifies itself as 'A Parish for the People' — a church whose mission is rooted in the Spanish-speaking Catholic community it has served since 1924.
- Address: 326 N. Whitcomb St., Fort Collins, CO 80521
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Denver
- Founded: 1924
- Phone: (970) 482-6599
- Website: holyfamilyfc.com
History of Holy Family
Holy Family was born out of the struggles of Fort Collins's Mexican and Spanish-speaking community, who had settled in the Alta Vista and 'Spanish Colony' neighborhoods to work in the sugar-beet fields and the Great Western Sugar factory. In 1924, Father George Joseph LaJeunese of St. Joseph's Church asked the bishop for a Spanish-speaking priest; Father Joseph P. Trudel, a French-Canadian who spoke Spanish, was appointed and gathered the community in the old Second Presbyterian Church building.
The 1929 Church Building
In 1929 a new church was constructed on the southeast corner of Whitcomb and Cherry — kitty-corner to where the Hispanic congregation had been meeting — at a cost of $12,000. Local figure Lee Martinez hauled steel beams from the railroad depot to the construction site by horse and wagon. The new building took the name Holy Family and became the spiritual center of the Hispanic community.
The Pastorate of Father John Fullana
After Father Trudel stepped down in 1936 due to failing health, Father John R. Fullana of the Theatine Fathers took over and led the parish for many years. He built a recreation center that included a gymnasium, auditorium, library, meeting rooms, classrooms, and a kitchen, and was a tireless advocate for his parishioners — whom he called 'nuestra gente.' In 1975 a Fort Collins school on Laporte Avenue was named in his honor at the community's request.
The 1969 Fire and Rebuilding
On March 7, 1969, while Father Bartholomew Quetglass was visiting a sick congregant in the hospital, a candle fire gutted the interior of the church. Only a few items were salvageable — including a badly charred crucifix that was coated in plastic resin and returned to the church as a memorial. The congregation rallied and carried out a full renovation.
Sunday Masses
- 8:00 a.m. — Spanish
- 10:30 a.m. — Bilingual / Bilingüe
- 12:30 p.m. — Spanish
Saturday Vigil and Weekday Masses
- Saturday 4:00 p.m. — English
- Saturday 6:30 p.m. — Spanish
- Tuesday 6:30 p.m. — Spanish
- Wednesday 6:30 p.m. — Spanish
- Thursday 6:30 p.m. — Spanish
Sacraments and Parish Life
The parish website highlights Baptism among the parish's core sacramental offerings. Information about additional sacraments, religious education, and parish ministries is maintained on the parish's official website and may be obtained by contacting the parish office at (970) 482-6599 or [email protected].
- Baptism
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Family Catholic Church at 326 N. Whitcomb Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521, by phone at (970) 482-6599, or by email at [email protected]. The parish office can be reached through the contact information on holyfamilyfc.com.
- Phone: (970) 482-6599
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://holyfamilyfc.com/
Heritage and Community Significance
Holy Family is widely recognized as the heart of the Hispanic Catholic community across Northern Colorado. Unlike most Catholic parishes — which serve a defined geographic area — Holy Family's pastoral reach has historically extended to all Spanish-speaking Catholics in the region. The parish's heritage is preserved through the Fort Collins History Connection and the Museo de las Tres Colonias, which memorialize the Alta Vista and 'Spanish Colony' neighborhoods whose families founded the parish.
- Parish extends across all of Northern Colorado to serve Spanish-speaking Catholics
- Founders' neighborhoods commemorated by the Museo de las Tres Colonias
- Charred 1969 crucifix preserved as a memorial artifact in the church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph P. Trudel1924–1936
French-Canadian priest and Spanish speaker; first pastor of Holy Family; led the congregation from the old Second Presbyterian Church building and oversaw construction of the 1929 church.
- Father John R. Fullana1936–c.1951
Theatine Father under whom the parish 'came of age'; built the parish recreation center with gym, auditorium, library, classrooms and kitchen; advocate for 'nuestra gente'; honored when a Fort Collins school on Laporte Avenue was named after him in 1975.
- Father Anthony Homar1951–1960
Known for his teaching that 'the church is our heart' for Spanish-speaking people.
- Father Bartholomew Quetglass1969 (at time of fire)
Pastor on March 7, 1969, when a candle fire gutted the church interior while he was visiting a sick parishioner.