Chronology (1857-1986)

Bishop Machebeuf's Colorado

1857 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, first church in Colorado
1858 Gold discovered; Denver founded
1860 Machebeuf and Raverdy arrive in Denver, first Denver Mass in St. Mary Church, Christmas Eve
1861 St. Mary of the Assumption, Central City
1864 Sisters of Loretto open St. Mary's Academy, Denver
1865 Civil War ends; President Lincoln assassinated
1866 Our Lady of Lourdes, Georgetown
1867 St. Joseph, Golden City, and Sacred Heart of Mary, Boulder
1868 Bishop Machebeuf made vicar apostolic for Colorado and Utah
1870 Railroads reach Denver
1871 Utah transferred to Diocese of California
1873 St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, opened by Sisters of Charity
1875 Sacred Heart of Jesus, Boulder; St. Mary's Academy grants Colorado's first high school diploma
1876 Colorado becomes the thirty-eighth state
1878 St. Joseph, Fort Collins; and St. Elizabeth, Denver
1879 Sacred Heart, Denver
1881 St. Patrick, Denver; and St. Paul, Idaho Springs
1882 St. Vincent's Orphanage, Denver; and St. John the Baptist, Longmont
1883 St. Joseph, Denver; St. Ann's (Annunciation), Denver; and House of the Good Shepherd, Denver
1884 St. Louis, Louisville; Jesuits open College of Sacred Heart, Morrison
1885 St. Mary, Breckenridge; and St. Stephen, Glenwood Springs
1887 Vicariate of Colorado elevated to Diocese of Denver; Reverend Nicholas Matz consecrated coadjutor; St. Augustine, Brighton
1888 St. John, Yuma; Sacred Heart College (later named Regis) moves to Denver; Loretto Academy opened (later Loretto Heights College)
1889 Fathers Malone and O'Ryan help found Denver's Charity Organization Society (United Way); St. Nicholas, Platteville; Holy Family, Denver; and St. Dominic, Denver; Death of Bishop Machebeuf

Bishop Matz's Colorado

1889 Nicholas Chrysostom Matz becomes second bishop of Colorado
1890 Precious Blood, Newcastle
1891 Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Golden
1892 St. Francis de Sales, Denver; St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, and St. Mary, Aspen
1893 St. Patrick, Holyoke
1894 Holy Name, Fort Logan; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Denver
1901 Mercy Hospital, Denver; and St. Mary, Littleton
1902 St. Joseph (Polish), Denver; Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini opens Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver; St. John the Evangelist, Loveland
1903 St. Peter, Greeley
1904 St. James, Denver
1905 St. Thomas Seminary, Holy Family, Meeker; Holy Ghost, Denver
1907 Immaculate Conception, Lafayette; St. Mary Magdalene, Denver; and Holy Name, Steamboat Springs
1908 St. Anthony, Sterling; St. Anthony, Julesburg
1909 St. William, Fort Lupton
1910 St. John, Stoneham; St. Helena, Fort Morgan; St. Mary, Rifle
1911 St. Louis, Englewood; Assumption, Welby; St. Mary Church, Brush; Guardian Angels, Mead
1912 St. Catherine of Siena, Denver; Presentation of Our Lady, Denver; Blessed Sacrament, Denver; Dedication of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
1913 Matthew Smith takes over the Denver Catholic Register; St. Peter, Fleming; St. Patrick, Minturn; Mt. Carmel, Redcliff
1914 Sacred Heart, Peetz
1915 Our Lady of the Mountains, Estes Park
1916 Camp St. Malo, Allens Park
1917 Mullen Home for the Aged, Denver; St. Joseph, Akron; death of Bishop Matz

Bishop Tihen's Colorado

1917 J. Henry Tihen becomes third bishop of Colorado; United States involved in World War I
1918 St. Rita, Nederland; Holy Rosary, Denver; St. Andrew, Wray
1919 St. Francis, Weldona
1920 Shrine of St. Anne, Arvada; St. Michael, Craig; Holy Family, Keenesburg;
1921 College of Sacred Heart renamed Regis College; Loretto Heights grants first Bachelor of Arts degree; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception consecrated; Cathedral High School dedicated
1922 St. Cajetan, Denver
1923 St. Theresa, Frederick
1924 Sacred Heart, Roggen; St. Ignatius Loyola, Denver; St. Rose of Lima, Denver; St. Peter, Crook; Holy Family, Fort Collins
1926 St. Thomas Seminary dedicates new buildings and grants Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees; St. Vincent de Paul, Denver; St. Therese, Aurora
1927 St. Catherine of Siena, Iliff; Catholic Charities formed
1928 J. K. Mullen Memorial Library, Catholic University of America; Little Flower Center, Denver
1930 Camp Santa Maria opened west of Bailey; Sacred Heart, Gilcrest
1931 J. K. Mullen Home for Boys, Denver, St. Ignatius, Rangely; Bishop Tihen resigns in poor health; dies 1940

Archbishop Vehr's Colorado

1931 Urban John Vehr installed as the fourth Bishop of Denver 1932; Christ the King, Evergreen
1933 Christ the King, Haxtun
1936 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Denver
1937 St. John the Baptist, Johnstown
1940 St. Martin, Oak Creek
1941 Our Lady of Peace, Greeley; Denver becomes an archdiocese and Pueblo a separate diocese; United States in World War II
1944 St. Anne, Grand Lake; St. Peter, Kremmling
1947 Our Lady of Lourdes, Denver; St. Anthony of Padua, Denver; St. Bernadette, Lakewood; Christ the King, Denver
1948 Holy Trinity, Westminister; Sacred Heart, Silt
1949 Mother of God, Denver; Sts. Peter and Paul, Wheat Ridge
1950 Our Lady of Visitation, Westminster; All Saints, Denver; St. Thomas Aquinas, Boulder; St. Ignatius, Walden
1951 St. Elizabeth, Buffalo Creek; Our Lady of Grace, Denver
1952 Cur d Ars, Denver; Most Precious Blood, Denver
1953 Mt. Carmel, Redcliff; St. Mary, Ault; Guardian Angels, Denver
1954 St. Pius Tenth, Aurora; All Souls, Englewood
1955 St. Benedict Monastery, Snowmass
1957 Holy Cross, Thornton; Notre Dame, Denver
1958 Our Lady of Fatima, Denver; Nativity of Our Lord, Broomfield
1960 David Monas Mahoney named first auxiliary bishop of Denver
1962 Vatican II Council opens
1963 John XXIII, Fort Collins
1965 St. Mary, Greeley
1967 Archbishop Vehr retires; dies 1973

Archbishop Casey's Colorado

1967 James Vincent Casey installed as the fifth bishop and second archbishop of Denver; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Northglenn; St. Joan of Arc, Arvada; St. Jude, Lakewood
1968 Queen of Peace, Aurora; Assassination of Martin Luther King; St. Martin de Porres, Boulder
1969 George R. Evans named auxiliary bishop of Denver; Our Lady of the Snow, Granby; Our Lady of the Valley, Windsor
1970 Our Lady Mother of the Church, Commerce City
1972 Montbello Catholic, Denver; St. Thomas More, Englewood; Our Lady of the Plains, Byers
1973 Columbine Church, Littleton; St. Mark, Westminster; Spirit of Christ Catholic Community, Arvada,
1974 Richard C. Hanifen named auxiliary bishop of Denver; Christ on the Mountain, Lakewood
1975 Our Lady of Peace, Dillon Valley
1978 Our Lady of Grace, Wattenberg
1979 Light of the World, Littleton; St. Michael the Archangel, Aurora; Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Community, Conifer
1980 St. Bernard, Winter Park; St. Mary of the Crown, Carbondale
1981 Church of the Good Shepherd, Denver; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Fort Collins
1982 Spirit of Peace, Longmont
1983 Oil bust and recession
1984 Colorado Springs diocese created
1985 St. Mary, Eagle; Death of Bishop Evans
1986 Death of Archbishop Casey