Denver Catholic

7 DENVER CATHOLIC | SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 13, 2017 Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency NCUA Uniting Your Faith and Finances Call: 303.424.5037 Click: Fideliscu.org or Come by today! The Fidelis Mobile App Download It Today! • Check your account balance(s) • View transaction history • Transfer funds • Pay bills or pay your friends • much, much more! IT'S HERE! Dr. Barbara Jenkins, AuD, BCABA Colorado's First Board Certifi ed Doctor of Audiology Diocese Parishioner We take your Hearing Seriously. www.AdvancedAudiology.com 303.649.2122 Centennial, Colorado 80112 • 85% of our patients come from physician and patient referrals • A+ Rated and BBB Gold Star Company • 2013 Best of Service Award – Centennial/Englewood • 2015 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics and Integrity Advanced Audiology, Inc. Hearing & Tinnitus Center Most Humanitarian Practice 2015 National Award Sivantos Hearing Care Most Humanitarian Practice 2015 National Award Sivantos Hearing Care St. John Vianney's new seminary rector shares his hopes for this year and beyond BY THERESE BUSSEN A s the school year starts o‹ , so does St. John Vianney Theo- logical Seminary, and this year, Father Daniel Leonard, former pastor of Christ the King Parish who has taught at the seminary for 17 years, begins his fi rst year as rector. Born in Cork, Ireland, Father Leon- ard was ordained in 1994 and holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifi cal Gregorian University and a licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifi cal Athenaeum Regina Apos- tolorum in Rome. DENVER CATHOLIC: You've been serving in the Archdiocese of Denver since 2000. What has been your experience here in the Archdiocese? FATHER DANIEL LEONARD: I arrived in Denver in February, 2000. Before that, I had spent 14 years in Rome studying and teaching. I was ordained a priest in 1994. During my fi rst six years of priesthood, I was dedicated to the academic life. It was a good life, but I had a desire for a pastoral experience in a parish. The opportunity arose for me to come to Denver. The idea was to help teach philosophy at St. John Vianney Sem- inary and to be assigned to a parish. My fi rst assignment was as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Boulder and subsequently to Christ the King Parish, where I served as pastor for the last 12 years. It has been a very rewarding experience for me. DC: You've been a professor at the seminary for 17 years; what are some of the most important things you've learned while teaching ? FL: I actually have been teaching in a seminary setting for the past 27 years! I taught for 10 years in Rome at the Pontifi cal Athenaeum Regina Apostolo- rum and then for the past 17 at St. John Vianney Seminary. Even though I have taught many di‹ erent courses in phi- losophy and theology, the focus of my academic work has been philosophy of religion. I've enjoyed engaging with students in trying to answer simple yet complicated questions such as, "What is religion? And why are humans reli- gious?" from an interdisciplinary per- spective. Teaching at the seminary is satisfying since we have eager students who are more than willing to learn. DC: What excites you about this new role as rector? FL: Instead of having a parish or a territory to pastor, a rector is given an ecclesiastic institution, in this case, the seminary. It comes with the tre- mendous task of looking after the gift of the priestly vocation which God has placed in the hearts of some men. It is a mission of accompaniment, to help form them in the human, spiri- tual, intellectual and pastoral dimen- sions. I like to say that the seminary is the most important parish in a dio- cese. It is a kind of parish of parishes as we prepare future pastors. DC: Is there anything that you especially hope to accomplish? FL: I told the seminarians that, as a seminary, we are given the mission and vision by the Church: Form good pastors. To use a culinary analogy, we all have the same recipe. However, just like individual chefs have a secret sauce or secret method of prepara- tion, each seminary is a little di‹ er- ent, each one has its own distinctive fl avor. I would like to put emphasis on two of the fruits of the Spirit: Love and joy. Love in the sense that every seminarian should know and be aware that he is supported by a loving community that wants them to suc- ceed in every way. Joy that fl ows from following the Lord, and of course, the joy of learning. Q&A WITH FATHER DANIEL LEONARD I like to say that the seminary is the most important parish in a diocese." FATHER LEONARD "

• Cover