A Parish on Monaco Parkway
Risen Christ Catholic Parish has served southeast Denver since Archbishop James V. Casey founded it on August 22, 1967, with Very Rev. Joseph M. O'Malley as its first pastor. Before the church building existed, the congregation worshipped in the gymnasium of Cherry Creek High School and then at the Continental Theater. Ground was broken for the new church on December 29, 1968, and the first Mass was celebrated in the sanctuary on January 25, 1970. Almost sixty years later, the parish has grown into a community known for two distinct features: a deeply intentional approach to adult theological formation led by a full-time staff theologian, and a vibrant Colorado Myanmar American Catholic Community that celebrates Sunday Mass in Burmese three weekends a month.
The parish sits at 3060 S. Monaco Parkway in southeast Denver, just east of Cherry Creek. Its campus centers on a single church building flanked by the Emmaus Center, which houses parish offices, the youth room, music spaces, and meeting halls. A twelve-foot, 6.5-ton statue of the Risen Christ, donated by parishioners in the summer of 1987, stands as one of the most visible expressions of the parish's identity.
The Draw Near Renovation
In 2024, the parish began a major construction project called Draw Near, a complete renovation of the main level of the church that Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila formally dedicated at Mass on Gaudete Sunday, December 15, 2024. The renovation focused on accessibility: restrooms, confessionals, the music ministry area, and the altar were redesigned to be more accessible to all worshippers. A ramp now circles around the back of the reredos to allow visiting priests with mobility challenges to reach the sanctuary. The sound system and acoustics were also overhauled so that the Word of God can be heard clearly throughout the church.
During the altar dedication ceremony, Archbishop Aquila placed a relic of St. Maria Goretti (feast day July 6) inside the new altar. The altar itself was constructed by Demetz Studio in Italy, the same firm that carved the parish's St. Joseph statue fifty years earlier. The studio also produced the relief of the Victorious Lamb on the front of the altar, the Holy Spirit sculpture over the back doors, and the new statue of the Blessed Mother in the Holy Family Chapel. Five crosses are carved into the top of the altar, symbolizing the five wounds of Christ, since an altar represents Christ himself.
The new tabernacle was given by a generous parishioner to celebrate the centrality of the Eucharist. Its imagery imitates the panels of the holy door at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, linking the parish visually to the universal Church. The previous sanctuary altar top was moved to a small Holy Family Chapel in the converted baptistry, where it now serves private Masses and small funerals. A relic of St. Cecilia was placed inside that altar as well.
Other notable features added during the renovation include seven tile crosses between the new baptismal font and the sanctuary, symbolic of the seven sacraments or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Archdiocese requires baptismal fonts to be moved to the back of the center aisle whenever a parish does construction, so that worshippers symbolically pass through baptism on their way to the altar. The west vestibule has been converted into a Marian alcove designed and painted by parishioner and artist Mark Benson. The bronze Scripture verse "He is Risen" (Luke 24:6) was relocated to this vestibule, while a matching inscription now hangs above the east vestibule doors.
Mass Times and Confession Schedule
The parish offers an unusually full weekly Mass schedule. Saturday Mass is at 4:00 p.m. and is livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. Weekday Masses are offered Monday through Friday at 6:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., and 12:15 p.m., with an additional 8:30 a.m. Mass on Saturday mornings.
Confession is available Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and Saturday afternoons at 2:30 p.m., Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday mornings at 11:15 a.m., and on the first Friday of each month at 11:15 a.m. The confessionals were updated for accessibility during the Draw Near renovation.
Eucharistic Adoration takes place in the Adoration Chapel Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The parish encourages all worshippers to spend time with the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in this chapel. A door code is available by calling the parish office.
The Pastor and His Videos
The current pastor is Rev. Scott A. Bailey, V.F., who leads the parish with a particular emphasis on adult theological formation. Fr. Scott maintains a library of recorded talks on the parish YouTube channel covering topics such as the Mass, confession, Marian apparitions, the St. Joseph Mysteries of the Rosary, why priests wear black, lessons from seven years of seminary, and the importance of the Sacred Heart. A weekly email called "From the Pastor's Desk" goes out each Friday through Flocknote, with a reflection, noteworthy information, and a list of upcoming events. Parishioners can subscribe by texting "monaco" to 84576.
Fr. Scott is also an artist. The parish sells sets of notecards featuring his drawings, including images of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, the Weeping Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, the Madonna and Child, a drawing of the parish's own church in the hands of the crucified Jesus, Pope St. John Paul II, St. John the Apostle, St. George, and St. Peter rescued by Jesus. A packet of eight cards is offered for a donation of $20, with additional packets at $15 each. He has also written a booklet called Let Us Adore Him: A Guide for Praying a Fruitful Holy Hour, structured to help worshippers spend an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Booklets are available for a donation of $4.50 each.
Theology Thursday and Theological Tidbits
Risen Christ has a full-time Staff Theologian, Jason Cox, M.A., M.T.S., who serves as Sacristan Coordinator and Acolyte in addition to teaching. He leads two regular adult formation offerings: Theology Thursday, a drop-in class held every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the St. John Paul II Seminar Room, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults), which meets Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. year-round for those preparing to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church. A seven-week video series called The Search meets Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., with a light dinner provided.
Jason Cox also writes Theological Tidbits, a weekly column posted for the parish. Recent reflections have explored the heresies of Arianism and Nestorianism and the Council of Chalcedon's definition that Christ is one divine Person in two natures without confusion or change. An entire series of Theological Tidbits walks through each of the Ten Commandments, drawing on the theology of Pope St. John Paul II to explain how each commandment reveals how God loves Himself and how the faithful are called to love Him, themselves, and others.
Adult Faith Formation
Beyond Theology Thursday, the parish offers an array of adult formation programs.
Walking With Purpose is a women's Bible study that meets Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. The 2026-2027 program uses the study Grounded in Hope, based on the Book of Hebrews, which encourages participants to encounter Jesus in a personal, comforting, and stabilizing way.
Iron Sharpens Iron is a men's group that meets Friday mornings from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., both by Zoom and in person, for a presentation followed by small group discussion. The 2026-2027 program studies The Second Greatest Story Ever Told by Fr. Michael Gaitley, which explores the connection between Divine Mercy and Marian consecration. The group is led by Deacon Tom Piccone.
Digging Deeper into the Sunday Mass Readings is a small-group study held Sundays at 10:00 a.m. in the Padre Pio Room. The group reads, listens, prays, reflects, and shares how God's Word relates to everyday life. No registration is required.
Young Adult Bible Study meets Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the Padre Pio Room and is open to those in their twenties and thirties. The young adult ministry also meets for coffee Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the youth room after the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
Children's Faith Formation
The religious education program at Risen Christ begins in kindergarten. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The two-year kindergarten and first-grade class introduces God's love and foundational prayers through crafts, songs, and stories. Second grade focuses on Reconciliation, preparing children for First Confession in the spring through the Ten Commandments, Bible stories, and the Examination of Conscience. Unconfirmed third, fourth, and fifth graders prepare for the sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion following the Restored Order used throughout the Archdiocese of Denver, with the sacraments received at a special Mass in early May. Confirmed fourth and fifth graders study Jesus' divinity, ministry, and miracles to see how He is the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.
A Pre-K program is offered on Sunday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for four- and five-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. Classes include Bible stories, coloring, crafts, learning prayers, and snacks. The program runs October through April on the second floor of the Emmaus Center.
Catechists and core team members for middle school, high school, and OCIA are needed each year from September through May.
Middle School and High School Youth
The High School Youth Group meets every Sunday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Youth Room, following the 5:30 p.m. Mass. A light dinner is served each week, with parishioners invited to sign up to provide meals (pizza is recommended for groups of fifteen to twenty). The Middle School program runs on its own calendar.
Confirmation and First Communion for third graders follow the Archdiocese of Denver's Restored Order: Reconciliation first, then Confirmation, then Eucharist. Older youth who have not yet received these sacraments can prepare through the same pathway.
Music Ministry
Music ministry is led by Jacob Vigil, the Music and Liturgy Director. The Adult Choir sings at the 4:00 p.m. Saturday Mass on the first weekend of each month and at the 9:00 a.m. Mass on the third and fourth Sundays, September through May, as well as at the 9:00 a.m. Christmas Mass. Rehearsals are Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the music room in the church basement. No prior musical experience is required.
The St. Joseph Men's Choir is a lower-commitment choir that rehearses approximately once a month and sings at four Masses a year: the evening Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the evening of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Vigil Mass for All Saints Day, and the Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
The Children's Choir, for boys and girls in first through eighth grade, sings at the 9:00 a.m. Mass on the second Sunday of each month from October through May. Rehearsals are Wednesdays from 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the JPII Seminar Room. The Children's Christmas Orchestra, for students in grades four through twelve with at least one year of orchestral experience, plays Christmas music together with an interest meeting in October.
A Youth Choir for grades seven through twelve is being formed; it will sing at the 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass, with rehearsals before Mass at 4:45 p.m. The parish is also recruiting conductors to lead the Adult Choir on occasion, as well as string players (violin, viola, cello) and trumpeters to add instrumental beauty to the liturgies.
The Colorado Myanmar American Catholic Community
One of the most distinctive features of Risen Christ is its Colorado Myanmar American Catholic Community (CMACC), led by Fr. Paul Htut, the parochial vicar. About fifty families, roughly 200 people, are currently registered at the parish. Fr. Paul, who was ordained in the Archdiocese of Yangon and sent to Denver by Cardinal Charles Bo in 2012 for priestly formation at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, celebrates Sunday Mass in Burmese three weekends a month at 1:00 p.m. On the fourth Sunday of the month, the Burmese community gathers for Mass in Greeley.
Fr. Paul has baptized about 30 babies since arriving. On May 5, 2023, fifteen children received their First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation together. He is also preparing four couples for marriage. Children of the community attend the parish's Religious Education program and participate in the Children's Choir. The community hosted a Christmas celebration open to the whole parish, sharing Burmese culture through song, dance, and food.
Parish materials include a Burmese-language section with translated prayers, sacrament descriptions, and community service resources covering adult education, immigration and citizenship help, employment resources, hospice and grief counseling, senior services, and legal aid.
Liturgical Ministries
The parish relies on lay volunteers to support the liturgies. Altar servers, lectors, ushers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion all serve at Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) are mandated by the archbishop and serve a four-year term distributing Holy Communion at Mass and bringing the Eucharist to parishioners in nursing homes and the homebound. To be mandated, EMHCs must be at least 16 years of age, fully initiated in the Church, living exemplary Catholic lives, and not restricted by canon law. Volunteer laundurers care for the altar linens one month per year and launder altar server cassocks as needed.
Outreach Ministries
Outreach is organized around feeding the hungry and supporting vulnerable families in the Denver metro area.
Food Bank of the Rockies Mobile Pantry brings food to the Risen Christ campus on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Distribution runs from 3:00 p.m. until the food is gone; arriving by 2:30 p.m. is recommended. About thirty volunteers are needed from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to unload the truck, prepare boxes, and distribute food through a drive-through process. Clients need a Food Bank Client ID, which can be obtained in advance through Food Bank of the Rockies' portal or with the help of on-site volunteers.
Christ in the City Meal Preparation takes place on the second Tuesday of each month. Volunteers bake a meal from a provided recipe, deliver it to the parish kitchen, and a volunteer drives it downtown the next morning to be served to homeless men and women by the Christ in the City missionaries.
Food Delivery Ministry uses donation boxes in the church vestibules to collect non-perishable food, which is then delivered by volunteers using the parish van to several downtown shelters and homeless ministries on Monday and Friday mornings after the 8:00 a.m. Mass. Volunteers also pick up donations from Panera and a local grocery store.
Meals for Moms is a newer ministry that provides meals for new mothers in the parish. Volunteer cooks sign up through the Meals for Moms Flocknote group to bring a meal to a growing family.
Funeral Reception Volunteers decorate the parish kitchen, set out food platters, and clean up after funeral Masses to support grieving families.
Outreach Drives run throughout the year: a Baby Shower Drive collects items for layettes for new mothers through the Respect Life Ministry; a Coat Drive supports Haven For Hope; a Lenten Blessing Bag Drive assembles bags for those experiencing homelessness; a Diaper Drive supports Marisol Family; a Cleaning Supply Drive benefits Catholic Charities Permanent Supportive Housing; a School Supply Drive supplies three needy Catholic schools; an Angel Tree program at Christmas collects gift cards for low-income Catholic schools, nursing homes, parishioners in need, and Marisol's women's home; and a Children's Hospital Blood Drive brings the Children's Hospital Blood Bus to the parish parking lot.
Sacraments
The seven sacraments are central to the parish's life.
Baptism is celebrated for infants and young children of registered parishioners. Parents meet with a parish staff member, parents and godparents attend a baptism class at Risen Christ (or provide proof of attendance at another class within five years), and baptism is normally scheduled soon after birth. Godparents must be fully initiated Catholics at least 16 years of age, leading lives of faith, and either married in the Catholic Church or, if single, living according to Church teaching.
First Reconciliation is typically received in second grade as part of the Restored Order.
First Communion and Confirmation are received in third grade as part of the Restored Order (Reconciliation, Confirmation, then Eucharist). The parish provides sacramental preparation programs for older youth and adults as well.
Marriage at Risen Christ follows the Archdiocese of Denver's norm of eight months of preparation. Engaged couples meet first with the wedding coordinator, then with the pastor or a deacon, complete a Marriage Preparation (Pre-Cana) class, a Natural Family Planning course, and the FOCCUS inventory. Wedding fees are $500 for active parishioners registered for at least one year and $750 for non-parishioners, with a $100 non-refundable deposit to reserve the date. The church and bride's room are available one hour before the ceremony and thirty minutes after; an aisle runner is not permitted, and rice, confetti, and birdseed may not be thrown inside or outside by Denver city ordinance.
Anointing of the Sick is offered to those who are gravely ill, about to undergo serious surgery, or near death. Parishioners should call the parish office at 303-758-8826 or email parishinfo@risenchristchurch.org. Sacramental emergencies outside office hours can be directed to 303-370-0260.
Funerals at Risen Christ are normally celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Monday mornings and at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday mornings. A vigil with rosary is often held at the mortuary the evening before. A five-minute eulogy by a family member or close family friend is allowed before Mass begins.
Holy Orders: men discerning a call to priesthood are encouraged to contact Fr. Scott Bailey.
Parish Organizations
Women of Risen Christ is open to all women of the parish and meets quarterly on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. with a potluck breakfast and a keynote speaker. Working meetings are scheduled throughout the year to accomplish single service projects. Members also serve as scheduled adorers in the Adoration Chapel on Friday mornings.
Knights of Columbus Council 13301, Our Lady of the Luminous Mysteries, supports the parish and surrounding community through core principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. The council organizes pancake breakfasts, sponsors the Coat Drive, and leads a monthly Mass and Rosary across from the Planned Parenthood at 7155 E 38th Ave in Denver on the third Friday of each month at 10:00 a.m., with carpooling from the Risen Christ parking lot at 9:10 a.m.
Respect Life Ministry coordinates the parish's pro-life work, including the Baby Shower Drive, the monthly Mass and Rosary at Planned Parenthood, the First Saturday Holy Rosary for Life, and participation in the 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign.
Senior Ministry provides a spiritual and social community for parishioners 55 and older, meeting quarterly for lunches and special events.
Special Needs Support Group meets the second Wednesday of each month from October through April at 6:30 p.m. in the Padre Pio Room. Children are welcome. The group provides support and acceptance for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities while sharing faith together.
Young Adults in their twenties and thirties meet for coffee after the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, gather for Bible study on Tuesday evenings, and plan social events together.
Serra International fosters vocations to the ministerial priesthood and consecrated religious life, meeting monthly at the Emmaus Center.
Becoming Catholic
Adults interested in joining the Catholic Church enter the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), an eight-month program of evening catechesis, Sunday morning liturgical participation, and Scripture study. Inquirers begin by completing intake forms and attending evening classes. After the Rite of Acceptance, they become catechumens (or candidates if already baptized). During Lent, catechumens and candidates are "elected" by the archbishop at the Cathedral, sign the Book of the Elect, and celebrate the Scrutinies. The Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism (for the unbaptized), Confirmation, and Eucharist - are celebrated at the Easter Vigil. The Easter Season then continues with mystagogy, as neophytes deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. Children aged seven and older follow the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children or Teens.
Giving and Parish Life
The parish supports its mission through the Sunday offertory and other giving. Online giving is available through Vanco; Venmo is also supported. Donors may add 3% to cover credit card processing fees or 1% for ACH. The parish participates in the Archbishop's Appeal, and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from traditional IRAs are welcomed for parishioners 70 and a half and older.
The parish offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. for lunch). For a sacramental emergency or someone in danger of death, the after-hours line is 303-370-0260. Bulletins are posted in PDF form, and a weekly bulletin Flocknote group is available. The parish also maintains a YouTube channel with parish videos, Fr. Scott's catechetical talks, and recordings of the liturgies.