Denver Catholic

BY NISSA LAPOINT The following priests are marking their 40th anniversary in the priesthood this year. Father William Breslin Before Father William Breslin became one of Denver's priests, he was ordained in his hometown of Red Bank, N.J. Father Breslin was born in Red Bank in 1948 and attended St. Charles College in Maryland before attending St. Mary's Seminary. He was ordained in May 1974. Father Breslin served as associate pas- tor in South Amboy, N.J., after ordination. He soon came to Denver in 1977 to serve as assistant pastor at St. Mary Magdalen Church and chaplain of Central Catholic High School before it closed. He became one of Denver's own in 1978. He went on to serve as pastor at Immac- ulate Heart of Mary Church in Northglenn for six years, Queen of Peace Church in Aurora for 14 years and Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Rita churches in Boulder and Nederland. "I would call Immaculate Heart of Mary my fi rst love," he said. "At Queen of Peace, we got to build a church together. I would call that our masterpiece. "At all the parishes, the people have been splendid." Father Breslin said he loves his current post as confessor for Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary. Father Thomas Coyte Father Thomas Coyte's story begins in Fort Collins where he was born. He left Colorado to attend college in Indiana at the University of Notre Dame for a year when he realized his call to the priest- hood. He then entered St. Thomas Sem- inary (now St. John Vianney Theological Seminary) and volunteered to minister to the deaf community. "Some would say I was lucky and some would say it was the Holy Spirit," he said. "The deaf have been such a blessing to me." He then attended Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C., for a summer program to learn about the hearing impaired and the University of Arizona to take courses in counseling. He graduated with masters' degrees and was ordained in May 1974 in Denver. Father Coyte's ministry began at St. Phi- lomena Church where he simultaneous- ly coordinated the deaf ministry for the archdiocese, which he's done for 43 years. "Certainly for me the major focus has been the deaf ministry. That has been a pure delight. It has been a blessing to me," he said. Father Coyte also served at St. Joseph Church in Fort Collins and Holy Cross Church in Thornton, where he served from 1989 to 2013. He is now pastor at St. Bernadette Church in Lakewood. Father James E. Fox, V.F. Father James Fox, is a South Dakota man by birth. He was born in Rapid City before at- tending the University of Wyoming for a year then entering St. Thomas College. He was ordained in December 1974. Father Fox fi rst served as assistant pas- tor at Divine Redeemer Church in Colora- do Springs before ministering as a chap- lain to Catholic youth in Denver. He then became pastor of St. Mary Church in Rifl e for seven years and was dean of the Glenwood Springs Dean- ery. During that time, the community hit hard economic times when ExxonMobil abruptly left after the oil shale bust. "We formed at the time one of the fi rst ecumenical nonprofi ts called Lift-Up to serve people who were experiencing fi - nancial hardship. That organization is still in existence," he said. He also worked with another priest to provide the fi rst spiritual and academic formation of deacon candidates outside the Denver metro area. Father Fox continued on to serve at St. John's Church in Longmont for 12 years and St. Michael the Archangel in Aurora for 11 years. He was at St. John's during major reconstruction efforts and he found great joy in the "tremendous diver- sity of people" who came together at St. Michael's. Father Fox is now pastor at Good Shep- herd Church. Father Christopher Popravak, O.F.M. Cap. A New Jersey-native, Father Christo- pher Popravak served for many of his 40 years in the priesthood as a director and instructor for men in formation for the Capuchin-Franciscan life. He spent much time at St. Crispin Friary in St. Louis and St. Conrad Friary in Kansas City, Mo. Father Popravak, born in Hackensack, N.J., in 1947, studied psychology at Marist College in New York. He earned his mas- ter's at St. Bernard Seminary in Rochester and his doctorate at St. Louis University in Missouri. He was ordained a Capuchin in Hays, Kan., in 1974. His fi rst assignment was working as a theology teacher at a high school in Hays before coming to Denver to minister as an associate pastor at Annunciation Church and Holy Cross Church in Thornton. He also ministered at St. Joseph Church in Hays. After receiving his doctoral degree in historical theology, he taught at The Inter- national Franciscan Study Centre in Can- terbury, England, a Capuchin seminary in Modena, Italy, and at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. "I've been constantly surprised by the Lord in many ways in the different minis- tries I've been asked to be involved in," he said. "Each ministry has been a blessing. My teaching experience and opportuni- ties to preach have been the particular ways I've been enriched myself and, I be- lieve, have been able to help other people to grow." Father Popravak ministered in various states before coming to Denver in 2007 to lead the post-novitiate formation at St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity. He is the pro- vincial minister of the Province of St. Con- rad and is assisting with prison ministry part time at the Denver County Jail. 10 I SENIORS JULY 30, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER SERVING THE DENVER CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SINCE 1890. 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