About St. Mary
Welcome to St. Mary's Catholic Parish
St. Mary is a friendly Catholic community, hidden in the heart of Ault, CO. It is 15 minutes north of Greeley on HWY 85. We are a small, cozy parish and welcome anyone in the area to come and worship with us.
Father Samuel Morehead was named and installed as Pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish with its mission of St Mary’s Church in Ault in 2025. A native of northern Colorado, he first studied English and journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder before attending St John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. Ordained a priest in 2012, he has been previously assigned to St John the Evangelist in Loveland, St John the Baptist in Johnstown, St Nicholas in Platteville, and All Souls in Englewood. Most recently, Fr Morehead served as the Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver for four years. In addition to his love for God and the Catholic Faith, Father has a passion for history and English culture.
History of our parish
Established 1953, Ault, Colorado
In 1940, Ault was first established as a mission stop and local Catholics were cared for by the priests from Our Lady of Peace Parish in Greeley.
Three lots on East 4th Street in Ault were purchased from the Romero family by Father Dominic Morera, pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Greeley, to establish a Catholic chapel there in October 1953. The first chapel, an old frame school building that had served as the first school in Ault, was purchased with the help of the Catholic Extension Society. With the assistance of Father Casimiro Roca, ground was broken on October 11, 1953. The school house was then moved to its new location, remodeled and was established as Saint Mary Mission Church in Ault and placed under the care of the Congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The chapel was renovated through the fundraising assistance of the Eaton-Ault Catholic Ladies Aid Society, a group of Catholic women first organized in 1894. The interior of the building was entirely remodeled and the exterior was repainted. A belfry, bell and cross were also added to the chapel.
Saint Mary Mission in Ault was officially dedicated by Archbishop Vehr on February 18, 1958. Priests from Saint Peter's and Our Lady of Peace in Greeley cared for the mission and celebrated Mass on three Sundays each month. The original chapel, with seating for 100 people, had become too small by 1964. Construction on a large scale addition and remodel of the chapel included seating for 225 people and a basement with a kitchen, storage space and room for gatherings and religious education. The newly expanded worship space was blessed on May 26, 1968.
In 1983, the Redemptorist Fathers took over the leadership of Our Lady of Peace in Greeley and Saint Mary's in Ault. In 1999, the Redemptorist Fathers withdrew from Our Lady of Peace Parish and Saint Mary's Mission. Father Bernie Schmitz was appointed by the Archdiocese to care for Our Lady of Peace and Saint Mary's. In 2002, the leadership of Saint Mary's was transferred to Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Windsor. Father James Spahn, V.F., former pastor of Our Lady of the Valley, served as administrator of Saint Mary's from 2002-2012. In 2013, Fr. Gregg Pedersen, was appointed our pastor. He was also pastor at Our Lady of the Valley in Windsor.
