About Mother of God Catholic Church · Denver, Colorado
Mother of God Catholic Church is a small, intimate parish on Capitol Hill in Denver, Colorado, serving the Catholic faithful between Broadway and Downing Street and between East 1st and 8th avenues. Founded in 1949 when Archbishop Vehr purchased a former Protestant church on Speer and Logan, the parish has long been a tight-knit urban community whose weekend Masses frequently fill its seating for 150. Today it is pastored by Rev. Vincent Phung, J.C.L., and offers a daily and Sunday Mass schedule, Eucharistic Adoration, the sacraments, a long-running sack-lunch outreach program, and a music legacy stretching back to the founding generation.
- Established
- 1949
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God
- Rector
- Rev. Vincent Phung, J.C.L.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Mother of God is celebrated for its warm, traditional liturgy and intimate scale — the 150-seat church is famously a 'sell-out' almost every Mass. Parishioners sustain a deep bench of ministries (altar linen, lectors, ushers, music, OCIA, Bible study, healing, and a Coffee & Donuts fellowship) and a 30-year-old weekday sack-lunch program that feeds Denver's less fortunate. With daily Mass Monday through Friday, four weekend Masses on Sunday, Saturday Confession, and First Friday Adoration, the parish is a manageable, walking-distance spiritual home for residents of Capitol Hill and surrounding neighborhoods.
Mass times at Mother of God Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 3:50 pm
- Saturday 5:30 pm – 5:50 pm
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of the Month — Eucharistic Adoration at 7:30 am, followed by the Rosary at 8:00 am and Mass at 8:15 am
Parish Story & History
Mother of God was carved out of neighboring parishes in 1949 when Archbishop Vehr purchased a c. 1900 former Protestant church at Speer and Logan to relieve crowding on Capitol Hill. The parish was dedicated August 16, 1949, and over the decades built a reputation for traditional liturgy in an unusually intimate, 150-seat sanctuary. Generous parishioners like Helen Bonfils funded a rectory, air conditioning, the western addition with its outdoor Mother of God statue, and Margie Setvin's Joyful Mysteries stained-glass window on Speer. The parish marked its 70th anniversary in August 2019 with Masses celebrated by former pastors Msgr. Bernie Schmitz, Msgr. Thomas Fryar, and current pastor Fr. Vincent Phung, joined by Auxiliary Bishop Rodriguez.
- Founded 1949; purchased for $27,000 by Archbishop Vehr
- Dedicated August 16, 1949
- Succession of pastors: John Regan (1949–54), Paul Reed (1954–60), John V. Anderson (1960–69), Msgr. Walter Canavan (1969–80), Charles Jones, Lawrence St. Peter (from 1985), Fr. Vincent Phung
- 70th anniversary celebrated August 17–18, 2019
Our Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Vincent Phung, J.C.L., supported by a small staff rooted in stewardship of the church's liturgical, musical, financial, and administrative life.
- Pastor: Rev. Vincent Phung, J.C.L.
- Parish Administrator: Cecilia Trang Tran
- Music Coordinator: Brenda Berganza
- Accountant: Valeria Wunderlich
- Volunteer Receptionist: Laura Wheeler (Mon–Thu, 2:00–4:00 pm)
Parish Ministries
Mother of God's ministries reach both inward (building up the liturgy and faith of members) and outward (serving neighbors in need). The parish invites newcomers to scroll through and pray about where the Lord is calling them to serve.
Liturgical Ministries
Lay faithful are called to assist directly in the Mass and upkeep of the sanctuary. These roles include the most visible service at Mass as well as quiet behind-the-scenes preparation.
- Altar Server
- Eucharistic Minister
- Lector
- Usher / Greeter
- Wash & Iron Altar Linens
Faith Formation & Education
Adult formation is a clear priority at Mother of God, where OCIA welcomes those preparing to enter the Catholic Church and Bible Study nourishes the faithful already Catholic.
- Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)
- Adult Bible Studies
- Education Ministries (general)
Fellowship & Pastoral Care
Coffee and Donuts is a long-running parish fellowship tradition, complemented by pastoral outreach to parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized.
- Coffee and Donuts fellowship
- Homebound and Hospital Visitation
- Healing Ministry
Outreach: The Lunch Program
Mother of God has been serving the less fortunate for roughly thirty years through its sack-lunch program. Sandwiches are prepared and distributed Monday through Friday, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (excluding holidays), by a dedicated staff member and supported entirely by parishioner donations.
- Weekday sack lunches, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
- Funded by parishioner donations
- Thirty-year ministry of outreach
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for Confirmation — for which candidates must be at least in 4th grade, baptized (or preparing for Baptism), with a confirmed Catholic sponsor aged 16 or older who is not a parent — and welcomes those discerning Catholic initiation through OCIA. Confession is available Saturday afternoons and by appointment, and Anointing of the Sick is provided through the office or, in emergencies, the after-hours sacramental line (720-515-6279).
- Confirmation (4th grade and older, with Catholic sponsor)
- Confession — Saturdays 3:30 & 5:30 pm, or by appointment
- Anointing / sacramental emergencies via 720-515-6279
- Eucharistic Adoration — First Fridays
Join Our Parish
Newcomers can register online through the parish website, indicating skills, hobbies, and the ministries in which they'd like to participate — from adult Bible studies to Liturgical Ministries, Parish Services, and Social Ministries such as the Lunch Program. The parish also supports online giving and offers offertory envelopes for those who prefer them.
- Online parish registration form
- Volunteer interest categories: Education Ministries, Parish Services, Liturgical Ministries, Social Ministries
- Online donations and offertory envelopes available
Contact & Visiting
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and can be reached at (303) 744-1715 or [email protected]. For sacramental emergencies (danger of death or a recent death) outside office hours, the dedicated line is 720-515-6279. The church and office share the address 475 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80203 — on the Speer/Logan triangle of Capitol Hill.
- Office: 475 Logan Street, Denver, CO 80203
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Phone: (303) 744-1715
- Email: [email protected]
- Sacramental emergency line: 720-515-6279
Pastors & rectors through the years
- John Regan1949-1954
First pastor of the newly created parish.
- Paul Reed1954-1960
- John V. Anderson1960-1969
Remembered for guiding a thriving era and welcoming Governor McNichols' family.
- Monsignor Walter Canavan1969-1980
Celebrated his 50th anniversary as a priest while pastor here.
- Charles Jonesafter 1980
Succeeded Msgr. Canavan as his assistant and sustained him through his final years.
- Lawrence St. Peter1985-
Chosen to lead the Archdiocese during the interregnum after Archbishop Casey's death in 1985.
- Msgr. Bernie Schmitz
Former pastor; returned to celebrate the 70th anniversary in 2019.
- Msgr. Thomas Fryar
Former pastor; returned to celebrate the 70th anniversary in 2019.