About St. Joseph Church (Polish) · Denver, Colorado
St. Joseph's Polish Roman Catholic Church is a historic parish in Denver's Globeville neighborhood, built in 1902 by Polish immigrants who settled in the area to work the smelters, brickyards, and packing houses. The parish is the only Polish-language Catholic parish in the central United States and remains a gathering point for Polish Catholics across the region, celebrating Mass in both Polish and English each week. Its cornerstone was laid on August 17, 1902, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Today the parish is served by the Society of Christ Fathers (SChr), a religious order headquartered in Poznań, Poland, that ministers to Polish emigrants worldwide.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Stanisław Michałek, SChr.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
St. Joseph's is the only Polish-language Catholic parish in the central United States, so families who want Mass in Polish, Polish religious education, and traditional Polish devotions will find a true home here. Parishioners keep alive the Corpus Christi outdoor procession with four altars, Polish hymns, banners, and flower petals, an unbroken custom started by the founding pastor in 1902. The parish also welcomes English-speaking Catholics with bilingual weekend Masses, an active Sunday School, a Knights of Columbus council, a choir led by Anna Janik, and a parish school building used for Polish-language classes, parties, and receptions — making it a vibrant, multigenerational community rooted in the Eucharist and 120-plus years of immigrant Catholic heritage.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church (Polish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Mass
Adoration times
- First Friday of the Month (following the 7:00 pm Polish Mass)
Parish History
St. Joseph's was founded in 1902 by Polish immigrants in the Globeville neighborhood after Bishop Matz authorized a parish for the Poles on November 22, 1900. The original 33' x 60' church cost about $2,000 and was the twelfth Catholic parish in Denver. Father Theodore Jarzyński became the first pastor on July 14, 1902, and began the customs — Sunday School, the Polish Literary Club, and especially the outdoor Corpus Christi procession with four altars — that still define the parish. Successive pastors enlarged the church, built a school and convent, and through the 20th century made St. Joseph's a center for Polish Catholic life across the Rocky Mountain region.
- Cornerstone laid August 17, 1902
- Father Theodore Jarzyński, first pastor (1902–1922)
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983
- Interior painted by Klemens Mituniewicz in the late 1980s
- 100th jubilee celebrated in 2002 with a blessing from Pope John Paul II
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Joseph's supports an active mix of liturgical and community ministries that reflect both its Polish heritage and its role as a neighborhood parish. The Sunday School provides religious education for children, while a separate Polish School teaches the Polish language in the school building next door. Liturgical roles are filled by the choir (led by Anna Janik), altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, and lectors, and the parish hosts a Polish council of the Knights of Columbus along with a seniors group.
- Sunday School
- Polish School (language classes)
- Choir — Anna Janik
- Knights of Columbus (Polish council)
- Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors
- Seniors group
- First-Communion prep (Jadwiga Mucha, second-year class)
Faith Formation & Schools
Religious education is centered in the Sunday School program, with Jadwiga Mucha teaching the second-year-before-First-Holy-Communion class. The historic school building next to the church — recovered for parish use under Father Mucha — also houses the Polish School, where children learn the Polish language and culture, and serves as a venue for Sunday School classes, parties, baptism and wedding receptions, and meetings of Polish and religious organizations.
- Sunday School for parish children
- Polish-language school
- School building used for receptions, meetings, and parish events
Music & Liturgy
Music is led by choir director Anna Janik and is a central part of parish worship. Polish hymn-singing is a defining feature of liturgical life, from the Sunday 10:00 am Polish Mass to the outdoor Corpus Christi procession. Under Father Sławomir Murawka (2015–2017), guitar and congregational singing became a regular part of Mass and parish events.
- Choir directed by Anna Janik
- Polish hymns at the 10:00 am Mass and Corpus Christi procession
- Guitar and congregational singing introduced by Father Murawka
Devotions & Special Traditions
The parish's most famous tradition is the outdoor Corpus Christi procession with four altars through the streets of Globeville, complete with a canopy, Polish hymn-singing, banners, portraits carried by parishioners, and children strewing flower petals. Other devotions include annual Lenten retreats led by visiting Polish priests, First Friday and First Saturday observances, and the veneration of relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II obtained under Father Marek Cieśla.
- Corpus Christi procession with four altars — a tradition since 1902
- Annual Lenten retreats by visiting Polish priests
- First Friday and First Saturday devotions
- Relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II
Outreach, Charity & Parish Life
As the only Polish parish in the central United States, St. Joseph's regularly welcomes Polish Catholics traveling through Colorado for Christmas, Easter, Corpus Christi, and other holy days. Father Marek Cieśla introduced youth mountain trips, bike pilgrimages, and senior meetings that continue as part of parish life. The school building and parish grounds host receptions, sacramental celebrations, and meetings of Polish and religious organizations, making the church a true community hub for the Polish diaspora of the Rocky Mountain region.
- Hospitality for Polish visitors from across the U.S.
- Youth mountain trips and bike pilgrimages
- Senior gatherings
- Parish hall rentals for Polish and religious organizations
Buildings, Grounds & Historic Status
The parish complex includes the historic 1902 church, a courtyard with the 1997 grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the rectory, and an attached school building. A second sign above the entrance was added so the church is visible from nearby I-70. The church has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, and its façade features a central narthex. The interior was painted in the late 1980s by Klemens Mituniewicz with symbolic Catholic scenes and Colorado mountain landscapes.
- Church on the National Register of Historic Places (since 1983)
- Grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary (built 1997)
- Rectory and attached school building
- Painted interior by Klemens Mituniewicz
- Highway-visible church sign facing I-70
Visiting St. Joseph's
St. Joseph's is located north of downtown Denver, between I-25 and I-70, in the heart of the historic Globeville neighborhood. Visitors coming from I-70 take the Washington Street exit, head north, turn left onto 47th Avenue, and then left again onto Pearl Street; the school, rectory, and church are all on the right as Pearl Street ends. Parking is available around the school building and on neighboring streets. Weekend Masses draw a full church in both English and Polish, and the parish warmly welcomes visitors from the greater Denver area and around the world.
- From I-70: take Washington Street exit north, then 47th Avenue west, then Pearl Street south
- Parking around the school and on neighboring streets
- Parish office: [email protected] • (303) 296-3217
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Theodore Jarzyński1902–1922
First pastor; organized Sunday School, the Polish Literary Club, the outdoor Corpus Christi procession, and a temporary Polish school. Died June 14, 1922.
- Rev. John Guziński1922–1969
Enlarged the church, completed a new school, and built a 1965 convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph. Died April 4, 1969.
- Rev. John Mucha1973–2010
Fourth pastor; revived Polish traditions, recovered the school building for parish use, and oversaw the church's 1983 listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Retired 2010.
- Rev. Marek Cieśla, SChr.2010–2015
First Society of Christ Father as pastor; oversaw major improvements, founded a Knights of Columbus council, obtained relics of St. Faustina and St. John Paul II. Reassigned May 24, 2015.
- Rev. Adam Słomiński, SChr.2013–2015
Joined as vicar from Chicago on August 22, 2013, serving as temporary pastor during transitions. Reassigned August 16, 2015.
- Rev. Sławomir Murawka, SChr.August 2015 – August 2017
Came from Detroit; often sang and played guitar at Mass and parish events. Left for health reasons in August 2017.
- Rev. Stanisław Michałek, SChr.2017–present
Current pastor, from the Society of Christ Fathers.