Denver Catholic Register Page

Western Slope parish building for future

By Peter Droege

Glenwood Springs has it all: a world-famous hot springs pool, hiking along spectacular mountain trails, white water rafting and easy access to nearby resorts like Aspen and Vail.

That's part of the problem, according to Father Cliff McMillan, pastor of St. Stephen Parish in Glenwood Springs, one of seven archdiocesan pilgrimage sites where the faithful can go to acquire a special Jubilee indulgence.

A city where doors are rarely locked and people still say hello to one another on the streets, Glenwood Springs is experiencing growing pains as more and more people are drawn to the area by its beauty and quality of life.

Like the Roaring Forks River that divides the town, there is a tension between longtime residents seeking to preserve community, and newcomers hoping to embrace a new way of life far from the urban sprawl of Denver.

Will the peace and serenity of Glenwood Springs evaporate like mist off the hot springs on a cold morning? Will residents retreat into gated compounds, fearing their neighbors?

If he were to carry a sign down the street stating, "I Have the Answer!", Father McMillan could hardly do more to awaken the community to the opportunity for renewal within its grasp.

"Rather than allowing fear to paralyze us, we should be confident that God is with us as we set out to rebuild our community," said Father McMillan.

"The faith here is very deep," said the young priest known for his love of the Church and devotion to the Blessed Mother. "It is a strong faith which comes from ranchers and miners and people who have had to endure great hardship to simply survive.

"Visitors frequently tell me that they are deeply moved by the experience of God's presence in our church," he continued. "Many of our parishioners come from families who have been in the area for generations — their deep commitment to the faith can be seen in many ways, but especially in their willingness to support the parish school, which provides children with a Catholic education."

In the past four years, St. Stephen has grown from 400, to more than 700 families. In order to accommodate everyone in the current church, which seats 250, seven masses are celebrated every weekend. A growing and vibrant Hispanic community is also changing the makeup of the parish.

With growth projected to continue, parishioners at St. Stephen have set out to construct a new church on a large tract of land owned by the parish adjacent to the school. The $4.3 million church will seat 900, and will include a great room which doubles as a parish hall and gymnasium, parish offices, a kitchen and other facilities.

Far from simply building a new structure to allow additional seating, Father McMillan is seeking to build a church so filled with sacred beauty, it will draw people into the true meaning of the natural beauty in the surrounding area.

"When a person is solidly grounded in the Church, it is great to come to an area like this and experience the natural spirituality that is associated with the great outdoors," he explained. "Unfortunately, a great many people do not have a solid grounding and when they come to an area with awesome natural beauty, they tend to gravitate to that, rather than gravitating to the church."

"We are building a church filled with such sacred beauty that it will be a pilgrimage site far into the new millennium," he continued. "It will be a church that brings people closer to God, one they will remember long after visiting the area," he added.

In the meantime, Father McMillan invites everyone to make a jubilee pilgrimage to the current St. Stephen.

"When people come here, I hope they experience beauty, solitude and quiet: God present in his glorious creation," he said. "I would then invite them to come experience God's presence in the tiny chapel of St. Stephen, and experience the faith present in the people here," he added.

Editor's note: While St. Stephen Parish is currently engaged in a stewardship campaign to fund the construction of the new church, a major donation is needed to ensure the success of the campaign. Any donation is welcome. Those wishing to make donations may send them to: St. Stephen Church Building Fund, 1010 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs, 81601. For information, call 970-945-6673.