Jasper Lutheran Church and Lutheran House

Rocky Mountain Gothic

This edifice began its life in 1924 as the home for the Roman Catholic congregation in Jasper - Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

It has a firm foundation of field stone and exterior walls of brick.

The upper part of the tower and the nave have exterior wooden shingles.

The presbytery (residence) was completed in 1927.

While many people have sung in this church, the most famous is Bing Crosby. Der Bingle fell in love with Jasper while he was here filming The Emperor's Waltz. He often worshipped and sang at this church when in Jasper and - through the church -made some sizable donations to the community .

In 1967, this edifice became Jasper Lutheran Church - home to the Lutheran congregation - largely through the efforts of Pastor John Ekstedt. Under his guidance, much of the interior was refurbished to make the church look and feel more Protestant and not so much Catholic.

The baptismal font, altar candle-holders and wooden cross were all made from local materials by members of the congregation.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the residence (manse) was used as a retreat centre in winter. In summer, it was home to Lutheran House - a group of young adults living together in Christian community.

In 2008, John Ekstedt returned  as pastor of the Jasper congregation. On his last Sunday (June 2010), the church got a new cross for its steeple - replacing the one that been there since the building first became Jasper Lutheran Church.