Serves spiritual needs of Native Americans, homeless individuals, and those with hearing impairments in a Colorado church
In the heart of Lakewood, Colorado, St. Bernadette Parish continues to serve its community with a wide range of ministries and outreach programmes. Founded in 1947, the parish outgrew its initial worship space within 18 years, and today, it stands as a half-century-old church in need of updating to better serve its diverse congregation.
The parish is currently embarking on a three-year, $1.5 million capital campaign to fund necessary improvements. Father Tom Coyte, the pastor of St. Bernadette Parish, wants to improve the church for full, active participation of all parishioners, including the deaf. The parish is home to the Colorado Catholic Deaf Ministry, which enables the hard of hearing to serve as lectors, ushers, and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.
One of the most ambitious projects the parish is undertaking is the renovation of its school. Details about the fundraising project started this spring for church renovations are yet to be found in the search results. However, the parish's commitment to its community is evident in its plans to elevate the altar platform to increase visibility for the congregation.
St. Bernadette Parish also houses the St. Kateri Native American Community, which has been part of the parish since 1985. The Kateri ministry, which represents about 10 Native American tribes, moved their weekly Mass into the church proper last fall. Catholic Charities is leasing and transforming Kateri's former home for worship into Marisol Home, a shelter for single-parent mothers with children.
The parish's outreach extends beyond its parish boundaries, with a near daily stream of indigent from Lakewood’s Colfax corridor receiving food, rent assistance, and resource referrals. St. Bernadette's will be providing a lot of meal support and volunteer hours for Marisol Home, which is set to open this year and will be able to shelter up to 18 families at once.
Marisol Home is not the only new addition to the parish. St. Bernadette Parish will soon be hosting Marisol Home, which provides transitional housing to homeless women with children. The parish's school also reaches out to many needy families.
Despite its relatively small size, with about 700 to 800 families, the ministries of St. Bernadette Parish are quite ambitious. The Denver Catholic is the source of this reprinted news article, highlighting the vibrant and compassionate spirit of this Lakewood parish.
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