About Pax Christi · Lone Tree, Colorado
Pax Christi Catholic Community is a Roman Catholic parish in Lone Tree, Colorado, within the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Founded in 1988 under the patronage of the Peace of Christ, the parish serves the communities of Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton. The parish offers daily and weekend Masses, a preschool ministry, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, and an extensive network of outreach and formation ministries. With a current pastor from Poland and a staff of roughly 30 (including the preschool), Pax Christi describes itself as a welcoming, close-knit faith community committed to the gospel values of love, kindness, mercy, compassion, and service.
- Established
- 1988
- Patron
- Pax Christi (Latin for 'the Peace of Christ')
- Rector
- Rev. Andrzej (Andrew) Szczesnowicz, S.T.L.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Colorado Springs
Why belong here
Pax Christi is a welcoming, mid-sized Catholic community in the Diocese of Colorado Springs that takes its name — 'Peace of Christ' — as its daily commission. Weekday and Sunday Masses are complemented by Saturday Reconciliation, a monthly First-Friday Holy Hour of Adoration, a free Spiritual Direction ministry through Deacon Tom and certified director Megan Nagel, and a Catholic preschool that uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Outreach is a defining trait of the parish: St. Elizabeth's Pantry feeds the working poor on Friday mornings, the Lunch Bunch makes bagged lunches for Volunteers of America, Project Linus blankets comfort children in need, and the Friends of Maggie Ministry supports survivors of human trafficking through From Silenced to Saved — making Pax Christi a place to grow in faith and put it into immediate service.
Mass times at Pax Christi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (also listed as 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM on the parish schedule page)
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- 1st Friday of the month: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (Holy Hour of Adoration)
- Chapel hours for prayer: Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM – Noon; Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Who We Are
Pax Christi Catholic Community is a parish of the Diocese of Colorado Springs serving Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton. The parish mission is to 'nurture an inclusive faith community, a place of peace where we all learn to live the gospel message of love, kindness, mercy, compassion and service,' and its vision is to be 'a Faith Community where all are welcome.' In addition to its clergy, Pax Christi is supported by a staff of about 30 (including preschool employees) and a large body of volunteers serving on councils, committees, ministries, programs, and service organizations.
- Diocese of Colorado Springs
- Serves Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton
- Staff of ~30 plus many volunteers
Parish History
Founded in 1987–88 under Bishop Richard C. Hanifen, the parish began when forty families gathered for Mass in the gym of Northridge Elementary School on June 6, 1988. Early Masses were served by Jesuit priests from Sacred Heart Retreat House in Sedalia and Regis University, plus other area priests. The parish moved to its present fifteen-acre campus after Bishop Hanifen blessed the chapel and multi-use building in May 1999, welcomed its first resident pastor Fr. Ken Przybyla in 2000, and dedicated the new church on September 29, 2002. Subsequent decades brought a rectory, a preschool, deacons, and the parish's current pastor in 2020.
- 1988: Forty families celebrate first Mass in gym of Northridge Elementary
- 1999: Blessed chapel and multi-use building on new campus
- 2000: First resident pastor, Fr. Ken Przybyla, arrives
- 2002: New church dedicated by Bishop Hanifen; Christi Center opened
- 2011: Fr. Brian Mohan named second pastor
- 2012: First rectory built; Fr. Jim Baron arrives as Parochial Vicar
- 2013: St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School (preschool) opens
- 2020: Fr. Andrzej Szczesnowicz begins service as current pastor
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by pastor Fr. Andrzej Szczesnowicz, S.T.L., and is served by three permanent deacons and a wider staff of approximately 30, including preschool employees. All staff and volunteers who work with children and youth have completed the Diocese of Colorado Springs safe-environment / VIRTUS training.
- Fr. Andrzej Szczesnowicz, S.T.L. — Pastor (since July 1, 2020)
- Deacon Garrett Christnacht — since August 2021 (ordained 2006 at St. Mark, Highlands Ranch)
- Deacon Tom Sandusky — since June 2016 (ordained 2013, Archdiocese of Atlanta)
- Deacon Aaron Menke — since July 2024 (newly ordained May 2024)
- Linda — pastor's assistant (scheduling, anointings, counsel)
- Megan Nagel — Spiritual Director and Ministry Liaison in the Parish Office
Pax Christi Catholic Preschool
Opened in September 2013 on the Pax Christi campus and originally named St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School after the 19th-century foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the school briefly added kindergarten (2019) and first grade (2020) before deciding under current pastor Fr. Andrzej to commit to a preschool model. In 2023 it was rebranded as Pax Christi Catholic Preschool, focusing on faith-based, rigorous academics complemented by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Environmental Education. The preschool serves parish families as well as children from surrounding parishes and the broader community, with flexible before- and after-school care options.
- Opened September 2013 at Pax Christi Catholic Church, Lone Tree
- Originally named St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School
- Renamed Pax Christi Catholic Preschool in 2023
- Curriculum: faith-based academics + Catechesis of the Good Shepherd + Environmental Education
- Director (per Diocese of Colorado Springs coverage): Jennifer Tucker
- Before- and after-school care available
Youth Ministry
Pax Christi maintains a Director of Youth Ministry role on its staff, supporting parish engagement with teens and families in the Lone Tree area.
- Director of Youth Ministry position listed on staff roster
- Nicole Boyer listed publicly as Director of Youth Ministry
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is offered at no cost through Deacon Tom Sandusky, who holds a Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Spring Hill College and an MA in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University, and through Megan Nagel, who has an MA in Pastoral and Spiritual Care and a Certification in Benedictine Spiritual Direction and has been directing since 2017. Deacon Tom also gives the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and previously directed at the Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Atlanta.
- Free Spiritual Direction
- Deacon Tom Sandusky — Ignatian Exercises and general direction
- Megan Nagel — Benedictine-trained director and parish Ministry Liaison
- Contact via the parish office
Serving Our Community (Outreach & Social Ministries)
Outreach is central to Pax Christi's identity. The parish operates an on-site food pantry and partners with several local and national agencies, and it invites anyone with an idea for a new ministry to submit a New Ministry Request Form for review by Parish Council and the pastor.
- St. Elizabeth's Pantry — open most Fridays 10:00 AM–12:00 PM on campus; non-perishable food, toiletries, cleaning supplies
- Lunch Bunch — bagged lunches prepared at home and delivered to Pax Christi on the 1st and 3rd Mondays for VOA Mission; contact Diane Nelson (303-570-7314) or Julie Greco (303-917-9082)
- Friends of Maggie Ministry — supports From Silenced to Saved; gift cards, RTD passes, Christmas gifts, backpacks, laundry money for trafficking survivors
- Project Linus — blankets for children in need; meets 3rd Saturday at the parish; contact Darrel Ryan (720-219-2913)
- Respect Life Ministry — prayer, education, and activities from conception to natural death; [email protected]
- Thrive women's group — service, spirituality, and social; contact Jenny Sciera (720-323-5826) or Sharon Prohaska (423-716-4252)
- St. Vincent de Paul / Vincentian volunteer involvement
- Funeral reception meals ministry
- New Ministry Request Form available online
Pastoral Care & Counseling
Pax Christi pastor Fr. Andrzej makes a special effort to visit with parishioners who are hospitalized, sick, or in need of the Anointing of the Sick. The parish also lists Catholic counseling referrals for those facing separation, divorce, or other difficult situations.
- Anointing of the Sick and hospital visits coordinated through the pastor's assistant, Linda
- Catholic counseling referrals available (Mary Braun-Payne, LCSW, MA)
- Support for the separated and divorced
Visiting Pax Christi
The parish's 15-acre campus is located at 10675 Jaguar Drive, Lone Tree, CO 80124. The Parish Office is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM–Noon. Visitors are encouraged to come to a weekend Mass, stop in for a Holy Hour on the first Friday of the month, or explore the various outreach ministries (especially St. Elizabeth's Pantry on Friday mornings) as a way to get to know the community.
- Address: 10675 Jaguar Drive, Lone Tree, CO 80124
- Main Line: (303) 799-1036 — Fax: (303) 799-1072
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–Noon
- Weekend Masses: Sat 4 PM; Sun 8 AM, 10:30 AM, 5 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Lay Parish Director / mission organizer1988–2000
Served as the founding mission organizer of the new parish under Bishop Richard C. Hanifen while the Jesuit priests from Sacred Heart Retreat House in Sedalia and Regis University, plus visiting area priests, celebrated weekend Masses.
- Fr. Ken PrzybylaJuly 27, 2000 – August 31, 2011
First resident pastor; oversaw the building and dedication of the church on Sept. 29, 2002 and the 2002 conversion of the multi-use building into the Christi Center (remodeled 2009).
- Fr. Brian MohanSeptember 3, 2011 – 2014
Second pastor; broke ground on the parish's first rectory in spring 2012. Took a leave of absence; Fr. Jim Baron served as Parochial Administrator January 2014–June 2015.
- Fr. Jim BaronParochial Vicar from August 1, 2012; Administrator Jan 2014 – June 2015
Came as Parochial Vicar under Fr. Brian Mohan and later served as Parochial Administrator.
- Fr. Mike BuckleyJuly 2014 – September 2015
Parochial Vicar.
- Fr. Marek Krolfrom July 2015
Reassigned from Our Lady of the Visitation in Elizabeth, Colorado.
- Fr. Greg BierbaumJuly 2016 – June 2017
Parochial Vicar; later reassigned as Pastor of St. Mark's Catholic Church, Highlands Ranch.
- Fr. Andrzej Szczesnowicz, S.T.L.July 1, 2020 – present
Born in Poland, ordained May 2003; served in the Diocese of Syracuse, NY before transferring to the Diocese of Colorado Springs in 2008; previously pastor of Our Lady of the Pines, Black Forest, CO.