About St. Mary Help of Christians · Pueblo, Colorado
St. Mary Help of Christians is a Roman Catholic parish in the historic Eilers Heights / Bojon Town neighborhood of Pueblo, Colorado, part of the Diocese of Pueblo. Founded in 1891 as an ethnic parish for the city's Slovenian, German, and Slovak immigrants, it remains the spiritual heart of Pueblo's Slovenian-American community more than 130 years later. Today the parish offers nine Masses a week (two on Sunday), daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a lively calendar of Slovenian cultural and Marian devotions. The parish sits at 307 E. Mesa Avenue on the hilltop property its founding pastor, Fr. Cyril Zupan, acquired in the wake of the devastating 1921 flood.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title Mary Help of Christians)
- Rector
- Fr. Mark del Rosario, SSS (as of most recent published data; the parish is staffed by members of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
St. Mary Help of Christians welcomes anyone seeking a faithful Catholic community rooted in more than a century of immigrant and Marian devotion. Parishioners enjoy nine weekly Masses, daily Eucharistic Adoration (weekdays from after the 8:00 a.m. Mass until 4:00 p.m., and Sundays 1:30–4:30 p.m.), a full schedule of Holy Rosary and Morning Prayer devotions, and the warmth of a congregation that has retained its Slovenian cultural heritage across four generations. It is also a parish with a visible history — the 1890s bronze bells, the prayer garden, and the annual Slovenian feasts make belonging here feel like joining a living story.
Mass times at St. Mary Help of Christians
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 8:30–9:30 AM (per masstime.us)
Adoration times
- Weekdays 8:45 AM – 4:00 PM (following 8:00 AM daily Mass)
- Sunday 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
History of St. Mary Help of Christians
Founded in 1891 by Rev. Boniface Wirtner, O.S.B. for Pueblo's Slovenian, German, and Slovak immigrants, the parish first worshipped in an abandoned broom factory on South Santa Fe Avenue. In 1895 a church and school were built on Clark Street, staffed by the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago; over time the Slovak and German members formed their own parishes, leaving St. Mary's as the Slovenian heart of Pueblo. After the Great Flood of 1921 destroyed the Clark Street property, founding pastor Fr. Cyril Zupan purchased eleven acres on the hill above East Mesa Avenue, where the current church was completed in 1954. The parish's original 1890s bronze bells — dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. Anthony — were moved with the congregation and still hang in the tower.
- Founded 1891
- First church built 1895 on Clark Street, Grove neighborhood
- Property on East Mesa purchased 1921 after the Great Flood for $25,000
- Current church completed 1954
- Bronze bells cast 1892–1896 by I.T. Verdin Co.
The Eilers Heights / Bojon Town Neighborhood
The parish sits in the historic Eilers Heights neighborhood (often called Bojon Town), where Slovenian and Croatian immigrants settled near the Eiler Smelter between about 1890 and 1910, with the largest influx arriving 1905–1910. The subdivision Fr. Zupan platted around the new church was named after him, and Eilers Avenue commemorates the smelter that drew the immigrant community to Pueblo in the first place. Today four-generation families still return to the parish for Mass, the annual Slovenian Night dinner, the Kres Dan midsummer bonfire, the blessing of Zegen Easter baskets, the Feast of St. Nicholas, and family funerals.
- Historic Slovenian-American neighborhood in south Pueblo
- Named after the Eiler Smelter, which employed the immigrant founders
- Still hosts Kres Dan and Slovenian Night each year
Devotions: Holy Rosary and Morning Prayer
The parish maintains a robust pre-Mass devotional life centered on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Holy Rosary and Morning Prayer are prayed every weekday and Saturday morning before Mass, and again before each Sunday Mass, as well as before the Saturday Vigil.
- Weekdays 7:00–7:55 AM Rosary and Morning Prayer
- Saturday 7:00–7:55 AM Rosary and Morning Prayer
- Saturday 2:30–2:50 PM Rosary before Vigil Mass
- Sunday 7:30–7:50 AM Rosary before 8:00 AM Mass
- Sunday 10:00–10:20 AM Rosary before 10:30 AM Mass
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and adults is offered through the parish's religious education program, listed on the parish's official website under Faith Formation & Religious Education. Families are invited to contact the parish office to enroll children and to inquire about preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
Clergy and Religious Staff
St. Mary Help of Christians has been served for many years by members of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) from the Province of Our Lady of the Assumption in the Philippines. The Servants of the Blessed Sacrament sisters also live on the parish compound and assist with parish ministry. Father Mark del Rosario, SSS, has served as pastor and also oversees St. Pius X Parish in the diocese.
- Fr. Mark del Rosario, SSS – Pastor
- Fr. Zaldy Norba, SSS
- Fr. Joseph Matitu, SSS
- Fr. Joel Lazutaz, SSS
- SSS sisters stationed at the parish compound
Facilities: The Parish Compound
The East Mesa property contains much more than the church itself. It includes a rectory, a convent, the former parish school building (now used for religious education classes, choir practice, and community gatherings), and a prayer garden. The eleven-acre tract Fr. Zupan purchased in 1921 originally included the community baseball field as well, reflecting the parish's role as the social as well as spiritual center of the neighborhood.
- Church (completed 1954)
- Rectory
- Convent (home of the SSS sisters)
- Former parish school
- Prayer garden
- Three historic bronze bells (I.T. Verdin Co., 1892–1896)
Cultural Heritage: Slovenian Devotions and Feasts
Although the parish today serves a diverse and largely English-speaking congregation, its Slovenian Catholic identity remains vivid in its calendar. Annual events include the Slovenian Night dinner, the Kres Dan midsummer bonfire festival (marking the summer solstice), the blessing of the Zegen Easter baskets on Holy Saturday, and the Feast of St. Nicholas in early December. These celebrations draw back descendants of the original immigrant families even when they have moved elsewhere in Pueblo.
- Slovenian Night dinner
- Kres Dan (midsummer bonfire)
- Blessing of the Zegen Easter baskets
- Feast of St. Nicholas
Contact and Visiting
St. Mary Help of Christians is located at 307 East Mesa Avenue, Pueblo, CO 81006. The parish office can be reached at (719) 296-8778. Mass is open to all, and visitors are warmly welcomed — particularly those tracing Slovenian, Croatian, Italian, or other Slavic roots in Pueblo's historic south side.
- Address: 307 E. Mesa Ave., Pueblo, CO 81006
- Phone: (719) 296-8778
- Website: stmaryhelpofchristianschurch.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Boniface Wirtner, O.S.B.1891
Benedictine from St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe PA; founded the parish for Pueblo's Slovenian, German, and Slovak community under Bishop Matz of Denver.
- Rev. Cyril Zupan1890s–c. early 1950s
Slovenian-born pastor who guided the parish from the Grove neighborhood, purchased the 11-acre East Mesa property after the 1921 flood, and named the surrounding subdivision.