'In Step with God' Walk for Peace Celebrates Feast of St
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Columbus Day Special Pages 13-36 OCTOBER 7, 1117 . Colorado's Largest Weekly CIRCULATION 11,121 41 PAGES 25 CENTS 'In step with God' Walk for peace celebrates feast of St. Fran(:is Christine Capr,a Register Staff On the banks of the South Platte Ri,fer in Confluence park early Sunday morning, Oct. 4, several hundred people came to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and, in his honor, walk for peace. Yellow and rust marigolds, white daisies and purple mums, as well as tree branches were carried by the partic ipants to symbolize creation. Archbishop J. Francis Stafford joinE~ the participants and walked in the middle of the procession holding both a flower and reed. The prayer walk for peace followed the bicycle path along Cherry Creek east to St. Elizabeth's Church on the Auraria Campus, where the archbishop con celebrated 10:30 a.m. Mass. 1 ' Religious processions are an ancient expression of Christian prayer. In our morning walk, the communion with St. Francis, we will ask his intercess,ion before Christ who came and preached peace to those who are far off and those who are near," Archbishop Stafford said. At the head of the procession a wooden cross was carried by Mary Ann Bradnax, a member of St. Elizabeth's choir and a novice of the Franciscan order .. With her were Fran ciscan Capuchin friars and guitar players leading the sing- ing. Songs echoed As the group wound its way along the banks of the South Platte and Cherry Creek their songs echoed as they passed under several bridges. Many observed the number of home less sleeping under the Larimer Streett bridge--with only the outline of their bodies visible under th1e cover of blankets. I The peace. walk then moved up a sl!ight incline and cros sed the street to the church. The bells rang loudly, beckon ing the marchers inside. Capuchin Franciscan Father Bein Colucci, associate . I.,, director of Samaritan House, delivered the homily at St. Elizabeth's Church. .. He began his homily by saying, "To walk in peace, is to t ; be in step with God." . Father Colucci then explained that he had recently fm ished dusting off his small statue of St. Francis that he . 'I keeps in his room. "St. .Francis of Assisi is not a dusty Several hundred marchers, including Archbishop J. Fran- peace Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Continued on page 5 cis Stafford, in center of photo, participated in a walk for James eaca/DCR Photo The vocat:ion Surrogate Fundamientalism of the laity motherhood and the Bible Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 h - .,. .,. ,.. .,_ 'Iii 2 -n. D••• tlll■lc t11gi1lu. Wed.. Oct1111r 71 1i11 nae Archbishop's Colu111n Francis of Assisi - the Juggler of God aJI the trees and towers ban(ina head downward as ln For years I have had devotion to St. Francis ot much a part of international life, significantly affected a pool, one effect would be to .~pba~ize the idea or Assisi, my namesake, as be was for my father and his me and my generation. Undoubtedly this led me to the dependence. It would make vivid the Scriptural text father. On numerous occasions, I have set out to man of peace from Assisi. From my earliest years, J which says that God has huna the world upon noUung follow in his footsteps - mostly Crom afar. His found it impossible to imagine myseU training or If St. Francis had seen, in one of his strange dreams· pathway to God was almost unique in its fonnidable being fonned to kill others. I have not been a fearf uJ the wwn of Assisi upside down, it need not hav~ faith and love. His unqualified trust in the One whom person. But I could never bring myself to inflict vio differed in a single detail from itself except in being he often addressed as "Most High" startles me. lence upon others even as a child: nor can I now. entirely the other way round .... Perhaps St Peter saw Even to this day my Perhaps I can also attribute it to my own father whO treated me with great gentleness from my earliest the world " so: w~en be . was crucified head• prayer has been to app downwards. I imagine Francis as God's juggler and roach the depth of his faith years. clown who views the world while standing on his head As a young man of twenty t Francis of Assisi had an extraordinary, even unique, sense of spiritual kinship with all creatures. Father Francis' respect for all creatures is, above all, ~ ventured to enlist as a mystery of grace. From a human vantage point we member of his Third Order Ben Colucci pointed out in an Oct. 4 homily that after his conversion, Francis was able to find peace and may suggest that it sp!ing~ from. a pr?found vis1SOn in at the Franciscan Mon• new goodness " in a lily as well as in a leper " He called which !le saw everything, mcludmg himself, in a astery on Quincy Street in and divine light of eternal danger and dependence Wa&bington, D.C. No doubt the moon and sun his sister and brother. Such univer• sal affinity can arise only in a person whose !ife is Even though one cannot accept his hyperbole, one get~ idealism played a part in some further insight into the saint's uniqueness in that early commitment. rooted in a contemplative communion with God. In the seminary, I read G.K. Chesterton's "Francis Adolph Boll's biography of Francis which Is entitled Such youthful visions now "The Last Disciple." appear to be .special graces, of Assisi." His essay gave me the handle with which the memory of which sus• I've approached Francis. Chesterton used ''the juggler tains one in mature life and of God" as a metaphor for Francis' discipleship. He + J. Francis Stafford remains a source of inspiration. said that it was a symbol of inversion for Francis' life Archbishop of Denver Violence, both real and threatened, which was so and faith. "If a man saw the world upside down, with Nativity, Broomfield, Respect Life Parish Centering prayer The ~!spect Life Parish of the Year award was presented The Respect Ltfe Commission annually selects a Respect Archl ~ NatJVJty _of _Our Lord Parish, Broomfield, by the Respect Life Parish of the Year to recognize outstanding programs sessions scheduled Life Comm1ss1on of the Denver archdiocese on Sept. 'l/. and activities that demonstrate a broad-based respect for The pre~ntation was made at a Mass concelebrated by life. Workshops and sessions pleted a 20-week training F~t~er Michael Chamberlain, Vicar General, and Father Nativity of Our Lord Parish was cited for organizing and are sclheduled Oct. 7-17 as course with Father Keating WIiham Murphy, pastor of Nativity. working with FISH, a community volunteer service offering centering prayer groups are The priest will ht> assisting emergency food and shelter ; its sponsorship of a Cam being organized in arch the facilitators to organize bodian refugee family and support of missions in Colombia diocesan parishes. centering prayer groups in 1 IN THE and Mexico: its establishment of an emergency food com Centering prayer-based their parishes, but Sister mittee and a Christmas basket program for the poor, and on ancient Christian tradi Teasdale said that anyone its work with youths and elderly. tions-is characterized by interested in centering SPOTLIGHT The Nativity Pro-Life Committee was also recognized for the quiet prayer of ''listen prayer is invited to attend its volunteer work with Birthright and Mother House, the ing to God." Sister Ber these meetings provision of layettes, food , clothing and furniture to needy nadette Teasdale, coor• Meetings are scheduled at new mothers, its legislative activities, and the sponsorship dinator or the Denver arch• the following places and Edwin Cahill of a weekly pro-life Rosary, diocesan centering prayer times. Occupation: Peer Min Spirit of Christ Parish, ister program, said centering Birthplace: Boulder, prayer can relieve stress as Arvada : Oct. 7, ?-30- "Thi 9:30p.m.; St. Joseph s Colorado well as deepen one's prayer minist Age: 16 Colombian landslide life. School, Fort Collins: Oct. 8 what • Parish: Our Lady of The telegram said the Introductory workshops 7-9p.m.; Annunciation Con means Fatima Pope John Paul II serit will be held Oct. 10 and Oct. vent, Leadville: Oct. 11. 7- means condolences to victims of a Pope's apostolic blessing What is it that led you to "extends to those who offer 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 9p.m.; Sts. Peter and Paul's workir cboose your profession? Colombian landslide that p.m. at Spirit of Christ Par Parish, Wheat Ridge. Oct God," left hundreds dead and some aid to the needy in their It seemed to be what I ish, Arvada. The workshops 13, 7:30-9:30 p.m , St at the 200 families homeless. hour of suffering." wanted to do. I was en Mountain streams over will be presented by Father Thomas More ·s Parish. Christ couraged by my friends, The Pope expressed his Carl Arico, an assistant to Englewood :Oct. 14, 7:30- into U "condolences t.. the rela flowed their banks and spil family and peers. led rocks and debris down Father Thomas Keating, the 9:30p.m.; Queen of Peace very c What do you like best tives of the dciid'' and his Trappist monk who designed Parish, Aurora: Oct 15, 7- to exe1 "profound solicitude for the mountainside onto a about it? shantytown on a hill over the program.