Archdiocese of Denver: hotbed of lay apostolatesDenver is known not only for its natural beauty (which attracts thousands of tourists) but for its cultural life, thriving economy and, from the point of view of faith, for the imprint it has had on the church nationwide.
The Archdiocese of Denver has been the seedbed of many apostolates and lay movements that have had an impact on ecclesial life in the country. Some of these were born after World Youth Day and the visit of Pope John Paul II in August 1993.
To learn more about the Archdiocese of Denver and its work, Omnes interviewed Dr. Scott Elmer, Chief of Missions for the archdiocese. He is married with five children. He holds a master's degree in Systematic Theology from the Augustine Institute and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic University of America. His job is to oversee that evangelization efforts, faith formation and curial departments are aligned with the mission of the Archdiocese.
In terms of cultural and ethnic communities, how is the Archdiocese composed?
- There are different ethnic groups in the archdiocese but the three main ones are Caucasian, Latino and Vietnamese. Generally speaking, half of the population is Latino, from several generations. Many are bilingual. We also have a fairly large Vietnamese community and immigrants continue to arrive from different parts of the world.
How has that ethnic presence evolved in Denver?
- In general, Denver is a very Caucasian city compared to other cities. However, starting in the 1990s, large groups of Latino immigrants began to arrive, so we have become increasingly Latino. Also the Vietnamese presence has been stable, although we have more and more ethnic groups coming from different parts of Africa.
What are the main apostolates or lay movements in Denver?
- In terms of lay ecclesial movements, the Christian Family Movement is the largest. We also have the presence of the "Charismatic Renewal", "Centro San Juan Diego", "Prevention and Rescue" (apostolate to help people and families in situations of addiction and gangs), "Nocturnal Adoration", "Cursillos de Cristiandad", "FOCUS" and "Families of Character" (dedicated to support parents with children).
We also have many apostolates that were born in Denver, are based here and have had a great impact throughout the country. For example "Augustine Institute", "Amazing Parish"(Apostolate oriented to provide tools to help parishes) or "Real Life Catholic"(ministry dedicated to evangelization in the modern era), among others.
How was the diocesan experience with the Synod of Bishops?
- It was a really beautiful experience. I don't remember the number, but thousands of people from parishes and lay ecclesial movements participated. There were many parish sessions dedicated to listening. Our pastors did an admirable job of making the parishes available for it. What we did was basically to listen to the Lord, considering in discernment what He was telling us.
In practical terms, people were asked to meditate on certain questions related to our mission, for example: what is the role and mission of a disciple, what is the mission of the family, of the parish and of the archdiocese? In fact, these were questions we were already working on. The answers provided us with a lot of information, but also confirmation, affirmation and encouragement in this whole process.
Then we had a big three-day Synod with two representatives from each parish. We had about 400 or 500 people with their pastors. In those sessions we took back the responses, summarized them and meditated on them again. This was the basis for the report that was sent to the bishops' conference.
How did people feel about participating in this synodal process?
- They were happy and excited. They said it was very meaningful to participate and be part of "something bigger" than their parish. I think one of the main benefits was that people felt they learned to pray and meditate together on certain topics. So the reception was very positive.
How was the experience in Denver with the Eucharistic Revival?
- At the diocesan level we organized groups from the curia to visit our deaneries, parishes, some of the peripheral areas and explain what our objectives for the Eucharistic Renaissance were. The process was similar to the diocesan Synod: we had representatives from all the communities, parishes and movements. There were also talks and of course time for prayer.
The Archbishop celebrated a Mass in which he commissioned people to go to the parishes and help them in the process. This helped them prepare for the parish phase of the Eucharistic Revival. During the year and the parish phase we established pilgrimage sites centered on some aspect of the Eucharist. Thus, panels with material centered on Eucharistic miracles were set up in these parishes. On some occasions there were speakers who gave a talk, followed by a time of adoration or a Mass. For example, on one occasion Dr. Ben Aekers, a professor at the Augustine Institute, spoke at Precious Blood parish on the Eucharist as sacrifice.
Also, the national Eucharistic pilgrimage crossed Denver June 7-9. There were several Eucharistic processions in the downtown area, as well as adoration and opportunities for service in the city. And during the National Eucharistic Congress there was a contingent from the archdiocese.
From your perspective as a Christian husband, married for eleven years with five children, what would you say to a person who is considering marriage as his or her vocation?
- Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be given to you. There is only one thing that will be important in the end: your relationship with God. If our hearts are right and we are seeking Him, His plan will unfold. He will take care of all the things that concern you. Don't sacrifice any aspect of your relationship with God, because He wants the best for us and we have to trust Him.
