COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The first Catholic shrine in Colorado Springs opens its doors under a new name and leadership as of July 1, 2025.
Two longstanding Catholic communities in Colorado Springs are uniting to create history with the establishment of the new shrine. Divine Redeemer Catholic Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church are merging their congregations.
Father Alex Dias, the former pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, now leads the newly merged community now named the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mother of the Divine Redeemer Catholic Church.
“We strongly believe that this movement, this merging of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Divine Redeemer, is God’s will. He called us to be one,” said Father Alex.
The merger represents a significant transformation as the church is now elevated to a shrine.
“A shrine is different than a regular church,” explained Father Alex. “A Catholic shrine is a place of pilgrimage. It’s supposed to have the doors open more time, if not all the time, for people to come and encounter the Lord at any time.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe has historically played a vital role for Spanish speakers in the Colorado Springs community.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church was the first to offer Spanish Masses. Now, thank God, we have more parishes that offer Masses in Spanish,” said Father Alex.
The new shrine will continue to host bilingual Masses and plans to introduce ESL classes, a food pantry and outreach programs for the homeless.
“It’s all about bringing people to God,” said Father Alex.
A merger between the two churches aims to provide solutions for both congregations. Our Lady of Guadalupe’s membership is expanding, while Divine Redeemer’s congregation has seen a decline.
“It’s going to bring, I wouldn’t say a new life, but a different life to the congregation,” said Father Alex.
The combined space offers additional room for parking, catechism and masses for its members.
“I think it’s exciting," said Pat Van Mater, who has attended Divine Redeemer Catholic Church for 56 years.
She’s told News5 she’s looking forward “to seeing the pews full because we’ll have more people, weddings and baptisms. We don’t have them often because we’ve grown to be an older parish.”
Divine Redeemer's pastor, Jason Keas, is set to lead a different parish in Colorado Springs. The Diocese of Colorado Springs is planning to sell Our Lady of Guadalupe's building, Father Alex tells News5.
This merger not only signifies a new chapter for these two communities, but also reflects the evolving landscape of faith in Colorado Springs.
This story was written by Consumer Reporter Kierra Sam with KOAA-TV News5 in Colorado Springs. Have a story? Send an email to kierra.sam@koaa.com.
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