Denver Catholic

CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I JULY 31, 2013 Turn to Christ for comfort, archbishop Surprise, tragedy and st tells Aurora theater shooting victims joy marks Archbishop BY NISSA LAPOINT hanor One year after the Aurora thenver ocese ater shooting, victims' families ebbingstill ached for those lost. They gathered for a memois son rial Mass July 19 to share tears, , 2, s wife, memories of loved ones and holds thoughts on life after death. "We believe she will greet us n aul, 1. in heaven," said Rena Medek, mother of 23-year-old victim Micayla Medek. "She is in a better place than we are." Megan Sullivan, sister of 27-year-old victim Alex Sullivan, said she could feel her brother's presence in the church where he converted and married before the shooting. "I would much rather he be in a great place, but at the same time I can feel him here," she said . The community joined the Medek and Sullivan families and other victims for the memorial Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Aurora where Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila led them in prayer for healing and comfort in Christ. "Certainly the sadness and the loss continue, but we know that the Lord is with us in it, that he is there because he suffered," the archbishop told the congregation. "Turn to him for comfort, turn to him who can take away the darkness, the bitterness, the resentment, the anguish and all of the questions. Turn to him who your family members now know in a much fuller and unique way than they ever did here on earth. For as our Lord reminds us and St. Paul teaches, faith and hope pass away, but love always remains." The anniversary was also marked with a city-sponsored remembrance ceremony July 20 at Cherry Creek State Park. The tragic day was fresh on survivor's minds. Many showed distress at recalling the lone gunman who opened fire on a packed crowd during a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knights Rises" at Century Aurora 16 theater. Twelve were killed and 70 injured. During Mass at the Aurora parish, each deceased victim's name was read and the choir sang the sorrowful lyrics to "Song of Farewell": "Give him eternal rest, O Lord; May light unending shine on them; Receive his soul, O holy ones; Present him now to God, most high." Victims' names were etched on lighted candles placed near the altar. Thirteen candles were displayed to include the sometimes forgotten 13th victim, Ashley Moser's baby. Moser, who survived, was pregnant Aquila's first year shepherding the archdiocese July 18 was the one-year anniversary of Archbishop Samuel Aquila's installation as archbishop of the Denver Archdiocese. He recently spoke with the archdiocese's Spanish-language newspaper, El Pueblo Católico, about his first year as archbishop. For the full interview, scan the QR code or visit www.archden.org. BY MAYÉ AGAMA PHOTO BY ROBERT LINN FOR THE DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP Samuel Aquila greets Bill and Sue Hoover, the grandparents of Aurora theater shooting victim A.J. Boik, after a July 19 memorial Mass at St. Michael the Archangel in Aurora. and miscarried as a result of the shooting. Her 6-year-old daughter, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, was also killed. Archbishop Aquila urged those gathered to have confidence in Christ's promise that he has prepared a place for everyone to spend eternity with him. "In the midst of the tragedy that was experienced, in the midst of the suffering that your family members suffered in their deaths, we are confident in the Lord's promise that he came to them and touched them. But it is only in putting our faith in Jesus Christ that we come to know that truth," he said. "Only by putting our faith in the God who is love and the God who is truth will we understand that his care is with his elect, that his care is with each one of those who were lost in the tragedy of the Aurora shooting." The archbishop was assisted by deacons and priests from Aurora parishes. St. Michael the Archangel's pastor, Father Terry Kissell, noted how the wounds from the tragedy were still fresh on the hearts and faces of those at the Mass. He said it's understandable why many wonder about God's existence after a tragedy. God gave people free will and the ability to choose good or evil, which "can become tragic for others," he said. Questions still lingered among some families about its meaning. Megan Sullivan, 26, said her brother's death shook her faith "quite a bit." "I think there's definitely times where it's hard to see where God was on that day," she said, adding she was raised Catholic. "I think after everything, I feel like my brother is putting me in a direction I would have never gone." She's since become the director of communications for the nonprofit Aurora Rise, which raises money to assist shooting victims. She has a constant feeling that she has a greater purpose in life, she said. Micayla Medek's grandmother, Marlene Knobee, said with tears in her eyes that she thinks about her granddaughter every day. "We were so close," she said. Rena Medek, who said she is non-denominational, is working to restore her faith. "I'm trying hard," she said. "I pray to God more." Q: What is your impression of the Denver Archdiocese as you mark your first year as archbishop? Archbishop Aquila: I have spent the year getting reacquainted with the Archdiocese of Denver. It has changed tremendously in the 11 years that I served as bishop of Fargo. I was surprised by the amount of growth, surprised by the number of people who are of Hispanic background living in Denver. I have also visited the Western Slope parishes in Craig, Meeker, and Steamboat Springs, and I have seen tremendous growth there. I have seen a continued growth in the various movements and groups like FOCUS, the Augustine Institute and Endow, as well as the increasing number of religious orders that have come, such as the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. … Seeing the depth of the Catholic faith of the people here within the archdiocese is a tremendous gift. Q: What have been the highs and lows of your first year as archbishop? Archbishop Aquila: Certainly the shooting in Aurora was very challenging and it happened the day after I was installed as archbishop. It brought back memories of Columbine because I worked closely with that situation. It was another tragic event and a reminder of the frailty of human life and the presence of evil in the world; but also an opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Then also the challenges, socially and culturally, that are taking place in a very real spiritual battle for the heart of our country: discussions around civil unions, same-sex marriage, the immigration issues, etc. All of those have been real concerns where I and the Church must give witness. The real joy of celebrating the Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; Holy Week liturgies at the Cathenissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. dral Basilica was a high point. Also, the ordination of seven new twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa priests, visiting many of the parishes throughout the archdiocese and visiting some of our high schools was a real blessing too. Q: As you said, there are real challenges confronting Catholics such as the federal Health and Human Services mandate, approval of Plan B emergency contraception for all ages, Supreme Court decisions on DOMA and Proposition 8, and in Colorado, the comprehensive sex education law. What encouragement can you offer to the faithful? Archbishop Aquila: I think the most important thing the faithful can do is really come first to their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and looking at what it means to surrender their lives to Christ, to give themselves totally to the Lord. It's precisely in losing our lives that we're saved. And it's precisely in our relationship with Jesus that we come to know what it means to be human beings and that we receive the gift of happiness. Secondly, once we experience that encounter with the Lord we have to live our faith in the world. Our faith must influence every decision that we make and all that we do. It is really ordering our lives according to the plan of God, not according to the plan of our country, or to what other people may think. The faithful are called to give witness in how they live, also in the way that they vote and what they support and don't support. Too many Catholics have supported things that are not of the heart and mind of the Church, and so they are not of the heart and mind of Christ. And part of the concern is that they don't know their faith. It becomes very important for us to help people to come to know their faith and help them to give witness to it. Q: An interest close to your heart is vocations to the priesthood. What is the situation with priestly vocations in the archdiocese? Archbishop Aquila: We are truly blessed with vocations. This year we have 14 men entering into the seminary. … There is a real healthiness in vocations. It is important though that we do not sit back but that we continue to pray for vocations and beg for workers for the harvest. Maye Agama is editor of El Pueblo Católico. Contact her at 303-715-3219 or at Maye. Agama@archden.org.

• Cover