About Sacred Heart of Mary · Boulder, Colorado
Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Parish in Boulder, Colorado is the first Catholic parish in Boulder County, with roots going back to 1862. It is an active, welcoming community in the Archdiocese of Denver that celebrates Mass every day, including a Traditional Latin Mass alongside the Ordinary Form. The parish is set on a hilltop campus at 6739 South Boulder Road, anchored by a 1913 redstone-trimmed cruciform brick church and surrounded by a historic Catholic cemetery. Today it offers daily and Sunday Mass, weekday adoration, frequent confession times, lay liturgical ministries, a music program, and outreach to the south Boulder community.
- Established
- 1862
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Jonathan Dellinger
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Sacred Heart of Mary invites parishioners into daily sacramental life: the parish offers a Mass every day of the week, including a Traditional Latin Mass on Tuesdays at noon and Sundays at 12:30 PM, and a Novus Ordo Latin Mass on Saturday mornings. Confession is available six days a week — after daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, plus extended Saturday morning and afternoon slots — and there is a weekly Friday morning holy hour with Eucharistic adoration. A lay liturgical corps of altar servers, lectors, and ushers/greeters, an in-residence music staff (singers, accompanists, and a string ensemble), and a network of parish ministries give parishioners concrete ways to serve, while the historic 1913 church, hilltop cemetery, and Memorial Wall for the Unborn give the community a tangible sense of Catholic roots in Boulder County stretching back to 1862.
Mass times at Sacred Heart of Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: following the 7:30 AM Daily Mass
- Tuesday: 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 – 9:30 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:15 – 1:00 PM (during the Traditional Latin Mass)
- By appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Friday: 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Parish History
Sacred Heart of Mary traces its origin to Father Raverdy's January 7, 1862 visit to the DeBacker homestead — the first Mass in Boulder County. Over the next decade, traveling priests brought the sacraments to scattered ranch houses; Father Machebeuf purchased the 160-acre hilltop in 1867 for $500, south Boulder Catholics built the first Catholic church in the county in 1873, and Bishop Machebeuf named it Sacred Heart of Mary. After Father Hugh Quigley became the first resident priest in 1874, the parish grew enough that by 1909 it had a full-time priest, and under Rev. Antonine Hintenach, O.S.B., the present cruciform cream-brick church with Redstone trim was constructed and dedicated on August 23, 1913 — its centennial observed in 2013.
- First Mass in Boulder County: January 7, 1862, at the John DeBacker home on South Boulder Creek.
- Land purchased by Father Joseph P. Machebeuf: December 1867, 160 acres from Daniel Delehant for $500.
- First church built: 1873, a small Gothic wood-frame structure — first Catholic church in Boulder County.
- Named 'Sacred Heart of Mary' by Bishop Machebeuf, who donated vestments, sacred vessels, and images of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
- First resident priest: Father Hugh Quigley, 1874, boarding at Simon McGann's home.
- Present church cornerstone laid by Bishop Nicholas Matz: April 13, 1913; church dedicated August 23, 1913; 100th anniversary celebrated in 2013.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and a parochial vicar, supported by a small business/administrative team and dedicated facilities, music, and cemetery staff. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
- Rev. Jonathan Dellinger — Pastor
- Rev. Michael Freihofer — Parochial Vicar
- Stacy Nichols — Business Manager
- Don Boselli — Administrative Assistant
- Geoff Barton — Facilities Maintenance
- Dave Davis — Music Director
- Jenny Pagano — Family Service Advisor (Cemetery)
Music Program
Sacred Heart of Mary supports a liturgical music program led by Music Director Dave Davis, with staff accompanists, cantors, and a Strings-in-Residence ensemble that undergirds both the Ordinary Form and Traditional Latin Masses.
- Dave — Director of Music, baritone
- Caitlin — Accompanist, piano and organ
- Matthew — Accompanist, piano and organ
- Katherine — Cantor, soprano (with a second soprano cantor listed)
- Aniel, Charles, Regan, and Tak — Strings in Residence
Lay Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgy as altar servers, lectors, and ushers/greeters. Adult altar servers assist at weekday 7:30 AM Mass and at Funeral Masses; youth servers begin in 4th grade. Volunteers are always welcome, and instruction is offered as needed.
- Altar Servers — boys and girls from 4th grade onward; adults serve weekday Mass and funerals. Contact: John Barton at [email protected]
- Lectors — adults who proclaim God's Holy Word at Mass; meetings scheduled as needed.
- Ushers/Greeters — greet arrivals, help with seating and facilities, take up the offertory collection, distribute bulletins, and assist the congregation.
Cemetery and Memorial Wall for the Unborn
Sacred Heart of Mary's grounds include a historic Catholic cemetery on the hilltop, with the Memorial Wall for the Unborn at its east end. Families are served by a Family Service Coordinator and Family Service Advisor (cemetery); cemetery office hours are by appointment only via the Family Service Coordinator at 303-494-7572 x204.
- Memorial Wall for the Unborn — located in the cemetery, at the east end directly north of the church parking lot.
- Family Service Advisor (Cemetery): Jenny Pagano.
- Cemetery Office Hours: by appointment only (303-494-7572 x204).
Visiting and Directions
The parish sits at 6739 South Boulder Road between Cherryvale Road and 76th Street, on the north side of the road, and is accessible from US Highway 36 via either the Foothills Parkway/South Boulder Road exit or the Superior/Louisville exit. Parish office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM; the main line is 303-494-7572.
- Address: 6739 South Boulder Road, Boulder, CO 80303.
- Main Phone: 303-494-7572 (Parish Office).
- Parish Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Raverdy1862
Celebrated the first Mass in Boulder County at the DeBacker homestead; baptized the first known Catholics in the county.
- Father Joseph P. Machebeuf1867
Purchased the 160-acre hilltop property for the parish in December 1867; later first Bishop of Denver; named the church Sacred Heart of Mary.
- Father Thomas McGrath (of Golden)1872–1873
Supervised construction of the first Catholic church in Boulder County, completed 1873.
- Father Hugh Quigley1874
First resident priest; boarded at the home of Simon McGann.
- Reverend Antonine Hintenach, O.S.B.pre-1913
Pastor who led the building committee and construction of the present cruciform Redstone-trimmed brick church, dedicated August 23, 1913.