About Saint Joseph Church (Part of Holy Family Parish) · Leadville, Colorado
Saint Joseph Church is one of two historic worship sites of Holy Family Parish in Leadville, Colorado — a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Colorado Springs billed as 'The Country's Highest Parish,' sitting at over 10,200 feet above sea level in Colorado's old silver-mining Cloud City. Founded in 1899 by Slovenian immigrants and rebuilt in brick after a 1923 fire, the church is celebrated for its hand-painted interior of biblical scenes — considered the finest example of Slovene folk-art in a North American church. Today the parish shares ministry between the Church of the Annunciation (the Irish-built 1879 church) and Saint Joseph's, with weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, and was designated a diocesan Center for Hispanic Ministry in 2013.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Rafael Torres-Rico
- Diocese
- Diocese of Colorado Springs
Why belong here
Holy Family is a small but culturally rich mountain parish that genuinely lives its motto 'Ora et Labora — Work and Pray.' Worshippers encounter Christ through the Sacraments — daily Mass, Saturday confession, Eucharistic adoration, baptism, confirmation and matrimony — and through bilingual (English/Spanish) liturgy that reflects Leadville's layered immigrant history. Whether you come for the soaring 19th-century Annunciation church or the one-of-a-kind Slovenian-painted interior at St. Joseph's, you are joining a community devoted to 'caring for the souls of Leadville's Catholic community, and providing for the needs of all of God's children.'
Mass times at Saint Joseph Church (Part of Holy Family Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration — as announced in the bulletin (Como se anunció en el boletín)
About Holy Family Parish
Holy Family Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Leadville, Colorado, of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, formed by the union of two historic Leadville parishes — the Irish-founded Church of the Annunciation (1879) and the Slovenian-founded Church of St. Joseph (1899). The parish is led by Fr. Rafael Torres-Rico and supported by office manager Kathy Micklich. Its bilingual weekend schedule — English Mass, Spanish Mass, daily Mass and Saturday confession — reflects Leadville's continuing identity as a welcoming mountain community of immigrants and descendants of immigrants.
- Diocese of Colorado Springs
- Pastor: Fr. Rafael Torres-Rico
- Office Manager: Kathy Micklich
- Two historic worship sites: Church of the Annunciation and Church of St. Joseph
- Designated Center for Hispanic Ministry (Western Deanery), 2013
Parish History
Catholic life in Leadville stretches back to 1860, when future Bishop Joseph Machebeuf said Mass in a blacksmith shop on California Gulch. The 1879 Annunciation church served the Irish wave, while the 1899 St. Joseph church served the Slovenian wave. After decades as separate parishes the two were joined under one pastor in 1988, formally merged into Holy Family Parish in 2007, and made a Center for Hispanic Ministry in 2013.
- 1860 — First Mass in California Gulch (Rev. Joseph Machebeuf)
- 1879 — Annunciation Parish founded by Irish immigrants
- 1899 — St. Joseph Parish founded by Slovenian immigrants; cornerstone Nov 17, 1899; first Mass Feb 26, 1900
- 1886 — Margaret Tobin marries James J. Brown at Annunciation (later 'Molly Brown' of the Titanic)
- 1923 — Original wooden St. Joseph's burns in March; rebuilt in brick by December
- 1926–28 — Fr. George (Jurij) Trunk hand-paints the St. Joseph interior in Slovene folk-art style
- 1988 — Two parishes joined under one pastor (Bishop Richard C. Hanifen)
- Oct 22, 2007 — Bishop Michael Sheridan decrees merger as Holy Family Parish
- Feb 18, 2013 — Holy Family named a Center for Hispanic Ministry
The Church of St. Joseph
The current brick Church of St. Joseph stands on the same lot as the original 1899 wooden structure, which burned in March 1923. Rebuilt by December of that year, it is the spiritual home of Leadville's Slovenian-American heritage. Its interior — painted over two years (1926–28) by pastor Father George (Jurij) Trunk with biblical scenes, the Stations of the Cross, and bilingual English/Slovenian inscriptions — is regarded as the only Slovenian folk-art church in America.
- Address: 426 West 2nd Street, Leadville, CO 80461
- Built: 1923 (brick) on site of 1899 wooden original
- Interior murals: 1926–28, Fr. George (Jurij) Trunk
- Bilingual Slovenian/English inscriptions
- Known as 'the only Slovenian folk-art church in America'
The Church of the Annunciation
The Irish-built sister church of Holy Family Parish, the Church of the Annunciation, dates to 1879 and is credited with the highest church spire in North America. Its sanctuary holds a hand-carved marble altar, stained glass windows and oil-on-canvas panels from Italy. The parish office is located at 609 Poplar Street in this complex.
- Founded 1879 by Irish immigrants
- Credited with the highest church spire in North America
- Site of the 1886 wedding of Margaret Tobin and James J. Brown (Molly Brown)
- Hand-carved marble altar, stained glass, Italian canvas panels
- Parish office address: 609 Poplar Street, Leadville, CO 80461
Sacraments
Holy Family Parish prepares and celebrates the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Matrimony; the website's Spanish-language page invites families to contact the parish office to ask about preparation. The diocese directory notes that weekday and adoration times vary — call to confirm which church is currently in use.
- Baptism — contact parish office for preparation
- Confirmation — contact parish office for preparation
- Matrimony — contact parish office for preparation
- Confession — Saturdays 3:30 PM or by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration — as announced in the bulletin
Faith Formation & Ministries
Per the diocesan directory, Holy Family offers religious education for children through the high school grades, RCIA for adults, youth ministry, and adult spiritual formation. As a designated Center for Hispanic Ministry, the parish also has a particular mission to serve the Hispanic faithful of the Western Deanery.
- Religious education for children through high school
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Youth Ministry
- Adult spiritual formation
- Hispanic Ministry (Western Deanery Center)
Parish Staff & Office
The small staff of Holy Family Parish is led by the pastor and supported by the office manager, with bilingual coverage for the parish's English and Spanish-speaking faithful.
- Pastor: Rev. Rafael Torres-Rico
- Office Manager: Kathy Micklich
- Parish motto: 'Ora et Labora — Work and Pray'
- Phone: 719-486-1382
- Email: [email protected]
- Office address: 609 Poplar Street, Leadville, CO 80461
Support the Parish
The parish operates an online giving portal and a separate Building Fund to help maintain its two historic worship sites, both of which are within the Leadville Historic District. The site notes that 'your generosity will greatly assist us in keeping our wonderful buildings active and useful for our parish life.'
- Online Giving Portal (via holyfamilyleadville.com)
- Building Fund for historic-church restoration
- Donations of any size welcomed; the parish is supported largely by local giving
Visiting Leadville's Two Historic Churches
Both churches are contributing structures in the Leadville Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Because the Mass schedule rotates seasonally between them, the parish asks visitors to call ahead to confirm which church is in use. The juxtaposition of the two buildings — one Irish, one Slovenian, both rooted in Leadville's mining-era immigrant heritage — is itself the parish's signature feature.
- Both churches are within the Leadville Historic District (National Register of Historic Places)
- Leadville is the 'highest incorporated city' in the U.S. at about 10,152 ft
- Masses typically at Annunciation in winter, St. Joseph's in summer
- Call 719-486-1382 to confirm which church is currently in use
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Perse1899–c.1920s
First and only Slovene priest; served St. Joseph from its cornerstone (Nov 17, 1899) and first Mass (Feb 26, 1900).
- Rev. George (Jurij) Trunk1926–c.1930s
Hand-painted the entire interior of St. Joseph Church with biblical scenes in Slovenian folk-art style, 1926–1928; Slovenian-American activist and author.
- Rev. Rafael Torres-Rico
Current pastor of Holy Family Parish, under whose care the two historic Leadville churches are served.