Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish in Denver

Background Statement

Blessed Sacrament Church Elm- Montview Blvd.

CHURCH AND SCHOOL HISTORY

Father Fred McDonough rode his bicycle around the neighborhood in 1912 to organize Park Hill Catholics. He gained a new parish, which initially met for Mass in the original Park Hill Methodist Episcopal Church at 23rd and Dexter. (currently the Cherry Tomato Restaurant)

- Six lots at the corner of Montview Boulevard and Elm Street were purchased adjacent to two adjoining

lots that had previously been donated by Robert Sullivan. Blessed Sacrament Mission in Denver was

established by Bishop Matz for 45 families in late 1912.

- Fr. J. Frederick McDonough was appointed as the first pastor.

1913: Blessed Sacrament Officially Became A Parish

- Blessed Sacrament remained a mission of St. James Parish in Denver until March 1913, when Bishop

Matz elevated Blessed Sacrament to a parish.

- In 1913 this fledgling parish built a Neoclassical, gray brick, three-story chapel, rectory-parish hall, adorned with Corinthian pilasters located on the corner of Elm St. and Montview Blvd. . It is now the elementary school.

During the prosperous 1920s, the growing parish commissioned Denver architect Harry James Manning to design a $250,000 Gothic church square-cut, ashlar limestone walls, rich but miniature Gothic stained-glass windows, mini-buttresse. with twin spires soaring over Montview Boulevard. The Great Depression killed the cathedral-sized fantasy. Manning died in 1933 and his associate, William F. Andres, scaled back the project considerably. The present one-story church opened in 1935. Blessed Sacrament remains an interesting example of Gothic Revival with its abbreviated front towers,

1922: Blessed Sacrament School Opens

- In 1922, the basement of the 3-story building building was converted into classrooms for a new school. The school was opened by the Sisters of Loretto for 57 students in the fall of 1922.

1923: Current Rectory was Built

1934: Cornerstone for Current Church

- The cornerstone was laid for the new church on E. Montview Boulevard and Eudora St. in the Fall of 1934. The present, one-story Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament was dedicated by Archbishop Vehr on September 15, 1935.

1942: Convent for Teachering Sisters Completed

- Fr. Harold Campbell was appointed pastor in December 1936 and was responsible for the construction of a convent at the corner of East 19th avenue and Eudora Street to house the ten sisters teaching grade school. It was completed in 1942. (now a Park Hill residence)

1951: Gym Building Built

- A second school building was built south of the old school and dedicated on September 23, 1951.

(currently the gym building)

1958: Bishop Machebeuf High School Opened (1958 Elm Street Building)

- Monsignor Campbell secured the bulk of the land needed to build an anticipated new archdiocesan

high school by 1953. Construction began in September 1957 and Bishop Machebeuf High School was

dedicated in 1958.

1976: Church Interior Renovation Completed

- In 1976, a renovation of the church interior was completed.

1989: Major Fire Damaged the Church

- Monsignor William Jones was appointed pastor in July 1989. A major fire significantly damaged the

church in August 1989. With a new raised roof line, the work on the church was completed in 1990.

2000: Bishop Machebeuf High School Moves to Lowry

- Father Ken Liuzzi came to the parish as an administrator in 1998. Archbishop Chaput presided at the

dedication of the new Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School on the Lowry campus in Denver on

January 9, 2000 and the old high school school building was returned to the parish. It was rented out to the Denver International School for 9 years.

2009: School Expanded to Include Preschool and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

In the Fall of 2009, Blessed Sacrament School began to use the ground floor of the former Bishop

Machebeuf Catholic High School as an expanded preschool. Religious Education classrooms and school administration were on the middle floor. The top floor of the building began being used as an expanded middle school in the fall of 2010.

- Father Ken Liuzzi served as pastor of Blessed Sacrament from 1999 to 2011.

- Father Christopher Hellstrom was pastor from July 2011 through July 2017.

- Fr. Jeff Wilborn was pastor from August 2017 through June 2022.

- Fr. John Ludanha became pastor in July 2022 and currently serves us with much love & dedication.