About Sacred Heart · Roggen, Colorado
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a rural parish serving the Eastern Plains community of Roggen, Colorado, and is twinned with Holy Family Catholic Church in nearby Keenesburg, about 10 miles west. The parish was originally established as a small mission in 1914 to serve farming families on the plains, was formally dedicated by Bishop Henry Tihen on June 10, 1924, and was erected as its own parish in 1942. Today the parish is led by Rev. Thomas Kuffel and is supported by Deacon Ed Green and a small staff, offering daily Mass, a Sunday Rosary, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation for children and adults, OCIA, and ministry to the Heart of the Plains Cemetery.
- Established
- 1914 (mission); 1942 (parish)
- Patron
- Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Kuffel
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
Sacred Heart offers the small-plains parish experience the founders intended: a Sunday 8:00 AM Mass, a 7:00 AM Sunday Rosary, weekly Eucharistic adoration on Tuesday evenings, and a full week of daily Mass Wednesday through Friday. Families have a place here — Religious Education classes (CCD) for preschool through high school, OCIA for adults becoming Catholic, ongoing Bible studies, and youth ministry with Sunday Night Socials, sports leagues and pilgrimages. The parish also reaches out through the Healing of Families ministry, a prison ministry, Community Outreach, a Reparation Hour of Prayer, and care of the Heart of the Plains Cemetery — a community ministry that began with donated land in 2005 and was dedicated in 2007.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sacred Heart: 30 minutes before Sunday Mass (i.e., before 8:00 AM Sunday)
- Sacred Heart: Tuesday evening during the 5:00–6:00 PM Exposition hour, before the 6:00 PM Mass
- Holy Family, Keenesburg: 30 minutes before Sunday Mass
- By appointment (call the parish office 303-849-5313)
Adoration times
- Sacred Heart: Tuesdays 5:00 PM Exposition, Adoration through 6:00 PM Mass
- Holy Family, Keenesburg: First Saturday of the month, 9:00 AM – 4:15 PM
Parish History
Sacred Heart Catholic Church grew out of a small mission established in 1914 to serve the German-Russian and other Catholic farming families who had settled the Eastern Plains of Colorado around Roggen. In 1921 an old Roggen schoolhouse was converted into a chapel, and on June 10, 1924 Bishop Henry Tihen, third bishop of Denver, formally dedicated the mission. By 1942 the community had grown large and determined enough to be erected as its own parish; the present 36-by-90-foot cinder-block church, designed by architect John K. Monroe, was begun in 1944 and dedicated on June 10, 1947 by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr. The parish history page on the website (SacredHeartRoggen.com/history) and a 2025 Denver Catholic Register feature both recount the central role of the Klausner, Linnebur and Buchholz farming families in building and sustaining the parish.
- Mission established: 1914
- Old schoolhouse converted to a church: 1921
- Formally dedicated by Bishop Henry Tihen: June 10, 1924
- Erected as a parish: 1942
- Current church designed by John K. Monroe; construction 1944–1946
- New church dedicated by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr: June 10, 1947
Sacred Heart School (1946–1969)
In the fall of 1946 the old frame church south of the new building was divided into two classrooms and opened as Sacred Heart School, with 35 pupils enrolled in grades one through eight. It was staffed that first year by Sister M. Lillian and Sister M. Anita of the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Most Precious Blood. Over the following decades difficulties in recruiting nuns for a rural parish school took their toll; the last graduating class was in 1969, and in 1974 the school was moved from its original site and the convent sold.
- Opened 1946, 35 pupils in grades 1–8
- Staffed by the Sisters Adorers of the Most Precious Blood
- Religious education for public-school students added under Rev. James Morgan
- Last graduating class: 1969; school relocated: 1974
World Youth Day 1993 — The 850,000 Wafers
When Pope John Paul II chose Denver for World Youth Day 1993, Sacred Heart, with its mission parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes in Wiggins and Holy Family in Keenesburg, was asked to provide the communion hosts for the Papal Mass on August 15. The three parishes collected a ton of wheat, which was milled into flour and then baked by the Carmelite Sisters in Littleton into 850,000 communion wafers — a months-long volunteer effort of the local farmers and parishioners.
- One ton of wheat collected from the three parishes
- Milled into flour and baked into 850,000 hosts by the Carmelite Sisters of Littleton
- Used at the Papal Mass, Sunday August 15, 1993
Clergy, Staff & Parish Leadership
Sacred Heart and Holy Family share one pastoral team. Rev. Thomas Kuffel is pastor of both parishes, and Deacon Ed Green serves both as deacon and as Director of Religious Education for Sacred Heart. The shared business office is staffed by Business Manager Mary Jacob and Parish Secretary Christina Workman (who is also Director of Religious Education for Holy Family). Rich Huwa leads the Sacred Heart Parish Council and Amy Vieth leads the Holy Family Parish Council. Linda Epple coordinates the Heart of the Plains Cemetery.
- Rev. Thomas Kuffel — Pastor
- Deacon Ed Green — Deacon; DRE, Sacred Heart
- Mary Jacob — Business Manager
- Christina Workman — Parish Secretary; DRE, Holy Family
- Rich Huwa — Parish Council Lead, Sacred Heart
- Amy Vieth — Parish Council Lead, Holy Family
- Linda Epple — Heart of the Plains Cemetery
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sacred Heart and Holy Family together offer a full faith-formation program for every age, rooted in the Archdiocese of Denver's Restored Order of sacramental preparation. Children's Religious Education Classes (CCD) are available for preschool through high school. Adults can join ongoing Bible studies after Mass, while those seeking to enter the Catholic Church participate in OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA). A separate young-adult ministry runs Bible studies, sports leagues, pilgrimages and Sunday Night Socials for young adults and young families.
- CCD / Religious Education: preschool through high school
- First Communion & Confirmation prep under the Restored Order
- Adult Faith Formation: after-Mass Bible studies
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Young Adult ministry: Bible studies, sports leagues, pilgrimages, Sunday Night Socials
Liturgical & Prayer Ministries
The parish website lists several ongoing prayer and liturgical groups open to all parishioners, regardless of age or station in life. These include Liturgical Ministries (servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers), the Music Ministry, the weekly Reparation Hour of Prayer, the Healing of Families / Healing Mass, the Prison Ministry, and Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesday evenings and First Saturday mornings at Holy Family.
- Liturgical Ministries
- Music Ministry
- Reparation Hour of Prayer
- Healing of Families (Healing Mass)
- Prison Ministry
- Eucharistic Adoration (Tuesday at Sacred Heart; First Saturday at Holy Family)
Community Outreach
Sacred Heart's Community Outreach ministry coordinates the parish's response to local needs, and is complemented by the Healing of Families ministry and the parish's prison ministry, which reaches out to incarcerated Catholics. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin (with current issues posted online) and Fr. Tom Kuffel writes a weekly meditation that is shared on the parish website.
- Community Outreach
- Healing of Families
- Prison Ministry
- Weekly Bulletin and Fr. Tom Kuffel's Weekly Meditations
Heart of the Plains Cemetery
The Heart of the Plains Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery of Sacred Heart Parish, located across the street from the church (38044 CR 16, Roggen) in Section 28, Township 2, Range 62. The land was donated to Sacred Heart Catholic Church in October 2005 and the cemetery was dedicated on November 2, 2007. Family plots may be purchased through the cemetery committee; interested parishioners can schedule an appointment with Linda Epple at the rectory office (303-849-5357). Stations of the Cross benches are also available for purchase through Cindy Schellenberg (303-849-5227), and the parish periodically offers a meditative Heart of the Plains Rosary Walk through all twenty mysteries for the repose of deceased loved ones. On Independence Day each year (July 4), the daily 8:30 AM Mass is celebrated outdoors at the cemetery.
- Land donated to Sacred Heart: October 2005
- Dedicated: November 2, 2007
- Family plot inquiries: Linda Epple, 303-849-5357
- Stations of the Cross benches: Cindy Schellenberg, 303-849-5227
- Rosary Walk: one-hour meditation through all 20 mysteries
- Independence Day Mass at cemetery: July 4, 8:30 AM
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms, Marriages and other appointments are arranged by calling or emailing Fr. Thomas Kuffel. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation follows the Restored Order of the Archdiocese of Denver. Reconciliation is offered 30 minutes before Sunday Mass and during the Tuesday Exposition hour, or by appointment. Anointing of the Sick and information about Holy Orders are available through the parish office.
- Baptism — by appointment with Fr. Kuffel
- Reconciliation — 30 min before Sunday Mass, Tuesdays 5–6 PM, or by appointment
- Confirmation — Restored Order prep
- Holy Communion — Sacramental prep for First Communion
- Matrimony — by appointment with Fr. Kuffel
- Holy Orders — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
Parish Registration & Practical Info
New parishioners are invited to register as members of Sacred Heart / Holy Family; the parish lists several concrete benefits of registration, including sacramental eligibility, a donation statement for taxes, and affiliation as a Catholic family. The shared parish office is located at Sacred Heart Church and is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Online Giving is available through the parish website, and recent weekly bulletins and Fr. Tom's weekly meditations are posted under the News & Events tab.
- Office: 38044 County Road 16, Roggen, CO 80652
- Office hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Phone: 303-849-5313
- Online Giving available on the website
- Weekly Bulletin and Weekly Meditations posted under News & Events
Holy Family, Keenesburg (Twinned Parish)
Sacred Heart is twinned with Holy Family Catholic Church in Keenesburg, about 10 miles west, and the two parishes share clergy and staff. Holy Family was established as a mission in 1918 at the encouragement of Father Bernard Froegel, with the local farmers donating horses and equipment to dig the basement. The first Mass was held in the summer of 1919 and the church was formally dedicated by Bishop Tihen in 1920. In 1932 Holy Family was made a parish with Sacred Heart in Roggen as its mission; in 1944 the relationship reversed, with Sacred Heart becoming the mother parish and Holy Family its mission. A parish center was added in 1974 under Fr. Eugene Murphy. Today Holy Family offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, two Sunday Masses (one in Spanish), a First Saturday Mass with extended Adoration, and shares Faith Formation, Bible study, OCIA, and all parish ministries with Sacred Heart.
- Mission established: 1918; first Mass: summer 1919
- Dedicated by Bishop Tihen: 1920
- Parish status: 1932 (with Roggen as mission)
- Reversed 1944: Sacred Heart becomes mother parish, Holy Family the mission
- Parish center added: 1974
- Sunday Masses: 10:30 AM English, 12:00 PM Spanish
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William J. Gallagher1928–1944
Mission-era pastor serving Roggen and Keenesburg from the Keenesburg mission.
- Rev. Bernard Weakland1932–1938
First resident pastor when Holy Family, Keenesburg was made a parish in 1932 with Roggen as its mission.
- Rev. Charles P. Sanger1944–1949
Built the present Sacred Heart church; celebrated its first Midnight Mass, Christmas Eve 1946.
- Rev. Charles P. Sanger (cont.)1949–1956
- Rev. Leonard Abercrombie1956–1962
- Rev. John Holloway1962–1966
- Rev. James Morgan1966–1969
Introduced religious education classes for public school students after Sunday Mass.
- Rev. Edward Day1969–1973
- Rev. Eugene Murphy1973–1980
- Msgr. Thomas Barry1980
- Rev. Cathal Longwill1980–1985
- Rev. Robert Breunig1985–1992
- Rev. Peter Urban1992–1994
Led the parish during World Youth Day 1993, when the parish contributed 850,000 communion wafers for the Papal Mass.
- Rev. Gerald Young1994–1995
Health forced a brief tenure.
- Rev. Joseph Blanco1995–2000
- Rev. Reinhold Weissbeck2001–2002
- Rev. Robert Wedow2003–2006
- Rev. Frank Garcia2007–2008
- Rev. Hector Chiapa-Villarreal2009–2012
- Rev. Carlos Wilson Bello Ayala2013–2019
- Rev. Peter Dinh2019–2024
- Rev. Thomas Kuffel2009–present
Current pastor; also serves the twinned parish of Holy Family, Keenesburg.