Denver Catholic

2 APRIL 27-MAY 10, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE APR. 28: Confi rmation Mass, Sts. Peter and Paul, Wheat Ridge (2:00 p.m.) MAY 3: Confi rmation Mass, St. Thomas More, Centennial (6:30 p.m.) @ArchbishopDen Apr. 21 Christ is Risen! Our hearts cry out in joy Alleluia, for our God is faithful to his promises! May the heart of every human being open to the eternal love of the Father revealed in Jesus! Pray for those killed & wounded in Churches & hotels in #SriLanka! Fighting the darkness: Notre Dame and acts of faith W hen the famous cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris went up in fl ames last week, you could see and hear the pain in the faces and voices of the onlook- ers. People spontaneously gathered along the banks of the Seine River to sing the Hail Mary, paying tribute to the importance of Our Lady and the gift of faith. I, too, remembered the times I prayed in the Cathedral and celebrated Mass there, and especially the adora- tion chapel. The sheer beauty of Notre Dame and the feats of skill involved in its construction over 800 years ago always fi lled me with wonder. Paris fi re brigade chaplain Father Jean-Marc Fournier also gave witness to the gift of faith when he rescued the relics of the Crown of Thorns, the Blessed Sacrament and numer- ous other sacred objects. He told the French magazine Famille Chrétienne that when he rescued the Blessed Sacrament it was "an act of faith. … I asked Jesus — and I really believe he is present in these hosts — to fi ght the fl ames and preserve the building ded- icated to his mother." The tragedy of the Notre Dame fi re has brought forth these acts of witness to the faith. It was also inspiring to see the outpouring of pledges for rebuilding Notre Dame that followed the blaze. Taken together, this spiritual and monetary support shows that even if people are far from the faith or not even Christian, we are all made for beauty and therefore the ultimate source of all that is true, good and beautiful, God himself. Next weekend, May 4-5, we will launch the annual Archbishop's Cath- olic Appeal in all the parishes of the Archdiocese of Denver. This appeal provides the people of northern Col- orado with their chance to testify to the gift of faith and be a light to the world. The charity of thousands of people in our archdiocese is already appar- ent. Through our homeless shelters, a safe place to sleep was provided for more than 200,000 nights in 2018. Our až ordable housing system helped restore dignity by supplying housing for almost one million residents. We also fed the hungry, ož ering 612,158 meals to those in need. Our St. Rapha- el's Counseling ministry was able to begin the healing process by counsel- ing 667 clients, totaling thousands of hours of care. These ež orts demonstrate our love for Christ in the needy. But the Arch- bishop's Catholic Appeal also brings the gift of faith to countless people in our parishes and local commu- nities. The O¢ ce of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries trains catechists, youth ministers and parish staž in ež ective evangelization, provides retreats and helps engaged couples prepare for a happy, lifelong marriage. The Leadership Institute and other ež orts of this o¢ ce make valuable contributions to help create a culture of missionary discipleship in our archdiocese. Perhaps the two ministries that have the most direct impact on par- ishes and are funded through the appeal are St. John Vianney and Redemptoris Mater Seminaries. I frequently hear from people about how impressed they are with our seminarians and their witness to the faith. This is a tribute to the dedicated ež orts of the formators and profes- sors at our two seminaries. There are nearly 40 ministries that benefi t from the appeal, so the impact of their witness is much more exten- sive than my brief description. Just as the unfolding of the fi re at Notre Dame cathedral demonstrated the impact of faith and beauty on so many people, so, too, does the fruit of the annual appeal shine forth. The fruit we bear constantly reminds us that Jesus is truly risen and that he lives among us. We are able, through your generosity, to bring the love of Jesus Christ to hundreds of thousands of people in a world that is desperately searching for it. I invite you to prayer- fully consider how God is calling you to join this ež ort. Thank you for your generous and sacrifi cial support of the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal. May God bless you this Easter season and help you be a light to the world! Archbishop Smuel J. Aquil confi rms confi rmndi during the Ester Mss t the Cthedrl Bsilic of the Immculte Conception April 21. PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT

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