Denver Catholic

10 I CATHOLIC LIFE DECEMBER 24, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER A S H E S S K I T D O V E B O U G H H I D E O M E N B O N G O A L A I M A L E E N T H R A L L L A I R D S E T A L T H E N K O A L A P H A R I S E E C A N D Y B A R R Y M O T O R E S C E D E D S O S O M O N O H A R E L A T I N E L O N G A T E L I N E N E R N S D E B T P A R S E C P O S E I D O N I R A S E B A Y R A I S E C C C I R O L L A G N E S T H E E Y A L E L O S E S m o c . s c i l o h t a c r o f s e m a g d r o w . w w w Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 425-9511 Mt. Olivet Cemetery 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 424-7785 St. Simeon Cemetery 22001 E. State Hwy. 30 Aurora, CO 80018 (720) 859-9785 • Professional, personalized service • Respectful • Compassionate Caring for the faithful in Northern Colorado since 1893 in their most personal time of need. THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER CEMETERIES AND MORTUARY January 16-18 Weekend Retreat (Women) January 23-25 Weekend Retreat (Women) January 31 Day of Prayer (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) February 3 Day of Prayer (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) February 6-8 Weekend Retreat (Men) February 13-15 Weekend Retreat (Couples) 4801 North Highway 67, P.O. Box 185, Sedalia, CO 80135 Phone: 303-688-4198 ext. 122 (information/reservations) Website: www.sacredheartretreat.org THURSDAY, DEC. 25 7:00 a.m. English 8:00 a.m. Spanish SUNDAY, DEC. 28 7:00 a.m. English 7:30 a.m. Spanish SUNDAY, JAN. 4 7:00 a.m. English 7:30 a.m. Spanish SUNDAY, JAN. 11 7:00 a.m. English 7:30 a.m. Spanish SUNDAY, JAN. 18 7:00 a.m. English 7:30 a.m. Spanish AIRING ON COLORADO PUBLIC TELEVISION, CPT12 TV MASS FOR THE HOMEBOUND BY NISSA LAPOINT A 93-year-old World War II vet who helped free Nazi concen- tration camp captives received an honorary degree from Regis University last weekend. During a commencement ceremony Dec. 21, Sidney Shaf- ner, who is Jewish, received a degree from president Jesuit Father John P. Fitzgibbons more than 70 years after he attended the Denver university. "Sidney deserves this degree— he's anything but average" said Nathan Matlock, associate direc- tor of the university's Center for the Study of War Experience. Shafner said he was antici- pating the ceremony when the Denver Catholic Register inter- viewed him at his home in Au- rora Dec. 18. "I'm excited," he said. Shafner fi rst came onto the Regis campus in 1943 as part of an elite group of American men selected for the Army Special- ized Training Corps. He poured hours into his studies, lab work and also military training. "I took it very seriously," Shaf- ner said when he was a student at 22 years old. "I didn't want to be sent to the infantry." But the war changed that when the military decided Shaf- ner and fellow soldiers were needed in Europe to help the war effort. He became a soldier in the 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division, one of two units cred- ited with liberating the Dachau concentration camp in April 1945. Along the way from Nurem- berg, Germany, the soldiers were ambushed and shot at by planes overhead. Shafner's heroic response of calling for backup earned him two bronze stars, he said. "With God's help they stopped fi ring on us," he said as the troops took cover under their military vehicles. The soldiers were not pre- pared for what they saw in Dachau, Shafner said. Once they arrived, they were greeted by "these strange-look- ing people with strange-looking clothes, who were dropping like fl ies because their condition was so bad." The people were inmates at the concentration camp, as two young boys along the road had informed the soldiers. They en- tered the camp and freed the prisoners. "I'll never forget it," he said. "It's an example of man's inhu- manity to man." Shafner said the two boys, who were sent to the camps to work as laborers after their fam- ilies were killed at Auschwitz, were offered food and clothing. They became their cooks and stayed with the infantry until the war ended. "These kids remained with us for a whole year," Shafner said. "They were like a part of our infantry." He befriended the two boys with whom he spoke German, and has remained in touch with one, Marcel Levy, ever since that historic day. "Every two weeks he emails me," Shafner said of his friend who lives outside Tel Aviv, Israel. "We're very close." Shafner returned to Denver and married his wife of 68 years, Esther. They had three chil- dren together. Today they have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Although Shafner never com- pleted his engineering degree at Regis, he said he is grateful for the time he spent on the cam- pus. He was joined at the cere- mony at Regis by his family. WWII vet honored to receive Regis degree PHOTO COURTESY OF REGIS UNIVERSITY SIDNEY Shafner, left, listens as Regis University president Father John Fitzgibbons speaks be- fore presenting the World War II vet with an honorary degree. "The Christian message is that no matter how strong the persecution may be, no matter how evil presents itself, we know Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and God is stronger than evil," the archbishop said. "So it becomes all the more im- portant for every Christian, every Catholic, to give witness to Jesus Christ." He said the world will not improve until "we live our faith out and live it out authentical- ly—and inviting others to come to know the Lord and encoun- ter the Lord and truly be joyful witnesses." At the end of the event, the archbishop wished "a very bless- ed and holy Christmas to all of you," and extended his blessing on the participants. Participants also voted in polls during the interactive call. Polls revealed the Denver Catholic Register is the preferred source of Catholic news for 49 percent of the participants who were listening, before their parish bulletin or the Sunday homi- ly. About 73 percent responded that they were interested in par- ticipating in more calls with the archbishop. The live TeleForum event was the fi rst for any archdiocese in the nation, according to Broad- net. Since 2004, the company has managed interactive phone calls involving politicians, world lead- ers, professional sport teams like the Denver Broncos and other faith-based organizations. To hear the recorded phone call, visit www.vekeo.com/ro. TeleForum From Page 2

• Cover