Denver Catholic

35 DENVER CATHOLIC | DECEMBER 2020 DAV I D M A RT I N E Z On any given day during the week, you'll find David Martinez outside of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, handing sandwiches or another meal out to some of the homeless folks of Denver. They know Dave by name, and he knows them. "There's a bunch of my regulars here who, if I don't have a hand, they always offer to help and say, 'hey, can I pour coffee for you' or whatever," Martinez said. "They know me well." Martinez has been the Outreach Coordinator at the Cathedral for five years now, where he oversees the pantry and prepares all the snacks and food to give out. He and his wife have been a "cornerstone of the Cathedral family for over 25 years," said pastor Father Ron Cattany. Martinez is modest and insists he doesn't have "much of a story," but his servant's heart and faithful service is something we can all learn from – a true mark of authentic discipleship. When the regulars who come for meals don't show, he starts to worry. "All our regular guys who come here, they're all really nice people, they are all very respectful," he said. "I just like seeing them and helping them out." S E N E C A H O L M E S As a high school teacher, coach and youth minister at Cure D'Ars, Seneca Holmes sees working with young people as a mission from God. But the unique circumstances brought about by the pandemic threaten to put a stop to all the charitable and community activities that he used to organize with his youth group. Nonetheless, Holmes, with the help and generosity of Cure D'Ars parishioners, has taken this opportunity to be creative in the way he and his youth group serve the community. Holmes' first response was to organize Zoom calls, but soon he noticed they grew tired of doing it for both school and youth group, so he started a Bible study and gave each youth a 30-day plan. They then started communicating by group text and phone calls. But the efforts didn't end there. The youth who were available got together to make hundreds of health kits, with their own handmade masks, bottles of homemade sanitizer and a scripture passage or personalized message. With the help and generosity of the parish community, the youth group was also able to provide around 150 coats to people in need. "We wouldn't be able to do all this without the involvement of parents and our church community – they have been so supportive of our youth," Holmes said. "My main focus is to help our youth understand their own relationship with God, that's what's going to help them through life." When Dustin Crouse and his wife decided to start a virtual Bible study at their parish and announced it after Mass, they didn't expect such a positive response. "We found a lot of young adults who moved to Denver in the midst of the coronavirus and they wanted to get involved," Crouse said. They now have a consistent group of around 30 participants who connect weekly. Crouse was originally involved in the Cathedral's young adult group, in which he helped organize many of its activities. But as soon as the pandemic hit, he and his wife knew there was a void to fill. Being involved with the Knights of Columbus is part of what has helped him serve the Church and the community better and take initiative. "I see a lot of young adults waiting around to be told what to do. But I'd say: if you find a need that you think you can fill, probably other people are thinking the same thing, so go talk to your pastor," Crouse said. "They want people to take initiative and handle situations themselves. It's better than throwing an idea at your pastor and expecting him to do everything – they're already really busy." D U ST I N C R O U S E

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