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St Aloysius Church History
(Taken from The Chronicle of Catholic Life. March 1,2006)
In May of 1946, plans were announced for the erection of a new chapel in Rye. The ground was purchased and Msgr. Aloysius J. Miller, Pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Pueblo, along with Catholic residents of Rye, undertook responsibility to lay the direction for the new church. From 1936 to 1947, one of the priests of St. Francis Xavier's parish came to Rye about once a month to celebrate the Eucharist and to give catechetical instruction to children at the home of Mr. & Mrs. William Roley.
On Sunday, August 3, 1947, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Joseph C. Willging, Bishop of Pueblo. The cost of construction was $8,500, three thousand of which was donated through the Extension Society of Chicago in memory of Msgr. Aloysius J. Thiel. This is the reason for the patronal title of the church, "St. Aloysius."
Around 1957, the parish/mission was given to the care of the Franciscans of Holy Family parish in Pueblo. The Eucharist was then celebrated weekly from that time to present.
In December of 1974, the Parish Council for the church was formed. They, together with Fr. Marcian Bucher, OFM, began plans for an addition to the church. In July of 1975, the contract was given which would double the church in size and add an apartment with a church hall below it. Bishop Charles Buswell held the dedication and blessing of this new facility June 20, 1976. Construction costs were $32,750 which was paid from funds accumulated over ten years through the efforts of Fr. Renee Greff, OFM. The church had running water for the first time in 1976 because of the new well that had been drilled.
With the completion of the parish hall in 1976, the parish ladies conducted children's religious instructions bi-monthly. A Diocesan priest, Fr. Thomas Adrians, was appointed to the parish/mission in January of 1978.
In the summer of 1978, the sanctuary wall was refinished with natural cedar and a donated, hand-carved Risen Christ became the focal point on the sanctuary wall. In the Fall of the same year, an altar made of manzanita wood with a glass top was donated, along with new sanctuary lighting, carpet, and celebrant's chair. Through generous benefactors, the old pews in the rear of the church were replaced with modem kneeler chairs.
Plans were then underway to fund an addition to the front of the apartment, which would add a large classroom, parish kitchen and larger vestibule.
In the summer of 1979, Fr. Marvin J. Kapushion became Pastor. Under his direction and guidance, along with the faith and dedication of the parishioners, more new and exciting changes came about. With the help of Mr. Neal Hughes, who served as Pastoral Assistant, the parish "community" was formed with projects such as the Religious Education Programs for children and Adults. The Ladies' Guild flourished and the Men of St. Aloysius, a church men's group, was formed.
In November 1997, the apartment "living room" became the beautiful Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a quiet place for the Tabernacle to be kept, leaving the sanctuary free for various open services.
In December 2000, Father Kapushion became "Monsignor" Kapushion after having served as a priest for 44 years, and as the director of Catholic Charities in the Pueblo Diocese. In June, 2006, Msgr. Kapushion celebrated his 50th year as a priest.
The faith, dedication, love, and friendship of our "Parish Family" have helped St. Aloysius become what it is today, a place of worship are fellowship for the "family of God" in the Greenhorn Valley.
After twenty plus years of having religious education classes crowded into e very spare space, St. Aloysius Parish moved into its own Religious Education Center in December 2005. The parish celebrated the dedication of the new center by Bishop N. Tafoya on Sunday, February 12. The potluck which followed utilized both the old hall and the w gathering space to accommodate everyone.
The additional space will serve the parish well. It will be especially beneficial for the young people enrolled in religious education classes. The children, grades preschool through senior high, will no longer meet in the basement, kitchen or back of the church for classes. They will no longer have to wear their coats to stay warm because the new classrooms are individually thermostated, and noise of classes previously separated by dividers has been eliminated by the new walls.
Parishioner and builder Joe Zorc was awarded the contract and construction began in January of 2005. The shell of the building went up quickly, but unexpected delays came with the inspections for plumbing, heating and electrical. The initial construction completion schedule was pushed forward and September, 2005's move-in was delayed until December.