A Pillar of Faith: Deacon Clarence McDavid’s 38-Year Legacy at Cure d’Ars Parish and Beyond
- Sheryl Tirol
- 16 hours ago
- 8 min read
Deacon Clarence McDavid, who faithfully served the Catholic community of Northern Colorado for 38 years, passed away on May 23 at the age of 75 after a brief battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. A beloved deacon, devoted husband and father and tireless advocate for racial justice, Deacon McDavid leaves behind a legacy of love, leadership and deep faith.
A Calling Born of Loss
Deacon McDavid’s journey to the diaconate began in the wake of personal and communal loss. After the death of Deacon Charlie Bright — the first Black deacon in the Archdiocese of Denver — community members encouraged McDavid to consider a vocation himself. He answered that call and was ordained, becoming the second of four Black deacons in the archdiocese’s history.
Over the next 38 years, he would serve in many capacities: at Cure d’Ars Parish in Denver, on the Archdiocese of Denver’s human resources team and on several key archdiocesan committees. Yet no role defined him more than his tireless ministry among the people he served.
A Life of Sacrifice and Service
Steadfastly committed to Cure d’Ars throughout his entire 38-year ministry, Deacon McDavid’s commitment to the community only deepened in the early 2000s, when the parish was without a pastor for nearly two years. Appointed pastoral administrator while still working full-time in human resources, he managed day-to-day parish operations and coordinated visiting priests for weekend Masses.
“The sacrifice and the commitment that he and his wife, Wanda, made to our church to make sure that it stayed open and sustained during that time was such a loving commitment and sacrifice on their part for the parish,” said Robbyn Celestin, pastoral outreach operations manager for the archdiocese. Celestin and her husband, Bernard, have formed family-like bonds with the McDavids, whom they have known for over 40 years — with Deacon McDavid even serving as their youngest daughter’s godfather. Celestin’s father, Deacon Guffie Menogan, also served alongside Deacon McDavid as one of only two Black deacons in the archdiocese before his death in 2019.
Deacon McDavid’s dedication extended to the archdiocese as well, as he helped modernize human resource efforts at the archdiocesan level, serving as the team’s head for several years.
In 2019, after a pilgrimage to Montgomery and Birmingham with Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez, Father Joseph Cao, pastor of Cure d’Ars, Sr. Marion Weinzapfel, CSJ, and his wife, Wanda, Deacon McDavid helped launch the Archdiocesan Committee for Racial Equality and Justice (ACREJ), where he served as a founding member.
For all of his incredible dedication to the community, he received the St. Josephine Bakhita and St. Katharine Drexel Award in 2010 for his outstanding service to the Black Catholic community and for his leadership in evangelization and discipleship. Presented by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry, the award recognized a Catholic who has excelled in service to the Black Catholic community and shown exceptional leadership in promoting evangelization and discipleship.
“He was a pillar in the community,” said Kateri Williams, director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry, who worked closely with Deacon McDavid for nearly six years. “Because we don’t have an African American priest in the archdiocese, Deacon Clarence filled a vital role in spiritual leadership.”
Williams, who benefited from Deacon McDavid's wisdom as both a mentor and spiritual director for her advisory council, remembers him as "very pious, wise and generous with his time and talent. He was an excellent communicator who exemplified civility and respect for others.”
A Father Figure and Faithful Friend
For Seneca Holmes, director of youth ministry at Cure d’Ars, Deacon McDavid was more than a mentor — he was a second father. Their bond began not at church, but on the football field, when Holmes became friends with the deacon’s son, Marcus, at Cherry Creek High School.
“I have a very involved father. He’s a great, great human being,” Holmes said. “And I told Clarence that my dad and he are the two most influential men I’ve ever met in my life.”
Holmes recalled how Deacon McDavid’s faith permeated every aspect of his life, both inside and outside the church building, remembering the deacon saying to him, “I’m not going to act a certain way in church, and then when I leave, I act a different way.”
“Seeing how he brought his faith, and the way he carried himself, the way he treated people, the way he treated us outside of church, was very representative of who he was,” Holmes continued.
Beginning in Holmes’ own youth group days, their friendship deepened as Holmes returned from college, when Deacon McDavid invited him to help create the Youth Leadership Institute, which supported young adults in ministering to youth at the parish.
With Deacon McDavid's support, a culture was created where young people were not only welcomed but valued.
“The amount of support that he showed to us allowed me not only to do things with the youth, but also to get up at any Mass and give announcements to recognize our youth … letting everybody in the church know how important they are,” Holmes said. “I think that went a long way with establishing the culture at our church right now, where our youth are so involved with the liturgy and with community service work.”
(Photos by James Baca/Denver Catholic Register; screenshot from televised footage of the Mass at Cherry Creek State Park with Pope St. John Paul II)
A Voice That Carried the Word: Spoken and Sung
From his time as a parishioner to his ministry as a deacon, Deacon McDavid generously and compassionately served the community in his actions, his words and his song. In fact, parishioners remember his “beautiful, angelic voice,” which graced the church from his early days singing in the pews, through his time in the choir, to his years leading portions of the liturgy as a deacon.
Resonating far beyond parish walls, Deacon McDavid’s exceptional voice was specifically sought out in 1993, when Pope St. John Paul II visited Denver for World Youth Day. As the Deacon of the Mass at the massive outdoor Mass at Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Deacon McDavid had the opportunity to sing the Gospel before the thousands gathered.
“He had a beautiful, beautiful voice. He had one of the best voices in the choir,” said Gaylene Harris, a Cure d’Ars parishioner since 1961. She treasures her memories of the late deacon and his incredible voice — like when, at her 25th wedding anniversary celebration at the church, Deacon McDavid “came down to the first row and sang to us.”
When he wasn’t singing joyfully, Deacon McDavid was known for powerful homilies, which continue to be remembered for their heartfelt authenticity. Never using notes, Deacon McDavid was always able to help parishioners understand the readings and how they related to what was going on in the world at the time, Holmes recalled.
Steeped in Scripture, the deacon’s favorite Bible verse was from Isaiah 6:8, “Here I am, send me.”
“That is perfect,” Holmes said, recalling the moment Deacon McDavid shared that fact with him in one of their last conversations. “Because the calling that it takes to become a deacon or a priest or any lay member of a religion, it's a call, and you're basically putting your life down, and sacrificing it for God, and that's exactly what he did."
(Photos by James Baca, Neil McDonough, Ryan Brady, Dan Petty and André Escaleira, Jr., for Denver Catholic)
Inspired by the Saints
As one to practice what he preached, Deacon McDavid found his approach to ministry completely transformed by an encounter with Mother Teresa during one of her visits to Denver. The experience of seeing the love Mother Teresa’s eyes as she received society’s most marginalized members and “brought them in close to her and touched them” profoundly impacted him, Holmes said.
Suddenly, things were taken “to a whole other level,” Holmes recalled him saying. “It’s just the living example of how we should be treating everybody all the time.”
Known for his deep prayer — especially in his faithful participation in the weekly Rosary before Cure d’Ars’ 11:00 a.m. Mass — Deacon McDavid was also a regular at local hospitals, where he regularly visited parishioners and others in need.
“Every time I looked up, Clarence was right there supporting us,” Harris shared, recalling a time when her husband was hospitalized and noting that he did the same for countless others. “We are one big family at Cure d’Ars, and we’re pretty close with each other.”
"With a voice that sang the Gospel before saints and popes alike, Deacon Clarence brought the Good News into the lives of the hurting, the hopeful, and the forgotten. He was a true bridge-builder, between Church and community, generations and cultures, sorrow and hope," said Deacon Ernest Martinez, who served with him and recalled his love and devotion to the faith.
Ministering to the End
Perhaps most remarkably, Deacon McDavid’s ministry continued even as he faced his own mortality. After his brain cancer diagnosis in March, he personally called community members to inform them of his condition, maintaining his characteristic calm and peaceful demeanor even while sharing difficult news.
“I would go to his house about every other week or so and just sit and visit with him,” Holmes said. “It was hard because I saw the progression of the cancer. Every time I went to see him, he could do a little less, and his words got a little less. The last time I saw him was about five days before he passed; he was joking and we were being playful.”
“He was ministering to us through his illness,” Celestin added. “He was not scared. When my family went to visit him, he said, ‘Well, it’s going to end one of two ways, and I just have to be ready for both.’ He still had a sense of humor and was still welcoming people to visit him. It was a testament of faith.”
For Williams, Deacon McDavid’s witness during his life was made all the more powerful by how he approached dying.
“When I went to his home while he was still able to speak, he expressed an inner peace with the confidence that he knew that he was going to meet the Lord,” she recalled.
Throughout his battle with brain cancer and despite progressively worsening mobility, Deacon McDavid continued reaching out to others. Unable to join his fellow deacons for their annual convocation in March because of his worsening condition, he made sure to send them a video message to offer them encouragement and care — an act that typified his enduring sense of mission.
A Legacy of Love
Summing up Deacon McDavid’s ministry and legacy comes down to a simple but profound virtue, Holmes said.
"When I think of Clarence, that's the word I think of — love... he was the epitome of that. And he loved so many people."
Holmes hopes that legacy continues, especially through the young people Deacon McDavid championed.
"I just hope that they continue to live his favorite verse, ‘Here I am, send me.’ That doesn't mean that you have to become a priest or a deacon, but that you're willing to do what is good, right and just for your society and the world,” he shared.
The impact of Deacon McDavid's ministry will be felt for years to come through the lives he touched, the institutions he helped build and the example of faithful service he set, combined with his courageous advocacy for justice. His commitment to Cure d’Ars and the broader Catholic community of Northern Colorado stands as a testament to the power of humble, unwavering love.
Deacon McDavid's legacy is perhaps best captured in Celestin's reflection. She remembered him as someone who embodied Christ's teachings of love and forgiveness, even when the parish suffered a break-in and theft of its tabernacle. In his homily following the incident, he encouraged parishioners to pray for the perpetrator’s soul and for the community's ability to forgive.
In short, she said, “He lived his faith. That will be the legacy he leaves.”
Deacon McDavid is survived by his wife, Wanda, and their three children: Hilary Harris (David), Marcus McDavid (Delisa) and Jessica Flores (Joey), as well as seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, at Cure d’Ars Parish in Denver, followed by the vigil at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, with interment at Mount Olivet Cemetery following Mass.
