St. Joseph Catholic School to Mark 100 Years of 'Lighting the Way' for Students
- Roxanne King
- 30 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Fort Collins’ sole Catholic school celebrates a century of Catholic education, academic excellence and community impact in Northern Colorado
High above the doors to enter St. Joseph Catholic School in Fort Collins is a colorful bas-relief of the lamp of learning, signifying intellectual illumination, study and truth. Inside the school, every classroom displays a crucifix of Christ — the source of light, love and truth.
“When you visit the classrooms, you hear the sounds of children loving learning and loving the Lord,” Principal Tony Garcia told the Denver Catholic.
Committed to fulfilling the school’s mission of “providing an education rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Catholic teaching and academic excellence,” come September, the school will mark its 100th year serving countless young people. It is celebrating with the theme “100 years of lighting the way.”
The theme reflects Christ as the true light guiding the school’s mission, Garcia said, with the school helping students and families find their path through faith and education. As a visual symbol, candles have been placed in every school window to emphasize its role as a spiritual beacon in the community.
“Here we are forming our children to be holy, to be saints, to be intentional disciples of Jesus,” said Father Simon Kalonga, the parish’s pastor. “They are smart and holy … virtuous citizens … and they are versed in rigorous academics.”
As the only Catholic school in the city of some 171,000 people, St. Joseph School serves four Catholic parishes. It is also one of the oldest Catholic schools in the Denver Archdiocese.
“Our longevity speaks to the excellent work that was done well before I arrived in this office,” said Garcia, who taught in public schools 30 years prior to returning to St. Joseph in 2024. It was a homecoming as he had coached there as a student-teacher decades ago.
“I want to make sure that we continue the theme of excellence that’s been established here,” he said, “and that we continue to grow this community because it is so important to the larger community.”
(Photos courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic School Fort Collins)
History
Colorado’s pioneer bishop, Joseph P. Machebeuf, celebrated the first Mass in Larimer County as a missionary priest in 1866. A year later, the former Army camp became the town of Fort Collins.
In 1878, Bishop Machebeuf celebrated Mass in what is today Old Town Fort Collins and approved the establishment of the original St. Joseph Church. In 1901, a new church was dedicated at the current site of Mountain Avenue and Howes Street.
In 1925, parishioners began building a school, which opened to 117 students on September 6, 1926, and was taught by the Sisters of Loretto until they withdrew in the 1970s.
“In the lobby of the school, there’s a large photograph of the dedication. … It was basically the parishioners — hardworking families, many of them were farm families,” said Barbara Bullock, the second lay principal of the school, who retired in 2012. “I came across a receipt for the original construction of the building. It was sixty-six thousand dollars. That was a lot of money for farm families in 1926.”
Additions to the school in 1965 and 1999 included classrooms, a new gymnasium, cafeteria, art studio, science lab, music room, lobby, office space and a new school entrance. In 2000, a renovation enlarged several areas, and in recent years, several technology-related renovations have taken place.
In 1945, a ninth grade was added to the school, which was phased out in 1966. It was reinstated from 2002 to 2009, when it was discontinued to align with Colorado’s elementary and middle school standards.
“The school is special because it prepares students to know God and serve him in whatever they choose to do with their life,” Bullock said.
School officials noted that during its history, many former students have later answered the call to become priests, deacons, religious or consecrated women.
“We have two former students in the seminary right now,” Bullock said.
(Photos courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic School Fort Collins)
Present
Today, St. Joseph has 190 students enrolled and is a top performer when measured against archdiocesan schools and the national average, the school website notes. Students are tested three times a year to assess student learning and achievement and to improve teaching. Currently, the teachers average 14 years of teaching experience, seven at St. Joseph.
“The staff that I am humbled to serve and lead is top‑notch,” Garcia said. “From test scores to their walk with the Lord and leading these children, they are second to none in my book.”
Looking ahead, Garcia’s hopes focus on sustainability, growth and continued faithfulness to the mission.
“Although I appreciate our history,” Garcia said, “my approach is, what do we do to move us forward and ensure that we get another hundred years of being a beacon in this community.”
From alumnus to faculty
Ben Beauvais, the school’s technology coordinator, attended the school from kindergarten through eighth grade, graduating in 2014. Deeply shaped by his years there, Beauvais credits the school with forming both his faith and his sense of community, describing it as a place that was not only educational but foundational to his spiritual life and friendships.
“Our alumni come back a lot because they’re forever a part of this community,” he said.
Beauvais first returned to St. Joseph as a high-school volunteer. As a college freshman, he worked part-time in IT. After graduation, he transitioned into his current full-time role overseeing all IT and audiovisual systems for the school and parish.
“St. Joe’s has always been a home for me,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to teach at the school I once attended.”
Beauvais particularly values empowering students to design and build their own projects while integrating Catholic faith into engineering and science learning. He sees faith and creativity not as separate pursuits but as complementary.
“Our engineering program is basically a series of fun projects that take what kids learn in math and science and let them build something real,” he said.
Looking back through the school’s history, Beauvais is struck by St. Joseph’s longstanding integration with the Fort Collins community, from service projects and civic involvement to enduring traditions such as school Masses, All Saints Day celebrations, veteran memorials and May Crownings. These traditions, he said, create a lifelong sense of belonging.
“Being around for a hundred years means Catholic education is still relevant and is still needed in our society,” he said. “It feels like something new is about to happen here, and we’re laying the groundwork for the next 100 years.”
Family legacy and shining witness
Zach Kintzley is a multi-generational member of the school community. His family’s connection spans St. Joseph’s entire history, beginning in 1926 when his grandparents, Francis Kintzley and Marie (Byron) Kintzley, met as fourth-grade students there and graduated with its earliest classes. One of Zach’s great‑aunts was part of the school’s first graduating class, and the Kintzley family has remained closely tied to the school for a century.
“My grandparents had 15 kids, 13 of whom attended St. Joseph School, most all the way through graduation,” Zach said, adding that today that legacy extends to more than 60 first cousins, many of whom have sent their own children to St. Joseph.
Zach himself did not attend the school, but it has been a constant presence throughout his life through parish involvement, religious education and employment — he taught there and served as the athletic director for nine years — and his children are students there. He emphasized that the school is more than a historic building — it is the generations of people who have passed through its doors.
“I’ve told my daughters, where you’re sitting in your classroom, my grandad and grandma sat in that same classroom,” he said. “It’s the same halls, the same floors they walked.”
Zach, an educator, and his wife, Maria, send their daughters, Millie, a third grader, and Ruby, a first grader, to St. Joseph not only because of the family’s history with the school, but also because of its consistent Catholic identity. Maria was not Catholic when they married 10 years ago, but later joined the Church, a decision Zach attributes in part to their positive experience with the parish and school community.
Reflecting on how the school has been “lighting the way for 100 years,” Zach pointed to its unwavering mission: it has remained true to the Catholic faith while aiding the broader Fort Collins community through education, service and example. Even for those who may not be churchgoers, he believes the school demonstrates its values through action.
“It really does shine a light,” he said. “If people aren’t hearing the Gospel, at least they’re seeing what the Gospel can do.”
Asked what she likes best about her school, Milly, 8, said, “All the teachers are really nice! We get to learn about Christ — and I love music and PE!”
Looking ahead, like the others, Zach desires sustainability and growth for the school. He sees it as a permanent and vital fixture at the center of downtown.
“I really feel like Saint Joseph’s is the heart of Fort Collins,” he said.
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Upcoming 100th Anniversary Events
Celebrating the Past:
Sunday, August 23, 2026: Celebrate the Past at St. Joseph Catholic Church and School. Join Archbishop Golka in the celebration of the Mass at 11:30 a.m. Followed by food, music and fun at the Parish Picnic and School’s 100-Year Anniversary celebration.
Celebrating the Present:
Winter 2027: St. Joseph Catholic School’s Science Fair Exhibit
Celebrating the Future:
May 2027: Event with St. Joseph Catholic School’s 100th Graduating Class
