About Queen of Peace Catholic Parish · Aurora, Colorado
Queen of Peace Catholic Parish is a large, culturally diverse Catholic parish in Aurora, Colorado, belonging to the Archdiocese of Denver. Founded in 1968, it has grown into the most diverse parish in the archdiocese, with a congregation drawn from more than 100 nations who worship regularly in both English and Spanish. Some 12,000 people pass through its doors each week for Mass, religious education, social services, and fellowship, making it among the busiest parishes in the region.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Our Lady Queen of Peace
- Rector
- Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Queen of Peace welcomes Catholics from more than 100 nations into a single parish family where Mass is celebrated in English and Spanish every day of the week, with perpetual Eucharistic Adoration available 24/7 in its chapel. The parish runs more than 100 ministries — from Aurora's only soup kitchen (Friends of St. Andrew) and a St. Vincent de Paul conference to Gabriel House for mothers, RCIA, youth groups, and cultural communities such as the Bayanihan Filipino Society. It is a place to encounter Christ in the sacraments, serve the poor, and belong to a genuinely multicultural Catholic community.
Mass times at Queen of Peace Catholic Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 7:20 am – 7:50 am
- Tuesday: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
- Friday: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Friday: 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Saturday: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel is open 24/7 (perpetual adoration)
History of Queen of Peace Parish
Queen of Peace was established on June 12, 1968 by Archbishop James Casey to serve Catholics in the growing Aurora community. The parish was originally entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), with Father Frank McCullough, OMI breaking ground on the first buildings on September 4, 1968. A second facility followed in 1970 and a 1,200-seat church was added in 1975. After the Oblates departed in 1987, the Archdiocese of Denver appointed Father Bill Breslin as the first diocesan pastor and the parish opened a day hospitality center for the homeless that same year — the seed of Friends of St. Andrew. Archbishop Charles Chaput dedicated a new church building in 1999. The parish marked its 50th anniversary in 2018 with bilingual Masses and a Marian pilgrimage, and continues to serve as the most diverse parish in the archdiocese.
- Founded June 12, 1968 by Archbishop James Casey
- First pastor: Father Frank McCullough, OMI (1968–1987)
- First diocesan pastor: Father Bill Breslin (1987)
- 1,200-seat church built in 1975; new church dedicated by Archbishop Chaput in 1999
- Current pastor Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba appointed 2013, reappointed 2019 and 2025
- 50th anniversary celebrated in 2018
Parish Staff & Clergy
Queen of Peace is shepherded by a pastor and two parochial vicars, supported by two permanent deacons and a lay staff team responsible for faith formation, discipleship, music, communications, finance, and facilities.
- Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba — Pastor ([email protected])
- Father Carlos W. Bello-Ayala — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Fr. Cristobal R. Gadea Velasquez — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Robert Uphoff — Friends of St. Andrew Program Director ([email protected])
- Deacon David Morris ([email protected])
- Dennis Haberkorn — Director of Finance / HR
- Karen Chavira — Director of Discipleship
- Susana Campos — Faith Formation Director
- Vickie Ta-Hernandez — Accounting / HR Manager
- Jorge Salazar — Music Director
- David Arambula — Maintenance Director
- Itzel Arambula — Communications Director
- Veronica Varela — Receptionist
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Queen of Peace runs one of the largest religious education programs in the archdiocese, enrolling about 1,200 students each year. The parish also offers adult faith formation (RCIA, Neocatechumenal Way, Focolare), ongoing Scripture study, and a year-round schedule of retreats and workshops. Approximately 2,000 adults participate in faith formation annually.
- Religious Education / Faith Formation for children (Director: Susana Campos)
- RCIA — 9–10 month journey into the Catholic Church (Contact: Jim Daly)
- Neocatechumenal Way (post-baptismal catechumenate)
- Focolare spirituality
- Little Rock Scripture Bible Study (English — Marlene Thurston)
- Estudio Bíblico en español (Lillian Voll)
- Archdiocesan Biblical and Catechetical School (Northern Colorado)
- Parent Classes for Religious Education families (Biratu Tolessa)
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at Queen of Peace is led by Music Director Jorge Salazar and supported by multiple choirs serving the English, Spanish, and Filipino communities. The parish livestreams its daily Masses and several devotions so shut-ins and the homebound can participate.
- Jorge Salazar — Music Director ([email protected])
- Celebration Singers Choir (English, Thursdays 7:00 pm)
- Santinig Choir (Wednesdays 7:00 pm)
- Hispanic Young Adults Choir (Wednesdays 7:00 pm)
- Youth Praise & Worship Choir (Mondays 7:30 pm)
- Talleres Litúrgicos (monthly Spanish liturgical workshops)
- Violin classes and matachines (traditional dance) offered
Outreach, Charity & Pro-Life Ministry
Outreach is at the heart of Queen of Peace's identity. Friends of St. Andrew — Aurora's only soup kitchen — has served hot meals, food baskets, and mail service to the poor and homeless for more than 40 years. The St. Vincent de Paul Society assists with rent, utilities, and groceries, and Gabriel House provides material and spiritual support to pregnant women and families with young children. The parish also joins the international 40 Days for Life campaign.
- Friends of St. Andrew — soup kitchen at 1525 Dallas St., Aurora (Mon–Fri 10:15 am–12:30 pm); about 30,000 meals/year
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — serves ~50 needy families weekly
- Gabriel House Project — pro-life aid to >300 mothers/families; ~7,000 diapers distributed monthly
- Gabriel House (Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver)
- 40 Days for Life / Respect Life Group
- English as a Second Language (ESL) classes — ~250 adults/year
- Parenting classes — ~1,200 parents/year
- Funeral Ministry (Nancy Shelton)
Youth, Young Adults & Family Life
Queen of Peace invests heavily in forming young Catholics. More than 100 teens participate in youth groups annually, and the parish offers Hispanic Young Adult gatherings, marriage preparation (about 80 couples a year), and parent formation classes that accompany the Religious Education program.
- Youth Group — Middle & High School (English, Mondays 7:00 pm)
- Grupos Juveniles de Middle & High School (Spanish, Thursdays 7:00 pm)
- Hispanic Young Adult Meeting (Thursdays 7:00 pm)
- Marriage Preparation (≈80 couples annually)
- Parent Classes (monthly meetings for Religious Education parents)
Cultural Communities & Charisms
Reflecting its multicultural congregation, Queen of Peace hosts several language-based and charism-based communities. The Bayanihan Filipino Society celebrates the annual fiesta of the Señor Santo Niño de Cebu, an African Catholic Society gathers faithful from across the continent, and the parish is home to both the Neocatechumenal Way and the Focolare movement.
- Bayanihan Filipino Society (annual Señor Santo Niño de Cebu fiesta every January)
- African Catholic Society
- Sociedad Hispana and other Hispanic groups
- Neocatechumenal Way communities
- Focolare spirituality
- Knitting/Crocheting fellowship
- Couples for Christ
Sacraments at Queen of Peace
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Schedules and registration links are available on the parish website; baptism preparation requires parent classes, and emergency Anointing of the Sick can be requested by calling the parish office. Sacramental life is robust: about 600 baptisms, 400 First Communions, and 350+ confirmations are celebrated each year.
- Baptism (sign up online for baptism classes)
- First Holy Communion (≈400 children/year)
- Confirmation (≈350+ teens/year)
- Matrimony / Marriage Preparation
- Anointing of the Sick (emergency anointing on call)
- RCIA (adult initiation)
- Confession (daily schedule)
- Funeral Ministry
Facilities, Campus & Building Campaign
The parish campus at 13120 E Kentucky Ave. includes the church (dedicated in 1999), the parish center, and a reception area known as Decalogue Square. The current parish center is aging — with leaks, mold, asbestos, and outdated wooden floors — and the parish is in the midst of a $12.5 million Building Christ's Community Together capital campaign to replace it. By 2018 the parish had pledged about $4.6 million toward its $5 million campaign goal, a remarkable effort given the predominantly middle-to-lower income of its members.
- Parish address: 13120 E Kentucky Ave., Aurora, CO 80012
- Phone: (303) 364-1056
- Reception desk located in Decalogue Square of the parish center
- Building Christ's Community Together capital campaign ($12.5M project)
- Friends of St. Andrew site: 1525 Dallas St., Aurora, CO 80010 (303-364-2329)
Getting Involved
With more than 100 ministries and activities, Queen of Peace offers a wide range of ways to serve — feeding the hungry at Friends of St. Andrew, helping families through St. Vincent de Paul, singing in one of several choirs, becoming a weekly adorer in the perpetual Adoration Chapel, or joining a cultural or prayer community. The parish office can connect newcomers with the right ministry.
- Become a weekly Eucharistic Adorer (sign up via website)
- Volunteer at Friends of St. Andrew soup kitchen (60 active volunteers)
- Join RCIA, Neocatechumenal Way, Focolare, or a Scripture study
- Volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul or Gabriel House
- Join a choir or liturgical ministry (English or Spanish)
- Text AURORA to 84576 for parish text alerts
Visit, Contact & Stay Connected
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday–Friday 10 am – 6 pm and Saturday 9 am – 12:30 pm, with reception in Decalogue Square of the parish center. Mass is livestreamed on YouTube, the parish posts regular videos on Facebook, and text alerts can be activated by texting AURORA to 84576.
- Phone: (303) 364-1056
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.queenofpeace.net
- Facebook: facebook.com/QoPAurora
- Instagram: queenofpeaceco
- YouTube: Queen of Peace Catholic Parish channel
- Text alerts: text AURORA to 84576
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Frank McCullough, OMI1968–1987
Oblate founding pastor; oversaw groundbreaking of the original chapel, the 1970 second building, and the 1975 1,200-seat church.
- Father Bill Breslin1987
First diocesan pastor of Queen of Peace after the Oblates of Mary Immaculate departed; opened the day hospitality center for the homeless that year.
- Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba2013–present
Native Spaniard, ordained 2004 for the Archdiocese of Denver; reappointed 2019 and again in July 2025.