Denver Catholic

INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 Real Life Catholic .............................3 ACA: Catholic schools.....................3 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 World/Nation.....................................7 Nun of the Above quiz .................. 21 Bulletin Board ................................ 22 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE WORLD YOUTH DAY 1993 DCR FILE PHOTO Summer of '93: 'from gangs and guns to God and goodness' PAGES 12-13 CATHOLIC LIFE Archbishop, Catholic lawmakers speak out in support of life on death penalty PAGE 2 113 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume LXXXIX - No. 21 JUNE 5, 2013 United fight for freedom returns Denver to participate in annual Fortnight for Freedom religious liberty campaign BY NISSA LAPOINT Msgr. Peter Quang Nguyen's desire for freedom was more powerful than the threat of death. Now pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver, he attempted to escape the oppressive communist régime in his native Vietnam in the 1980s to practice his faith without persecution. Over five years he was caught, jailed, tortured and treated like an animal before his last successful attempt to flee through the jungles and arrive at a refugee camp. "I left behind everything, my homeland and family, and took a risk in order to start my life over again," he said. "You have a dream to live your life with dignity as a human being, to worship and honor God. I didn't have a chance through the persecution of the communist government. I took a risk to go into the Pacific Ocean, never knowing if I was going to live or going to die." The value of freedom and the right to exercise religion brought him to Denver where he's served as a priest since 1990. He and other Coloradans will give testimony to the dignity of life and religious freedom at the Prayer in the Square rally noon June 22 at the state Capitol in downtown Denver. Archdiocese joins universal Church with Holy Hour PHOTO BY CORIE DUCHATEAU FOR THE DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER To honor the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ and the Year of Faith, faithful of the Denver Archdiocese joined with the universal Church in an hour of eucharistic adoration on June 2. Many faithful attended adoration at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver, others attended adoration at their own parishes. Above: Father Michael Bodzioch prays before the Blessed Sacrament at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on June 2. "I want to let the people in the state of Colorado know how precious human life is," Msgr. Nguyen said. "By the freedom we receive from God and through the efforts our ancestors made, it is possible for us to build up humanity and not to destroy it." Nationally, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for the second annual Fortnight for Freedom campaign PASTORAL ANNIVERSARIES & ORDINATIONS Love of Gospel, people keep jubilarians joyful in priesthood PAGE 17 Archbishop Chaput ordains cousin as Capuchin priest in Denver PAGE 18 to be observed June 21-July 4 to raise awareness and respond to attacks on religious freedom locally and abroad. Each diocese in the United States is asked to participate. The USCCB's religious liberty chairman, Archbishop William Lori, will open the 2013 Fortnight for Freedom with Mass June 21 in Baltimore, Md. "The need for prayer, education and action in defense of religious liberty has never been greater," Archbishop Lori said in a news release. "The Fortnight for Freedom exists to meet that need." He noted that the Fortnight occurs weeks before Aug. 1, the deadline for compliance with the federal Health and Human See Freedom, Page 10 YEAR OF FAITH: SACRED HEART Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: "The Son of God ... loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation, "is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that ... love with which the divine Redeemer continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings" without exception (Pius XII, "Haurietis aquas").— Denver Catholic Biblical School

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