Denver Catholic

2 DECEMBER 24, 2016-JANUARY 27, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-715-3230 or denvercatholic@archden.org. ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org. CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org. General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL How we answered Christ's knock in 2016 " T he Word who found a dwell- ing in Mary's womb comes to knock on the heart of every person" at Christmas, Pope St. John Paul II said. Jesus is the Father's merciful response to humanity, and he continues to knock on every human heart. As we celebrate Christmas and the beginning of 2017, it is t he perfect time to lift our hearts in gratitude to the Father for his help in responding to that knock in 2016 and ponder in our hearts how we will do so next year. As I look back at 2016, I am deeply grateful for the many, many people who have generously responded to Jesus' call for them. The people of the archdiocese are a real gift to me, and so I would like to give praise to God by recalling some of this past year's major works of mercy that occurred in the Year of Mercy. The unborn are close to my heart, so the fi rst area I would like to high- light involves the e‹ orts to protect and support those whose lives are in danger. The Church faithfully stood up in defense of life at its most vulner- able stages by gathering for the March for Life at the Capitol last January. In March, we built on that momentum by gathering close to 2,000 people to process with the Blessed Sacrament around Planned Parenthood in Sta- pleton. This public witness and our prayers for the unborn are a crucial component of the e‹ ort to build a cul- ture of life and reject the throwaway culture in which we live. Another important aspect of mercy which creates a culture that embraces life is providing material support for mothers in crisis pregnancies. Through Catholic Charities and its launch of the Marisol Health clinics in Lafayette and Denver, we are now able to provide full OB/GYN care for expectant mothers, family care after birth, and in the near future, a place to stay for homeless mothers and their newborns. Even though the coalition against Proposition 106 was not ultimately successful in convincing our fellow citizens to vote against the measure that legalized doctor-assisted suicide, the Church was faithful in standing up against the culture of death. We can all benefi t from seeing this with the out- look of St. Mother Teresa, who said, "God has not called me to be success- ful; He has called me to be faithful." It was truly edifying to see all the yard signs, hear from pastors about their e‹ orts to educate the faithful and the number of people who were positively impacted by the campaign. Going forward, the archdiocese will work to continue to educate people on end-of- life decisions and the care that is avail- able in those trying circumstances. Pope Francis, through his decla- ration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, focused the entire Church on becom- ing more aware of our need to receive and give mercy. He did this by empha- sizing the importance of encountering Jesus, urging priests to make Christ's mercy through Confession more avail- able, granting indulgences, and encour- aging everyone to carry out works of mercy. Many of the priests shared with me that people were returning to Con- fession after years away from the sac- rament. There is truth in the teaching of Jesus, that there is more joy over one repentant sinner than the ninety-nine righteous (Lk. 15:7). As archbishop I tasted that joy, as did the priests hear- ing confessions. I was also encouraged to see how people throughout the archdiocese gladly embraced the Jubilee Year, with thousands of people passing through the fi ve holy doors, hundreds going on pilgrimage and countless works of mercy being performed. In a particular way, our archdio- cese focused on the Servant of God Julia Greeley as our model for imitat- ing the mercy of Christ. On Decem- ber 18, I had the blessing of oŸ cially opening Julia's cause for beatifi cation and canonization. This was a historic event, since it is the fi rst time the archdiocese has begun the process of investigating a person who lived in our midst. Julia's witness of mercy and selfl ess charity were evident in her committed service to the poor, bringing them food, clothes, medi- cine and her loving presence, despite being mistreated and poor herself. Julia's life and her dedication to the Sacred Heart, her love for the Eucha- rist and the Blessed Virgin, remind me of another knock on the door that the archdiocese experienced in 2016. This past August, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Jorge Rodriguez to serve as an auxiliary bishop for our archdiocese. The events surrounding the bishop's ordination in November made apparent the generosity of the people of northern Colorado. So many of you expressed your love for Bishop Rodriguez and gratitude for the Holy Father's appointment. For his episcopal motto, Bishop Rodriguez chose, "His mercy is from generation to generation." His motto is a reminder to each of us that it is God's mercy that sustains us and gives us the strength to respond when he calls us to follow him. In the coming year, I ask each of you to pray and refl ect on how you will respond to God when he knocks on the door of your heart. Continue my dearest brothers and sisters to grow in the merciful love of the Father! Like the Virgin Mary, may you allow him to enter and give you the grace to follow his call for you. May God bless you in this Christ- mas season and fi ll you with his joy! ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE DEC. 24-25: Midnight Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception DEC. 25: Mass, Women's Correctional Facility DEC. 27: Priesthood ordina- tion and transitional diacon- ate ordination, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (5 p.m.) JAN. 1: Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10:30 a.m.) JAN. 11: All school Mass, Holy Family High School (10:15 a.m.) JAN. 14: Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (11 a.m.) JAN. 25: Mass with semi- narians and faculty, St. John Vianney Theological Semi- nary, St. John Paul II Center (12:10 p.m.) JAN. 26: Mass with seminari- ans and faculty, Redemptoris Mater Seminary chapel, St. John Paul II Center (5:30 p.m.) JAN. 28: Mass before Beacon of Hope gala, Bishop Mache- beuf High School (4 p.m.) @ArchbishopDen Dec. 19 Humbled to accept CCU's @Centennial CCU John K. Andrews award Dec. 14. May God bless our nation as we head into 2017. #Reli- giousFreedom +sja Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila received the second annual John Andrews Award at Colorado Chr istian University Dec. 14. Named after the pre- vious president of the Centennial institute, the John Andrews Award is given to people who exemplify dedication to defending religious free- dom and the role of faith in the public square. PHOTO PROVIDED

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