Welcome to the Byzantine Catholic Outreach of Fort Collins, Colorado! Our community is an extension of Holy Protection of the Mother of God parish in Denver and part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix. Our eucharistic celebration of the Divine Liturgy takes place every Saturday with a Vigil Divine Liturgy at 6pm at St. John XXIII Roman Catholic Church in Fort Collins, CO.
The Eastern Catholic Churches are the 23 Eastern Christian autonomous churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope of Rome and with each other, although they are distinct liturgically and historically. Many of the Eastern Catholic Churches have at different points in the past belonged to one of many Orthodox churches and have since returned to communion with the Pope, but in a few cases some have never broken communion. Eastern Catholics are a distinct minority within the Catholic Church; of the 1.3 billion Catholics in communion with the Pope, approximately 18 million are members of the eastern churches.
Our outreach is one of these 23 eastern churches, specifically within the Byzantine Rite. Within this rite, we are a part of the Ruthenian tradition, which has its historic roots in present day western Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, amid others.