About Us

Nestled in Estes Park, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church is surrounded by the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park.  We are one of the twenty-six parishes that comprise the Front Range Region of Colorado and we are a parish of the Diocese of Colorado.  Prior to 1914, the earliest Episcopal services in Estes Park were held at Elkhorn Lodge and services continued irregularly until World War II.  In 1945, services resumed in the Music Room of the Stanley Hotel as well as at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hackett in Rocky Mountain National Park.  On December 29th, 1955, the name Saint Bartholomew's Chapel was granted with 24 members and a $1200 budget.  The first Holy Communion was celebrated on January 1st, 1956, by Father McGee.  Furthermore, the first Vicar, Robert Warner, was appointed in August of 1956.   During this time, services were held in the Estes Park Grade School's music room.  An acre of land was donated by the owners of Ramshorn Cottages, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Hayes, in September 1956, as a site for a church, but the land was sold to the Park Service to create the Beaver Meadows entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  In May 1957, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Stacey gave the land where St. Bartholomew's stands today.  The Right Reverend Daniel Corrigan conducted the first service on May 15th, 1958 (Easter Day), with the assistance of Father Warner.   The first wedding was celebrated on July 21st, 1958, and Bishop Minnis dedicated the new building on Saint Bartholomew's Day, 1958.

If you or anyone you know are having thoughts of suicide, please call 

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

• Colorado Crisis Support Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.

• Larimer County Suicide Hotline (Larimer Center for Mental Health) at 970-221-2114 / 970-221-5551.

Lenten Book Study - Ladder to the Light 

April 2nd at 10:30am

Please join The Rev. Peter Munson for a discussion of the book Ladder to the Light, by The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston.  The class will meet in-person from 10:30am -11:30am and via Zoom on April 2nd. 

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston is the former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska, served as President and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School, and is a member of the Choctaw Nation.  “My purpose here is to lift up the kiva as a metaphor for our contemporary spiritual situation… It is a symbol of our shared future.  It tells us that if we are in a time of darkness, we need not be afraid of it, because it is only the beginning for us… The kiva tells us that we have been through this process of birth and rebirth more than once.” (From the Introduction, p. 3)

If you would like to register for the class or receive the Zoom invitation, please email the church office. You will also need to purchase your own copy of the book, which is available on Amazon for $12.99.  Please let the church office know if you need assistance with purchasing the book or if you have any questions.  We hope you will be able to join us!

Holy Week and Easter Schedule 2023

• Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion, April 2nd - Holy Eucharist at 9:00am.  This service will also be available via YouTube.

• Maundy Thursday, April 6th - Holy Eucharist at 7:00pm followed by Eucharistic Vigil until midnight.  The service will include foot washing and stripping of the altar in the Sanctuary.

• Good Friday, April 7th

• Good Friday Liturgy at Noon.  This service will also be available via YouTube.  Stations of the Cross will follow the service (around 1:00pm) and will not be available via YouTube.

• Easter Vigil, April 8th - Lighting of the Paschal Candle at sunset (7:30pm) and Renewal of Baptismal Vows.  No Holy Eucharist.

• Easter Sunday, April 9th - Festival Eucharist at 9:00am (please bring your bells) followed by special Easter coffee hour.  This service will also be available via YouTube.

• The church office will be closed on Monday, April 10th, and Tuesday, April 11th.  

Easter Lilies

If you would like to celebrate our Easter Eucharist in memory or in thanksgiving of someone special to you, please let us know by emailing the church office by Wednesday, April 5th.  A contribution is not necessary for memorials or thanksgivings.  Contributions can be mailed to P.O. Box 1559, Estes Park, Colorado 80517.

Or, you can make a donation through PayPal.  Click on the Donate button at the bottom of this webpage and you will be taken to our PayPal account.  If you use PayPal, please choose the Easter Lilies option and include a note with the name of the person you would like us to recognize (choose + Write a Note).  The note option will appear at the top of the payment and contact information page before you select Donate Now.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the church office.  Thank you! 

Lenten Meditations

If you would like to subscribe to the 2023 Lenten Meditations from Episcopal Relief and Development, please click on this link - Lenten Meditations 2023 Sign Up - Episcopal Relief & Development.  This year the focus is Who is my neighbor?  The Lenten Meditations can be received as daily emails, downloaded in a PDF booklet, or read on their website (www.episcopalrelief.org). 

Memory Café

April 13th from 10:00am - 11:30am

This fun, social event is for Estes Valley residents experiencing memory loss (from any form of dementia) along with their caregiver or friend.  The Memory Café will be held on the second Thursday of each month at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church from 10:00am – 11:30am.  If you know of someone who might enjoy this, please invite them or come with them.  Also, please contact the church to let us know who is coming as guests (participants).  Or, to talk more about volunteering with this ministry, please contact the church office.

Covid-19 Protocols

• Mask wearing is required for all unvaccinated parishioners.

• Mask wearing is encouraged for any parishioners who have concerns related to their personal health or the health of others.

• If you have any symptoms related to an illness, please do not attend services.  Please read above YouTube Channel for more information on how to watch our weekly service on YouTube or read below Communion for more information on how to receive communion hosts.

• Communion hosts are kept in a consecrated and sealed container and served via tongs.  Communion wine is served in individual cups.  All communion servers wear masks during communion preparation.

Altar Flowers

If you would like to designate the Sunday Altar Flowers in commemoration or recognition of someone / something special, please email the church office.  Please include your name and what you would like written in the bulletin.  For instance, 'Today's flowers are given by _________ in honor / in memory of _______________.'   Feel free to donate to the flower fund as it fits your budget (there is not a required amount).  The suggested donation amount is $40.  You can either mail a check to St. Bartholomew's (make payable to St. Bartholomew's and write Flowers in the memo) or use the donation button at the bottom of this webpage (select Flowers from the drop-down menu).  If you have any questions, please contact the church office.  Thank you.

Ukrainian Relief Efforts

If you would like to donate to help with Ukrainian relief efforts, please scroll to the bottom of this webpage and click on the Donate button.  You will be directed to our PayPal account and choose Ukrainian Relief Efforts before making your donation. You can also mail a check to the church office (P.O. Box 1559, Estes Park, Colorado 80517) and write Ukrainian Relief Efforts in the memo section.  All donations received will be sent to UNICEF to aid in their assistance with Ukrainian relief efforts.  Thank you!

Outreach Donations

In the face of the many needs throughout our community and world, it is easy to become overwhelmed.  Where can I help?  For whom do I pray or support?  Below are three ministries that we have helped for quite some time.  Locally Haiti is the new name of The Colorado Haiti Project which was started through St. Bartholomew's.  Episcopal Relief and Development is the national ministry of the Episcopal Church the does relief work throughout the world and is now working in Louisiana.  St. Bart’s has also been the beneficiary of Episcopal Relief and Development in the aftermath of the flooding of 2013.  Finally, we have an up-date on the Bethania Kids whom we support through our outreach funds.  I have provided links so you might be able to be aware of their situations and we have placed specific buttons on our PayPal account for all three groups.  If you would like to financially help any of these groups, click on the Donate button below and you will have the option of making specific donations to any of these groups.  We track all contributions for your records and will disperse funds to the appropriate ministry. God bless and I hope that this gives you a way to be a part of the solutions!

Blessings,

Fr. Seth

Locally Haiti - https://www.locallyhaiti.org

Episcopal Relief and Development - https://www.episcopalrelief.org

Bethania Kids - https://www.bethaniakids.org