Denver Catholic

6 APRIL 27-MAY 10, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC H e preached unconditional love, to always forgive and to refrain from judging. Knowing that the truth sets one free and frees others to walk in truth, he was an open book about his own struggles. He had a special love for the poor and suž ering — plights he knew well from a di¢ cult childhood. Once a furniture restorer, he was a faithful son, friend and foster grandfather. Above all, he was a dedicated priest. Father Marcus Medrano, former longtime pastor of historic Sacred Heart Church in Denver, died April 4. He was 83. "He was a man of God, but he was also a man of the people," said Jennifer Ramos, 22, in a eulogy at the priest's vigil and rosary held at Sacred Heart on April 11. "Sacred Heart Church meant a lot to him," she continued. "He attended this church along with his mother and was an altar boy. He grew up in this [Curtis Park] neighborhood. He was shaped by the poverty and injustices that he wit- nessed in this community." By the time Marcus Medrano dropped out of high school at age 15 to work as a laborer at a box company, his father had already been dead eight years, and two sisters had died, both at age 6. He earned a high school equiva- lency certifi cate, belonged to a religious community for a time and later worked in furniture restoration. At age 44, he entered St. Thomas Seminary. After earning a bachelor's degree and completing formation, he was ordained to the priesthood on Aug. 2, 1986. In his 20 years of active minis- try, he only had two assignments: two years as parochial vicar at St. Joan of Arc Church in Arvada, followed by 18 years as pastor at Sacred Heart. He was the fi rst diocesan pastor o f the now 140-year-old church — the oldest continuously operating Cath- olic church in Denver — which had been run by the Jesuit order since it's inception. Located at the corner of 27th and Larimer streets, early parishioners included Elizabeth "Baby Doe" Tabor, second wife of silver king Horace Tabor; the "unsinkable Molly Brown" of Titanic fame; and Servant of God Julia Greeley, an ex-slave known for her heroic charity to the poor. By the time Marcus attended the parish grade school, however, the neighborhood had fallen on hard times. Wanting to return the once grand but by then shabby church to its orig- inal beauty, Father Medrano rolled up his sleeves and, with the help of two others, put his restoration skills to use refurbishing the altar, pews and wood- work. He hired down-and-out artists to restore the original murals. Aided by a grant from the Colorado Histori- cal Society and donations, he replaced the deteriorating steeple and had the church exterior sandblasted to expose the red brick hidden by dingy yellowish paint. He was as adamant about feeding bodies as he was souls. His instructions to staž ers regarding the parish's food bank were that no one was to be turned away. When those asking fi nancial assistance depleted the parish's meager resources, Father Medrano gave from his own pocket. "He was well-known for that," said longtime friend Javier Ramos, who helped Father Medrano with the church renovations and whose daughter Jen- nifer and wife, Myrna, eulogized the family's former pastor. "Father Medrano exemplifi ed his faith and vocation," Myrna Ramos said in her eulogy. "He practiced what he preached." "I don't like for people to hear, 'The priest isn't here.' I try to help them," Father Medrano told the Denver Cath- olic Register in 2000. "I love being a priest." Around the Archdiocese MAKE YOUR GIVING WORK FOR YOU! ENTERPRISE ZONE TAX CREDIT 25% state tax credit! Available with any donation to one of Catholic Charities' four homeless shelters through the Enterprise Zone Tax Credit program. CHILD CARE CONTRIBUTION CREDIT 50% state tax credit! Available with any donation to one of Catholic Charities' qualifying programs that provide quality child care for struggling families. Learn more at: ccdenver.org/TaxCredits 720-799-9311 TWO WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION: Still feeling the pinch from tax day? Center for Natural L aw Committed to advocating for Natural Law in our modern world. · Registered Professional Lobbyist · Online Natural Law Course O ered · Parish & Group Presentations Upon Request www.centerfornaturallaw.org (303) 759-3599 P.O. Box 100125, Denver, CO 80250 BY ROXANNE KING editor_king@icloud.com @RoxanneIKing Father Medrano restored boyhood parish to original beauty, helped needy souls FILE PHOTO

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