About Pope John Paul II · Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Pope John Paul II Catholic Church is the newer of two worship sites that together make up the Catholic community of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County, Colorado, paired with the older Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Located at 353 S. Pagosa Blvd., the parish sits in the heart of the San Juan Mountains and serves 380 registered families across 41 ministries, plus four historic mission churches throughout the county. The current pastor, Father Kenny Udumka (from Nigeria), has led the community since November 2014, and worship is offered in English in the Roman Rite under the Diocese of Pueblo.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Pope Saint John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła, canonized April 27, 2014)
- Rector
- Father Kenny Udumka (a priest from Nigeria, pastor since November 2014)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
Pope John Paul II Catholic Church welcomes visitors and newcomers into an unusually wide-ranging mountain parish: two worship sites (JPII and the historic Immaculate Heart of Mary downtown), 41 active ministries, and four rural missions across Archuleta County give nearly every parishioner a way to plug in — whether through faith formation, outreach, liturgical ministries, or service to the county missions. Daily Mass is offered in the St. Patrick's Adoration Chapel, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is available around the clock, and a Deacon has summarized the parish's spirit by saying, "Welcome to our church where a phone call to heaven is a local call."
Mass times at Pope John Paul II
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM at Pope John Paul II (Summer hours, April–November)
- Saturday 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM at Pope John Paul II (Winter hours, December–March)
- Sunday 8:00 AM at Pope John Paul II
- Sunday 10:45 AM at Immaculate Heart of Mary
- By appointment — call the parish office at (970) 731-5744
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, 24 hours / 7 days a week (visit the parish office for access)
- Thursday Holy Hour: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM, concluding with Benediction
History & Heritage of the Catholic Community
Catholic life in Archuleta County predates any church building: ranching and sheepherding families, served by the Penitentes, brought the faith to the San Juan valley as early as 1859. Missionaries passed through from 1873, and the Theatine Fathers (Order of Clerics Regular), mostly from Italy and Spain, established a permanent base at Sacred Heart Parish in Durango in 1906 and built the county's mission network. The first church, St. Edwards, was built in 1893; it was followed by Immaculate Heart of Mary (dedicated May 21, 1949) and eventually by Pope John Paul II on the West Campus (dedicated March 24, 2009 by Bishop Tafoya).
- 1859 – Early Catholic ranching/sheepherding families arrive; Penitentes keep the faith
- 1873 – Missionaries begin providing regular spiritual guidance to the valley
- 1893 – St. Edwards Catholic Church built (first Catholic church in the county)
- 1906 – Theatine Fathers establish permanent base at Sacred Heart, Durango
- 1908 – St. James the Apostle Mission (Trujillo); St. Frances Mission (Frances)
- 1911 – St. John the Baptist Mission (Pagosa Junction); floods destroy Frances and Pagosa Junction churches
- 1917 – Rebuilt St. Frances church completed
- 1922 – Chromo Mission established
- 1928 – Rebuilt St. John the Baptist (Pagosa Junction) dedicated
- 1949 – Immaculate Heart of Mary dedicated May 21 by Bishop Joseph Willging, Diocese of Pueblo
- 2000 – Pope John Paul II West Campus development begins
- 2009 – Pope John Paul II Church dedicated March 24 by Bishop Tafoya
- 2014 – Father Kenny Udumka arrives as pastor; Pope John Paul II canonized as a saint (April 27, 2014)
- 2018–2019 – Day chapel (St. Patrick's Adoration Chapel) and classroom space built
Worship Sites: Pope John Paul II & Immaculate Heart of Mary
The parish operates as a single Catholic community with two distinct worship sites. Pope John Paul II, on the West Campus at 353 S. Pagosa Blvd., is the newer and larger church, completed in early 2009. The historic Immaculate Heart of Mary downtown remains an active Mass site on Sundays at 11:15 AM and is regarded as a piece of downtown-preservation heritage. A separate day chapel — the St. Patrick's Adoration Chapel, completed in March 2019 — hosts the parish's daily Mass schedule.
- Pope John Paul II Church — main weekend Mass site, 353 S. Pagosa Blvd.
- Immaculate Heart of Mary — historic 1949 church, Sunday 11:15 AM Mass
- St. Patrick's Adoration Chapel — daily Mass and perpetual Adoration Chapel
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership
Father Kenny Udumka, a Nigerian-born priest, has served as pastor of the combined Immaculate Heart of Mary / Pope John Paul II Catholic Community since November 2014. He leads a community of 380 registered families across two worship sites, four county missions, and 41 ministries. The parish office is managed by Katy Reis.
- Rev. Kenny Udumka — Pastor (since November 2014)
- Katy Reis — Office Manager
- Parish phone: (970) 731-5744
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–1:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 noon
Missions of Archuleta County
Beyond its two Pagosa Springs worship sites, the parish shepherds four rural mission churches across Archuleta County. The Theatine Fathers founded them between 1908 and 1922, and the parish continues the tradition of visiting priests serving small, far-flung communities. Masses at the missions alternate once a month from June through October.
- St. James the Apostle — Trujillo (est. 1908; current church built 1916)
- St. Frances — Frances (est. 1908; rebuilt 1917 after 1911 flood)
- St. John the Baptist — Pagosa Junction (est. 1911; rebuilt and dedicated 1928 after 1911 flood)
- Chromo Mission — Chromo (est. 1922)
Ministries & Parish Life
The parish describes itself as supporting 41 ministries that "are always evolving to meet parishioners' needs," ranging from liturgical and faith-formation roles to outreach and service. Recent capital projects (the day chapel and additional classroom / meeting space, completed March 2019) were built specifically to support faith formation classes and the parish's broader ministry life.
- 41 active ministries parish-wide (full directory on popejohnpauliichurch.org)
- Faith formation / religious education classes
- Eucharistic Adoration ministry (perpetual and weekly Holy Hour)
- Liturgical ministries (Mass scheduling implies lector, EMHC, altar server, music roles)
- Outreach to the four rural missions and Archuleta County community
Sacraments & Devotions
The parish offers the full range of Catholic sacraments, coordinated through the parish office. Devotional life is rich: a perpetual Adoration chapel, a weekly Thursday Holy Hour with Benediction, the First Saturday devotion Mass, and seasonal observances such as the Consecration of the USA to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Divine Mercy Sunday.
- Reconciliation — scheduled Saturday/Sunday times plus by appointment
- First Saturday devotion Mass — 8:00 AM in the Adoration Chapel
- Thursday Holy Hour with Benediction — 12:30–1:00 PM
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — 24/7 (access via parish office)
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — by appointment through the office
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed. A parish Deacon's pithy invitation to newcomers — "Welcome to our church where a phone call to heaven is a local call" — captures the community's tone. The parish is centrally located on South Pagosa Boulevard in the San Juan Mountains; office hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to noon, and the staff can arrange access to the perpetual Adoration Chapel. Anyone interested in joining a ministry, scheduling a sacrament, or learning more about the parish's mission-church outreach is encouraged to call (970) 731-5744 or email [email protected].
- Call (970) 731-5744 to reach the parish office
- Email [email protected]
- Visit www.popejohnpauliichurch.org for the full ministries directory and schedule
- Diocese of Pueblo — the parish's diocesan affiliation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Theatine Fathers (Order of Clerics Regular, mainly from Italy and Spain)1906 – ca. 1960 onward (administered Immaculate Heart of Mary parish from Sacred Heart, Durango)
Established the mission network across Archuleta County (Trujillo, Frances, Pagosa Junction, Chromo). Continued administering IHM after it became a standalone parish ca. 1960.
- Father Kenny UdumkaNovember 2014 – present
Current pastor of the combined Immaculate Heart of Mary / Pope John Paul II parish; originally from Nigeria.