History of Christ the King Denver HISTORY OF CTK Christ the King Parish was formally established in July 1947 and was comprised of approximately 400 families. The parish was a central component of Bishop Vehr’s Complete Parish Plan for Denver — “having a church and rectory, school and convent-within walking distance of everyone in the metropolitan area.” The first parish building, which housed the church and school, was completed in 1949 and functioned in that dual capacity until April 1963 when the current church was dedicated. The church was built at a cost of $623,000 and was designed in the 11th Century Lombard style. The stained glass window, which is often referred to as the "Window", was constructed in Trier, Germany and flown to the Denver in 1963. It depicts a living Christ the King and contains symbols of the four gospels and other images from the Bible. In fall of 1949 the school had an initial enrollment of 175 students in grades K-6. The staff consisted of five Sisters of the Most Precious Blood Order who added grade 7 in 1950 and grade 8 in 1951. The original building continues to house CTK Catholic School which now has an enrollment of over 270 students grades PRE K-8. The parish rectory was finished in May of 1951 and served in that capacity for many years. It is now part of St. John Viannney Theological Seminary’s Paris Model of Formation functioning as a home for seminarians. The convent, which now houses the administrative offices for the parish, was completed in the fall of 1954 and was the home for 18 sisters, some of whom taught in neighboring parish schools. The most recent addition to Christ the King, Ballard Parish Hall, was constructed in 2004 and serves as both the school’s cafeteria and a center of social activities for parishioners. There are approximately 850 families in parish.