St. Catherine of Siena

History of St. Catherine of Siena Chapel

St. Catherine of Siena Chapel — the Chapel on the Rock — was born of a single moment in 1916 when a group of Denver Cathedral choirboys, looking for a meteorite they had just seen flash across the sky, came upon the great boulder that now holds up the chapel. Moved by Christ's words to Peter, 'On this rock I will build my church,' the boys — including a young Delisle Lemieux — vowed to build a church there. Monsignor Joseph Bosetti championed that vision for twenty years, protecting the rock from the Colorado Highway Department, which wanted to blast it for road base. In 1934 the Malo family bought the 160-acre property and donated it to the Archdiocese of Denver, and in 1935 they funded construction of the chapel, designed by Jacques Benedict. It was dedicated on June 14, 1936, the same day St. John Lodge was blessed, with Father Tom Dornan — one of the 1916 campers — singing 'Tu es Petrus.'

• 1915: First Cathedral parish camping trips on the McPhee property
• 1916: Boys find the boulder during a meteor-hunt
• 1920: William McPhee donates the land to the Archdiocese of Denver
• 1921: St. William Lodge built in memory of McPhee's son
• 1934: Malo family purchases and donates the land; renamed Camp St. Malo
• 1935: Malo family funds construction of the chapel; designed by Jacques Benedict
• 1936: Chapel dedicated June 14
• 1937: Franz Mayer (Munich) stained-glass window installed
• 1947: Carrara-marble Christ the King statue from Ortisei, Italy installed

Architecture and Sacred Art

The cruciform chapel is built in a rustic Romanesque Revival style by the Coulihan brothers and Charlie Miller of Allenspark, using native stone hauled from the surrounding mountains by mule-cart. The most striking interior feature is the 1937 stained-glass window of St. Catherine of Siena holding the body of Christ, made by the celebrated Franz Mayer and Sons Glass Works of Munich, Germany. Outside, the Stations of the Cross trail leads uphill to a towering Carrara-marble statue of the risen Christ, carved at the Giacomo Mussner Studios in Ortisei, Italy, inscribed 'Via Veritas Et Vita' and installed in 1947 as a memorial to World War II veterans.

• Architect: Jacques Benedict (Paris-trained)
• Style: Romanesque Revival, cruciform plan
• Native stone hauled by mule cart
• Franz Mayer stained glass (1937)
• Carrara-marble Christ statue (1947)

The Pope St. John Paul II Visit of 1993

On August 13, 1993, Pope St. John Paul II arrived at Camp St. Malo during World Youth Day in Denver. He shared lunch at the retreat center, took a nap, hiked up Cabin Creek — pausing to read German poetry on a rock — and then entered St. Catherine of Siena Chapel, where he prayed and bestowed his personal blessing. To the dismay of the Secret Service and Swiss Guard, the pope then walked out to greet the cheering public gathered behind barricades on Highway 7. The trail he hiked is now named the John Paul II Trail, and his walking stick from the visit is preserved in a glass case on the property.

Plan a Visit

The Camp St. Malo property is open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Individuals are warmly welcomed to stop in, pray in the chapel, photograph it against the backdrop of Mount Meeker, and walk the grounds. Groups wishing to come for a day retreat or to use the chapel for prayer or Mass should email [email protected] in advance. Celebrating priests must either be priests of the Archdiocese of Denver or submit a letter of suitability to the chancery beforehand.

• Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Monday & Tuesday: closed
• Gift Shop phone: 303.747.2786

From Camp to Shrine: The Modern Era

After operating as a boys' and then co-ed summer camp into the 1980s, Camp St. Malo reopened in 1987 as a retreat and conference center, then transferred to the Christian Life Movement in 2003. A 2011 fire destroyed the 60,000-square-foot conference center; the September 2013 flood swept a 5-mile debris flow down Mount Meeker. The chapel survived both events — the intercession of Pope St. John Paul II is credited with its protection. After the Archdiocese decided not to rebuild, the property closed for eighteen months and reopened in October 2017 as an evangelization and visitor center, with the renovated St. William's Lodge adding a heritage center, gift shop, and bride/groom rooms. In 2017 the Archdiocese also purchased the former Covenant Heights property two miles north, reopening it in 2018 as Annunciation Heights, a youth and family camp. In 2022 the Tahosa Coffee House — intentionally Wi-Fi-free — opened in St. William's Lodge.

Staff and Contact

The chapel and shrine are staffed by the leadership of the To the Heights Catholic Camps and Retreat Centers ministry, with executive director Nathan Glassman overseeing the combined operations and Ellen Seta serving as Director of Camp St. Malo Shrine Ministries. Jim and Sandy Richards coordinate non-wedding events and photo permits.

• Nathan Glassman — Executive Director
• Ellen Seta — Director of Camp St. Malo Shrine Ministries ([email protected])
• Jim and Sandy Richards — Non-wedding events and photo permits
• Main phone: 303.747.2786
• General email: [email protected]

Survival Against Fire and Flood

In November 2011 a fire burned the 60,000-square-foot conference center to the ground — the chapel was unscathed. Two years later, in September 2013, the historic Front Range floods sent a 5-mile debris flow and mudslide down Mount Meeker through Cabin Creek, washing away the John Paul II Trail and devastating the property's terrain; once again the chapel survived. The Archdiocese chose not to rebuild the conference center, instead channeling resources into restoring St. William's Lodge and the chapel itself — reopening in October 2017 with a renewed evangelization mission.

• 2011 fire — conference center destroyed, chapel spared
• 2013 flood and debris flow — JPII Trail washed out, chapel spared
• 2015–2017 — 18-month closure for renovation
• October 2017 — chapel reopens to the public