The Chapel on the Rock (officially, Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel) is a functioning Catholic chapel and tourist landmark in Allenspark,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, USA. The chapel is located on the grounds of the Saint Malo Retreat, Conference, and Spiritual Center of the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Archdiocese of Denver The Archdiocese of Denver ( la, Archidiœcesis Denveriensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses northern Colorado. It is part of the XIII Conference Region and includes 113 parishes, 3 ...

. The chapel is open to the public.

History

In 1916, Monsignor Joseph Bosetti came across a large rock formation just east of Rocky Mountain National Park and inspired by the Biblical phrase "upon this rock I will build my church", he envisioned a church built on the rock. His lack of funds delayed construction for nearly 20 years and he struggled with the Colorado Highway Department to keep the rock intact. Eventually, land for the church was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Malo and Denver architect Jacques Benedict designed the chapel, which was completed in 1936. In 1999

Boulder County Boulder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado of the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 330,758. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is Boulder. Boulder County comprises th ...

designated the chapel as a historic site.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

prayed at the chapel during his visit to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

for

World Youth Day World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young people organized by the Catholic Church that was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985, sometimes nicknamed in later years as the "Catholic Woodstock". Its concept has been influenced by the Light-Li ...

in 1993; he blessed the chapel afterwards. The pope later hiked in the surrounding woods and spent some time at the Saint Malo Retreat Center. In November 2011 the Chapel on the Rock was spared from a devastating fire that destroyed a majority of the retreat center, forcing it to close its doors. During the historic flooding of September 2013 the Chapel on the Rock survived, though much of the surrounding terrain was destroyed.

References

External links

Saint Malo Center Facebook Page
{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, state=collapsed Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver Churches in Boulder County, Colorado Tourist attractions in Boulder County, Colorado