About St. John · Stoneham, Colorado
St. John Catholic Church is a small mission parish in the rural community of Stoneham, Colorado, located about 30 miles north of Brush. As a Mission of St. Mary Catholic Church in Brush, St. John's is served by the priests of the St. Mary–St. John–St. Joseph tri-parish community within the Archdiocese of Denver. The parish is named in honor of John the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and offers Sunday Mass for the farming families of northeastern Colorado's high plains. The mission is cared for largely by volunteer lay staff, with all administrative correspondence routed through the St. Mary parish office in Brush.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. John the Apostle (one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Herman Nsubuga (Pastor of the tri-parish community; appointed July 1, 2024 for a six-year term)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Denver)
Why belong here
St. John's offers a small, faithful Catholic community in the heart of northeastern Colorado's wheat and cattle country, where Sunday Mass remains at the center of parish life. As a mission of St. Mary in Brush, it is shepherded by a stable team of priests and supported by the broader tri-parish family that also includes St. Joseph in Akron — a network that makes Catholic life, sacraments, and fellowship accessible across a wide rural area. With faith formation, perpetual adoration at St. Mary, and a clear welcome to newcomers, St. John's is a place where small-town fellowship and the universal Catholic tradition meet.
Mass times at St. John
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday after Mass
- Or by appointment (excluding holy days)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (3 hours) is offered at the parent parish, St. Mary in Brush, on Mondays 4:00–7:00 p.m. (excluding holy days and holidays).
About the Parish
St. John Catholic Church is a mission of St. Mary Catholic Church, 340 Stanford Street, Brush, Colorado. The mission is located 30 miles north of Brush in the small community of Stoneham, Colorado. Together with St. Joseph in Akron, the three parishes form a tri-parish Catholic community within the Archdiocese of Denver, serving the rural high-plains region of northeastern Colorado.
- Type: Mission of St. Mary, Brush
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Denver
- Mission statement (parish family, 1994): 'Saint Mary's Catholic Church is a faithful family called and sent by God to share and live the mission of Jesus Christ and the Church. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, the Sacraments, and the proclamation of the Word, we are empowered to live our faith by bringing God's love to all!'
History & 100th Anniversary
St. John was established in 1916 to minister to Catholic farming families in the Stoneham area. The parish marked its centennial on Sunday, October 16, 2016, with a Mass celebrated by Fr. Marek Ciesla, then pastor of the tri-parish community. The milestone was covered by the Denver Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Denver. Today, more than a century after its founding, St. John continues as a small but living mission parish, sustained by the priests of the St. Mary – St. Joseph community and by local lay volunteers.
- Founded: 1916 (per GCatholic and parish sources)
- 100th anniversary: October 16, 2016
- Centennial Mass celebrant: Fr. Marek Ciesla
- Covered in the Denver Catholic newspaper
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The mission is served by the priests assigned to the St. Mary – St. John – St. Joseph tri-parish community. The current pastor is Rev. Herman Nsubuga, appointed July 1, 2024 for a six-year term. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Maurice Uchenna Okeke, appointed July 1, 2021. Fr. Marek Ciesla, who celebrated the parish's 100th anniversary in 2016, served as a former pastor of the community.
- Pastor: Rev. Herman Nsubuga (since July 1, 2024)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Maurice Uchenna Okeke (since July 1, 2021)
- Former pastor: Fr. Marek Ciesla (celebrated 100th anniversary, Oct. 16, 2016)
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
All sacramental preparation and pastoral care for St. John's are coordinated through the St. Mary parish office in Brush. In case of illness, hospitalization, or sudden death, parishioners are urged to call the parish office immediately so the priests can provide the Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, or funeral rites. The tri-parish community is networked with neighboring parishes — St. Helena in Fort Morgan (970-867-2885) and St. Anthony in Sterling (970-522-6422) — to ensure priestly coverage across the region.
- Office: 970-842-2216 (St. Mary, Brush) — leave a message on Thursdays and Fridays
- Akron office: 970-345-6996 (St. Joseph)
- Email: [email protected]
- Emergency after-hours numbers posted on the parish website
Religious Education & Youth
Faith formation for children is offered through the tri-parish Religious Education (RE) program based at St. Mary, Brush. Classes meet in person on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. The 2025–2026 RE calendar ends with the last day of classes on Sunday, May 3, 2026. A parish Youth Group also meets on Sundays from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the RE Building at St. Mary's. The RE Coordinator is Cassie Potts.
- RE Coordinator: Cassie Potts
- RE email: [email protected]
- Class time: Sundays, 9:00 a.m.
- Youth Group: Sundays, 4:00–5:30 p.m., RE Building, St. Mary's
Visiting & Community Life
Stoneham is a small farming community in Morgan County on Colorado's high plains, and St. John's is a quiet but enduring presence there. Visitors are warmly welcomed to attend the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, stay for fellowship, and consider joining in the wider tri-parish family for faith formation, adoration, and community events. The mission is sustained by a small group of lay volunteers and visiting priests, and the spirit of the parish remains one of rural Catholic hospitality — a hallmark of mission churches across northeastern Colorado.
- Welcome message: 'We welcome you to our Catholic faith community of the Archdiocese of Denver… Whether seeking God for the first time, looking for a new place of worship, or reconnecting with your faith, we welcome you.'
- Live-streamed Mass available via the Archdiocese of Denver YouTube channel for the homebound
- Historical photograph of the church held by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (Robert Adams, c. 1965)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Marek Cieslathrough at least October 2016
Celebrated the parish's 100th anniversary Mass on October 16, 2016.
- Rev. Herman NsubugaJuly 1, 2024 – present (six-year appointment)
Current pastor of the St. Mary / St. John / St. Joseph tri-parish community.
- Rev. Maurice Uchenna OkekeJuly 1, 2021 – present
Parochial Vicar assisting the tri-parish community.