Denver Catholic

11 DENVER CATHOLIC | JULY 23-AUGUST 12, 2016 up in the sanctuary and the side altars. There's a lot of deterioration outside on the cement portions of the Church." The deterioration is such that pieces of exterior stonework have fallen onto the ground. One such piece currently sits on Father Uhl's desk. A capital campaign has been put into place entitled "Holy Ghost, Renewed by The Spirit!" which has a monetary goal of $2.4 million in order to help with the list of improvements around the church, which include lighting in the sanctuary, cleaning the sanctuary ceil- ing, and cleaning and repairing cracked stone and tile. "We just went over the half way mark last week (the week of June 5th). A lot of that is from the parishioners here at Holy Ghost," Father Uhl said. The church building itself, with its mixture of Spanish and Italian Renaissance architecture, points to the mystery of the Catholic faith. Inside, one fi nds its walls and columns covered in 300 tons of cream, dark pink and ruby colored marble. Among its many high- lights one will also notice an ornate'bal- dacchino. The'baldacchino'is the arched roof that is above the tabernacle and was specifically designed into Holy Ghost for the purpose of Adoration, which still continues to this day Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m - 3:00 p.m. Father Uhl' commented, "In the last 70 years Denver has seen so many changes. So many huge buildings con- structed . . .all kinds of expansion, growth . . . and yet Holy Ghost is still here. It's still a church that is thriving, that professes the faith, that lives the faith in sacraments and social minis- try. So with all the changes in Denver . . . there's a constant in [downtown] Denver and one of those constants is Holy Ghost." The social ministry program at Holy Ghost is another "constant" in the church's story and that of down- town Denver. The ministry is embod- ied through a story of one of its former pastors, Monsignor Charles Woodrich, lovingly known as Father Woody, who had opened up the doors of Holy Ghost during a pair of particularly cold winter evenings. Father Uhl'added, "He prob- ably saved lives that night." The social ministry program today includes such services as regularly handing out between 500 - 750 sand- wiches a day to those in need, provid- ing vouchers in obtaining vital records, and providing various clothing items throughout the year. It has been Holy Ghost's pastors who have consecutively continued these programs. Some samples of restoration work can already be seen throughout Holy Ghost. Looking at the roof of the transept, near the front left portion of the church, it's possible to compare the restoration work alongside the uncleaned portions. Also, the sixth and seventh stations of the cross have been touched up. If you wish to assist the capital cam- paign, donations may be made online through the' Holy Ghost website, by calling the parish oŸ ce, or by taking the time to stop by the church itself to place an oŠ ering in a secure donation box. The celebration for Holy Ghost will take place during July 2018, and further details will be forthcoming as the parish continues in its preparations. With all of the ordinary sightings around downtown Denver and our day-to-day lives, it is important for us to take a moment to stop and recognize the extraordinary gift in the sacraments and in this "fi eld hospital" located in the midst of downtown Denver, Holy Ghost. Warmest congratulations to R. L S on his 50 th year of Priesthood You are invited to join us in the celebration on Sunday, August 14th: • Mass at 11:00 am at St. Mary of the Assumption, 135 Pine St. in Central City. • Reception will follow at William C. Russell Park, just west of Central City. • A chicken picnic lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by email to info@GodRushCatholic.org or by phone to Martha at 303-903-8344, Lynn at 303-956-5615 or Ruth at 970-485-3473. Father Chris Uhl holds a piece of the exterior stonework that has fallen oš of the outside of Holy Ghost Parish. Donate to the renovation at holyghostchurch.org Thebaldacchinoof the church, aœgiant archway that sits above the tabernacle, is just one piece of the interior of the church that will be restored. PHOTOS BY ANDREW WRIGHT | DENVER CATHOLIC REMODEL

• Cover