About Our Lady of Assumption · Westcliffe, Colorado
Our Lady of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish in Westcliffe, Custer County, Colorado, part of the Diocese of Pueblo. The parish community worships in a modern church built in the early 2000s at 109 South Fifth Street, with Mass celebrated in English and a particular devotion to the Blessed Sacrament through weekly Eucharistic Adoration. The parish is distinguished by an ongoing stained-glass window project — twelve panels depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel paired with the Twelve Apostles — handcrafted by a local artisan, which has transformed the church into both a place of worship and a piece of biblical art in the Wet Mountain Valley.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Stephen Injoalu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Assumption is the only Roman Catholic parish serving the rural Wet Mountain Valley, so it offers Catholics in Westcliffe, Silver Cliff and the surrounding ranch country a close-knit community where everyone knows each other. Visitors are drawn by the warmth of weekly Eucharistic Adoration (each Wednesday following the 10:00 AM Mass, plus 24-hour adoration beginning the 2nd Tuesday of each month), the simplicity of a Sunday 11:00 AM English Mass, and a building that is genuinely beautiful to walk into — the parish's hand-crafted stained-glass windows depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel and Twelve Apostles, made by a local artist with help from parish volunteers, have made the church a small destination in itself.
Mass times at Our Lady of Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM (or by appointment)
- Wednesday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (during Adoration)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 10:00 AM – Wednesday 10:00 AM (24-hour Adoration begins with 10 AM Mass on the 2nd Tuesday of each month)
- Wednesday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (immediately following the 10:00 AM Mass)
History
Catholic life in the Wet Mountain Valley goes back to 1877, when the first Catholic church was built in the mining town of Rosita. That structure was moved to the southern edge of Westcliffe around 1880, again relocated in 1931 to 5th and Rosita, and finally replaced by the current Our Lady of the Assumption church, which was constructed in 2007 and officially dedicated on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2007. The parish has long ties with the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago, who ran their very first summer vacation school of religion here in 1930 and returned nearly every summer through 1965.
- First church built in Rosita: 1877
- Moved to Westcliffe: c. 1880
- Relocated to 5th & Rosita: 1931
- Old church demolished: early 2007
- New church dedicated: August 15, 2007
- Benedictine Sisters' first summer school of religion: 1930
Stained-Glass Windows of the Twelve Tribes & Twelve Apostles
The parish's signature artistic project is a series of twelve stained-glass windows — one for each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, paired at the bottom of each panel with the name of one of the Twelve Apostles — symbolizing the Old Covenant Community joined to the New Covenant Community with Jesus as cornerstone. The work is led by local glass master Douglas Bayer, who trained in Kosta, Sweden under Master Jan Erik Ritzman and originally hand-made the main altar panels during the church's construction. Each panel takes roughly three months and weighs about 30 pounds; the volunteer team includes Steve Yackley, Jim Potyraj, Catherine Virden, Debbie Yackley and Boden Wilson. By May 2025 nine of twelve windows had been installed (including Issachar, Naphtali and Judah with its menorah symbol and the Apostle Jude).
- Panel 2 — Simeon (installed 2022)
- Panel 5 — Issachar ('man of reward', installed June 1, 2023)
- Panel 6 — Naphtali (goat-herder tribe; olive tree motif; Apostle Thomas)
- Panel 9 — Judah (menorah; tribe of kings; Apostle Jude / Thaddeus)
- Glass master: Douglas Bayer (Custer County)
- Volunteer team: Steve Yackley, Jim Potyraj, Catherine Virden, Debbie Yackley, Boden Wilson
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's Faith Formation classes meet on Sundays at 9:30 AM during the school year, in the hour before the parish's 11:00 AM Mass. Registration and inquiries are handled by catechetical coordinator Sheree Doyle (719-430-3009), and parishioners are invited to serve as catechists. Adult faith formation, including preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA), is arranged through Fr. Stephen Injoalu.
- Faith Formation for children: Sundays 9:30 AM during school year
- Coordinator: Sheree Doyle, (719) 430-3009
- Catechist recruitment ongoing
Parish Ministries & Groups
The parish supports a small but active set of ministries typical of a rural Catholic community: a parish choir that sings at Mass and special liturgies, the stained-glass window project team, Faith Formation catechists and helpers, and parish volunteers who maintain the Assumption Cemetery. The parish also hosts devotional novenas (Divine Mercy, Our Lady of Fatima, Pentecost/Holy Spirit) and community prayer gatherings such as the Pope's Rosary in May.
- Parish Choir
- Stained-Glass Project Team
- Faith Formation Catechists
- Cemetery Care Volunteers
- Devotional Prayer Groups (Rosary, novenas)
Parish Cemetery
Our Lady of the Assumption operates the Assumption Cemetery at 110 County Road 340, south of Silver Cliff, just east of the Silver Cliff Cemetery. The cemetery serves as the traditional burial ground for Catholics of Westcliffe, Silver Cliff and the surrounding valley; records are kept at the parish office. The parish assists families with burial plots and graveside services, including military honors where applicable.
- Location: 110 County Road 340, Westcliffe, CO 81252
- Office of records: 109 South 5th Street, (719) 783-3507
- Inquiries: contact the parish office
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates the seven Catholic Sacraments under the pastoral care of Fr. Stephen Injoalu. Funerals typically follow the parish pattern of Visitation, recitation of the Most Holy Rosary, Funeral Mass and burial at Assumption Cemetery with military honors when applicable. Baptisms and Marriages are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism — by appointment via the parish office
- Marriage — couples contact Fr. Stephen Injoalu at (719) 783-3507 / (719) 784-4879
- Anointing of the Sick — upon request
- Funerals — Visitation, Rosary, Funeral Mass, burial at Assumption Cemetery
Visiting Westcliffe & the Wet Mountain Valley
Westcliffe and Silver Cliff are small historic towns in Custer County at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The parish's church and stained-glass windows sit at the corner of 5th and Rosita in downtown Westcliffe, within walking distance of the historic 1881 Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad depot, the 1928 Custer County Courthouse, and other restored 19th-century churches (Hope Lutheran, St. Luke's Episcopal, Community United Methodist) catalogued in the Wet Mountain Valley historical digest. The parish office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM for in-person visits.
- Office hours: Mon / Wed / Fri, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Phone: (719) 783-3507
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://olawestcliffe.org
Diocese & Affiliations
Our Lady of the Assumption is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, which covers southern and south-central Colorado. The parish is featured in diocesan communications, including coverage of the stained-glass project on the official Diocese of Pueblo website, and is one of a number of small rural parishes served from the diocese's administrative offices in Pueblo, Colorado.
- Diocese of Pueblo
- Diocese website: https://www.diopueblo.org
- Rite: Roman-Latin
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James MahrerThrough c. 2002 (25 years noted in 2002)
Long-serving pastor; recognized as the oldest active priest in Colorado. More than 200 friends celebrated his 88th birthday in 2002 at the Ed Yaklich ranch, marking 25 years of service to Our Lady of the Assumption.
- Fr. Stephen Injoaluc. 2007–present
Current pastor; presided at the official dedication of the new church on August 15, 2007, encouraged the relaunch of the twelve-panel stained-glass project, and regularly ministers funerals and parish devotions (Rosary, Mass, adoration).