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10 MARCH 7-13, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 425-9511 Mt. Olivet Cemetery 12801 W. 44th Ave. Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 424-7785 St. Simeon Cemetery 22001 E. State Hwy. 30 Aurora, CO 80018 (720) 859-9785 • Professional, personalized service • Respectful • Compassionate The Archdiocese of Denver Cemeteries and Mortuary Caring for the faithful in Northern Colorado since 1893 in their most personal time of need. Annual convocation focuses on liturgy I n an annual all-day meeting with deacons of the Archdiocese of Denver, Archbishop Samuel Aquila highlighted the importance of their responsibilities during Mass. "It is my desire to see every one of you grow in your faith in Jesus Christ through your ministry of diakonia (service) in the Church," the archbishop began his address at Deacon Convocation Day Feb. 28 to some 160 deacons gathered in the refectory of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. "In particular, I would like to see your awareness and understanding of your role in the liturgy deepen, so that you will be able to carry it out with seren- ity and a prayerful disposition." He focused his comments on the origins of the diaconate, implications for the way they carry out their roles, and then exam- ined the spiritual meaning of the various actions they perform during the liturgy. "At a practical level," he instructed, "you should make it a habit to pray to the Holy Spirit for his gifts before you exer- cise your ministry, especially before you participate in the sacred liturgy." Quoting Msgr. James Moroney's book "The Deacon and the Liturgy: A Search for Identity," he said a deacon "must min- ister to the priest and to the altar with the humility of him whose very body and blood were o" ered on the altar of the cross." "This is even more the case when it is a liturgy that I am presiding over," Arch- bishop Aquila said. "As the archbishop, I am the chief steward of the mysteries of God, which means that I am the modera- tor, promoter and guardian of the whole liturgical life of the Church in the Arch- diocese of Denver." For that reason, those Masses must be an example for the archdiocese and taken seriously. He then refl ected on three moments during Mass where deacons play a "signifi cant but often underappre- ciated role"—proclamation of the Gospel, intercessory prayers and preparing the altar with the gifts. "You have a great responsibility to pro- claim the truth ... to the faithful, to those who are fallen away, to the indi" erent and to those who have never heard the good news," he said. "In the context of the Mass, it is therefore particularly import- ant for you to read the word of God with clarity, conviction born from your life of prayer, and the solemnity appropriate to the occasion." The proclamation of intercessory prayers must be connected to their min- istry of charity. "To carry out this role e" ectively, your ministry of charity must put you in touch with the struggles of the people in your parish," he said. "The faithful need to know that you are a trustworthy, compas- sionate person that they can approach." When placing the gifts on the altar, a deacon must represent the "joys, su" er- ings, fears, strengths and weaknesses of the faithful" and assist the priests in sanc- tifying "the whole Christian community by connecting their gifts and sacrifi ces to the wellspring of grace found in the Eucharist." His talk was followed by a Q -and-A session. Then the archbishop's personal secretary, Father Scott Bailey, led a ses- sion clarifying some of the fi ner points of a deacon's role during a liturgy celebrated with the archbishop. In the afternoon, Ben Akers, director of the Catholic Biblical School, led two sessions on Scripture. "It helps the deacons," explained Deacon Joseph Donohoe, director of deacon personnel. "The archbishop has really been portraying over the last couple years how important it is for the deacons to know the book of the Gospels. Not just what is being said, but to be the voice of Jesus speaking to the people— both when they proclaim and when they do a homily." There are 188 deacons serving the Archdiocese of Denver. Deacons spend time with archbishop Archbishop Samuel Aquila addresses deacons in the refectory at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary during Deacon Convocation Day Feb. 28. PHOTO BY DEACON MICKEY WEBRE BY JULIE FILBY 303-715-3123 | julie.fi lby@archden.org www.twitter.com/DenCathJulie