About Sacred Heart · Fruita, Colorado
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman-Latin rite parish in Fruita, Colorado, within the Diocese of Pueblo. The present church building stands at 1210 17 1/2 Road, Fruita, CO 81521. It is served by pastor Rev. Paul Ekeh and deacons Alonso Kennedy and George Fortunato, with a parish team handling faith formation, music, outreach, and liturgy. The parish describes itself as a community of diverse cultures called through Baptism to follow Christ in worship, religious education, fellowship, and service.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Paul Ekeh
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
Sacred Heart is a multi-cultural Catholic family in the heart of the Grand Valley where English-language Mass is offered six days a week, Eucharistic Adoration is held twice weekly, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available both during the Wednesday Holy Hour and before Saturday Mass. The parish actively forms disciples through Children's Faith Formation, an Adult Faith Formation program, Youth Ministry & Confirmation preparation, and a music ministry led by a Music Coordinator, while also reaching out through an Outreach Ministry. Members find a place to belong in the parish's mission to 'Love God, Love others, Make disciples,' supported by Parish and Finance Councils, liturgical ministries, and connections to Holy Family Catholic School.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM (during Holy Hour, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Holy Hour after the 6:30 PM Mass)
- Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
About Sacred Heart Parish
Sacred Heart is a Roman-Latin rite Catholic parish in Fruita, Colorado, within the Diocese of Pueblo. Its mission is 'Love God, Love others, Make disciples,' and its self-description reads: 'We, the people of Sacred Heart, a community of diverse cultures, are called through our Baptism into the life of the Trinity to be one in following the way of Christ. We strive to serve through our love, witnessing to Christ's presence, in our worship, by providing religious education, by bringing people together with a sense of belonging, by reaching out to the hurts and needs of the larger community.'
- Parish mission: Love God, Love others, Make disciples
- Diocese: Pueblo
- Rite: Roman-Latin
History
Fruita's Catholic community first gathered at St. Malachy in 1890, built on land donated by the Kiefer brothers Val, Ben, and Frank. After a new site was purchased in 1919, the current 1921 Sacred Heart Church was built and the parish renamed. By 2008 a third location had been acquired and a brand-new church built at 1210 17 1/2 Road, where the parish now worships.
- 1890: St. Malachy founded as Fruita's first Catholic church, on land donated by the Kiefer brothers
- 1919: New site purchased
- 1921: Church constructed and renamed Sacred Heart
- 2008: Third site purchased and a new church built at 1210 17 1/2 Road
Architecture of the 1921 Sacred Heart Church
Designed by Colorado architect Robert Willison and built by Italian-born stonemason Nunzio Grasso, the 1921 Sacred Heart Church is a fine example of the Romanesque Revival style applied to a house of worship. Rock-faced sandstone walls, a square bell tower, semicircular masonry arches, an oversized central tower with the entrance in its base, rose windows in the transepts, and Florentine stained-glass windows give the building its distinctive character. The colored, leaded, and etched glass basement windows come from the 1890 St. Malachy predecessor.
- Architect: Robert Willison
- Builder/Stonemason: Nunzio Grasso
- Stone: Rough-faced sandstone from the Little Book Cliffs Quarry
- Style: Romanesque Revival
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Paul Ekeh, assisted by Deacons Alonso Kennedy and George Fortunato. A larger parish team supports liturgy, formation, music, outreach, administration, and funerals.
- Pastor: Rev. Paul Ekeh
- Deacon Alonso Kennedy — 970-361-8885, [email protected]
- Deacon George Fortunato — 970-629-2723, [email protected]
- Business Manager: Lance Stewart — [email protected]
- Pastoral Associate, Funerals: Gloria Chavez — [email protected]
- Music Coordinator: Teri Bohl — 970-639-2225, [email protected]
- Adult Faith Formation: Dave & Ginny Norton — 970-712-8085, [email protected]
- Children's Faith Formation: Maribeth and Mel Lavender — 303-917-4394; Amy Rabbio — 303-917-5668
- Religious Ed Coordinators: Connor Ryan (406-465-8384), Amy Rabbio
- Youth Ministry & Confirmation: Colleen Nycum — 970-640-7761, [email protected]
- Liturgical Ministry Scheduling: Ginny Norton — 970-270-4587
- Outreach Ministry: Treva Teskey — 970-639-2209
- Bulletin / Office Assistance: Josephine Roybal — [email protected]
Other Devotions
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish gathers for traditional Marian prayer on weekday mornings and a monthly Vespers hour.
- Rosary recited Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 AM
- Second Sunday of the Month 5:00 PM — Holy Hour & Vespers
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sacred Heart offers formation for every age: an Adult Faith Formation program, Children's Faith Formation, a Youth Ministry that prepares teens for Confirmation, and named Religious Education Coordinators supporting the work.
- Adult Faith Formation — Dave & Ginny Norton, [email protected]
- Children's Faith Formation — Maribeth and Mel Lavender; Amy Rabbio
- Youth Ministry & Confirmation — Colleen Nycum
- Religious Ed Coordinators — Connor Ryan, Amy Rabbio
Liturgical & Music Ministry
Liturgical ministry scheduling is coordinated by Ginny Norton, and the parish's liturgical music is led by Music Coordinator Teri Bohl. Parishioners serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers, altar servers, and choir members according to the parish's published schedule.
- Liturgical Ministry Scheduling — Ginny Norton
- Music Coordinator — Teri Bohl
Parish & Finance Councils
Parish governance is shared between a Parish Council and a Finance Council, with elected and appointed members guiding mission, operations, and stewardship.
- Parish Council Chair — Regina Stout
- Parish Council Members — Angeline Roles, Frank Cavaliere, Eric Rink, Cindy Fry, John Rodwick, Jim Davis
- Finance Council Chair — Frank Graziano
- Finance Council Members — Ken Schreiner, Jim Davis, Buffy Smith, Sara Beth Moore, Lance Stewart
Outreach & Funerals
Sacred Heart maintains an Outreach Ministry that responds to needs in the larger Fruita and Grand Valley community, and a Pastoral Associate coordinates funerals and pastoral care for grieving families.
- Outreach Ministry — Treva Teskey, 970-639-2209
- Pastoral Associate, Funerals — Gloria Chavez, [email protected]
Holy Family Catholic School
Sacred Heart is connected with Holy Family Catholic School, which serves kindergarten through 8th grade. Spring enrollment opens each year and a limited scholarship fund is available to assist families with tuition. Subsidy applications for the 2025-2026 school year were available at the Sacred Heart parish office.
- Open enrollment (K-8) at Holy Family Catholic School
- Scholarship fund available; applications at the parish office
- Enquiries: Holy Family at 970-242-6168
- Scholarship contact: Melissa Hoaglund, [email protected]
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
Parishioners and visitors are welcome at the church and office on 17 1/2 Road in Fruita. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM. The parish office can be reached by phone, fax, or email.
- Address: 1210 17 1/2 Road, Fruita, CO 81521
- Phone: (970) 858-9605
- Fax: (970) 639-9343
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon.–Thu. 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Bulletin deadline: Mondays at 12:00 PM (in writing or by email)