Denver Catholic

57 DENVER CATHOLIC | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024 "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) DISCIPLE OF THE MONTH Mary's on the move, thanks to these dedicated volunteers Con g r atulations MIKE AND TOM for being the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal "Disciple of the Month." If you know someone else who is courageously spreading the Gospel, please share his or her story with us at give.archden.org/nominate and they may become the next "Disciple of the Month!" Having come together in prayer for our nation, communities and families at a Prayer in the Square event, Mike Phelan and Tom Morrini partnered to encourage deeper prayer in parishes and communities across Northern Colorado, particularly through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima. Morrini's ministry roots stem from his Catholic education. "I was in a Marian devotion club in high school because I had faithful teachers," he said. "It's important to understand that Our Lady was born without sin and retained her virginity throughout her life, a difficult mystery of our faith." Phelan's path to Marian devotion was different. Raised in a Catholic family, his experiences in the Vietnam War and as a police officer led him to question his faith, causing him to stop practicing for a time. "Both Vietnam and the police department had negative effects on me, and I fell away from my faith," he reflected. "One day, I went into a Catholic church. A former coworker, serving as an usher, handed me a basket and asked me to help. That started my journey back to the faith." They now lead the Behold Your Mother ministry, traveling a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima, carved by a descendant of one of the original statue's sculptors, to parishes across the archdiocese. Affectionately known as "Our Lady of the Tahoe" due to the Chevy truck used for transport, the statue has visited almost every parish in the archdiocese, the Sisters of Life convent, and several Catholic schools. The ministry encourages families to pray together, even for a few minutes each night, providing olive wood rosaries to parishes. In recognition of their devoted service to the archdiocesan community, Mike and Tom have been recognized as this month's Disciples of the Month. Through their profound devotion to our Blessed Mother, they have brought abundant blessings to the archdiocese and to the parishes, schools and ministries they visit.

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