Denver Catholic

5 DENVER CATHOLIC | OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 10, 2017 T here's a joke about religious work that goes, "The pay is poor but the benefi ts are out of this world!" That may be true, but it's little relief for the retirement years — particularly for priests. Sadly, after giving a life of service — usually 40 or more years — to the faithful, priests retire, typically at age 70, and sometimes fi nd they can't a" ord a place to live — particularly in Denver, where housing costs have soared the last several years. To address the problem, the archdi- ocese is building an $8.5 million priest retirement center, The Prophet Elijah House, on the St. John Paul II Center campus, 1300 S. Steele St. in Denver. "Our priests have helped nurture us spiritually throughout their lives, providing the sacraments and all that a priest does," said Keith Parsons, chief fi nancial o² cer for the Denver Archdiocese. "Although they have a retirement pension," he added, "it's not su² cient to pay for an appropriate place in our city. The cost of housing, especially senior living in Denver, is very expensive. "This will be an opportunity for retired priests to have a subsidized place to live, located on a beautiful, spiritual campus." Currently, Parsons said, retired priests may live in a rectory, as avail- ability permits, or depending on their fi nances, may buy or rent a place of their own. (When necessary, due to advanced age or declining health, some may enter an assisted-living senior home.) The Prophet Elijah House will provide a much-needed alternative, particularly as baby-boomer priests retire. "There's just under 40 retired priests today," Parsons said. "But on average, about fi ve men per year are expected to retire over the next several years." Named after the Old Testament prophet Elijah, the two-story, 24,150- square foot facility will have a dozen independent living suites and two guest rooms (for visitors or priests recovering from medical procedures). It will also o" er communal areas to aid fraternity, including a chapel, community kitchen, dining area, workout and rehab room, and an entertainment center with read- ing and conversation areas. Construction started on the facility in July and is expected to be completed next August. Architectural fi rm is Eidos Archi- tects; builder is Krische Construction. The architecture will mirror that of the elegant Renaissance revival build- ings currently gracing the century-old St. John Paul II Center campus, which is home to the archdiocese's two semi- naries and chancery o² ces. The name, Prophet Elijah House, aims to pay tribute to the life and min- istry of the priest, who fulfi lls the mod- ern-day role of the prophet to serve as an intermediary for God and point the way to salvation, Parsons said. "It refl ects men of knowledge and experience and wisdom," he said. "There's been a desperate need to give back to our priests who gave their lives to our archdiocese." About half the facility's cost has been provided by donors who want to make such a home possible, Parsons said. The archdiocese is seeking donations to cover the remaining half. "We are still in need of generous donor contributions to help complete the project," he said. The home will be open to retired priests, preferably incardinated in the Denver Archdiocese, who require no or minimal nursing care, Parsons said. "This is an option for those men who are still in the prime of their life who want to be able to a" ord a nice place to live and don't need assisted living support," he said. Around the Archdiocese Long-desired, needed priest retirement center under construction $8.5 million Prophet Elijah House to provide independent living suites, fraternity BY ROXANNE KING editor_king@icloud.com @RoxanneIKing A new retirement center for priests, The Prophet Elijah House, is under construction. PHOTO BY DAN PETTY | DENVER CATHOLIC YOU'VE EARNED SOME TIME FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE Currently under construction. OPENING FALL 2018 PROPHET ELIJAH HOUSE Website: (for priests and those interested in donating): ElijahDenver.org To donate: see website above or contact Jennifer Thompson with The Catholic Alliance at 720-476-7525 jennifer. thompson@TheCatholicAlliance.org or Keith Parsons at 303-715-3258 Help give back to our priests who have given so much to us. Support at elijahdenver.org from medical procedures). It will also o" er communal areas to aid fraternity, including a chapel, community kitchen, to live and don't need assisted living support," he said. OPENING FALL 2018 A digital mock-up of what the retirement center will look like when fi nished.

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