Chapel on the Rock
In a previous post, I shared that my childhood friend, Liz surprised me with a beautiful contribution to this blog. As we drove from Estes Village near her home in Loveland, Colorado, she shared her finding of The Chapel on the Rock in Allenspark, Colorado.
What a beautiful church and the history is quite inspiring.
The sign on the outside of the church states, St. Catherine of Siena – Chapel on the Rock. However, the business cards provided in the gift shop refer to the property as Camp Saint Malo.
After some further research, here is what I learned…
The property where the church resides was owned by William McPhee in the early twentieth century. McPhee was a parishioner of the Cathedral in Denver. His gave the land to the Archdiocese to establish a camp for kids beginning with boys only in 1935 and then expanding to a co-ed camp in the 1970s. After the camp had been running for several years, one of McPhee’s relatives tried to gain financial access to the land. The Malo family intervened by buying the property and returning it to the Archdiocese. For this reason, the camp was named Camp Saint Malo.
Although Malo is the name of the family that helped McPhee retain the property for the Archdiocese, there is also a Saint named Malo – and so the title also teaches us of a humble and beloved saint. Saint Malo was Welsh and became bishop and missionary of Brittany in France during his lifetime between 520 and 621. He is known as one of the seven founding Saints of Brittany.
1984 was the last year the camp was in operation. However, in 1987, the property reopened as a retreat and conference center. Following a fire and flood, reconstruction took place, and the property is now open for public visits and is a beautiful venue for the Sacrament of Marriage.
As I researched this property further, I found no explanation as to why the chapel is named for Saint Catherine of Siena. However, when you know Saint Catherine’s background, the dedication seems more than fitting.
Saint Catherine of Siena was a mystic, activist, and author. She was the second woman to be declared a Doctor of the Church. The first woman declared Doctor of the Church was Saint Teresa of Avila. Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed Saint Catherine as the co-patron saint of Europe along with Saint Brigide of Sweden and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (also known as Saint Edith Stein).
My favorite story of Saint Catherine of Siena is the influence she had on the Popes. She was bold and confident in her mission. Due to a series of political and religious battles, the papacy moved its residence from Rome to Avignon, France. Despite Saint Catherine’s simple and meager existence, she relied totally on prayer and with confidence influenced the Pope to do the right thing and return to Rome.
The Chapel on the Rock is also known as the Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel. The struggle to establish this chapel is typical of the Saint’s willingness to always do the right thing.
I am grateful to my friend, Liz for sharing this beautiful chapel with me and now I share it with all of you. If you are ever near Allenspark, Colorado, I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful chapel.
In addition to the chapel, there is a beautiful gift shop and coffee shop on the property.
Also, established in 2021 is the new Stations of the Cross Trail. I did not know about this when I visited but from what I found on their website, it looks like something to explore. Don’t forget to bring your hiking shoes and hiking poles to explore the Stations of the Cross on Camp Saint Malo.
My latest book will go live TOMORROW! The best way to order my book – Mary’s Life Journey & Her Amazing Yes! – is on this website. Direct links to the Amazon page will be provided on October 21. Stay tuned!
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