Denver Catholic

CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I MAY 15, 2013 lts Pilgrims walk across Denver with God BY NISSA LAPOINT A group of Our Lady of Loreto Parish pilgrims trekked across a part of Denver last week simply to burn daylight with the Lord. Some 30 parishioners, both young and old, walked 11 miles May 4 from Cherry Creek Reservoir to the John Paul II Center campus in Denver to spend time in prayer and raise funds for a youth pilgrimage. "You don't want to have too much of a plan," said Father Gregg Pedersen of the Foxfield parish. "You just squander your time with the Lord." The pilgrims paid for the opportunity to take part in the journey, which started in the morning at the reservoir. They sang songs, prayed the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet, and observed times of silence along their journey. Their walk of faith marked the approaching 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver. The funds raised from the pilgrimage will be used to support youths traveling to Rio de Janeiro for this year's World Youth Day led by Pope Francis. Neely Meeks, director of the parish's youth and young adult ministry, decided to organize the Denver pilgrimage to recognize the anniversary and its impact on Denver. Their route followed the exact steps of Blessed John Paul II when in Denver for World Youth Day, she said. "That was one of the fruits of it," said Meeks, 26. "It was a graced walk." Father Pedersen and Deacon Pilgrimage From Page 1 closer to God because he's who's helping me through this," she said. "Emotionally and spiritually it was extremely helpful. I just felt God's spirit and my husband's spirit in me, which helped me be stronger." Gary and Shannon Hooper, both 67, of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial said the journey to all the sites opened their eyes to the different atmospheres and worship styles from church to church. "We loved seeing the old in Fort Morgan to the brand new in Silverthorne," Gary Hooper said. "We just enjoyed the atmosphere and the people. It just gave us an uplifting feeling that the faith is alive all over." Many passports submitted to the archdiocese included notes of thanks, like from Steve and Christine Lee-Cotner with Alex and Madelyna Le. "Thank you for setting this pilgrimage up," Steve Cotner wrote. "We really enjoyed completing this with two of our CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN KARNA SWANSON Life, and faith, need water to survive PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER NEELY MEEKS, left, Our Lady of Loreto Parish youth and young adult director, and Father Gregg Pedersen, parochial vicar of the parish, lead a group of pilgrims down Steele Street in Denver May 4 for a walk of faith celebrating the anniversary of World Youth Day. Michael Magee helped lead and stamped the pilgrims passports' at different points during the walk. It was the first pilgrimage for Brittany Todd, 27, and her husband Shawn, 29. "I feel like I've accomplished something," Brittany said. "It gave me patience. Today it was just time in nature, with God and friends." She walked with her sister, Michele Hanselin, who said the walk was an opportunity to reflect on the spiritual journey. "Along the way you think about where you're going and what you're doing," she said. One youth on the pilgrimage, 16-year-old Caitlynn East, said the walk gave her a chance to slow down and notice the beauty in the world around her. PILGRIM PASSPORT AND MAP Meet the May 19 deadline to submit your passport and map to receive recognition for journeying on the Year of Faith pilgrimage. After six sites, pilgrims will be recognized in the Denver Catholic Register; after seven sites, pilgrims receive the lapel pin and recognition in the Register; and after eight sites, pilgrims receive the above plus a certificate signed by Archbishop Aquila. For more details visit http:// yearoffaith.archden.org or call 303-715-3230. grandchildren." The Jeff and Sonia McGarrity family in Littleton shared photos of their journey with their six children. A group of six ladies "Walking may seem ordinary but being able to see the beauty in something around me was extraordinary," she said. "It was uplifting." After the walk, the pilgrims knelt before a statue of Blessed John Paul II near the entrance of the John Paul II center and prayed. They then met to discuss their journey and ate dinner donated by the Knights of Columbus. Their night ended with outdoor eucharistic adoration, praise and Benediction. Deacon Magee said, laughing, that his feet hurt. But the experience was a gift. "You can't beat it." Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa who called themselves the "pilgrimage crew" posed for photos at their parish St. Michael in Craig and outside at Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden. Suzanne Reed of Thornton wrote in a note that the pilgrimage "inspired me in many spiritual ways." Many reported that they spent time in prayer at each site where parishioners were welcoming. "We just got to talk to a lot of people," said Judy Healy of her and her husband, Tom. The couple from Immaculate Conception Parish in Lafayette felt it was a life-changing experience, and were moved by the church architecture and relics. "It's such a feeling to know that all these Catholics are all over the world and we're all joined in the same faith," Judy Healy said. "And the teachings don't change. It was very uplifting and calming." Faithful are eligible for lapel pins and certificates if they submit their passport by Pentecost Sunday, May 19. See the accompanying box for details. Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa Five years ago, my mother gave me a 4-foot Ficus that she had been nurturing for little less than a decade. She handed the sturdy houseplant over to me proudly, noting the time and care she had put into pruning it and braiding its trunks. I was appreciative of the gesture, but I can't say I was excited by the prospect of having to tend to the needs of the growing tree, which were, in all honesty, minimal. Extremely tolerant to poor growing conditions, all it really needed me to do was keep it moderately hydrated. Within months, the tree had lost all of its leaves and had completely shriveled up. That experience taught me a valuable lesson: without water, living things die. The same can be said of our faith, and of the faith of our society and culture. Without the "living water," who is Christ himself, our faith wilts until it eventually shrivels up and dies. This weekend, there will be a second collection in parishes across northern Colorado for the Catholic Communications Campaign (CCC), which raises funds for national and local communications initiatives that seek to spread the message of the Gospel in our society. Half the proceeds will support local efforts here in the Archdiocese of Denver, such as our televised Sunday Mass on Colorado Public Television 12, and our two newspapers, the Denver Catholic Register and El Pueblo Católico. Church communications have an important role, particularly in this moment of our nation's history. We have to increase our efforts to push the message of Christ out through as many communications channels as possible. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI noted earlier this year in his message for World Communications Day, social networks are "increasingly becoming part of the very fabric of society." The Church must have a strong voice in the midst of these networks, but to do this, we have to change the way we communicate. To this end, our office is developing some exciting projects to promote the voice of the Church through these new channels and networks. First, our two newspapers are broadening their reach by developing networks on Facebook and Twitter. We have also partnered with OneBillionStories.com to offer our readers an integrated multi-media Year of Faith testimony series. Later this year, we will launch a new online presence for both publications. Second, our office, together with the Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries, has launched two podcasts, which you can find at DenverCatholic.org, or on iTunes. The first, titled simply the Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Podcast, offers a glimpse into the many and varied activities taking place here in the archdiocese. The second podcast gathers all the talks and homilies of Archbishop Samuel Aquila into one, easy digital feed that you can access on the go. We have progressed a lot this year, but we need to do much more. That is why I am asking you to consider giving to the Catholic Communication Campaign this weekend. Our society is slowly cutting itself off from Christ, the living water, and it can seem that faith has dried up completely. But there is hope. The seeds of faith continue to lie dormant just under the surface, and as we reintroduce the message of the Church into society, that faith will revive. And my Ficus tree? Well, it turns out there was a little life left in it after all. After a rigorous watering schedule, it sprouted dozens of new leaves within months. We named it Lazarus. Karna Swanson is the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Denver. Karna Swanson: karna.swanson@ archden.org; www.twitter.com/karnaswanson

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