About Sacred Heart · Denver, Colorado
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a historic bilingual parish at 2760 Larimer Street in Denver's Five Points neighborhood, founded in 1879 by Bishop Joseph Machebeuf as the third parish of the Colorado Territory and historically entrusted to the Jesuits. It is the oldest continuously operating Catholic church in Colorado and one of the oldest continuously operating houses of worship of any denomination in the state. Today it is a predominantly Hispanic, immigrant parish where Mass is celebrated in English and Spanish under pastor Father Eric David Zegeer. Sacred Heart is widely known as the home parish of Servant of God Julia Greeley, the emancipated slave and candidate for sainthood whose life of charity to Denver's poor is rooted in these walls.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Eric David Zegeer, D.Min.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Denver)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is the oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in Colorado, with a 145-year legacy rooted in Denver's historic Five Points neighborhood and the heroic charity of Servant of God Julia Greeley. It is a vibrant bilingual (English/Spanish) parish where the predominantly immigrant congregation is welcomed by a pastor who has deliberately built programs — Fidelis Catholic Credit Union, free bilingual Catholic counseling through St. Raphael, on-site hot meals and taco fundraisers, religious education for children and parents together, and a robust Sacramental prep program — to care for the whole person. Visitors find Masses seven days a week in two languages, multiple weekly confession slots, weekday Eucharistic adoration, an active Julia Greeley Guild, and a parish community that takes visible pride in restoring its landmark 1880 Gothic-style church.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00 – 7:30 PM
- Friday 11:00 – 11:30 AM
- First Friday 11:00 – 11:30 AM and 5:00 – 5:45 PM
- Saturday 5:00 – 5:20 PM
- By appointment — contact Fr. Eric at [email protected]
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 – 7:45 PM
- Thursday 7:00 – 7:30 PM (First Thursdays)
- Friday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (also listed to 11:30 AM)
- Friday 5:00 – 5:45 PM (First Fridays)
Our Parish — Heritage in Five Points
Sacred Heart is the third parish of the Colorado Territory, founded in 1879 by Bishop Joseph Machebeuf for the Irish and Italian immigrants who had settled in what is now Denver's Five Points neighborhood. The church building, completed and dedicated on April 25, 1880, was designed by Emmet Anthony in a traditional cruciform shape and is, per the parish and the Colorado State Historical Fund, the oldest continuously operating church of any denomination in Colorado. For most of its history Sacred Heart was a Jesuit parish; St. Ignatius Loyola grew out of it as a mission chapel in 1909 and became an independent parish in the 1940s.
- Third parish of the Colorado Territory, founded 1879 by Bishop Joseph Machebeuf
- Church building dedicated April 25, 1880; designed by Emmet Anthony
- Oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in Colorado
- Historic Jesuit parish; mother parish of St. Ignatius Loyola (1909 → independent 1940s)
- Sacred Heart School operated 1880–1979; building now houses Centro San Juan Diego (Catholic Charities)
Julia Greeley, Servant of God
Sacred Heart's most famous parishioner is Julia Greeley, an emancipated slave who was conditionally baptized here on June 26, 1880, by Rev. Charles M. Ferrari, S.J. She became known across Denver as the 'Angel of Charity,' pulling a small wagon through the city's alleys to deliver food, fuel and clothing to needy families — and as a daily communicant who walked some 20 miles a month to visit every fire station in Denver and distribute Sacred Heart League literature. She died on June 7, 1918, the feast of the Sacred Heart. In 2016 the Vatican granted permission to open her cause for canonization; Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila officially opened the case in December of that year and her mortal remains were translated to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on June 7, 2017.
- Baptized at Sacred Heart on June 26, 1880, by Rev. Charles M. Ferrari, S.J.
- Died June 7, 1918, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Declared Servant of God; cause for canonization opened December 2016
- Remains now at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
- Julia Greeley Guild is a ministry of Sacred Heart Parish under Fr. Zegeer
Clergy, Staff and Parish Office
Sacred Heart is led by its pastor, Fr. Eric David Zegeer, D.Min., who arrived in August 2022 from Risen Christ Parish in Denver. The parish office is staffed by an Office Manager and Director of Religious Education (Diana Reyna Bustamante), a Parish Secretary (Maria Garcia de Chavez), the Director of the Servidores Ministry (Lupe Caballero), Office Support (Lupe Ramirez), Bookkeeper (Dan Wagner) and Light Maintenance (Cindy Mora). Sacramental emergencies are handled by dialing '2' on the parish phone line.
- Fr. Eric David Zegeer, D.Min. — Pastor (since August 2022)
- Diana Reyna Bustamante — Office Manager and Director of Religious Education
- Maria Garcia de Chavez — Parish Secretary
- Lupe Caballero — Director, Servidores Ministry
- Lupe Ramirez — Office Support
- Dan Wagner — Bookkeeper
- Cindy Mora — Light Maintenance
Sacraments and Faith Formation
Sacred Heart offers the full range of Catholic sacraments — Baptism (a parish with continuous baptismal records stretching back to 1880), Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. Under Fr. Zegeer the parish has placed special emphasis on sacramental preparation for children alongside their parents: roughly 50 children are currently enrolled, and each family is asked to attend presentations, complete 24 hours of volunteer service, and join the annual family retreat at Annunciation Heights, the Archdiocesan camp near Estes Park.
- Baptism (parish holds the original 1880 conditional-baptism register of Julia Greeley)
- Reconciliation — see confession schedule or by appointment with Fr. Eric
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation for ~50 children
- Family retreat at Annunciation Heights near Estes Park
- Matrimony — parish reports a marked increase under current pastor
- Anointing of the Sick / sacramental emergencies via parish phone line
Ministries and Outreach — Caring for the Whole Person
Under Fr. Eric Zegeer the parish has built what he calls 'whole-person' ministries — pairing spiritual care with financial, mental-health and material help for a predominantly immigrant, uninsured congregation. Highlights include the on-site Fidelis Catholic Credit Union branch (opened Feb. 27, 2024) offering bilingual financial education and loans, a free St. Raphael Counseling therapy office staffed by Catholic Charities therapist Pedro Pablo, biweekly on-site taco fundraisers, free health screenings, and employment-rights seminars. The Servidores Ministry, under Lupe Caballero, coordinates parish service.
- Fidelis Catholic Credit Union — bilingual branch inside the church
- St. Raphael Counseling (Catholic Charities) — free Catholic bilingual therapy
- Religious Education for children and parents together
- Servidores Ministry (Lupe Caballero)
- Parish Finance Council (chair Javier Trujillo)
- Hot meals, free health screenings, employment-rights seminars
- Biweekly taco sales fundraiser
- Julia Greeley Guild — promotes the cause for canonization of Julia Greeley
Stewardship and the 'Rebuild My Church' Capital Campaign
Since 2022 the parish has undertaken an extensive physical and spiritual renewal, tagged with the phrase 'Rebuild My Church!' — said by Jesus to St. Francis from the cross. Two $250,000 grants from the Colorado State Historical Fund, plus rebates, donations and parish funds (totaling roughly $659,000 to date), have paid for a new 50-year warrantied shingled roof, brick restoration, gutters, foundation regrouting, a restored chapel, a new vented kitchen hood, HVAC, LED lighting, security cameras, new signage and access-gate updates. Planned work includes bell-tower repainting, repair of rotted wood, restoration of the main stairs and installation of solar panels and UV protection over the stained-glass windows.
- Two $250,000 Colorado State Historical Fund grants
- New 50-year warrantied shingled roof and brick restoration
- Restored chapel, new HVAC, LED lighting, security cameras
- Bell-tower repainting and main-stair restoration underway
- Solar panels and UV protection for stained-glass windows planned
- Annual Fiscal Year Report and Year-in-Review published each spring
Facilities, Building and Historic Significance
The church at 2760 Larimer Street is a registered historic building in Denver. Designed by Emmet Anthony in a cruciform plan with a bell tower and rose window in a Gothic-influenced style, it was dedicated April 25, 1880, and has been in continuous use ever since — surviving a major fire on November 26, 1911, that was put out by Fire Chief Terry Owens, Assistant Fire Chief John F. Healy and three companies. The parish also owns the former Sacred Heart School building (dedicated 1889, closed 1979), which now houses Centro San Juan Diego, a ministry of Catholic Charities.
- 2760 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205 — Five Points neighborhood
- Cruciform plan, Emmet Anthony, 1879–1880; bell tower and rose window
- Survived major fire on November 26, 1911
- Former school building now houses Centro San Juan Diego (Catholic Charities)
- Public parking charged on parish lot during non-Mass hours
Contact, Location and Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 303-294-9830 (press '2' for sacramental emergencies) or by emailing Father Eric at [email protected]. The latest bulletin is published regularly on the parish website, which also hosts the annual fiscal-year report, a Year-in-Review flyer, and ongoing updates to the 'Rebuild My Church' improvement list.
- Address: 2760 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205
- Phone: 303-294-9830 (press '2' for sacramental emergencies)
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Bulletin and annual report published on sacredheartdenver.org
- Bilingual parish: English and Spanish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Baptiste Guida, S.J.1879 –
Jesuit priest who founded Sacred Heart Parish for Bishop Machebeuf in 1879 and oversaw construction and the 1880 dedication.
- Fr. Charles McDonnell, S.J.around 1921
Pastor of Sacred Heart and Loyola Chapel who in 1921 bought the York Street block and began building St. Ignatius Loyola as the overflow church.
- Fr. Eric David Zegeer, D.Min.August 2022 – present
Arrived from Risen Christ Parish in Denver; led historic-preservation grants, the Fidelis Credit Union partnership and St. Raphael Counseling therapy ministry, and grew Mass attendance 58% in his first year.