Denver Catholic

10 MARCH 26-APRIL 8, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese This is the‡ first part of a series of‡ arti- cles showcasing the many ways the annual Archbishop's Catholic Appeal enables and furthers the‡ divinely-instated mission of the‡Archdiocese of Denver. I n this Year of Mercy, we are approach- ing the time when Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila appears on TV and projec- tor screens in parishes across Northern Colorado and introduces the annual Archbishop's Catholic Appeal (ACA). The theme for this year's ACA is "Because of You," a simple way of saying that none of the ministry and work car- ried out each year by the Archdiocese of Denver would be possible without the faithful of Northern Colorado and those who generously give to the ACA. "God has put in our hearts a desire to perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy. When we do not have opportu- nities to do them, we can connect to the works others are doing by making a dona- tion," said Father Randy Dollins, vicar general of the archdiocese. "'Because of you' reminds us that even though we might not be the person directly perform- ing the work, it would not be possible were it not for the donations that support the existence of the ministry in the first place." There are a lot of moving parts in the Archdiocese of Denver that allow for it to do the work it does on a daily basis. Parishes play an integral role in the mis- sion of the archdiocese, and are a part of a bigger structural system that lays the foundation for the mission to happen, one that wouldn't exist without the ACA. STRONG FOUNDATIONS The oªces that make up the Pastoral Center are referred to as the Archbishop's Curia, and their mission is as such: to assist the archbishop in the administration of the archdiocese, communicate his vision, support his pastors and personnel, and bear witness to Christ and the Church's teachings through a lived example.§ Father Dollins is the moderator of the Curia, and he said that the work done by the oªces Pastoral Center is the unseen part of ministry. "The work that's being done by the Pas- toral Center supported by the ACA forms a foundation underneath the building where all the ministry can happen," Father Dollins said. "The ministry doesn't just happen without all of these other support structures." Father Dollins also said that the Pasto- ral Center and all of its teams and oªces are here to support all 109 parishes in the archdiocese. "Parishes have a much bigger sta‡ available to them than they do at their own parishes," he said. The ways in which the Curia supports parishes are many, Father Dollins said. For example, the Human Resources department at the Pastoral Center helps parishes with their own human resources operations, training business managers and creating hiring and screening proce- dures for all parishes to use. CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY With the recognition that parish com- munications are integral to the church's health and mission, the Oªce of Com- munications at the Curia launched the Denver Parish Connect initiative. Today, 73 separate parishes or archdiocesan ministries have taken advantage of one or more of these services. The Oªce of Communications o‡ers free digital tools, on-site training to parishes, points par- ishes to free resources and helps parish sta‡ adopt best practices from others who may be e‡ective in a particular area. To introduce this initiative, two free training sessions were held for sta‡ from 41 di‡erent parishes at the Saint John Because of You: A foundation for mission BY AARON LAMBERT 303-715-3138 | aaron.lambert@archden.org www.twitter.com/AaronLmbrt The work of the Pastoral Center and all of the support provided to parishes is made possible each year through the Archbishop's Catholic Appeal. PHOTO PROVIDED

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