About St. Francis of Assisi · Weldona, Colorado
St. Francis of Assisi is a small Catholic mission church serving the farm community of Weldona in the Weldon Valley of northeastern Colorado, about 80 miles northeast of Denver. It is a mission of St. Helena Parish in Fort Morgan, sharing that parish's priests, staff, and sacramental life. The little red-brick gothic-style church, topped by a white steeple at the corner of Warren Avenue and Cottage Street, was built by the pioneer families of the valley in 1919 and celebrated its centennial in July 2019. Its Sunday Mass remains one of the earliest in the Archdiocese of Denver, drawing roughly 100–150 farm and ranch families whose descendants include sixth-generation parishioners.
- Established
- 1919
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen A. Siebert
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is a true country Catholic community, where the same farm and ranch families who built the red-brick gothic church in 1919 still fill its pews — many into the sixth generation. The parish gathers weekly for an early 7:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, the smallest but earliest Mass in the St. Helena cluster, and worships in a lovingly preserved historic building surrounded by the families and fields of the Weldon Valley. Sharing clergy, faith formation, OCIA, Bible study, youth group, and sacramental preparation with sister mission Our Lady of Lourdes and mother parish St. Helena, it offers an intimate rural parish home rooted in deep family faith and a hundred-year legacy.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at the mother parish, St. Helena in Fort Morgan: Tues–Fri 7:15–7:45 am; Saturday 3:00–4:00 pm (Wed–Fri 7:10–7:40 am, Sat 3:00–4:30 pm also listed). No confession times are separately published for the Weldona mission.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration at the cluster parishes — see St. Helena schedule for current times.
About St. Francis of Assisi, Weldona
St. Francis of Assisi is a small Catholic mission church in the farm community of Weldona in Morgan County, northeastern Colorado. It is a mission of St. Helena Parish in Fort Morgan and shares that parish's pastor, staff, and sacramental life. The parish serves roughly 100–150 families of the Weldon Valley, many descended from the original pioneer founders. Its mission statement: 'The Catholic Parish of Saint Helena, and its missions, Saint Francis of Assisi and Our Lady of Lourdes, inspired by the Holy Spirit, seek to proclaim Christ's mission through joyful celebration of the sacraments and evangelizing by spreading the Gospel and loving and serving all people.'
- Mission of: St. Helena Parish, Fort Morgan
- Sister mission: Our Lady of Lourdes, Wiggins
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Denver
- Sunday Mass: 7:00 am (English)
History of St. Francis of Assisi Parish
St. Francis of Assisi traces its origin to the late 1890s, when a priest from Denver would ride Union Pacific trains to Julesburg, stopping to celebrate Mass in homes across the Weldon Valley. In 1904, Rev. Bernard J. Froegel of St. Augustine's Brighton became responsible for 18 mission congregations across northeast Colorado and celebrated the first Mass in Weldona in 1911 at Schaefer's Hall. His March 8, 1915 letter urged the people to erect a permanent church; the cornerstone was laid in June 1919 on the corner lot donated by the Henry Arnold family at Warren Avenue and Cottage Street. Over the decades the parish built an annual ravioli dinner tradition (1948–1972), received a donated Union Pacific depot turned parish hall (1961), welcomed its first resident pastor Msgr. Edward Dinan (1968), and celebrated its centennial on July 20, 2019.
- 1890s: First priest visits by Union Pacific train
- 1904: Father Bernard Froegel begins oversight from St. Augustine's, Brighton
- 1911: First Mass in Weldona, at Schaefer's Hall
- March 8, 1915: Froegel's founding letter
- June 1919: Cornerstone laid
- 1948–1972: Annual ravioli dinner fund-raisers
- 1961: Union Pacific depot moved to site as parish hall
- June 11, 1968: Msgr. Edward Dinan becomes pastor; nuns arrive August 1969
- 1992–2004: Rev. Lawrence Kaiser serves as pastor
- July 20, 2019: Centennial Mass and blessing of new statue of St. Francis
Faith Formation, OCIA, Bible Study, and Youth
Faith formation for the cluster is led by Cassie Groves, Director of Formation & Evangelization. The parish runs Religious Education (RE) classes each fall for children, with registration now open for the 2026–27 year; offers OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults discerning baptism or full communion; hosts Bible Study groups; and maintains an active Youth Group with current registrations open. Programs are run cluster-wide and serve all three parishes.
- Religious Education / Catechism (Fall RE classes 26-27)
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults
- Bible Study
- Youth Group
- Director of Formation & Evangelization: Cassie Groves
Parish Staff and Councils
St. Francis is administered as part of a three-parish cluster sharing one office at 917 W. 7th Avenue, Fort Morgan, CO 80701. The cluster is led by a pastor and supported by a deacon, business manager, administrative assistant, director of formation and evangelization, and a volunteer Finance Council.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen A. Siebert
- Vicar: Rev. Joseph Oiye
- Deacon: Dcn. Richard Wilson
- Business Manager: Phil Stadler
- Administrative Assistant: Angelica Amezquita
- Director of Formation & Evangelization: Cassie Groves
- Finance Council Chair: Chris Hernandez
- Finance Council Members: Stacey Gorman, Jeff Pope, Karol Kopetzky, Nancy Ruhl, Jim Musgrave, Paula Bragg
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 12:00 pm–4:00 pm (Friday–Sunday closed)
Sacraments and Sacramental Emergencies
Sacramental preparation and celebration for the Weldon Valley community is coordinated through the St. Helena parish office. Infant baptism requirements (in Spanish: Requisitos para Bautismos) are published in the parish bulletin, including the requirement that a child be under 7 years old for infant baptism. For the Anointing of the Sick or any after-hours sacramental emergency, a 24-hour dedicated line is maintained.
- Office: 917 W. 7th Ave, Fort Morgan, CO 80701
- Phone: 970-867-2885; Fax: 970-867-5883
- Email: [email protected]
- Sacramental Emergency: 970-441-5038
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
Parish Buildings, Parish Hall, and Facilities
The campus consists of the 1919 red-brick gothic church and the adjacent three-room parish hall. The hall is a former Union Pacific Railroad depot, 22 by 50 feet, donated by the railroad in 1961 and moved by the men of the parish to its present site next to the church, where it was furnished for $600. Recent improvements to the church have included new front steps, a handicapped ramp, a commemorative outdoor bench for the 90th anniversary, and a statue of St. Francis with new trees for the centennial.
- 1919 red-brick gothic-style church
- White steeple
- Original stained-glass windows (refurbished)
- Three-room parish hall (former UP depot, 1961)
- Handicapped-accessible ramp
- Commemorative bench and statue of St. Francis
Parish Life and Community Traditions
St. Francis of Assisi is above all a community of farm and ranch families, many now in their sixth generation of parish membership. The annual ravioli dinner (1948–1972) drew up to 1,000 guests and funded parish improvements for a generation. The 2019 centennial was marked by a special Mass, blessing of the statue of St. Francis, and a community luncheon at the local school. Centennial gifts to parishioners included a history book of St. Francis and the Weldon Valley, a bookmark with the Prayer of St. Francis, and a Eucharistic candle filled with grain from valley farms.
- Annual ravioli dinner (historic tradition)
- Centennial Mass on July 20, 2019
- Blessing of statue of St. Francis
- Community luncheon at the local school
- Centennial gifts: history book, prayer bookmark, grain-filled candle
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard J. Froegel1904–c.1919
German-immigrant pastor of St. Augustine's Brighton, the 'Mother Church of Northeastern Colorado'; served 18 missions including Weldona from Brighton by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern railroads. Celebrated first Mass in Weldona in 1911 at Schaefer's Hall and authored the March 8, 1915 letter founding the parish.
- Msgr. Edward Dinan1968–
On June 11, 1968 became pastor of St. Helena's and of St. Francis of Assisi; nuns arrived at the parish in August 1969 during his pastorate.
- Rev. Lawrence Kaiser1992–2004
Deceased. Served as pastor of the St. Helena cluster including the Weldona mission.
- Rev. Jason Thueraufafter 2004
Succeeded Fr. Kaiser as pastor of the cluster.
- Rev. Joseph Toledo
Succeeded Fr. Thuerauf as pastor of the cluster.
- Rev. Francisco J. Garcia
Listed as 'current pastor' on the official history page.
- Rev. Stephen A. Siebert
Listed as Pastor of St. Helena, St. Francis, and Our Lady of Lourdes in the November 2024 parish bulletin, with Fr. Joseph Oiye as Vicar.