Denver Catholic

INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 Nun of the Above quiz ....................4 Vocations ..................................... 10-11 World/Nation................................... 15 Book: Greg Willits........................... 16 Bulletin Board ................................. 18 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE CATHOLIC LIFE 113 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume LXXXIX - No. 30 SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 Flood teaches stranded kids lessons in faith BY CINDY BROVSKY PHOTO PROVIDED Gospel of Life event to focus on science, medicine PAGES 3 MENTAL HEALTH Suicide deaths hit peak PAGE 6 Two buses driving up to St. Vincent de Paul School in Denver late Friday, Sept. 13, were cheered by weary parents and excited siblings. The 56 students and 11 dedicated adults inside, including school staff, parent chaperones and John Paul II Adventures Outdoor Lab staff, were not coming back from a victorious sporting event but have the rare distinction of surviving the "Flood of 2013." Inside, the grimy seventh-graders who trudged through muddy water to get to the buses made a long threehour trip from Allenspark where they were evacuated Thursday from floods surrounding their cabins at High Peak Camp near Estes Park. They forged a special connection to each other and a newfound respect for Mother Nature having witnessed firsthand the state's epic rainfall that, as of press time Sept. 16, caused six deaths, left 1,253 missing, turned highways into lakes, caused thousands to be evacuated and left thousands more homeless. After only a few hours of sleep, many of the seventh-graders who attended the leadership retreat were back at the school on Saturday afternoon to celebrate its annual fall festival. The students worked the booths to gain service hours in preparation for the sacrament of confirmation they will be receiving in the spring. "We got to see God through nature even though it was a tough time," said Luke K. Krukowski, 12. "We were safe so the hardest part was the other evacuated PHOTO PROVIDED ST. VINCENT de Paul School students were stranded in Allenspark due to flooding last week. people at the camp who lost their homes in the flood." Classmates Jake Taylor, Luke Maxfield, Drew Renner and Billy Mottram agreed the adults kept the students calm, but they knew the situation was serious when flooding near the camp was knee-deep. They saw portions of the highway washed away and sinkholes. "We knew we were stuck there but at least we had our homes back in Denver," said Luke Maxfield. Savannah Viereck, 12, agreed. "We weren't able to get home right away but many people now don't have homes." Caroline McGrail and Annie SENIORS Seier said the worst part of the ordeal was not being able to shower for several days. The students were supposed to return Thursday and most packed few clothes. "When we drove up to the school and saw everyone cheering, it kind of felt like we won the Super Bowl," McGrail joked. Anxious parents in Denver were informed throughout the ordeal that their children were safe, warm, and had food and supervision. However, that communication was not instant or easy because the stormy weather interfered with the adults getting phone or Internet access to update school Principal Sister Maria Ivana Begovic, O.P who ., in turn shared that information with parents. "No one ever doubted that the children were safe and in good hands," the Dominican sister said. "But some parents wanted reassurance because they couldn't hear their child's voice or see a photo. There were no phone landlines working or cell phones. It was an opportunity for everyone, including me, to trust in the Lord." Once the children were safe, everyone was able to reflect on the important impact of the trip, she said. See Flood, Page 9 YEAR OF FAITH: GRACE Mulroy center builds quality of life, independence for seniors PAGES 12-13 Fall into good habits this autumn PAGE 14 Grace is the free and undeserved gift that God gives us to respond to our vocation to become his adopted children. As sanctifying grace, God shares his divine life and friendship with us in a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that enables the soul to live with God, to act by his love. As actual grace, God gives us the help to conform our lives to his will. Sacramental grace and special graces (charisms, the grace of one's state of life) are gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live out our Christian vocation. —Catholic Biblical and Catechetical schools

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