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Sts. Peter and Paul ~ June 29th, 2008 |
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Intentionally working to change hearts for God |
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...was established in 1978 due to rapid growth in the area. The land was donated to the archdiocese by a local farmer in the early sixties.
Parishioners were determined that the church building should make a statement to the surrounding community of who and what we are. With an inspiring view of the Denver skyline to the northeast and of the mountains to the west, the church would be a beacon "on the hill" -- a symbol of light to the community. In the beginning, the new parish gathered in the gym of a local school affectionately referred to as "Our Lady of the Nets." Community developed as people set up chairs, speakers, overhead projector, an altar, and as we transported the equipment necessary for the Mass back and forth every week. Our first Mass was celebrated with our pastor, Father Frank Syrianey, at Colorow Elementary on July 5, 1979. Soon the Sunday mass expanded to three plus one on Saturday evening at Hosanna Lutheran Church. Daily mass and meetings were held at the "parish house" and priest's residence while we planned for and eagerly anticipated a building of our own. On Easter Sunday, 1982, some 200 families participated in a ground breaking ceremony for the new church building. The first mass was celebrated in the new facility on Holy Thursday of 1984. Fr. John Mancini became our first Parochial Vicar in July of 1984. We quickly settled in and filled the church (building) with the Church (people) and ministry. Growth exploded as we opened the church doors. To maintain a sense of intimacy as new people moved to south Jefferson county, Fr. Frank started "Little Parishes" where people would get to know each other better in smaller settings. Fr. John F. Dold was appointed pastor following the death of Fr. Frank on January 1, 1986. Fr. John brought organizational leadership and visioning to the parish. He initiated a comprehensive look at ministry and staff development. A Pastoral Council and a Coordinating Council were developed to facilitate communication among the various parish ministries. Fr. John furthered the vision of a community of ministers by beginning the process of restructuring the parish into Small Church Communities. The church building was officially dedicated in September, 1987, delayed by the deaths of Fr. Frank and Archbishop Casey. That same year, Fr. Roger Lascelle joined us as Parochial Vicar when Fr. John Mancini left. In 1988 we purchased the land west of the church building for additional parking space. And on June 10, 1989 the community of Light of the World once again held a ground breaking ceremony "on the hill" - this time for an addition to the east and the west ends of the existing structure. On the east a youth area, an all-purpose space and a kitchen were built. To the west, the worship space was expanded to accommodate an additional 300 people and smaller meeting rooms lined the gallery. Great care was taken to insure the continuity of the original vision of the structure and the spirit of the community. In 1990, newly ordained, Fr. Neal Pfister became Parochial Vicar as Fr. Roger departed to become pastor of another parish. In June 1993, Fr. Patrick Tierney was assigned to the parish as Parochial Vicar and later was named pastor of the parish a year after the departure of Fr. John Dold for a leave of absence. Fr. Greg Mirto was assigned in July, 1994, as Parochial Vicar. Upon completing his 3 year assignment, Fr. Greg moved into the role of Pastor at another parish. Fr. Jerry Rohr was assigned as Parochial Vicar. Once again the parish broke ground for additions on the east and west ends. An office complex on the east and a community center attached to the west end expand the potential ministry offerings.
In June of 1998, when Fr Pat moved into chaplain ministry, Fr. Jerry Rohr was named Parish Administrator and Fr. Sean McGrath was appointed Parochial Vicar.
In March Fr. Sean left to become Parish Administrator of Guardian Angels Parish
and in June of 1999, Fr. Jerry was named Pastor. |
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We, the Catholic faith community of Light of the World, desire to be the living sign of Christ by showing love for all who grace our door and respect for the gifts they bring. We commit ourselves to the dynamic worship of God in word and sacrament, so that empowered by the Spirit we may grow in confidence to prophetically impact our culture by living out the Gospel and serving the needs of our parish and our local and global communities. |
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Light of the World Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Denver Littleton, CO 80127-2060 USA |
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Our Mission