Archbishop Aquila Celebrates Final Fifth-Grade Mass at Denver Cathedral
- Guest Contributor
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Hundreds of Catholic school students gathered for a bittersweet tradition before the archbishop’s retirement.
By Tracy Seul
It’s a rite of passage for fifth graders across the archdiocese. Every year, Catholic schools bring hundreds of students to a special Mass with Archbishop Aquila at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.
But this year's Masses were bittersweet, as they marked the last time Archbishop Aquila would celebrate them as the Archbishop of Denver.
“Do you know what makes this church the bishop’s church?” Archbishop Aquila asked the students.
After many erroneous guesses, he told them it was the bishop’s chair. The “cathedral” is the home of the “cathedra,” the bishop’s chair that symbolizes the bishop’s teaching authority and leadership over a region.
“And in just three short weeks,” he continued, “I will have to ask permission to sit there because I won’t be the bishop of Denver anymore, and this won’t be my chair,” he said.
Despite the impending farewell, the special Mass was joyous and exciting for most students, as it was their first visit to the Cathedral.
When asked after Mass what she liked the most about what the archbishop said, Sophia from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic STEM School in Wheat Ridge said, “The story of the chair!”
Parents, teachers and students alike enjoyed the experience.
“The tradition of the fifth-grade Mass at the Cathedral is so special and formative in the development of their faith journey,” said Lilla O’Dwyer, parent of James from Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Denver.
(Photos by Neil McDonough/Denver Catholic)
“I recommend everyone come here and see the beauty of this place. It is really amazing. I was shocked about the beauty of this place,” James said, echoing his mom’s feeling as he reflected on his first visit to the cathedral.
When the archbishop asked the students if this was their first visit to the cathedral, most of them raised their hands. Other students were as shocked as James.
“It feels like it would be in Europe!” “Or Rome!” one student exclaimed.
Teachers were just as privileged to be in attendance.
“This day encapsulates what we have been working on all year, and they even get to see students from other schools that they might know from church or basketball games. It is really special for them and us as teachers,” expressed Taylor Zahn of St. Mary Catholic Virtue School in Littleton.
“It is especially good to come while we are growing in Lent. It is very powerful,” agreed Kathy Haupt, fifth-grade teacher from Most Precious Blood Catholic School in Denver.
The joy on the faces of students from Frassati Catholic Academy who brought the gifts up during the offertory said it all. Afterward, they shared that “I was peaceful, and nervous, and felt totally connected to God.”
Before he heads off for retirement, though, Archbishop Aquila gave one last teaching message to the students and families gathered at the Cathedral: God loves you.
“God is merciful and forgives our sins. Always remember that every time you go to confess your sins. God is always waiting for you to give you his mercy, to give you his forgiveness. It’s important for us to repent, and he gives us Lent for us to grow in holiness,” he said, stressing that God is merciful and always ready to forgive. “Experience the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus.”
The Mass concluded with the fifth graders offering Archbishop Aquila a blessing in song. As they extended their hands, they sang, “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you. And be gracious to you. And give you peace. Amen.”
And as his final blessing back, the archbishop blessed the students and told them to “remember to pray for me, and I’ll pray for you.”
