Rev. Susan Williams DeGavre, Interim Rector
 Rev. Marionette Bennett, Deacon Rev. Richard Cella, Deacon (Retired)
 

In 1952, Aurora was a community of 11,000 people.  Aurorans of the Episcopal faith had to go to St. Luke's in Denver to worship.  Bowing to repeated requests, the Rt. Rev. Harold L. Bowen granted permission to establish a new congregation in Aurora.  With the benevolent help of Helen Bonfils, a wealthy  Roman Catholic, property for the new mission was purchased.  In 1957, just before he left Colorado, the founding vicar of St. Stephen's Protomartyr Episcopal Church, Rev. William Goodrich, secured a donation of land on which to build a new church.

After a number of interim vicars, Fr. Bob Serna was assigned to the parish.  His challenge was to build the new church facility.  On November 19, 1959, the first service was held in the new church and two years later, because of the rapid growth of the city, the education addition to the building was completed.  In 10 years the city had grown to 50,000 people.  Sadly, less than four and a half years later, the much beloved Fr. Serna died at the age of 38.

Since then, dreams of a rectory and remodel became reality, but the general health of the church rose and fell to the extent that St. Stephen's seemed to be on the verge of reverting back to mission status.  The vestry split over mortgage requirements for a new sanctuary and soon the Rector and a portion of the vestry resigned.  The idea of church expansion was abandoned.  From 1972 to 1984 tensions in the national church also took their toll.  Changes in the prayer book, and the ordination of women were among the hottest of the issues.  The parish was badly divided and health problems caused Fr. Neal Dow to leave.  Fr. Clark Crain was assigned as interim priest.  Although he was to be here for us a short while, he became the spiritual leader of the parish for over a year and brought the congregation back to the road to health.

In 1986, Fr. Rod Moore and his family moved into the rectory.  Fr. Rod is serving as the fifth rector of the parish.  The congregation was ready to move ahead.  This has been a very challenging time for the church as this part of the city was undergoing change and redevelopment.  In 1990 the church was remodeled and expanded.  A much larger project was dedicated in 2002 when the church facility was expanded for a second time by a project that doubled the worship space and removed all physical barriers from the church building.  The air conditioned sanctuary will be finished with the installation of the pipe organ in the near future.

St. Stephen's parish is a place with many active ministries and with a diverse membership.  Average Sunday attendance is about 225-250.

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