Beneath the Denver sky, Saint Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church stands. It’s not just a building. It is a testament to faith and community.
Saint Michael and All Angels’ is an Anglo-Catholic parish. It resides within the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. The church extends a warm welcome. It invites all to partake in its mass. If you seek a parish home, consider Saint Michael’s.
Let’s step back in time. The first service took place on September 29th, 1925. Canon Harry Watts led it. This day is the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. It is also called Michaelmas. From that first service, Saint Michael’s embraced the Catholic tradition. They celebrate the Holy Eucharist or the Mass frequently.
Canon Harry Watts’ journey is interesting. He was born on Michaelmas in 1890. His childhood parish in North London was also St. Michael and All Angels. In 1917, he came to Denver. He noticed a need for a parish in south Denver.
Initially, land was purchased for a church. However, the project stalled. In 1925, he founded a parochial mission. It was dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels. This mission started in a humble concrete basement. Here, Canon Watts and a small group worshipped.
Juliet C. Smith, a friend, supported the mission. She helped construct a rectory. Services then moved to the rectory’s basement. The cloister and parish house followed. It was dedicated on Michaelmas 1926.
Canon Watts left in 1928. He wanted to focus on other Cathedral matters. The mission had grown to 150 communicants. The Reverend Jerome Fritsche succeeded him. Then came the Reverend Albert Martyr. He served during the Great Depression.
In 1951, Reverend Leon C. King became Rector. The parish grew significantly under him. A new church building began construction in 1953. Parishioners helped with the construction. The first services were delayed. The Diocese consecrated a new bishop instead. Packing crates served as pews initially.
The woodcarvings tell a story too. Father King commissioned them. Herr Mussner, a German wood carver, created them. He carved 17 pieces in three-quarter relief. He also carved a full statue of Christ the King. Mussner completed almost all carvings before his death. His son carved the Ascension.
The Reverend Alexander T. Patience followed Fr. King. He oversaw the construction of the new parish hall. It included a kitchen and Sunday School rooms.
The Reverend Ralph T. Walker became Rector in 1975. He restored fiscal management. He enhanced Christian education. He centered the parish life on the Eucharist.
Renovations began in 1985. They added stained glass windows. The organ was rebuilt. The Lady Chapel was constructed. St. Clare’s guild created needlepoint kneelers.
Despite membership decline in the Episcopal Church, St. Michael’s has thrived. Saint Michael and All Angels’ is known. It is a parish where the Catholic faith is taught and practiced.