cSw & jpiK ;#- .i:S'4,/'W S5i<''H s-iTis$'^3S-iiK «''' ■^^■c i L M i j M ’i y - W 3 I I S f / ^ P • i.'^ m . - ^OL. LX. NO. 20 M ay 16, 1984 Circulation 82,307 Colorado's Largest Weekly 40 Pages 25 CENTS t- ^. '\"n>“'rr~rr 11W .................mm < - ‘Journalist by Day... ...Priest by Night’ Msgr. Canavan Celebrates 50th Anniversary By Patricia Hillyer “I really developed a great love for my Register Staff journalistic career,” he said. He also en­ The same feisty personality, staunch loyalty, and joyed a special camaraderie with other newspaper men who often gathered at the ► V , robust jsense of humor that marked Msgr. Walter Canavan’s first years as a priest are no less evident 50 years later as Denver Press Club to exchange stories and he celebrates the golden jubilee of his priesthood this scoops. For a time, he served as director month. and vice president of the club. The Monsignor's long and colorful ministry has His journalistic talents later led him to been packed with a variety of people and projects, the office of publicity director for the Den­ resulting in a faithful following of fans all over ver Grand Opera Co. the world who keep in touch via cards, tetters and Rare Danvar Nativa personal visits to the Mullen Home for the Msgr. Canavan is one of the rare Den­ Elderly, where he now resides. ver natives who "loved Denver so much I A victim of diabetes, which has resulted never strayed further than a mile or two, in the amputation of both legs, the Monsignor except when I studied in Washington,” he has been forced to curtail his usual packed- said. agenda of activities, but it has not dimmed His parents had immigrated from Ire­ his cheerful spirit and vitality about life. land to Denver, where their five sons were Million Stories born. “I always wondered how my mother Monsignor Canavan has "a million could raise five boys,” the Monsignor said, stories” about the past 50 years, and he "but she handled it very well.” . m laughs jovially as he recounts those involv­ After ordination on May 26, 1934, by i r ing his 23 years as “a journalist by day and Archbishop Urban J. Vehr, Monsignor’s a priest by night.” first assignment was St. Anne’s Parish in The Monsignor was once assigned to the Arvada and chaplain of Mullen Home. Denver Catholic Register, where, he said, “It strikes my funny that after 50 years “I’d work like crazy every day on the paper, 1 have returned to the place of my first then rush home to my parish every night to assignment,” he said. perform my priestly tasks.” Msgr. Canavan served as assistant Although Msgr. Canavan teasingly ad­ pastor of Holy Family Parish in north Den­ mits, “I didn’t know how to write my name ver for a year before spending a summer at when I first went to work at the Register,” the Catholic University of America, taking he soon became known for his fiery editori­ graduate studies in English. ** als against Communism. (Continued on P a g e S) He Survived Over Six Years in Death Camps By Patricia Hillyar family has had strong ties with Church of the Good Father Herbert Banigan of Good Shepherd Parish, Register Staff Shepherd near their east Denver home. baptized Walter on the Wednesday preceding Easter, and Nachmann Daughtara Sister Marie Therese McGath, one of the Little Sisters of Walter Nachmann’s life journey has been one of high The two Nachmann daughters both attended the the Sick Poor who have long cared for Walter, was his pgakg and deep valleys. He endured nearly seven years in parish school, and Walter always accompanied the fami­ godmother. Nazi concentration camps, struggled to build a new life in ly to church on Sundays. Fatiwr Maxmillian Kolba America, and now has been crippled by illness and pain. Because Walter has been seriously ill in his later One of Walter’s fellow prisoners during his intern­ This past Holy Week he was baptized a Catholic. years — he nearly died twice — his desire to embrace ment under the Nazis was Father Maxmillian Kolbe, who Although Walter suffered intensely for his Jewish Catholicism dramatically intensified. “I was afraid I’d chose martyrdom to save another man’s life. Because of faith, he has been involved with the Church for many die before I was baptized,” he said, his dark eyes this special connection, Walter adopted Maxmillian years. His marriage to Katie took place in a Catholic twinkling. ”It was something I’ve wanted for a long Kolbe as his baptismal name. Church in Germany and. since coming to Denver, the tim e .” (Continued on Pago 3 ) P a f » — Tlw-Owier Ci W«C. Mar 25 Priests Given New Assidnments P Springs, to associate pastor, St. John the Evangelist s, Twenty-five priests are affected by new clergy assign­ Father Richard Ling, from assignment at Mother of IV ments made by Archbishop James V. Casey. God, Denver, to pastor of John XXIII, Fort Collins; Loveland; ^ _. ,„i,- >he 1C Theatine Father Mark Matson, from pastor, St. Pa­ Father Walter Jaeger, from pastor at St. Jo^ (Con Baptist’s, Longmont, to associate pastor at All bou , | ‘ , (See Official Assifninents on this page.) trick's, Holyoke, to pastor of a new parish to include Eagle, i'l It ■ ■■ ■ ■ J Beaver Creek, Avon, Wolcott; with temporary residence at Englewood; . ^ c, More than a dozen pastorates, including two "team spet St. Stehpen's, Glenwood; Father David Sobiesezyek, from associate pastor, * tion pastors," are included in the changes. Therese’s, Aurora, to associate pastor. Blessed Sacramen . Father Roger Moliison, from associate pastor at St. V «Ue Pastofs John the Evangelist’s, Loveland, to pastor of Ck>lumbine r^enver ’ Father Anthony Bliss moves from being pastor at St. Catholic Parish, Denver; Father George Weibel, from pastor, to associate pastor William’s, Fort Lupton, to being pastor at St. Joseph’s. Fort Father Joseph Monahan and Father Michael Gass, new of Columbine Catholic Parish; Collins; team pastors of St. John the Baptist's, Longnnont; Father Assistant Pastors Father Dorino DeLazzer, from pastor at Ali Saints', Monahan was assistant at Notre Dame, Denver, and Father Assignments of assistant pastors include: Denver, to pastor of St. Mary’s, Greeley; Gass, assistant at St. Mary's, Littleton: Father Stephen Adams, from Blessed Sacrament, Den­ Father Thomas Fryar, from assistant at Our Lady of Father John Murphy, from pastor at Church of the ver, to St. Anthony of Padua’s, Denver, with residence at Fatima, Lakewood, to pastor at St. Anthony's, Julesburg; Ascension, Montbello. to pastor of St. Paul's, Idaho Springs: Cure d’Ars, Denver: , Father Robert Greenslade, from pastor at St Mary’s. Father John O’Shea,S.J., from assistant at St. Joseph’s, Father Joseph Hartmann, from St, John the Evangel­ Greeley, to pastor at St. Michael's, Craig; F’ort Collins, to pastor of St. Patrick’s, Holyoke: ist's, Loveland, to Nativity of Our Lord, Broomfield, Father Lawrence Kaiser, from pastor at Sacred Heart, Father James Purfield, from associate pastor at All Father John Mancini, O.S.F.S., froiti St. Anthony ot Peetz, to pastor of the Church of the Ascension, Montbello; Souls. Englewood, to pastor of All Saints', Denver: Padua's, Denver, to Light of the World, Littleton, Associat* Pastors Father Guy Morgan, O.F.M., from St. John the Bap­ Father John Grabrian, from pastor at St. Paul's, Idaho tist’s, Longmont, to St, Joseph’s, Fort Collins; ^ Father Thomas Mosher, from St. Thomas More s, Communications Englewood, to St. Mary’s. Littleton; Father Lawrence Solan, from Ministry to the Deaf, to Charities Appeal St. John the Evangelist’s, Loveland; Collection Father Robert Whipkey, from St. John the Baptist’s, Needs Donations Longmont, to Notre Dame, Denver; Dear Family In Christ: Father Gerald Young, from Nativity of Our Lord, F^ch day, we are assaulted by a multitude of com­ Jim Mauck, director of Denver has reported both Broomfield, to St. Mary's. Littleton. mercial messages which exhort us to buy and enjoy Catholic Charities, announc­ the largest collection and products and .services which will make us happier, health­ ing the first report on the the most significant in­ ier, and presumably better, people. So accustomed are we Catholic Charities Annual crease. It is followed closely to advertising that we have developed the ability to “tune Appeal said that there ap­ by St. Bernadette's Parish out" any mes.sage not of interest to us at the moment. pears to be a major decline of Denver and Queen of The Denver Catholfc Register The multiplication of messages, as well as the increas­ in the level of giving this Peace Parish m Aurora (USPS 557-030) ing sophistication of the media involved in their trans­ year. He stated. "Compar­ Mauck said that "were it not The Most Reverend James V Casey 0 D ....... Publisher mission, has made it immensely difficult to communicate ing the same reporting peri­ for the significant increases James Fiedler .......... Eejitor anything. Whether the subject of the communication be as ods last year to this year, within these parishes the en­ jui>e Asner Associate Editor Lioui Riordan Contributing Editor trivial as the newest anti-persplrant or as important an there is already a loss of tire appeal would be in even Jim Pierson Business Manager issue as the Right to Life, both are a claim on our time and $10,000 ” more .serious shape Ffsnh Vecc*“ «*e'i' Advertising Director Editorial Staff attention, and tend to be treated as equally disposable.