Denver Catholic

INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 Real Life Catholic .............................3 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Nun of the Above quiz ....................4 World/Nation.....................................6 Puzzle Page......................................13 Bulletin Board ................................. 14 Service Directory ........................... 15 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE SEMINARIES He prayed for God to raise up holy priests, now he'll be forming them PAGE 2 CONTEST Vote for Church as part of Colorado's cultural heritage PAGE 9 GIVE YOUR MIND A WORKOUT! 113 Years of Service to the Gospel DECEMBER 11, 2013 New priest opted to care for souls, rather than budgets Father LaJoie once pursued an accounting degree BY CINDY BROVSKY Father Joseph LaJoie's path to the priesthood was stitched together with threads from across the Archdiocese of Denver. His parents, Joe and Vickie, began the first stitch when they wed at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora. Joseph, who was born in Wichita, Kan., made his first Communion at Queen of Peace after the family moved back to Colorado. And while other kids his age were playing cowboys and Indians, Joseph was "playing priest." When he made his confirmation at 14, he felt a spiritual thread leading him to the priesthood that tugged at his heart through his teens and young adult life. Another thread to his father's past surfaced after Joseph entered St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in August 2006 and he lived with other seminarians at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in northwest Denver. His father received his first Communion there and attended fourth-grade at the former parish school. When Joseph became a PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP Samuel J. Aquila embraces newly ordained Father Joseph LaJoie during the new priest's ordination Mass Dec. 7 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver. On Dec. 7, the woven threads Archbishop Aquila introducing deacon in 2012, he was assigned to the Cathedral Basili- revealed his destiny when the Deacon Joseph LaJoie to the ca of the Immaculate Concep- 31-year-old was ordained at celebrants and congregation tion in downtown Denver and the Cathedral Basilica by Arch- that included his fellow semthe last five months at St. Mi- bishop Samuel Aquila. inarians, priests, family and "Today our Lord chooses you friends. Shortly after the ordichael the Archangel in Aurora near his family's home. Some to be a priest," Archbishop Aq- nation, Father LaJoie emotionof the parishioners recognized uila said. "It is his word within ally embraced his parents and Joseph from when he worked your heart and soul that calls." three younger sisters before The 90-minute ceremoat a nearby King Soopers while See LaJoie, Page 6 ny and Mass began with in high school and college. School of Faith SENIORS Layman's project aims to get rosary into the hands of others PAGE 10 NUN OF THE ABOVE ....... 4 CROSSWORD PUZZLE ....13 WORD SEARCH ..............13 Volume LXXXIX - No. 42 Practical Christmas gifts for hard-tobuy-for seniors PAGE 11 ST. DAMASUS, POPE Damasus lived from 304-384 and was elected pope in 366. With regard to the sacred Scriptures he is known for two significant acts. First, as bishop of Rome, he commissioned St. Jerome to translate the Old and New Testaments from their original languages into Latin, which was the commonly spoken language of the time. This version is known as the Latin Vulgate. Second, he presided over the Council of Rome in 382. It was this council that decided the official "canon," or list, of 73 books to be included in the Old Testament (46 books) and New Testament (27 books). His feast day is Dec. 11. —Denver Catholic Biblical and Catechetical schools

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