Denver Catholic

8 SEPTEMBER 12-26, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC S ome parishes would take the sky literally falling as a cause for panic, especially if this happened a week before its golden anniversary celebration. St. Mary's parish in Greeley, however, refused to be ru³ ed when part of the ceil- ing of the church collapsed on Saturday, Aug. 15. No one was hurt, a fact for which parishioners say they thank God. "We're happy that if fell down when we weren't there, because where we sit is exactly where it fell," parishioner John Roessig said. The community immediately began to think about where to hold the Saturday vigil Mass. Parishioners heard that Mass would be at the parish hall, so they took 15 minutes to set up the space. Pastor Father James Goggins said he was not surprised to hear that his fl ock reacted with such resilience. "It told me hey have their priorities in the right place. They're helping each other, their faith is strong," he said. The vigil Mass went smoothly, but then there was the matter of needing to reorganize the parish's 50th anniversary, an event they had been planning for fi ve years. First they had to wait for inspections by an architect, structural engineer,² asbes- tos² abater, the City of Greeley, the fi re department, insurance adjusters and the archdiocese. "The baker and the candlestick maker should have been here, too," Roessig said. The o‹ cial diagnosis was that the dry- wall adhesive on the ceiling de-laminated. In other words, the glue gave out. Unfortu- nately, the inspectors also found asbestos. It would be months before the building would be² usable² again. The anniversary committee learned this on Tuesday, three days before the celebration was due to begin. Parishioners and pastor alike described this emergency as a "blessing." "Everyone has banded together. Every- thing's just fallen into place," Roessig said. "Strangely enough, it's kind of like this disaster with the ceiling has been a mixed blessing. Everyone has responded with joy," Father Goggins said. The celebration began Friday with a concert in the parish hall. The archbishop and all the living former pastors of the parish concelebrated a Mass on Saturday, which had to be held in the gym due to the high turnout. During his homily, the arch- bishop commended the parish's faith, and encouraged them to continue to grow in it by spending personal time meditating on the text of John 6. "Just as 50 years ago, the people of Gree- ley had the faith to build a new church, to build a new place for the faith to be pro- claimed, so too are we blessed in that. And so too do we give thanks to God for the con- sistent celebration of the Eucharist in this parish. And so too are we called to continue that," Archbishop Aquila said. Father Goggins gave a short address at the end of the liturgy, in which he thanked the parishioners for their communal and optimistic spirit. "Little by little, we have worked together to make all of this happen. Archbishop, this great community came together, and I didn't hear one complaint. I didn't hear one bitter person, one piece of negativity. Everybody was so positive and generous and helpful," he said. Father Goggins also said that having the archbishop present at the celebration was heartening for his congregation. "The most important thing for some- thing like this was to have our shepherd with us. He gave us a shot in the arm spiritually," Father Goggins said. "Our anniversary is not so much about the past—the past is over. It's about the future. That's why it was so important to have our²shepherd, Archbishop Aquila, here as we prepare for the future." Around the Archdiocese A faith driven, warm and welcoming environment offering a variety of living op ons: • Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care Secured Unit • Adult Day Programs • On-site Physician Clinic • Respite Care • Daily Mass and welcoming environment • Memory Care Secured Unit Embrace your Spiritual Journey! 2835 W. 32nd Ave., Denver 303-964-3804 chilivingcommuni es.org September 25-27 Weekend Retreat (Men & Women) September 30 Day of Prayer (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) October 2-4 Weekend Retreat (Men) October 13 Day of Prayer (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) October 16-18 Knights of Columbus Retreat (Men) October 23-25 Weekend Retreat (Women) 4801 North Highway 67, P.O. Box 185, Sedalia, CO 80135 Phone: 303-688-4198 ext. 122 (information/reservations) Website: www.sacredheartretreat.org St. Mary's parish anniversary: ceiling collapses, hope soars BY MELISSA KEATING 303-715-3123 | melissa.keating@archden.org www.twitter.com/mkeats42 Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrates Mass at Saint Mary's in Greeley. The parish said they were grateful for his presence after a disastrous week. PHOTO BY MELISSA KEATING/DENVER CATHOLIC

• Cover