About St. Theresa · Frederick, Colorado
St. Theresa Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Frederick, Colorado, within the Archdiocese of Denver. Founded in 1923 by Italian immigrant coal miners and built largely by hand in the 1930s, it has long served the towns of Frederick, Firestone, Dacono and surrounding Carbon Valley. After a devastating electrical fire in 2024 rendered the historic church unsafe, the parish broke ground on a new worship building at the corner of Bobcat Boulevard and Bella Rosa Parkway, where the growing community—now more than half Hispanic—continues to offer six weekend Masses, daily devotions, and an active slate of ministries.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (the 'Little Flower')
- Rector
- Rev. Hernan Florez Albarracin
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Denver
Why belong here
St. Theresa is a small, community-rooted parish with a remarkable story—built by hand by Italian coal-miner immigrants in the 1930s and still serving a growing, multicultural town. Six weekend Masses (three in Spanish and three in English) make Catholic life accessible to virtually every member of the household, and the parish backs that up with Bible studies, two Neocatechumenal Way communities, a Charismatic ministry, the Knights of Columbus, the Trinity Ladies Auxiliary, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and frequent Reconciliation. With construction underway on a brand-new church building, joining now means helping to write the next chapter of a parish that has called Carbon Valley home for a hundred years.
Mass times at St. Theresa
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM and 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM and 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM
- Friday 8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
- Holy Week Confessions: Wednesday 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
History of St. Theresa Parish
St. Theresa was founded in 1923 to minister to Italian immigrant coal miners and their families in the Frederick area. The cornerstone church, completed in 1938, was built largely by the hands of those very miners. For nearly a century it has been the spiritual heart of Frederick, Firestone, Dacono and the surrounding Carbon Valley, and its story is intimately tied to the Italian and Hispanic families who shaped the community.
- Parish founded 1923
- Original church completed 1938, largely hand-built by Italian-immigrant coal miners
- May 2024: electrical fire damaged the interior and attic; building declared uninhabitable
- Original church later sold to a Boulder-area funeral home
- Sept. 6, 2024: groundbreaking for a new church on a 9.5-acre site at Bobcat Blvd and Bella Rosa Pkwy (land donated in 2009)
- Founded and sustained by families such as the DeSantis family ('Three Musketeers')
Parish Patron: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
The parish takes its name from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the 'Little Flower,' the French Carmelite whose 'little way' of spiritual childhood and hidden acts of love has inspired Catholics worldwide. The parish's homepage features a reflection on her teaching that 'we gain our life by losing it,' urging parishioners to find fulfillment by serving others rather than chasing the self.
- Patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux ('Little Flower')
- Feast day: October 1
Clergy & Staff
St. Theresa is currently served by a pastor, a parochial vicar and a deacon, supported by parish office staff. The parish leadership has guided the community through the recent loss of its historic church and into the construction of a new worship building.
- Rev. Hernan Florez Albarracin — Pastor (serving since 2013)
- Rev. Frederick Sserugga — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Jose Antonio Rodriguez
- Kathy Fox — Administrative Assistant (Parish Office)
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Theresa's has a notably active ministry life for a parish of its size, with separate offerings for English and Spanish-speaking parishioners. A dozen-plus groups give newcomers many ways to get involved, from traditional apostolates to newer movements.
- Bible studies (English and Spanish)
- Two Neocatechumenal Way communities
- Charismatic ministry
- Knights of Columbus
- Trinity Ladies Auxiliary
- Hispanic Ministry (led in part by long-time parishioner Blanca Rodriguez)
- Baptismal preparation classes (English and Spanish, held monthly)
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments, with baptismal classes offered monthly in both English and Spanish. Families typically contact the parish office to begin preparation well in advance of weddings and baptisms.
- Baptism (English and Spanish classes)
- Eucharist
- Confirmation (via faith formation program)
- Reconciliation (see confession schedule)
- Matrimony (contact parish office)
- Anointing of the Sick (contact parish office)
Building the New Church
After years of crowding in the old building and then the disruption of the 2024 fire, the parish community is actively constructing a new home on a generous 9.5-acre site. The project represents a new chapter for a parish that has been a fixture of Frederick life for a century.
- Ground broken September 6, 2024
- Site at corner of Bobcat Boulevard and Bella Rosa Parkway
- 9.5-acre parcel donated by a local resident in 2009
- Plans had been on the drawing board for about ten years
- Parishioners have continued gathering in the parish hall and at Thunder Valley School
Visit & Contact
The parish office and worship site is located on Bella Rosa Parkway in Frederick, Colorado, and the parish welcomes visitors, new parishioners, and those interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. Mass, confession, and adoration times are listed above.
- Address: 5503 Bella Rosa Pkwy, Frederick, CO 80504
- Phone: (303) 833-2966
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sttheresafred.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hernan Florez Albarracin2013–present
Has served as pastor for over a decade; led the parish through the 2024 church fire and the groundbreaking for the new church.
- Rev. Tomislav Tomiccirca 2023–2024
Parochial vicar originally from Bosnia; this was his first priestly assignment.