About St. Francis Mission Chapel · Frances, Colorado
St. Francis Mission Church is a historic Catholic mission chapel serving the ranching community of Frances in rural Archuleta County, southern Colorado. It is a mission of the Pagosa Catholic Community (Immaculate Heart of Mary / Pope John Paul II Catholic Church in nearby Pagosa Springs) within the Diocese of Pueblo. Tucked along State Highway 151 south of U.S. 160, the little adobe-and-wood church is celebrated once a year with a feast day Mass followed by a community potluck, drawing together the descendants of the founding Hispanic ranching families who built and have cared for it across generations.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Father Kenny Udumka
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
St. Francis Mission is the spiritual home of the ranching families of Frances, Colorado — descendants of the Hispanic settlers who built this chapel more than a century ago. Once a year, on the first Sunday of October, the community gathers for the feast day Mass and a potluck that links generations of faith. As a mission of the Pagosa Catholic Community it is shepherded by Father Kenny Udumka and supported by visiting ministers from Pope John Paul II Catholic Church, so parishioners can draw on the pastoral care, faith formation, and ministries of a larger parish while keeping the intimate, centuries-old devotional life of this small mission chapel alive.
Mass times at St. Francis Mission Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Francis Mission Chapel
St. Francis Mission Church is a small, historic Catholic chapel in the ranching community of Frances, Archuleta County, Colorado. It is served as a mission by Pope John Paul II Catholic Church (and its sister parish Immaculate Heart of Mary) in Pagosa Springs, within the Diocese of Pueblo. The chapel's heart is its annual feast day Mass the first Sunday of October and the potluck that follows, when descendants of the founding families gather with friends and neighbors from across the county.
- Type: Mission Chapel (historically a mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pagosa Springs)
- Diocese: Pueblo
- Served by: Pagosa Catholic Community / Pope John Paul II Catholic Church
- Pastor: Father Kenny Udumka
History of the Chapel
Catholic life in Archuleta County traces back to 1873, when missionaries passing through the San Juan valley began ministering to scattered Hispanic ranching families. The Theatine Fathers, mostly Italian and Spanish, established a chain of mission chapels: St. Frances in Frances (1908), St. James the Apostle in Trujillo (1908), St. John the Baptist in Pagosa Junction (1911), and Chromo Mission (1922). The original St. Francis Church in Frances was dedicated in October 1914, but it burned down just a year later in October 1915. The community salvaged the church bell and rebuilt the present structure in 1917, about three miles from the original site. Two of John Gallegos Jr.'s grandfathers each donated two acres — one for the church and one for a schoolhouse — and the rebuilding was a true community effort.
- 1873: Catholic missionaries first serve the San Juan valley
- 1908: Mission of St. Frances established in Frances
- 1914: Original church dedicated in October
- 1915: Original church burns (October); bell is salvaged
- 1917: Present chapel dedicated
- 2000s: Mission now served by Immaculate Heart of Mary / Pope John Paul II Catholic Church, Pagosa Springs
The Mayordomos: Caretakers of the Chapel
Like many small Hispanic mission chapels in the Southwest, St. Francis Mission has long been watched over by mayordomos — lay caretakers entrusted with opening, cleaning, and tending the church between visits from the parish priest. For more than thirty years that role has been carried by Floriann and John Gallegos Jr. The Gallegos family is woven into the chapel's very foundations: John's grandfathers each donated two acres of land in 1917, one pair for the church and one pair for a schoolhouse. As Floriann explained simply: "I figured that if there was anything I did right in the world, I would take care of the church."
- Floriann and John Gallegos Jr. — mayordomos for 30+ years
- Gallegos family lineage dates to the original 1917 rebuilding
- Family donated two acres for the church and two acres for a schoolhouse
Annual Feast Day Mass & Potluck
Once a year, on the first Sunday of October, the community gathers at St. Francis Mission for the feast day Mass, typically celebrated at 1:00 PM. The Mass honors St. Francis of Assisi (feast day October 4) and also marks the October anniversary of the chapel's original 1914 dedication. After Mass the celebration continues with a community potluck, with attendees traditionally contributing side dishes and desserts. It is the chapel's principal liturgical gathering of the year and a true homecoming for ranching families of the Frances community.
- Date: First Sunday of October (around October 4)
- Time: 1:00 PM
- Followed by community potluck
- Side dishes and desserts welcomed
Visiting the Chapel
St. Francis Mission sits along Colorado State Highway 151, roughly nine miles south of the U.S. 160 junction near Pagosa Springs, in the ranching community of Frances. The current 1917 chapel is about three miles from the original 1914 site. The chapel's mailing address is often listed as Pagosa Springs, CO 81147, since it is served from the parish offices in town. Pilgrims are warmly welcomed at the annual Feast Day Mass; outside that once-a-year gathering, the chapel is generally not staffed for regular visits.
- Address: 8329 CO-151, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
- 9 miles south of U.S. 160 junction
- Approximately 3 miles from the original 1914 church site
- Parish office: 353 S. Pagosa Blvd., Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Sister Communities & Heritage
St. Francis Mission is one of four historic mission chapels of the Pagosa Catholic Community that trace their origins to the Theatine Fathers' work in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Together they form a network of small Catholic outposts serving the ranching villages of Archuleta County. All four were included in the San Juan Mountains Association's 2019 study of historic churches along the San Juan, which highlighted the importance of preserving each community's unique heritage.
- St. James the Apostle — Trujillo (1908)
- St. Frances — Frances (1908)
- St. John the Baptist — Pagosa Junction (1911)
- Chromo Mission — Chromo (1922)
- Featured in the San Juan Mountains Association's 2019 historic churches study
Contact & Parish Office
Because St. Francis Mission is served by Pope John Paul II Catholic Church in Pagosa Springs, the parish office there handles all administrative needs, sacramental scheduling, and pastoral care for the mission.
- Parish office: 353 S. Pagosa Blvd., Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
- Phone: (970) 731-5744
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Manager: Katy Reis
- Website: popejohnpauliichurch.org