Meeting the Lord at St Mary’s of Littleton: 125 Years of Encounter
For more than a century, souls have come to know Jesus in the Littleton parish. On this major anniversary, Archbishop James Golka, the parish's pastor and community members reflect on the parish's impact.
“45,656 days. That’s how many have passed since the Lord was first present on the altar of St Mary Parish, and that’s the number of days the Lord has sustained his presence here,” began Father Andrej Makovnik, DCJM, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Littleton, at the parish’s 125th Anniversary Mass Saturday, October 10th.
Founded in 1901 and formerly located at the intersection of Nevada and Powers in downtown Littleton, the parish, since relocated to its current address on Prince Street, has grown exponentially since the first Mass was celebrated there on October 11, 1901. The parish school is also celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Father Makovnik began by recognizing the blessing of having Denver Archbishop James Golka present to celebrate the anniversary Mass.
“Imagine how many human souls have wandered into this place over the past 125 years, and how many are now with him in paradise because they met him here,” the archbishop said as he began his homily.
“You might have heard me say that this is a very beautiful church… and the building is okay, too,” he continued, eliciting chuckles from the congregation.
Archbishop Golka exhorted the crowd, filled nearly to capacity for the 4:30 p.m. anticipatory Mass.
“Jesus will come again — I want him to come by midnight tonight, I’m ready! But if he doesn’t come by midnight, or sometime in the next 125 years, how many more souls will wander into this building in the future and find their way into eternity with him?” he wondered, pausing meaningfully. “Jesus Christ is a magnet, and Jesus has truly called each of us to be here at this Mass tonight, as he calls to you every Sunday, and here to St. Mary’s, at this moment in time.”
Father Javier O'Connor, DCJM, parochial vicar, smiles with parishioners following Mass.
(Photos by Jason Smith, courtesy of St. Mary Parish, Littleton)
Following Mass, the parish hosted a celebratory black-tie reception on site. Complete with fellowship and an extensive display of historical photographs contributed by the Littleton Historical Museum, the celebration featured a catered dinner and program emceed by parishioner J.D. Flynn, who took the crowd through an entertaining and highly competitive round of Littleton and St Mary trivia.
Father Makovnik took time to honor several special guests in attendance, including Littleton Mayor Andrea Peters and representatives from the Littleton police and fire departments. Peters took a moment to acknowledge St. Mary parishioners for making “excellent neighbors," noting that she lives just down the road.
“For 125 years, St. Mary’s has recognized the dignity of everyone in the room. I see that continue tonight, in this room, and in these people,” she concluded.
Parishioner Matt Crane rallied the room with a challenge to take one’s faith into the world.
“It is good for us to go out and share our faith in the public square, and it is our right to go out and share our faith in the public square,” he said. “This is our time, and this is our moment, to take St. Mary into the future.”
Father Makovnik brought the evening to a conclusion by reflecting on the strange providence of a God who would call a young European priest who grew up under Communism, behind the Iron Curtain, to the suburbs of the American West and to the leadership of a parish at the turn of the semiquincentennial of the United States.
“Here I am in front of you tonight, a priest raised under Communism, under a regime that sought to eradicate any sign of God from society. The government of my country considered family life an obstacle to its cause. When I look at America, I see just the opposite,” he said.
“The founding fathers possessed an extraordinary light, given to understand the importance of God and the importance of the family to the structure of society,” he continued. “And when we have that certainty of God’s presence, we can risk everything … even our families … in our task to make everything flourish.”
At St. Mary in Littleton, a community of faith has been growing and flourishing for more than a century. And all that growth and success show no signs of slowing down any time soon.
