The Denver Catholic Worker community has been providing hospitality since 1978 to folks experiencing homelessness. Our original 9-bedroom house, centrally located near downtown Denver, served single women, single men, couples and families. That house burned in 2016, and we were finally able to replace it in 2018 with a 4-bedroom house a few blocks away. Our "new" home is in the midst of Emmaus Housing, a low-income rental housing program started by CW-related folks in 1999. Emmaus, which is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to keeping its property off the housing market in perpetuity, is the legal owner of the Catholic Worker house in order to protect it from developers. The Catholic Worker raised the cost of the purchase and repairs, and is tremendously grateful to everyone who contributed.

Long-term single residents from the original house occupy the two smallest bedrooms of the current one, and we've designated the other two bedrooms for refugee and immigrant families. The Congolese family which was living with us since we opened in June of 2019 moved into their own apartment in November of 2023.They're still waiting for a hearing on their case for asylum. We now have two Venezuelan moms with young children. All the residents participate in caring for the house with support from two CW old-timers who live next door. Our core community meets at the house for silent prayer at noon on weekdays and for prayer structured around the daily Mass readings twice a month in the evening.

We attempted to start a second house in a large building leased from the Colorado Vincentian Volunteer program from July 2022 through July 2023, when they needed the house back. We didn't have enough volunteers at that point to continue. We're still dreaming about a second house, but don't know if it will materialize. 

Denver Catholic Worker 1027 26th Street Denver, CO 80205 Mailing address: 1023 26th Street, Denver, CO 80205 Phone: 720-940-5482; 303-298-9910 Email: denvercatholicworker@gmail.com Publication: Denver Catholic Worker Denver Catholic Worker Homepage