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3 DENVER CATHOLIC | MARCH 25-APRIL 7, 2017 Around the Archdiocese TOBYMAC with Heart's Remedy FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS AND CONCERTS: KIDS KORAL CARNIVAL SHOPPING JUNE 25 / featuring TOBYMAC with Heart's Remedy Peddle Tractor Races Dog Show Duck Races Petting Zoo Face Painting Stick-Horse Rodeo Balloon Artist Sandbox Play Area AND MORE! FREE ACTIVITES AT THE KIDS KORAL Lay evangelizer reflects on generous response to vocational calls at Neocat event BY DENVER CATHOLIC STAFF L ay Spaniard Kiko Arguello, initiator of the Neocate- chumenal Way, a world- wide, Vatican-approved faith formation process that seeks to bring people to mature Christian faith, spoke to Denver Catho- lic following a March 11 vocational meeting at the Coors Event Center in Boulder. The gathering drew 12,000 members of the Neocatechumenal Way from 16 states and Guam. At the meeting, nearly 800 men and women said yes to calls to priesthood and religious life, and 600 families stood up to go on mission to be a sign of Christian family life in de-Christian- ized areas of the world. Arguello's remarks were translated.¦The Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity. DENVER CATHOLIC: What brought you to the Denver Archdiocese? KIKO ARGÜELLO: This apostolic trip is because of God — I am doing the will of God. God desired to call these (220) men to o©er their life to the priest- hood. I said, "Stand up (if you feel called)" and they obeyed. Like in the Gospel, Jesus said to Matthew (9:9), "Hey you, follow me!" DC: What percentage of men who stand up for the vocational calls actually enter priesthood? KA: It's not that 100 men stand up but only three go to seminary. The men stand up because there is a Christian com- munity behind them. It's not a sentimental moment. God changes their life because there is a community (of support) behind them. That's why almost all of them end up in the sem- inary and (women) in consecrated life. DC: Why does the cat- echumenate take so long—several years— to finish? KA: Maybe because of a change of parish (for the community). Maybe because the community sometimes does not pray. Sometimes we need to wait (for a time). We need to manifest eternity. Way event attracts 12,000 Kiko Arguello addresses the assembled during the Neocatechumenal Way Gathering at the Coors Events Center on March 11, 2017, in Boulder, Colorado. PHOTOS BY DANIEL PETTY | DENVER CATHOLIC Kiko Arguello