Today I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck, are going with our moms toward Estes Park.   We all love Estes Park.   It is a great mountain resort town near Rocky Mountain National Park, about 90 minutes from home.   Chapel on a Rock, or Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel is our first stop.

Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel

In 1916 Monsignor Joseph Bosetti was on a quest to find the impact site of a falling star when he found this rock formation.   Remembering the Bible verse Matthew 16:18, upon this rock I will build my church, the Monsignor wanted to build a church here.   But he had no funds.   For 20 years he prayed and struggled with the Colorado Highway Department to keep his Rock intact.   The land was purchased and then donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Malo.  In 1936, twenty years after first seeing the rock, the chapel was completed.   The statue is very prominent, also.

Statue near chapel

This chapel is beautiful with Mount Meeker as a backdrop.   The sanctuary is very nice.

Sanctuary

Here are some stairs.

Let’s go up the stairs

The stairs lead to the loft.   This view is also nice.

View from loft

The official name of this chapel is Saint Catherine of Siena Chapel.   This Franz Mayer stained glass window, depicts  Saint Catherine holding the body of Christ on the cross.

View of loft and window

The statue of soft wood was made in Giacomo Mussner Studios in Bolzano, Italy.

Statue from Bolzano, Italy

The chapel was part of the Camp Saint Malo Catholic Retreat, Conference and Spiritual Center. The main building burned in 2011, but the chapel was not damaged.   In 2013 during the floods, debris from a mountain slide destroyed much of the trails and other buildings, but again, the chapel was not damaged.   The chapel is open to the public and available for weddings and other occasions.  In 1993 Pope John Paul II visited this chapel and hiked some of the mountain trails.    Next we visited Rocky Mountain National Park.

We love Rocky Mountain National Park

This is a favorite place for us.   Today we drove to Bear Lake.

Bear Lake

There is a half mile trail around the lake.

Hiking trail

This is our favorite short hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Bear Lake

Soon it started to rain, so we went into Estes Park and had lunch at the Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Hotel

Our moms said we could come back here soon and spend the night at the famous Stanley Hotel.   When we do, we will tell you about this hotel and if we see any ghosts.