Denver Catholic

EVERYDAY CATHOLIC I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I MAY 28, 2014 Denver faithful invited to attend in August BY NISSA LAPOINT In response to St. John Paul II's frequent calls to evangelize the world, faithful and cler- gy from around the world will gather for the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy this August. The congress, charged with encouraging and promoting the spirituality of God's mer- cy across every continent, will gather Aug. 15-19 in Bogota, Columbia, for its third meeting. The congress met in Rome in 2008 and in Krakow in 2011 with more than 3,500 participants. The congress was born in re- sponse to St. John Paul II's 1980 encyclical "Dives in Misericor- dia" ("Rich in Mercy") in which he invited the Church to mercy and mandated evangelization. The call continues under Pope Francis who urges faithful to "go forth." Before Pope Francis was se- lected pontiff in March 2013, he was known for urging faithful to "avanti," meaning "go forth" in Italian. As pope, he pub- lished the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") in November when he discussed the need for the Church to go out into the world and share her faith. In that same spirit, the con- gress will convene and invites priests, consecrated men and women, movements and lay faithful to attend. In a letter dat- ed April 2, 2014, the congress committee invited the Denver Archdiocese to be participants. During the five-day congress, participants will explore the mystery of mercy and mission of the Church through con- ferences, testimonials, work- shops, Mass and prayer. The conferences will recognize the Church's work to manifest the mercy of God and strengthen the Church's mission in truth and justice. An initial reception will be held Aug. 14 followed by a pro- gram with a series of talks and liturgies. On Aug. 15 the topic will be "Mercy to the service of peace in Colombia"; Aug. 16 "Mercy in the Document of Aparecida"; on Aug. 17 a consecration of the world to the Divine Mercy; and on Aug. 18 a Stations of the Cross at the Cathedral of Zipaquirá, a church built underground in a salt mine. For more information and to register, visit www.wacom colombia.org. Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa Three-peat for Church's mercy congress WORLD APOSTOLIC CONGRESS ON MERCY III When: Aug. 15-19 Where: Bogota, Colombia Registration, program, vid- eos: www.wacomcolombia.org Could I be a deacon? DCR FILE PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY BY DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER The diaconate is an ordained ministry for men, either married or single. A clergy rank of the Church in Apostolic times, the diaconate eventually became a preliminary step toward ordination to the priesthood. While it still serves this purpose for men in priesthood formation, after the Second Vatican Council the permanent diaconate was reestablished as an independent rank of holy orders. Deacons can officiate at baptisms, weddings, wakes and funerals. They can also preach and distribute holy Communion. They cannot consecrate the Eucharist, hear confessions or anoint the sick. The St. Francis School of Theology for Deacons is hosting a series of discernment retreats for men (and if married, for their wives, too) who are interested in learning about the diaconate. The first retreat day June 28 will begin with Mass at 8 a.m. and include spiritual time plus a Q-and-A ses - sion. It will be held at the St. John Paul II Center, 1300 S. Steele St., in Denver. RSVP by calling 303-715- 3236 or email evelyn.andazola@archden.org. share it. The important thing is that they're together, they said. They love their oldest, 10-year-old Brooklyn, who keeps to herself, and Jersey, 6, and Staten, 3—their two other girls—who are "rambunctious and feisty." The baby, 8-month- old Bronx, gets all the attention. "For us the joy we get from our children is way more than you can put a monetary price on," Kali said. Lane, 33, added, "With God's help anything is possible." Discovering God's plan Eric and Delores Benedict of Immaculate Conception Church in Lafayette are no strangers to the fear of a large family. After child No. 6 was born, rel- atives and doctors urged them to choose sterilization. Delores suc- cumbed to pressure and decided to have a tubal ligation. "My husband and I could just sexually satisfy ourselves. No guilt—no babies," Delores told the Denver Catholic Register. But their marital union felt empty and their marriage suffered. "I didn't want Eric to touch me. Without the possibility of a child, the act was meaningless. I was so sad." Then Delores discovered the Neocatechumenal Way at her parish, and she and her hus- band had a conversion of heart. They fell in love with Christ, they said. After attending a liturgy with their Way community, Delores asked how she could find peace after choosing to be sterile. Their pastor advised them to consider a reversal. "We decided it didn't matter whether we had more kids or not, we were going to get the reversal done," she said. In 1995, her fallopian tubes were repaired. They were bless- ed with five more children. Eric said being open to God's plan may be difficult but "God has always, always provided." They shared their experienc- es with life in a letter addressed to the pope in April. Delores said, "We chose life instead of material things. We put God first and he has provid- ed for everything." The Majors had the same experience. While it may be scary to be open to life, it's only led to bless- ing after blessing for their fami- ly, Teresa said. Being open to life has been a true walk of faith. "The Christian has to know that God will provide. He has to know that. That's what faith is," Teresa said. The impossible made doable Denver offers free activities and attractions for the whole family that won't break the bank. Below is a list of ideas for this summer. • Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park in Morrison—Visit the museum and Performers Hall of Fame or take a hike through the colorful red rocks of the park. Visit redrockson - line.com or call 720-865-2494. • Denver U.S. Mint downtown— Take an hour-long weekday tour of one of only two mints in the United States. Reservations required. Visit www.usmint.gov or call 303-405-4761. • Denver Art Museum downtown— See the latest art exhibits during the museum's free days the first Saturday of the month. Families may play games in the galleries, make art or take a tour in Spanish. Visit www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000. • Hammond's Candy Factory in Denver—Satisfy the family's sweet tooth with a behind-the-scenes tour of the candy factory. Visit www.hammondscandies.com or call 303-333-5588. • Washington Park in Denver—En- joy the expansive lawns, gardens and lake at the 165-acre park ideal for picnics, games or relaxing in the sun. Visit www.denvergov.org/ parksandrecreation. • Celestial Seasonings in Boul - der—See first-hand the workings of a tea production plant at one of the company's free tours. Visit www. celestialseasonings.com/tours or call 303-581-1266. • National Center for Atmospher - ic Research in Boulder—Learn about tornados, global warming, lightning and other acts of nature at its visitor center. Visit ncar.ucar. edu or call 303-497-1000. PHOTO PROVIDED PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ERIC BENEDICT, center above, and his wife, Delores, right of Eric, and six of their 11 children seated at their dining room table. At right: Kali and Lane Reagan pose with their four children. They are expecting their fifth child in September. FREE FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN DENVER

• Cover