About St. Peter the Apostle · Rocky Ford, Colorado
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Pueblo serving the small Arkansas Valley farming community of Rocky Ford, Colorado, at 1209 Swink Avenue. The parish has roots going back to the founding of the town and was designated a separate parish in 1910; today it is clustered with neighboring Catholic parishes in La Junta, Las Animas, Ordway, and Fowler (the 'Ark Valley Parishes') under the pastoral care of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), which took over the cluster in 2025. By 1970 the parish had become overwhelmingly Latino, and Spanish-language ministry has been a defining feature of its life ever since. It offers daily Mass, Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, a regular Saturday confession hour, Friday Holy Hour with Adoration and Benediction, and serves as a spiritual home for families throughout the lower Arkansas Valley.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- Saint Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) — served since 2025 (specific pastor name not published on official sources reviewed)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pueblo
Why belong here
St. Peter the Apostle is a small-town parish with deep roots: the community has worshiped here since 1910, and for over a century the parish has been a gathering place for both the longtime farming families of the Arkansas Valley and the Latino families who have shaped Rocky Ford since the early 20th century. Worshippers can attend daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil, Sunday Mass, a regular Saturday confession hour, and a Friday Holy Hour with Adoration and Benediction — a richer schedule than most parishes its size. As part of the Ark Valley Parishes cluster, members also share in the wider Catholic life of the lower valley, including the patron feast of St. Peter celebrated with neighboring parishes.
Mass times at St. Peter the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Rocky Ford)
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30 a.m. — Holy Adoration and Benediction (following 8:00 a.m. Mass)
About St. Peter the Apostle
St. Peter the Apostle is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Pueblo located at 1209 Swink Avenue in Rocky Ford, Colorado — a small farming and melon-growing town in the Arkansas Valley of southeastern Colorado. The parish has been part of the religious life of Rocky Ford since the town was founded in the late 1880s and was formally designated a separate parish in 1910. Today it is one of the 'Ark Valley Parishes,' a cluster of Catholic communities in the lower Arkansas Valley served together by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) since 2025.
- Parish name: St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church
- Town: Rocky Ford, Colorado (Otero County)
- Diocese: Pueblo
- Cluster: Ark Valley Parishes (SOLT)
- Congregational register on file at FamilySearch Library, 1910–1957
History of the Parish
Catholic life in Rocky Ford dates to the very beginning of the town itself, which was incorporated in 1887. For its first two decades Catholic faithful were served from neighboring Arkansas Valley parishes. In 1910 St. Peter's Catholic Church was formally designated a separate parish. From the founding through the arrival of Rev. Patrick Conway in September 1920, relatively few Latinos worshipped at the parish regularly; Father Conway began preaching in both Spanish and English, teaching catechism at the Alta Vista sugar-beet worker camp on the southwest edge of town, and visiting parishioners in their homes. By 1970 about 85% of the parish was Latino, and the parish's bilingual character has been central to its identity ever since.
- 1910 — St. Peter's designated a separate parish
- 1887 — Town of Rocky Ford incorporated
- 1920 — Rev. Patrick Conway arrives; begins bilingual preaching
- 1970 — Parish reported 85% Latino
- 2003 — Rev. Charles Sena appointed pastor of cluster; Rev. Paul Montez, OSB, parochial vicar
- 2005 — Rev. Mario Murillo named administrator of cluster
- 2025 — SOLT takes over pastoral care of Ark Valley Parishes
Pastoral Care — Ark Valley Parishes (SOLT)
Since 2025 the parish has been cared for by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) as part of the Ark Valley Parishes cluster. SOLT previously served St. Joseph's Parish in Capulin, Colorado, from 2004 to 2025 before transitioning to the Ark Valley cluster. The other parishes and missions in the cluster are Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Patrick in La Junta, St. Mary's in Las Animas, St. Peter in Ordway, and Mary Queen of Heaven in Fowler. The shared chancery email and phone for the cluster are the parish office's main contacts.
- Cluster name: Ark Valley Parishes
- Religious institute: Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT)
- Cluster parishes: La Junta, Las Animas, Ordway, Fowler
- Pastoral care began: 2025
Sacraments and Sacramentals
Beyond the Eucharist and Reconciliation, the parish celebrates the other sacraments and sacramentals of the Catholic Church, including Quinceañeras — a particularly meaningful celebration given the parish's Hispanic heritage. Weddings and Quinceañeras are scheduled on Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. Contact the parish office for preparation and to schedule Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and other rites.
- Baptism — by arrangement
- Marriage — Saturdays at 12:00 p.m.
- Quinceañera — Saturdays at 12:00 p.m.
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- Funerals and Christian burial — by arrangement
Hispanic and Spanish-Language Ministry
Spanish-language ministry has been a hallmark of St. Peter the Apostle since 1920, when Father Patrick Conway began preaching in Spanish and English and reached out to the Mexican-American families living at the Alta Vista beet-worker camp on the edge of town. A century later, the parish remains a Spanish-speaking community at heart, and Quinceañera celebrations continue to be a regular part of parish life.
- Bilingual preaching since 1920
- Ongoing outreach to Hispanic farmworking families
- Quinceañera celebrations on Saturdays
Records and Archives
Parish sacramental records for St. Peter the Apostle are preserved on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library, covering 1910 to 1957. Researchers and family historians can request access through FamilySearch.
- FamilySearch Library — Church records, 1910–1957 (Catholic Church, St. Peter, Rocky Ford, Colorado)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Conwayfrom September 1920
Reached out to Latino families, began Spanish and English sermons, taught catechism at Alta Vista camp
- Rev. Charles Sena2003
Appointed pastor of Rocky Ford/Ordway cluster alongside Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Patrick in La Junta
- Rev. Paul Montez, OSB2003 (3-year appointment)
Benedictine priest; parochial vicar focused on Rocky Ford and Ordway parishes
- Rev. Mario Murillo2005
Named administrator of the Rocky Ford–Ordway–Fowler–Manzanola cluster
- Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT)2025–present
Took over pastoral care of St. Peter the Apostle with the broader Ark Valley Parishes cluster