Famed Friar Visits Machebeuf
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www.archden.org 104 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume LXXXI – No. 6 FEBRUARY 16, 2005 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ‘Pooh's Heffalump Movie’ a heartwarming tale about friendship and acceptance PAGE 11 PHOTO BY JAMES BACA/DCR FRANCISCAN FATHER STAN FORTUNA applies ashes to the forehead of a student during an Ash Parenting books give Wednesday Mass at Bishop Machebeuf High School Feb. 9. The talented musician-priest also performed a earnest advice for a concert for the students. tough job FAMED FRIAR VISITS PAGE 10 MACHEBEUF WORLD/NATION Father Stan mixes music, spirituality for students PAGE 2 PARISH NEWS WEIGEL SPECIAL FOCUS: SENIOR PERSPECTIVES Greeley’s St. Mary These Senior parish celebrates A knight CNS FILE PHOTO 40th anniversary, Ambassadors bring hope Volunteer passes PAGE 12 Pope leaves key milestones service PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Loneliness, disengagement biggest hospital challenges to newly widowed keeps Breakfast shines spotlight on PAGE 13 after 10 retired swelling ranks of homeless Grandparenting from a distance days man going PAGE 14 PAGE 3 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 ARCHBISHOP’S COLUMN CHARTER FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE UPCOMING CONFERENCE WILL Letter from the archbishop on audit results CHALLENGE YOUR INTELLECT AND Archdiocese fully compliant with charter provisions for FEED YOUR SOUL second year, exceeds requirements in key areas PAGE 2 PAGE 5 2 l FEBRUARY 16, 2005 l DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER COVER STORY ARCHBISHOP’S COLUMN MOST REV. CHARLES J. CHAPUT O.F.M. CAP. Upcoming conference will challenge your intellect and feed your soul ‘Living the Catholic Faith’ event aims to deepen skills in preaching, teaching Catholic faith All adult Catholics are teachers. That’s one of our mandates as believers. And like never before in history, we need to be people rooted in the Church and faithful to her teachings. In an age of confusion, the Church is our only reliable guide. Through her, it’s our job to form our children and ourselves in the truth that will make us genuinely free. Most of us know C.S. Lewis as the author of “The Chronicles of PHOTO BY JAMES BACA/DCR Narnia” or “The Screwtape Letters.” But he was a teacher as well as ATTENTIVE STUDENTS at Bishop Machebeuf High School listen as Father Stan Fortuna displays his a writer — and in his lectures, he often described God as a sculp- musical prowess. The visiting South Bronx friar is one of the eight original members of the Community tor. For Lewis, the suffering in a person’s life has a special mean- of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, based in New York City. ing, which is echoed again and again in Scripture. Proverbs tells us, “Do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (3:11-12). And the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that in suffering, “God is treating you as Franciscan friar mixes music and sons, for what son is there whom a father does not discipline?” (12:7). Suffering is a tool. God uses it to shape each of us into the spirituality for high school students saints he wants us to be. God sees the shape of our holiness in the marble of our humanity. Then He cuts away the stone of sin to BLENDING free us. Father Stan Fortuna MULTIPLE It’s a great metaphor. Anyone who has seen Michelangelo’s delivers message of VOICE sculpture of the Pieta knows exactly what Lewis meant. The fig- tracks, ures of Jesus and Mary have a living humanity. The smoothness of accountability, Father Stan the skin, the elegance of the limbs, the sorrow on Mary’s face — Fortuna per- these things are so real that we can forget they came from a slab of resisting temptation forms an im- marble. The sculptor saw the beauty in the stone … and he set it and value of prayer passioned free with a hammer and a chisel. Nobody remembers the hammer song at a blow; that was over in an instant. They’re too moved by the beauty BY ED LOPEZ special Ash of the results. The beauty lasts forever. Wednesday Now, people aren’t blocks of stone. They’re living tissue, with concert. the freedom and dignity of children of God. And teachers aren’t Swaying and rapping, bringing chisels and hammers. Or at least they shouldn’t be. They are ac- forth hot licks from his guitar, tive, cooperating agents in God’s plan, not merely his instruments. Franciscan Father Stan Fortuna But we can still draw some lessons from the sculptor and his work. treated students at Bishop First, the great sculptor is motivated by love, not merely techni- Machebeuf High School to an ex- cal skill. The sculptor loves the beauty and the truth he sees locked traordinary display of musician- in the stone. In the same way, the great teacher loves the possibili- ship and spiritual depth during ties for beauty and truth — the hint of the image of God — she an Ash Wednesday concert at the sees in the face of her students. school. Next, the great sculptor has a passion for his work and a confi- With his beard and ponytail, dence in his vision. In like manner, no Catholic catechist, teacher Father Fortuna might be easily or parent can form another person in the faith without a passion mistaken for a street musician for the Gospel, a personal zeal for Jesus Christ, and an absolute with an open guitar case plying his trade at a subway station in confidence in the truth of the Church and her teaching. No PHOTO BY JAMES BACA/DCR teacher can give what she doesn’t have herself. If you yourself don’t New York were it not for his gray him an eager and receptive audi- the concert in which he mixed his believe, then you can only communicate unbelief. If I’m not faith- robe. ence. personal story with potent mes- ful myself, then I will only communicate infidelity. Who we are, is Beyond appearances, however, “The wound of original sin un- sages of accountability, resisting part of the formation we give to others. Father Fortuna’s humor, honesty leashes a downward pull,” Father temptation and forging a strong Next week, Feb. 25-26, priests, catechists, teachers and parents and knack for knowing how to Fortuna warned early on during from around the Archdiocese of Denver and beyond will come to- connect with young people won See Fortuna, Page 3 gether for our annual “Living the Catholic Faith Conference.” With its Year of the Eucharist focus of “Encounter the Living Christ,” our DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER 2005 gathering will offer all of us an opportunity to refresh our spirit and deepen our skills in teaching and preaching the Catholic Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210; (303) 715-3215 faith. The speakers are outstanding. The topics — both English and Spanish — will challenge your intellect and feed your soul. General Manager Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of Remember: Who we are, is part of the formation we give to oth- December and the first week of January by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele Sergio Gutierrez Street, Denver, CO 80210, and printed by Intermountain Color in Colorado Springs. ers. In deepening our own faith, the more effectively we can share Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. it with others. That’s something we all need. So you can be sure I’ll Editor Roxanne King Subscriptions: $25 a year in Colorado; $32 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $29 be there. I hope you will be too. surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Ad Manager Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic For registration information, call 303-715-3260. Ann Bush Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210. DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER l FEBRUARY 16, 2005 LOCAL NEWS l 3 FORMER SAMARITAN Greeley’s St. Mary parish celebrates HOUSE RESIDENT Gloria 40th anniversary, key milestones Scruggs addresses Heart, Hands new church,” said Margaret been pastor at St. Peter, so he was and Hope Parish school serves Eisenman. known and well-liked by those Breakfast all three Greeley Memories and milestones were who followed him to St. Mary. in order recently when St. Mary The postmodern church had a attendees Catholic churches celebrated its 40th anniversary on raised rear dormer and a circular Feb. 9. Feb. 6, with Archbishop Charles J. baptistry in front for a distinctive BY ED LOPEZ Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., in atten- architectural touch. The initial dance along with St. Mary’s found- congregation consisted of about PHOTO BY JAMES BACA/DCR Bill Rupp, one of the founding ing pastor, Father Robert Nevans. 500 families and grew rapidly. parishioners of St. Mary Parish in During the Mass, Michaelann Today, it has about 1,937 families. Greeley, remembers that when the and Curtis Martin received the Pastors who followed Father Annual breakfast shines spotlight land to build the church was pur- Benemerenti Medal for exception- Nevans at St. Mary were fathers chased, some people laughed be- al service to the Church. Curtis Charles Jones, Michael Smith, on swelling ranks of the homeless cause they thought it was too far founded and leads the Fellowship Thomas P. Stone, Robert J. away to attract many worshipers. of Catholic University Students Greenslade and Dorino DeLazzer, BY ED LOPEZ about $5,500 per day, to keep Back in those days the land was (FOCUS), based in Greeley.