Aspens Catholic church gearing up for projects, programs

St. Mary Catholic Church officials are in the early stages of planning interior renovations to the historic structure as well as a fundraising campaign to pay for the project, the Rev. John Hilton said last week.

Hilton, who has served as the churchs pastor for nearly four years, said the discussions also involve new church programs. A tentative completion date for the work is 2017, the 125th-year anniversary of the building, which was dedicated in March 1892. The parish itself was established in 1882.

Its too early to put a figure on the cost of repairs, he said.

All of our discussions have been about getting ready for the next 100 years, Hilton said. Its not just about buildings; its about programs and initiatives and community outreach for St. Marys. Were not focusing on capital campaigns at this point.

Hilton acknowledged, however, that fundraising efforts will become part of the discussion eventually if the church is to accomplish its many goals. A Denver architect has been involved in the early talks, as has Aspen architect Charles Cunniffe. The citys Historic Preservation Commission held a work session in September to discuss a possible expansion on the west side of the church in the courtyard, but nothing was officially decided.

No formal development applications have been filed with the city, Hilton said.

Were really in the early stages of this discussion, he said. What were really looking at is, how can the building serve future needs of the parish, and how can the parish serve the community? What can the parish do for Aspen? And were entering into lots of partnerships with different groups.

Hilton outlined a few tangible needs for the buildings interior, such as repairing stained-glass windows; refinishing the altar area and pews; fixing statues; improving lighting, electrical systems and energy efficiency; installing new carpeting; and upgrading ventilation systems and the ceiling.

Parishioners have been surveyed to gauge their views on the churchs needs, he said. Safety concerns also are being examined; the Aspen Fire Department wants to see an additional stairway linking the first and second floors, Hilton said. The church itself is on the second floor.

Were looking at the need for additional office space, he said. Also, the bathrooms are not code-compliant and thats also part of the discussion.

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Aspens Catholic church gearing up for projects, programs