Holy Ghost Church

Parish History

Although the present Holy Ghost Church was dedicated on July 8, 1943, the parish is more than a century old. Its origins lie in the 1860 construction of St. Mary's Cathedral, Denver's first Catholic church. In 1905 the cathedral parish was divided and a new downtown parish under the title of the Holy Ghost was formed; Fr. Frederick Bender built its first church at 20th and Curtis Streets, furnishing it with vessels and objects from the old cathedral. His successor, Fr. Garrett Burke, established the parish's enduring traditions of fine liturgical music and outreach to the needy. In 1923 Fr. William Neenan purchased the 19th-and-California site for nearly $70,000 and broke ground on Benedict's Spanish–Italian Renaissance design on February 29, 1924. Financial constraints meant only about a third of the planned church was finished at its December 14, 1924 dedication; the basement stood under a temporary tar roof for nearly two decades until Helen G. Bonfils funded the completion of the upper church in memory of her parents in 1940. Three hundred tons of Colorado colocreme travertine marble were used — the largest such installation in the United States — and the completed building was dedicated in 1943 before a crowd of 1,500.

Art & Architecture

Benedict's design is a fusion of Spanish and Italian Renaissance art centered on daily exposition of the Blessed Sacrament — giving Holy Ghost its identity as Denver's Eucharistic shrine. The visitor is met by a 110-foot tower topped with a six-foot bronze cross, pelicans (Eucharistic symbols) flanking a tympanum of the Holy Ghost above the main entrance, terra cotta medallions of St. Paul and St. Rita, and a trio of stained-glass windows depicting the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Virgin Mary and the Apostles (Acts 2).

Mass & Liturgy

The liturgy is the heartbeat of Holy Ghost: daily Mass, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a richly varied Sunday schedule give every taste and temperament a home. The 10:00 AM Sunday Latin Choral Mass and the 5:10 PM Contemporary ensemble Mass frame a full day of English worship; Spanish Masses are celebrated at 2:00 PM on selected Sundays as listed in the online schedule. The parish website publishes a weekly bulletin with updated Mass intentions, sanctuary ministers, and parish group announcements.

Social Ministry & Outreach

Holy Ghost's downtown location has long made it a refuge for Denver's poor and homeless. The parish Social Ministry Office (1900 California Street; phone (303) 297-3441; [email protected]) walks in clients Monday through Friday from 9:00–11:00 AM and 2:00–4:00 PM with material assistance (socks; hats and gloves in winter; personal-care items such as soap, razors, shampoo and toothbrushes) and limited casework: vouchers for work tools, for vital records (birth/death certificates), and for new or replacement Colorado IDs and driver's licenses; help filling out forms (sometimes in Spanish); and referrals for food banks, shelters, mental health, medical, clothing and shower services. Holy Ghost does NOT provide gas vouchers, rent assistance, bus tokens, travel money, food baskets, or motel vouchers. The daily Sandwich Line runs Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 10:30 AM and serves the area's homeless; groups wishing to donate pre-made sandwiches should call ahead. The parish also hosts a legendary annual Christmas Dinner for the Needy (begun by Fr. Woody in 1985) that now feeds and gifts more than 3,000 people each year.

• Phone: (303) 297-3441; Email: [email protected]
• Walk-in hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–11:00 AM and 2:00–4:00 PM
• Sandwich Line: Mon–Sat 10:00–10:30 AM
• Vouchers for work tools, vital records (birth/death certificates), Colorado ID / driver's license
• Personal care items; socks year-round; hats and gloves Oct–Apr
• Christmas Dinner for the Needy — 3,000+ served annually
• Amazon wish list for donations
• Samaritan House shelter — co-founded by Fr. Woody at 1,000 Broadway

Parish Life, Formation & Small Groups

Beyond the liturgy and the social ministries, Holy Ghost has an unusually deep bench of ongoing small groups for men, women, young adults, teens, and seekers — most meeting weekly in the Parish Hall. Fr. Paul Nguyen (Pastor) and Fr. Jonathon Hank (Parochial Vicar) personally moderate several of the groups, which signals the parish's emphasis on personal accompaniment alongside communal worship.

Music Ministry

Music has been a Holy Ghost hallmark since Fr. Garrett Burke hosted concerts and ran the Catholic Workingman's Club. Today the parish operates a full Music Ministry that undergirds the parish's varied Sunday liturgies: the Saturday Vigil and 8:30 AM/Noon Sunday Masses feature organ and cantor; the 10:00 AM Sunday Latin Choral Mass features organ, cantor and choir; the 5:10 PM Mass features a contemporary ensemble with piano, guitar, and various instruments and vocalists. The Parish Choir Director & Organist is Richard Robertson; the Contemporary Choir Director and Wedding & Funeral Music Coordinator is Malou Mateo Stirman; additional musicians include Kathryn Walsh, Miguel Rangel, and Brenda Berganza.

Sacraments

Information on celebrating the sacraments at Holy Ghost is summarized on the parish's Sacraments page (https://holyghostchurch.org/sacraments/). The parish invites Catholics to call the parish office to register for Baptism, Matrimony, Confirmation preparation, the Anointing of the Sick, and adult initiation. Currently, the parish's primary parish boundaries (and proof of a pre-baptism class within the last 5 years) are required for parents seeking to have a child baptized at Holy Ghost; families outside the boundaries should consult the parish office.

• Holy Eucharist — daily and Sunday Masses, including the Sunday Latin Choral Mass
• Baptism — pre-baptism class within the last 5 years; register through the parish office
• Confirmation — preparation through the parish
• Reconciliation (Confession) — daily and Sunday windows, plus by appointment (Spanish with Fr. Paul)
• Matrimony (Wedding) — Wedding Intake Coordinator on staff
• Anointing of the Sick — through the parish office / clergy
• OCIA — Tuesdays 6:30 PM; coordinator Fr. Jonathon Hank, OMV

Staff & Clergy

Holy Ghost is staffed by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV), who have served the parish since July 8, 2001. The parish also maintains a strong lay and administrative staff for liturgical music, religious education, sacramental records, social ministry, and parish maintenance.

• Pastor: Rev. Paul Nguyen, OMV ([email protected])
• Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jonathon Hank, OMV ([email protected])
• Parochial Vicar: Rev. Benjamin Unachukwu, OMV ([email protected])
• Weekend Assistants: Rev. Daniel Barron, OMV; Rev. Dennis Brown, OMV; Rev. Tom Cannon, OMV; Rev. Mark Yavarone, OMV
• Parish Choir Director & Organist: Richard Robertson
• Contemporary Choir Director & Wedding/ Funeral Music Coordinator: Malou Mateo Stirman ([email protected])
• Additional Musicians: Kathryn Walsh, Miguel Rangel, Brenda Berganza
• Director of Religious Education / Sacristan: Dan Aedo
• Social Ministry: Troy Maes, Crystal Manzanares ([email protected])
• Office / Sacramental Records: Colette Carey, Alicia Strasheim, Sharon Medina ([email protected])
• Business Manager: Mike Walker
• Maintenance Engineer and Wedding Intake Coordinator also on staff

Visiting & Practical Info

The parish church sits at 1900 California Street, Denver, CO 80202 — the corner of 19th and California, in the shadow of the 1999 Broadway tower. The Parish Office (1900 California Street, lower level of the Helen Bonfils Parish Center) is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM and closed Fridays (appointments only). The Social Ministry Office is at the same address; phone (303) 297-3441. The church is open for private prayer weekdays 6:30 AM–5:00 PM, Saturdays 7:30 AM–5:00 PM, and Sundays 6:30 AM–6:30 PM.

• Parish Office: (303) 292-1556 — [email protected]
• Social Ministry Office: (303) 297-3441 — [email protected]
• Address: 1900 California St., Denver, CO 80202
• Parish Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; Fri CLOSED
• Church open: Weekdays 6:30 AM–5:00 PM; Sat 7:30 AM–5:00 PM; Sun 6:30 AM–6:30 PM
• Sandwich Line: Mon–Sat 10:00–10:30 AM (in front of church)

The Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality

Run by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary from Denver, the Lanteri Center exists to make spiritual direction, daily prayer with Scripture, and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius more available to those seeking holiness. It also provides training and continuing education for spiritual directors. The Center collaborates with the parish — for example, co-sponsoring the Amicizia Cristiana young-adult group — and is part of why the parish offers such a deep bench of accompaniment ministries alongside its Mass and outreach schedule.