About Queen of All Saints · Crested Butte, Colorado
Queen of All Saints Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in Crested Butte, Colorado, in the Diocese of Pueblo, serving full-time locals, part-time residents, and seasonal visitors to this Rocky Mountain ski town. The parish is the spiritual successor to St. Patrick's Church, founded in the 1880s for Irish mining immigrants, and the current church building was constructed and dedicated in 1962 on Sopris Avenue on what was once the town's beloved 'Big Hill' sledding slope. Today it functions both as a home parish and a 'spiritual vacation destination,' offering Mass, confession, adoration, and sacramental preparation, and is pastored together with St. Peter in Gunnison and St. Rose of Lima in Lake City by Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of All Saints (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Queen of All Saints)
- Rector
- Rev. Andres Ayala-Santiago
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo (Colorado)
Why belong here
Queen of All Saints is a small mountain parish with an unusually wide pastoral reach — its pastor serves three parishes across Gunnison County (Queen of All Saints, St. Peter in Gunnison, and St. Rose of Lima in Lake City), so visitors and locals alike can count on a stable, devoted priestly presence. The parish combines traditional devotions (daily weekday Mass, Wednesday adoration with benediction, Sunday confession before Mass) with a hospitality culture shaped by Crested Butte's role as a vacation destination. Add in a working parish hall available to rent, intergenerational religious education, ecumenical youth ministry with the UCC and O Be Joyful churches, and a welcoming attitude toward part-time residents and visitors, and it offers a friendly, lived-in Catholic home for both full-time locals and those just passing through.
Mass times at Queen of All Saints
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (before Mass), or by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 1:00–5:00 PM (Adoration) — note: currently listed as CANCELLED on parish site; Prayer and Benediction at 5:00 PM
About Queen of All Saints Catholic Church
Queen of All Saints is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pueblo that serves full-time locals, part-time residents, and the many seasonal visitors who come to Crested Butte for the skiing, mountain biking, and alpine scenery. The parish describes itself as welcoming and inclusive, striving to create an environment where everyone — including those in town just for a vacation — can join in celebrating the glory of Jesus Christ. All Catholic churches in Gunnison County are served by the same clergy team, with the primary church being St. Peter's in Gunnison, so phone calls, mail, or email for the priest or staff may be directed there.
- Welcomes full-time locals, part-time residents, and seasonal visitors
- Part of a three-parish cluster: Queen of All Saints (Crested Butte), St. Peter (Gunnison), St. Rose of Lima (Lake City)
- In the Diocese of Pueblo
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Crested Butte goes back to the mid-1880s, when Irish miners founded St. Patrick's Church on Maroon Street. As the demographic makeup of the mines shifted from Irish to Slovenian, Croatian, Yugoslavian, and Hispanic workers, and then as the mines themselves declined, a faithful core kept the parish alive. In 1961 parishioners decided a new church was needed, and in 1962 the present church was built on the Big Hill on Sopris Avenue — a hill long beloved as a town sledding slope — and dedicated as Queen of All Saints.
- Predecessor: St. Patrick's Church, founded mid-1880s on Maroon Street for Irish mining families
- 1961: parish decides a new church is needed; land purchased on Sopris Avenue (the 'Big Hill')
- 1962: Queen of All Saints church built and dedicated
- $75,000 construction debt paid off over 13 years with help of the Extension Society, ending with a mortgage-burning ceremony
- Parish hall added in 1995
- Original 1962 construction captured on early parishioner home movies
Architecture and the Church Building
The 1962 church was intentionally designed in the shape of praying hands and, viewed from the north, in the silhouette of Crested Butte mountain itself. It sits prominently on Sopris Avenue on the former 'Big Hill' sledding slope. A separate parish hall, completed in 1995, stands directly next to the church and serves both parish functions and community rentals.
- Designed in the shape of praying hands
- Northern façade echoes the silhouette of Crested Butte mountain
- Sits on the historic 'Big Hill' sledding slope on Sopris Avenue
- Adjacent parish hall built in 1995
Leadership — Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago, Pastor
Father Andres was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, on November 5, 1978, the son of Mr. Fernando Ayala-Nuño and Mrs. Maria del Refugio Santiago Robles, and grew up in Ahualulco de Mercado, Jalisco. He entered the Seminary of Guadalajara on August 28, 1996, completing studies in spirituality (Tapalpa), three years of philosophy, and three of theology, before continuing at the Hispanic Seminary of Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico City as a seminarian of the Diocese of Pueblo. He was ordained a deacon by Bishop Arthur Tafoya at the Basilica of Guadalupe on March 6, 2009, and ordained a priest by Bishop Fernando Isern at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo, Colorado, on December 9, 2010.
- 2010–2012: Parochial vicar, Sacred Heart Parish, Alamosa, CO
- 2012–2014: Parochial vicar, San Juan Community (San Jose, Monte Vista, Del Norte, South Fork, Creede, Center, Saguache)
- October 28, 2014: Became first Hispanic Parish Administrator of St. Peter (Gunnison), Queen of All Saints (Crested Butte), and St. Rose of Lima (Lake City)
- September 29, 2017: First decree as pastor; installed December 17, 2017
- October 1, 2023: Pastor's decree renewed for another six years
- February 5, 2024: Earned a master's degree in philosophy
Sacraments
Queen of All Saints celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. The parish website has dedicated pages for Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion/Eucharist, Reconciliation (Confession), Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick, with instructions for parishioners and visitors to contact the parish office to begin sacramental preparation.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Communion / Eucharist
- Reconciliation / Penance (Confession)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Hall
The Parish Hall sits directly next to Queen of All Saints Church. Its main floor is available for parish use and for rental to the general public as an event space for meetings, receptions, and conferences. The main floor is a single large space that can be subdivided by a mobile wall system, with a maximum capacity of 140, a large fully stocked kitchen, and separate men's and women's restrooms. Renters must follow the Diocese of Pueblo Facility Use Policy, which is linked from the parish site.
- Maximum capacity: 140
- Mobile wall system allows the space to be split into smaller rooms
- Fully stocked kitchen
- Men's and women's restrooms
- Rental governed by Diocese of Pueblo Facility Use Policy
Ministries and Community Life
The parish runs religious education for children and adults and operates youth ministry in cooperation with the local O Be Joyful and UCC churches — an ecumenical partnership that reflects Crested Butte's small-town character. Parishioners also support ongoing outreach to visitors and seasonal residents, and a thriving corps of volunteers maintains the church and parish hall. Since Crested Butte has become a year-round mountain destination, the parish has leaned into its identity as a 'spiritual vacation destination,' welcoming skiers, summer visitors, and part-time homeowners.
- Religious Education
- Youth Ministry (ecumenical with O Be Joyful and UCC churches)
- Visitor and seasonal-resident outreach
- Parish and parish-hall stewardship
What Catholics Believe
The parish's About page concludes with the closing affirmation of the Nicene Creed: 'We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.' The site links to additional Catholic belief resources for visitors who want to learn more about the faith.
- Links to additional 'What We Believe as Catholics' resources
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago2014–present
First Hispanic Parish Administrator of the Crested Butte–Gunnison–Lake City cluster beginning October 28, 2014; received first decree as pastor September 29, 2017 and was installed December 17, 2017; decree renewed for another six years on October 1, 2023. Earned a master's degree in philosophy on February 5, 2024.