About St. Elizabeth of Hungary · Denver, Colorado
St. Elizabeth of Hungary is a historic Roman Catholic parish — and since 2016 a mission church of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — situated in the heart of the Auraria Higher Education Campus in downtown Denver, Colorado. Established in 1878 as Denver's second Catholic parish to serve the city's growing German Catholic community, the present church building (completed in 1898–1902) is a striking Gothic-and-Romanesque structure whose 162-foot bell tower dominates the Auraria skyline. The parish uniquely shares its worship space with a Russian Byzantine Catholic community (Sts. Cyril & Methodius), making it a rare bi-ritual Catholic community, and is best known today for its daily sandwich-line outreach to the homeless of downtown Denver.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary
- Rector
- Father Ron Cattany (cited as pastor in Denver Catholic reporting through 2024; in July 2025 the Archdiocese of Denver assigned Father Bernard Ssubi and Father Michael Bodzioch from the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to also serve St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission Church)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
St. Elizabeth of Hungary offers something hard to find elsewhere: a downtown Catholic parish with a more-than-century-old tradition of hospitality to the poor, anchored by a nationally registered historic church and a 162-foot bell tower that literally marks the center of Denver. Because it sits on the Auraria campus, the parish draws a uniquely diverse congregation of students, working neighbors, longtime Denver Catholics, and the city's homeless community. Daily noon Mass Monday through Friday, a Sunday morning liturgy, Eucharistic Adoration and confession every weekday, plus ministry opportunities like the daily sandwich line make it an unusually accessible, missional parish where belonging and serving are the same thing.
Mass times at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Tuesday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Wednesday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Thursday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Friday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Weekdays 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (followed by 12:15 PM Mass)
History of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Founded in 1878 as Denver's second Catholic parish to serve the city's German Catholic immigrants, St. Elizabeth of Hungary traces its origins to Bishop Joseph Machebeuf and Father John Wagner, who laid the cornerstone at Eleventh and Curtis Streets in August 1879. Within a decade the parish welcomed Franciscan fathers from New Jersey, the first of whom (Father Francis Koch) shepherded the construction of the present Gothic-Romanesque church during the depression following the Panic of 1893. The new building was consecrated by Bishop Nicholas Matz in June 1902 — the first consecrated Catholic church in Denver — and has been a downtown landmark ever since.
- 1878 — Parish founded as Denver's second Catholic parish.
- 1879 — Cornerstone of the original church blessed at Eleventh and Curtis Streets.
- 1887 — Franciscans Father Francis Koch and Father Patrick Carr arrive from the Sacred Heart Province in New Jersey.
- 1888 — Irish parishioners leave to found St. Leo the Great at West Colfax Avenue and Tenth Street.
- 1896–1902 — Present church built of Castle Rock lava stone; designed by Brother Adrian Wewer, S.C.
- 1902 — Consecrated by Bishop Nicholas Matz, the first Catholic church in Denver to be consecrated.
- 1968 — Major interior renovation.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2016 — Re-designated a Mission Church of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
A Bi-Ritual Catholic Community
St. Elizabeth of Hungary uniquely shares its worship space with the Sts. Cyril & Methodius Russian Byzantine Catholic community, making it one of the few churches in Colorado — and in the United States — where Roman (Latin-Rite) Catholics and Byzantine Catholics worship under the same roof in an intentional, bi-ritual community. Sunday worship typically includes a 9:00 AM Mass in the Roman-Rite tradition and a 12:00 PM Byzantine Divine Liturgy in the Russian tradition.
- Sunday 9:00 AM — Roman-Rite Mass (English).
- Sunday 12:00 PM — Byzantine Divine Liturgy (Russian/Church Slavonic).
- Languages spoken: English and Russian.
- Mailing address on the campus: 1060 St. Francis Way.
The Daily Sandwich Line
The sandwich line is the largest and oldest ministry at St. Elizabeth of Hungary and arguably the parish's most defining work. Volunteers gather every morning to prepare soup, sandwiches, and dessert for the homeless of downtown Denver, serving meals from 11:00 AM to noon — 364 days a year, with Christmas Day as the only day off. In 2019 the line served over 45,000 meals, and current capacity is around 150 meals a day.
- Believed to have originated during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when Franciscan sisters would rush out at the sound of a bell to feed men riding the rails.
- Operates daily from 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon, 364 days a year.
- Serves approximately 150 people per day.
- Over 45,000 meals served in 2019 alone.
- Each person is treated with respect and dignity; meals are served 'with no questions asked.'
- Open to volunteers — contact the parish office to get involved.
Outreach and Student Ministries
Because St. Elizabeth's sits in the middle of the Auraria campus, which serves Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado Denver, and Community College of Denver, student ministry is woven into parish life. The parish offers spiritual direction for college students, religious counseling and education, Bible study groups at the campus interfaith center, and opportunities to volunteer with the sandwich line and other outreach programs. An immigration-resources outreach serves the broader downtown community.
- Spiritual direction for college students.
- Immigration-resources outreach.
- Bible study and religious counseling through the campus interfaith center.
- Adult faith formation.
- Youth outreach programs.
- Volunteer service through the sandwich line and other outreach efforts.
Music and Liturgy
Music is an integral part of worship at St. Elizabeth of Hungary, with both a general Music Ministry program and a Children's Choir program. The parish emphasizes the dignity of the liturgy, fitting for the historic character of the church building.
- Director of Music Ministries: Sharon Parker.
- Director of Children's Choir: Cheryl Spirer-Wyka.
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is staffed by clergy assigned through the Archdiocese of Denver (since 2016 it has operated as a Mission Church of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception), a business manager, an office and ministry manager, and program directors in early childhood education and music.
- Father Ron Cattany — Pastor (quoted as pastor in Denver Catholic feature coverage).
- Father Bernard Ssubi — assigned to Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission Church (effective July 1, 2025).
- Father Michael Bodzioch — assigned to Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission Church, ad nutum archiepiscopi (effective July 1, 2025).
- Mary Yurko — Business Manager.
- Barbara Ringwald — Office and Ministry Manager.
- Sharon Parker — Director of Music Ministries.
- Cheryl Spirer-Wyka — Director of Children's Choir.
- Kathleen Garcia — ECE Director / Registrar (Early Childhood Education program).
Saints and Heritage
The parish is associated with two Servants of God — Mother Cabrini and Julia Greeley — making it, according to its pastor, the only church in Colorado attended by two Servants of God. Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Italian-American saint who founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages across the United States and is the patron saint of immigrants, had a documented connection to the parish in 1912. Julia Greeley, an African-American Catholic laywoman born into slavery who devoted her life to serving the poor of Denver by buying food with her own money, is buried in the cathedral cemetery and is also honored within the wider Denver Catholic community.
- Parish named for St. Elizabeth of Hungary (feast day November 17), a 13th-century Hungarian princess known for her care of the poor.
- Linked to Mother Cabrini, who served the poor at St. Elizabeth's around 1912.
- Linked to Servant of God Julia Greeley, Denver's 'Angel of Charity.'
Visit, Volunteer, and Get Involved
Whether one is a longtime Denver Catholic, a college student on the Auraria campus, an immigrant looking for resources, or a neighbor seeking weekday Mass, St. Elizabeth of Hungary welcomes all. The parish is known for its hospitality and for making it easy to plug into service — especially through the daily sandwich line.
- Address: 1060 St. Francis Way, Denver, CO 80204.
- Phone: (303) 534-4014.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: https://www.stelizabethdenver.org.
- Volunteer inquiries: contact the parish office; the sandwich line welcomes daily volunteers.
- Located in the heart of the Auraria Higher Education Campus in downtown Denver.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Wagner1878–
Founding pastor. Built the original church and school at Eleventh and Curtis Streets; cornerstone blessed August 1879.
- Father Francis Koch, O.F.M.1887–
First Franciscan rector; arrived from the Sacred Heart Province in New Jersey with Father Patrick Carr. Oversaw construction of the present Gothic-Romanesque church during the 1890s depression.
- Father Patrick Carr, O.F.M.1887–1888
First English-speaking (Irish) priest at St. Elizabeth's; left in 1888 to found St. Leo the Great parish at West Colfax Avenue and Tenth Street.
- Msgr. Leonard Pivonka
Listed as Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in multiple org-chart records.
- Father Ron Cattany2016–
Served as Pastor after St. Elizabeth was re-designated a Mission Church of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in 2016; quoted in Denver Catholic describing the parish as 'the heart of the city.'