“Pastor of Ars” What does that mean? The Cure d’Ars Catholic Church was named to honor St. John Marie Vianney. He was the 19th-century curé or pastor. He served in the town of Ars, France. Let’s explore the story behind this Denver church.
The Cure d’Ars parish was established in 1952. Fr. William Mulcahy celebrated the first mass in the old Tower Theater. It was located at 2245 Kearney in November 1952. By 1953, the parish had over 800 families. Its boundaries extended from 28th to 46th Avenue. Syracuse Street and Colorado Boulevard marked the east and west borders.
Groundbreaking for the church and school occurred on August 9, 1953. The church was at the corner of 32nd Avenue and Dahlia Street. After Fr. Mulcahy’s death in 1953, Fr. Nicholas Haley became pastor. The rectory at 3050 Dahlia Street included a basement chapel for daily Mass. Fr. Frank Morfeld succeeded Fr. Haley in 1961.
Two significant events impacted the parish in 1963. Continental Airlines moved its headquarters to Los Angeles. This caused a drop in parish membership. Simultaneously, many members moved to southeast Denver. Black families moved in creating ethnic change.
By the 1970s, the Cure d’Ars served about 200 Black families. The original church was too large and expensive. In 1974, the church was sold to Union Missionary Baptist Church. Fr. John Canjar became pastor in 1969. He insisted that the parish was its people.
The Cure d’Ars parish moved into Park Hill Congregational Church. It shared space with Temple Micah. Although appreciated parishioners missed their own church building. In 1978, under Fr. Robert Kinkel, the parish began building on its property. It was located at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Dahlia Street. Determined parishioners proved Cure d’Ars was growing. The church celebrated Charlie Bright’s ordination. He was the first African-American deacon in the Archdiocese.
Fr. Martin Lally followed as pastor. Sr. Margaret Quinn served as Pastoral Assistant. Clarence McDavid also became a deacon candidate. Visuals representing the African-American community were missing. The altar lacked representations of its members. The crucifix and Stations of the Cross were from the original church. The first significant Black History celebration began at this time. Parishioners shared their best dishes in the Taste of Soul.
Fr. Lloyd Schmeidler became pastor in 1986. The Capuchin-Franciscans began providing pastoral leadership. Mr. McDavid became Deacon McDavid in 1987. Sr. Marion Weinzapfel became Pastoral Assistant in 1991. Another parishioner, Guffie Menogan, became a deacon candidate.
Under Fr. Schmeidler, all celebrated their culture. A Black Corpus from Uganda was hung on a cross. Denver artist Oye Oginga carved the cross. A statue of Mary by Ed Dwight welcomed people.
Fr. John Cousins led the community from 1992. He brought technology to the parish. The parish center and church were renovated. The stained-glassed windows behind the altar were exposed.
In 2004, the parking lot was extended. A new parish center opened in December 2004. It included office space, a library, and a multi-purpose room. A relic of St. John Vianney was installed in 2012.
Today, the Cure d’Ars Catholic Church continues as a beacon of hope. It is a multi-ethnic community rooted in African-American spirituality. It is a sign of Christ’s healing presence.