Denver Catholic

11 DENVER CATHOLIC | DECEMBER 22, 2018-JANUARY 25, 2019 VIBRANT SCHOOLS Our schools continue to prove they are worthy of the name "Catholic." The Archdiocese of Denver gained a new superintendent of Catholic Schools in Elias Moo, the former principal of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy. Moo's vision is to be successful academically but more importantly "to be known as the best for the world." The Variable Tuition Program was launched to adjust tuition for families based on what they can a¯ord, while Seeds of Hope continued to help families who desired a Catholic education for their children make that a reality. Many of our schools embraced exciting changes, including St. Frances de Sales' new STEM program, Our Lady of Lourdes' additional campus and Nativity Catholic School's new principal and new name — Nativity: Faith & Reason. The strong faith of our Catholic school students was evident when they honored the victims of the Parkland, Fla. shooting with prayer this spring. Sophia Montessori Academy opened in February and thrived in its first year. Augustine Institute began o¯ering lay people and clergy the chance to take a series of three- class seminars from leading theologians. The Fill the Seats campaign was created to allow schools to provide scholarships for middle-income families. The Saint John Institute held its inaugural graduation for its MBA program centered on the New Evangelization. Holy Family High School broke ground on its expansion. POWERFUL TESTIMONIES Catholics in northern Colorado inspired us with powerful stories of faith throughout the year. Tom Marti- nez unexpectedly went blind in Decem- ber 2016 but continued to pursue his dream of opening a brewery, reaching success through Blind Faith Brewing. Elías Venegas jumped from the third floor of a construction site consumed by a raging fire and su¯ered no broken bones, organ damage or a concussion. He believed God was there protecting him from harm. Doctor Fredrik Hie- bert, archaeologist-in-residence for National Geographic, and a team of researchers from the National Technical University of Athens, shared with the Denver Catholic their incredible experience going inside the Tomb of Jesus Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and how it shaped their faith. Maria Antonia, mother of seven children — four of whom are priests and three of whom are married with families — maintained an unwavering faith despite su¯ering an aggressive cancer that paralyzed her body and took her life. Maria Deflin encouraged her friend Angela Brown to baptize her first child, and years later he became a priest. Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips won the Supreme Court case that addressed his decision not to write a message about same-sex marriage on a wedding cake because it contradicted his beliefs. Lieutenant Derrick Johnson, a veteran of the Denver Fire Department and now a candidate in the archdiocese's diaconate program, shared with the Denver Catholic his devotion to Julia Greeley, a former slave now on the road to saint- hood. Firefighter and paramedic Mark Hutchinson prayed as he fought the Lake Christine Fire this summer, which, despite its rage, did not injure or kill anyone in the area a¯ected. Deacon Witold Engel shared his remarkable story of surviving three concentration camps during the Holocaust before answering the call to the diaconate. Pat opened up to the Denver Catholic about the abuse she su¯ered at the hands of a priest when she was five years old, but the courage she has mustered to remain in the Church her entire life. The D'Onofrio family subtly inspires many through their Stargazer Fine Chocolates shop. PARISH LIFE This year the Denver Catholic introduced "Parish Spotlight," a section meant to keep the archdiocese informed of the initiatives and highlights of other par- ishes throughout the Archdiocese of Denver. The parish is really the heart of the Church; it's where the faithful gather to receive Jesus in the Eucharist each week as well as other sacraments, where the young, curious and everyone in between are educated in the faith and where the Church community is built. And based on the many stories we told about parishes in the past year alone, we're happy to say that parish life is alive and well here in the archdiocese. Among the parish occasions we highlighted were the beautiful renovations of St. Mary's Parish in Aspen, Holy Name Parish in Sheridan and, of course, the extensive restoration of our beloved Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Con- ception; the 50th anniversary of Queen of Peace Parish and its future building projects; the great evangelizing e¯orts at Christ the King Parish in Evergreen, Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada, St. Mary's Parish in Littleton and St. Peter's Parish in Greeley; the groundbreaking for a new church building for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Ft. Collins and for renovation and expansion at St. Mark's Parish in Westminster; the family-like environment present at St. Martin de Porres in Boulder; and the Capuchin spirit of service to the poor witnessed at Annunciation Parish in Denver. A SOLEMN PROMISE In light of a new wave of victims coming forward with accusations of sexual abuse made against bish- ops and priests, the Arch- bishop of Denver Samuel J. Aquila asked for the Promise website to be created and continuously updated "to ensure that the archdiocese is trans- parent about our handling, prevention, and response poli- cies in regards to the sexual abuse of minors and misconduct." Archden.org/promise details the prom- ises made by Archbishop Aquila to everyone, the Catholic faithful, all priests and deacons, and seminarians, in which he outlines the zero-tolerance procedures that the Archdiocese of Denver has held for decades regarding sexual abuse or misconduct and adheres to them "with great diligence." Moreover, it o¯ers an overview of the archdiocese's track record, providing context of the broader issue, sharing resources for anyone seeking healing from abuse and serving as a channel for people who want to have their voice heard. ARCHDEN.ORG/PROMISE PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY PHOTO BY AARON LAMBERT PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT PHOTO BY JASON WEINRICH

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