Archbishop Golka Discusses Julia Greeley and Kendrick Castillo with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
- André Escaleira, Jr.
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
While in Rome to receive his pallium from Pope Leo XIV, the Denver archbishop met with Vatican officials to advance the causes of canonization.
Denver Archbishop James Golka has been busy while in Rome! In addition to two pilgrimage groups, he has had a full schedule of meetings around the Vatican, as he settles into his new mission in Denver.
Among those meetings was one with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the Vatican office responsible for examining and discerning individuals officially proposed for recognition in the Catholic Church as saints.
A canonization cause is long, potentially taking years, if not centuries. It begins with a formal and robust investigation into the individual’s life and virtues, with study, research and interviews. That evidence is then collected and submitted to the Vatican for the opening of the cause for canonization. Once opened, a formal positio is prepared: a formal, lengthy three-part document about the individual’s life. Once that is prepared, submitted and approved, the cause continues over the course of years as the faithful develop devotion to the individual and miracles are attributed to their intercession.
The archdiocesan delegation, which included Archbishop Golka, Bishop Jorge Rodríguez, John Magee, the archdiocesan chancellor, and Deacon Doug Flinn, the Archdiocese’s general counsel, met with Father Bogusław Turek, C.S.M.A., the undersecretary of the Dicastery, and Father Patrick Dorélus, who works on causes to be opened, to discuss the open canonization cause for Servant of God Julia Greeley.
(Photos by André Escaleira, Jr.)
Opened in 2016 with a special Mass at Denver’s Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the cause for the canonization of Denver Angel of Charity was sent to the Vatican in 2018, complete with 36 volumes of evidence. One year prior, in 2017, her remains were moved to the Denver Cathedral Basilica for veneration in 2017. With countless pilgrims visiting her every year, her cause has continued to grow locally as Julia has been recognized as a woman of virtue, hope and Eucharistic faith. She was also known for her deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, even attending the parish dedicated to Jesus’ heart in Denver.
The meeting was productive, as the Vatican officials met Archbishop Golka and outlined the next steps for advancing the Denver Angel of Charity’s cause for canonization. The archdiocesan delegation also gifted the officials with a copy of a book on the life of Servant of God Julia Greeley by Father Blaine Burkey, O.F.M. Cap. As the Dicastery continues to discern her cause, the Archdiocese of Denver continues to work on Julia's positio.
In addition, during the meeting, Archbishop Golka mentioned the life of Kendrick Castillo, the heroic young man who gave his life for his classmates in the 2019 Highlands Ranch STEM School shooting. Known for his joy, his deep devotion to the Rosary and his generous service with the Knights of Columbus, Castillo has been lauded locally by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In February 2025, a roadway in Highlands Ranch was rededicated to him, and in November of that same year, a memorial for him was unveiled.
In July 2025, then-Bishop Golka of the Diocese of Colorado Springs received evidence and interviews about Castillo’s life and witness from Father Gregory Bierbaum and Father Patrick DiLoreto of St. Mark Parish in Highlands Ranch.
Vatican officials were pleased to hear of his Christian witness and were excited to review the potential petition to open his cause, once the information is collected and reviewed, and a new bishop is installed for the diocese.
“I am grateful to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints for taking the time to meet about Julia and Kendrick,” Archbishop Golka said. “Jesus continues to work in our lives, in our diocese and in our state to raise up holy men and women to make his love, mercy and goodness known in the world, as he did through Julia Greeley and Kendrick Castillo and as he wants to do through you and me. I’m excited to see what the Holy Spirit does through these causes for canonization. May we too become the saints that God desires us to be.”
