Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
June 13, 2001
Building theChurch
By Roxanne King
More than 1,000 faithful from Our Lady of Loreto in Foxfield turned out to break ground on their brush-filled 28-acre parish site June 3, Pentecost Sunday.
A threatening sky never rained, but did provide a gusty breeze fitting for the feast day, which recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit in a driving wind.
Following a Mass at Regis High chapel concelebrated by Bishop José Gomez and Loreto pastor Msgr. Ed Buelt, the faithful drove the short distance to the field at Arapahoe Road and Waco Street to bless the ground and symbolically "build the church" there.
Led by Msgr. Buelt, affectionately called Father Ed, pilgrims processed behind a cross draped with a scarlet banner that flapped in the wind as an
enthusiastic choir sang hymns. During the walk, the faithful solemnly passed a crucifix bearing a relic of the true cross down the long stream of people. Bringing up the rear, Bishop Gomez carried the cross the final leg of the journey through an arch of swords held high by colorfully caped and plumed Knights of Columbus. The bishop then "planted the cross" in a bucket of freshly dug soil.
When the church is built, the relic and cross will be housed in their own chapel, the pastor said.
Presiding at his first groundbreaking in the diocese, on the Church's birthday, to build a church dedicated to the Blessed Mother, was a special concrete manifestation of his mission as a priest, Bishop Gomez said, as well as that of the parishioners.
"Before my ordination, when I was thinking about what God wanted from me as a priest, I thought of Our Lady of Guadalupe and what she said to Juan Diego," Bishop Gomez said, recalling that the Blessed Mother wanted a church to be built. "I thought my mission, too, was to build the Church in people's hearts to increase their love and devotion to God."
To loud applause, with gold-tipped shovels, Bishop Gomez; Msgr. Buelt; parishioners Michael Magee, John Rossi and Kyle Brennan; project architect David Tryba; and principal of JHL Constructors Patrick Merson, turned spadefuls of dirt where the sanctuary will be.
Drawing on the themes of new life and nurturing faith, the parish distributed seedlings and lilac bushes to the children to tend to until the church, scheduled for completion in a year, is ready for landscaping.
"I know every single one of these will live," Msgr. Buelt said joking. He added that the parish plans to dedicate their $12 million church, Sept. 8, 2002.
"A day which happens to be the feast of Our Lady of Loreto — and my birthday," Msgr. Buelt said to laughter.
When built, the two-story church will be among the largest in the diocese, with seating for 1,100. Plans call for a Romanesque-style structure with heavy walls, arches and a red tile roof. The cathedral-like structure is loosely modeled on the House of Loreto, named after the Italian city in which it's located. Tradition holds that it was the home of the Holy Family and was transported to Italy from the Holy Land.
"We prayed that God would lead us to a parish and he led us here," said Rachel Dixon as she and husband Gene Hill carefully handed the relic-bearing cross to others as they trudged through weeds and the occasional cactus during the pilgrimage walk.
The California transplants said they were attracted to Our Lady of Loreto, despite the lack of its own worship facility, because of the hospitable congregation and dynamic pastor. A non-Catholic, Hill said he is so impressed with the faith community that he plans to convert.
"It's really exciting being part of a new church," said parishioner Brian Fitzpatrick, adding that the Loreto congregation has waited three years to construct its church.
Nearly half the funds needed to build the structure were quickly pledged, but opposition from neighbors who fear that a "megaplex church will destroy their rural atmosphere" slowed the process, Loreto Communications Manager Steven Hesprich said.
"We have neighbors who really dislike us," he said. "They've physically threatened the daily Mass parishioners."
Because of that, before building the church, the parish plans to put up a temporary two-room modular to serve as a parish hall. That will enable parishioners "to get people off the priest's home" where meetings and Masses were once held, Hesprich said. Complaints about traffic led the parish to move their Masses to the Regis chapel and meetings to parishioners' homes.
"The Regis people have been wonderful," said parishioner Susan Magee, 39. "Their hospitality has been above and beyond."
The facility won't be a "megaplex" for several years, said archdiocesan Director of Construction Walt Wostenberg. The first phase of construction calls only for the church, he said, adding that the parish hopes to eventually add a school.
For now, parishioners are just glad that their church will soon be a reality and they credit their pastor for that.
"Msgr. Buelt gives strong spiritual leadership," Hesprich said, "but also good business sense; he has both those qualities. He's skilled and highly principled."
At the wind-blown field, as families headed for home or the annual Spaghetti Eddie parish dinner held at Regis High, Msgr. Buelt reflected on what the groundbreaking meant.
"It means the end of a lot of hard work," he said. "And the beginning of a lot of hard work."
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