Denver Catholic

13 WYD 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION | DENVER CATHOLIC | AUGUST 11-24, 2018 Independent Living Assisted Living 2835 West 32nd Avenue | Denver, Colorado | 303.964.2000 homeishere.org Proud supporter of the Denver Catholic for 25 years. The Gardens at St. Elizabeth It's all here and getting even better. Our Catholic independent senior living tower is undergoing a complete renovation including new penthouse apartments with spectacular views. • Located in the beautiful Highland neighborhood • 30-seat theater • Spa, salon and tness areas • Multiple dining options • Daily Mass in our 120-year old historic chapel We hope you will join us for this very special preview of our new model apartment. Tour reservations are limited so please RSVP by August 20 at 303.964.2000. The Gardens at St. Elizabeth oers exceptional senior living with a strong community spirit, lively social gatherings and mission-based spirituality. Open house ! Saturday August 25 9 AM - Noon "I was very young during World Youth Day '93 — maybe fi ve or six years old. I lived in a neighborhood adjacent to Cherry Creek State Park and remember the setup for the event. Driving on Belleview east along the park border, I remember seeing lines and lines of por- ta-potties, thinking that it was amazing to need so many toi- lets for all the folks who would be there. I remember my grandfather pointing to Butterfl y Hill and saying, 'That's where the pope is going to be! He's going to stand right there!' My parents, sister and I lived with my grand- father in his small house, but its size didn't stop my grand- father from being generous during the event. He had gone to King Soopers and started talking to a Canadian priest who was buying groceries. He had traveled in a conversion van to the event with his brother and brother's friend. They didn't have a place to stay and had just planned on camping or sleep- ing in the van. My grandfather opened our house to them, and they camped on our fl oor and couches for a couple of days. I don't even remember the priest's name but I remember that they were very excited and happy to be welcomed in Denver for the event. I always think of them, and of the pope 'standing right there!' each time I drive down Belleview past the park." -Pearl Dailey, Centennial Denver Catholic reader Deb DesMar- teau crafted this little cross from a wooden stake used at the Mass at Cherry Creek State Park in 1993 and saved it as a memento from the event. PHOTO PROVIDED "World Youth Day 1993 was an unbeliev- able experience. I was thrilled to fi nd out that the pope would be in 'my own backyard,' [and] this experience helped fuel my young faith. As a 20-year-old, I didn't know what to expect but I was open to whatever the Lord had in store for me. I was proud to be a part of this large gathering of Catholic young people and I was inspired to participate in four more world youth days. World Youth Day Denver helped inspire a love for pilgrimage and a respect for the Univer- sal Church. At the time, I was playing rugby and occasionally attending classes at Metro State. At the pilgrimage Mass, one of my buddies found me and told me he had heard about the event on the news and he decided he had to come see what it was all about. I remember thinking, 'I didn't even know that you were Catholic,' but even if he wasn't, he understood the importance of WYD and what it meant for us to be a host city. I attribute this directly to the dynamic leader- ship and connections to the youth that St. John Paul the Great had as our pope and as one of three saints to touch the streets of Denver (Mother Cabrini and Mother Teresa). We truly live in a sacred space that should not be taken for granted. The beauty of the Pope in my hometown, a love of my church, and pilgrim- age, the beauty of my home city and a love for this fantastic saint are some of the bountiful gifts of WYD '93." -Tom Thomason, Denver "I was so excited to attend the Mass said by the Holy Father. I volunteered to take the overnight shift at Our Lady of Fatima to chaperone those youth that had trav- eled from all over the world to participate in World Youth Day. I had only had about 4 hours of sleep prior to this event due to my work & family schedule. I had the overnight shift the night before the Mass at Cherry Creek State Park. I left the church at 5 a.m. went home packed up my car, took my kids to their grandparents (they were very young) and headed to pick up a couple of people who also wanted to attend. I was going on pure love!!! Nothing was going to stop me from my one and only chance to attend a Mass said by a pope! Oh how lucky I was to be there with the Great John Paul II. Even though I was nowhere near close to meeting him, I was happy just to be in his presence as he shared our Lord with the thou- sands of other faithful." -Tamara Abad, Denver

• Cover