Dozens of faithful parishioners and community members braved the frigid Sunday morning temperatures to celebrate the groundbreaking of the historic St. Peter Catholic Church March 3 in Monument.

The groundbreaking marked the start of renovations scheduled for the original St. Peter Catholic Church, 155 Jefferson St., across from the newer and larger buildings that currently serve the congregation.

According to information provided by Lisa Hawthorne, communications coordinator at St. Peter, the church has grown as the area’s population has boomed, and the congregation realized the need for more space to house ministries and community events.

“We just keep growing and growing, so we need more space,” Hawthorne said.

According to Hawthorne, the small, historic building that served as the original St. Peter Catholic Church will serve as a chapel, a ministry center, as a place for community events like weddings and funerals and as a meeting center for the community. Parishioners rallied behind the building purchase and renovations, and the original St. Peter Catholic Church building was purchased without incurring any debt.

“This is the original St. Peter Catholic Church, which we (recently repurchased), and we’re going to turn it into a chapel and a parish ministry center,” Hawthorne said. “The construction is kind of underway, so the back end will be demolished and we’ll be bringing classrooms over here. This little chapel here will be restored for weddings and services.”

According to Hawthorne, St. Peter is involved in more than 50 ministries that serve both the parish and the greater community, including organizations like One Nation Walking Together, Fostering Hope, Marian House, Habitat for Humanity/Apostles Build and Tri-Lakes Cares. St. Peter is also a Red Cross Emergency Shelter with a response team that is prepared to quickly turn the church into a community shelter.

“This congregation is a huge portion of our community and they do a lot,” said Monument Mayor Don Wilson, who attended the ceremony and joined in breaking ground with the contractors and religious leaders. “They are very active in the community as a whole.”

Wilson said community events are important, as are building bridges.

“It’s important to show the connection between our local municipality, the government, and the community itself,” Wilson said of the importance of the March 3 ceremony. “I love the outreach and the togetherness of the community.”

According to church history shared by Hawthorne, St. Peter Catholic Church was founded by 12 families who celebrated Mass at the Modern Woodmen of the World Hall in Monument in the early 1900s. Construction on the historic church began in 1911, and the building still stands. By the 1970s, about 90 families attended the church, leading to them construct a larger building and eventually becoming a parish. Another building was erected in the 1990s to house the growing population and the older building became a parish hall.

A parish education center was completed in 2003, and by 2014, it offered classes for students from kindergarten to eighth grade. The parish also has a gymnasium and a commercial kitchen.

The parish serves communities in Monument, Palmer Park, Larkspur, Gleneagle, Woodmoor, and northern El Paso County.

From left, Greg Collier of iiCon Construction Group, Adam Hermanson of Integration Design Group, Bishop Michael Sheridan, Father Michael Holmquist, Monument Mayor Don Wilson, and Father Gregory Golyzniak break ground March 3 at the historic St. Peter Catholic Church in Monument. Members of the Knights of Columbus look on from behind.

Photo by Melissa Stewart

Bishop Michael Sheridan, with arm raised, delivers prayers and ceremonial blessings to those gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony March 3 in Monument, commemorating the start of renovations scheduled for the historic St. Peter Catholic Church. 

Photo by Melissa Stewart