'Do You Believe?': Archbishop Aquila's Final Parish Visit at Denver's Annunciation

In a packed, vibrant Denver parish, the retiring archbishop delivers a call to faith, gratitude and mission.

Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila visited Annunciation Parish in Denver, his last parish visit as Archbishop of Denver. (Photo by Olivia Britt/Denver Catholic)

“Do you believe?” That was the simple — yet complex — question Archbishop Aquila posed Sunday to the packed congregation at Denver’s Annunciation Parish as the inner-city “parish of immigrants” gathered to say farewell.

In one of his final parish Masses before his retirement this week, the outgoing Denver archbishop reflected on John’s Gospel story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11).

He told Mass-goers that we are created in God’s likeness and image, but because of the fall of man, we are captured by evil.

“We can see … in this Gospel, how Martha and Mary and others were captured. They were saying, ‘Why couldn’t Jesus have saved Lazarus?’ Or ‘Why didn't he come right away?’ Or ... ‘If [Jesus] had only been here ... Lazarus would still be alive,’” he said in his homily.

But then, he preached, we are rescued by Christ.

“Know how Jesus identifies himself in the Gospel today: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die,’” he continued.

“Do you believe?” he asked. “That question is posed to each one of us. It is Jesus and Jesus alone who can rescue us and free us from our sins and give us the gift of eternal life.”

Archbishop Aquila said this rescue requires a complete surrender to Christ.

“Opening our hearts to that surrender, praying for a deeper spirit, going to Confession regularly, helps me surrender more to Jesus,” he explained. “In our sinfulness, in our brokenness, in our woundedness, he calls out to us, ‘Come out of that tomb, come out of that darkness.’”

His impassioned homily resonated with choir director Kathy McGovern.

“I've been meditating on Lazarus quite a bit this month, and I think the common theme today was, ‘Come out. You … You come out,’” she said.

Parishioner Mary Frances Jaster said what spoke to her in Archbishop Aquila’s remarks was “that Jesus is the center of our lives. And Jesus really is the center of our lives as Catholics. It was very prominent in his message today.”

A Heartfelt Farewell

“I thought it was a lovely celebration,” Jaster continued. “And it was so nice that so many of the people in the parish showed up to show their appreciation and to thank [Archbishop Aquila] for his years of service and to bid him farewell.”

The full pews spoke volumes, but Father Christopher Gama, OFM Cap., the parish’s pastor, also took the opportunity to address the archbishop directly on behalf of his flock.

First, he asked the many Annunciation Catholic School students in attendance — dressed smartly in their uniforms — to give a special “shout out” to Archbishop Aquila, who smiled as they loudly applauded and as Father Gama presented a spiritual bouquet from the children.

He then gave the archbishop a plaque in honor of the 800^th anniversary of St. Francis’ death that included the “three hallmarks of Franciscan spirituality: the Incarnation, the word made flesh and the Eucharist.”

“Every Christian, every disciple of Jesus, experiences death,” Father Gama explained as he handed the archbishop his gift. “Hopefully, your retirement is not a season of death but a season of resurrection.”

A grateful Archbishop Aquila thanked the congregation for their support throughout the last 13-plus years he served the archdiocese and their church. He said it had been a humbling experience, “just to see the growth of people in their faith, in their love of Jesus Christ.”

He continued, “I encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, continue to spread the word of Jesus, and give your lives to him, and he will bless you.”

(Photo by Olivia Britt/Denver Catholic)

A Vibrant Community

Archbishop Aquila’s joyful visit took on deeper meaning in the context of his understanding of the “strong mix of cultures and ministries” that make up the Capuchin parish, Father Gama indicated.

Speaking to the Denver Catholic after Mass, the archbishop said his affinity for the parish made this appearance special.

“I love the Annunciation, and to be here among the people and many new immigrants was a true blessing,” he shared.

Father Gama, who concelebrated the Mass, said he was especially grateful to Archbishop Aquila for “supporting us in the work that we’re called to do in the archdiocese, especially in the inner city for the immigrant community, into the more marginalized communities. He’s helped us keep our focus on Christ, the sacraments and evangelization. It allows us to live our charism.”

Annunciation Parish’s ministries include its Twin Parishes food bank and the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school.

Father Gama said the visit provided the community with a chance to express their thanks for that support in person.

“We’re primarily an immigrant parish,” he said. “The church means everything to them. To have an archbishop come and take time, especially at the end of his ministry, is going to go a long way.”

Although the Mass was prayed in English, Father Gama said he asked the Hispanic community to turn out.

“It was very touching how full the church was,” McGovern said. “I've never seen it this full, and what that says to me is the faithfulness of the Hispanic community.”

For Alfonso Lara, a leader in that Hispanic community, grateful attendance was a no-brainer, especially given Archbishop Aquila’s deep care for the Hispanic community throughout his ministry. Having served as the parish’s youth minister and director of religious education, as well as the archdiocese’s director of Centro San Juan Diego and now director of leaders formation, he’s seen that care up close and personal.

“The Hispanic community is grateful to Archbishop Aquila because he strengthened institutional structures to promote and support Hispanic ministry,” Lara said.

He went on to say that the archbishop respected the “relevant demographics of the Hispanic-Latino presence in the archdiocese” and supported Centro San Juan Diego, developed Hispanic leaders, promoted the common good for all immigrants and established new parishes in predominantly Hispanic-Latino areas “to secure sacramental and liturgical access to Spanish speakers.”

The archbishop’s influence extended to the classroom, said Annunciation school principal Deb Roberts. She thanked him for his “understanding of the school’s demographics, which includes mostly under-resourced families whose first language is Spanish.”

“The archbishop has always been very supportive of who we are, and the work that we’re doing, and I really appreciate that,” Roberts said.

A Parting Wish

Before the Mass, Father Gama shared his wish for Archbishop Aquila as he enters his next phase with the Denver Catholic.

“I hope he finds the personal space to heal and to enter into the next chapter of what God has for him,” he shared. “There’s still more that God desires of him. I would encourage and hope that he would find the joy in understanding what that invitation might be.”