PHOTOS: Mount Olivet Funeral Home Central Denver Reopens With Renewed Catholic Mission
- Denver Catholic Staff
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
The newly reopened Mount Olivet Funeral Home Central Denver, formerly known as Caldwell-Kirk Mortuary, is once again opening its doors to serve the local community — this time with a renewed Catholic identity and a mission of hope in the Resurrection.
The reopening day began with Mass for the staff, followed by tours of the renovated facility. Inside, visitors were welcomed into a space both historic and deeply sacred — where the traditions of Catholic funeral care and the legacy of Denver’s long-standing neighborhoods meet in a spirit of continuity and renewal.
“We’re excited and we’re hopeful that the local community will come to know this space here at the Mortuary at Central Denver,” said Erin Scherer, associate director for mission advancement at Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services (CFCS). “We are here to serve the Catholic community — and really, everyone — from a Catholic perspective.”
Honoring the Past, Serving the Present
The funeral home, located in Denver’s historic Whittier neighborhood, has served the city for generations. Founded initially as Kirk Mortuary in 1949 and renamed Caldwell-Kirk in 1984, it became known for its service to the area’s African American and Baptist communities. In 2019, CFCS — a ministry of the Archdiocese of Denver — purchased the property to preserve that legacy while expanding its reach to the Catholic faithful.
After consultation with the local deanery, the decision was made to rename the facility Mount Olivet Funeral Home Central Denver — connecting it to the Archdiocese’s well-known Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Wheat Ridge. Renovations followed, transforming the building into a space distinctly marked by faith and beauty.
“We looked at what we needed to do to make this a place where Catholics feel at home,” said Deacon Marc Nestorick, CFCS' assistant director for mission advancement. Renovations included installing a crucifix and Stations of the Cross from Bishop Machebeuf High School, “to really make sure that this is a place where Catholic funerals can take place in a very memorable way.”
(Photos by Neil McDonough)
A Place of Prayer and Hope
For those who visit, the spiritual character of the space is unmistakable. Sunlight shines through stained glass windows depicting Denver's own Servant of God Julia Greeley, and a hand-built altar anchors the small chapel in prayer.
“The funeral home has some beautiful artwork that draws us close to God here,” Deacon Nestorick said. “I encourage people to come and look at the beautiful stained glass that we have here with Julia Greeley in it, and the chapel with the beautiful crucifix we have and the altar that was hand-built by a local carpenter. It’s just an absolutely beautiful place for people to come and visit.”
Scherer hopes that the space will not only provide comfort in grief but also foster reflection and preparation in faith.
“It’s been beautiful to convert this place and give it a Catholic identity,” she said. “It’s exciting to actually bring people in starting now, because in the month of November, we’re launching our End-of-Life Network, and we want to invite people to think more about the end of life, planning for that and preparing for that.”
That invitation, she added, is rooted in Catholic hope.
“A lot of times, when we go to parishes, people feel concerned about or don’t like to think about the end of life," she explained. "But we have to recognize that, for us Christians, the end of this life is not really the end. This is where our hope in the Resurrection comes in: death is a new birth into eternal life. Thinking about it from that perspective, we can hope that it is not so daunting and that people can actually consider planning and preparing for that time in a hopeful way.”
Continuity and Community
For longtime funeral director Rudy Kelley, who has served families in the Denver area for nearly four decades, the new chapter of this historic space carries deep meaning. “I want to see it thrive,” he said simply.
That sense of continuity was shared by Gerard DiMartini, director of liturgy and music at St. Dominic Parish in Denver, who visited on opening day.
“I was excited to see the transition of this mortuary,” he said. “It’s been here in the neighborhood for a long time, been through two families, and then the Archdiocese took over. I came to see what they had done to the building and to greet the staff more than anything.
“I particularly like the memorial wall, because then you get to see the history. It’s not just a building; there’s a history here. It’s nice to see that they remembered that history," he added. "Even now, as neighborhoods change, this has changed to reach out to what the neighborhood is now. It’s very nicely done.”
Carrying Forward a Mission of Mercy
With its new name and renewed mission, Mount Olivet Funeral Home Central Denver stands as a sign of the Church’s enduring care for the living and the dead — a ministry of mercy, memory, and hope.
“Having a funeral home, having a place where people can come at that time of loss, is something that geographically, people need to be close to,” Deacon Nestorick said. “So having it here in the downtown Denver area will serve the community and the parishes from right around here.
“This funeral home has a long history and tradition here, and we’re excited to continue to move that tradition forward, serving the community and the Church,” he concluded.
