One night in 1916, a meteorite fell from the sky. Some campers went looking for it and stumbled upon a large rock formation. It reminded them of the words spoken to Peter by Jesus in the Gospel: “Upon this rock, I will build my church.”
Twenty years later, in 1936, the highway department wanted to blast the rock formation and use it as a road base for Highway 7, but the Archdiocese of Denver won a battle, and completed the construction of St. Catherine of Siena Chapel. Fr. Tom Doran, who was present at the meteor sighting, sang “Tu es Petrus” (“You are Peter”) at the dedication.
Today the chapel is still in use, serving as a popular wedding venue and a place of worship for local Catholics, but it also draws thousands of tourists each year who just happen to be driving by. They are struck by the stunning “Chapel on the Rock,” and pull over to admire the beauty of both the church and its natural surroundings on the property known as St. Malo…