Serving Beside Archbishop Aquila: Lessons in Friendship, Prayer and Priesthood
- Father Scott Bailey
- 5 minutes ago
- 4 min read
From parish drives to 'Super Bowl' liturgies, a priest shares the witness of Archbishop Aquila's priesthood and humanity.
By Father Scott Bailey
Pastor, Risen Christ Parish, Denver
Priest Secretary, 2014—2018
Editor's Note: Over the last almost 14 years, many have gotten to know Archbishop Aquila all across Northern Colorado as he ministered and taught, preached and blessed the faithful of the archdiocese.
But while many have come to know their spiritual father and shepherd, five men had a front-row seat to his apostolic ministry as they served the archbishop as priest secretaries.
In the reflection that follows, one of five priest secretaries shares the lessons he learned from the side and the background of Archbishop Aquila's ministry, offering us a behind-the-scenes and personal look into Archbishop Aquila's pastoral heart.
When I was the priest-secretary to the Archbishop, the Denver Catholic still published as a newspaper. During those years, my mom saved every copy of the paper because she knew a picture of me could be found in nearly every issue — always in the background of a picture of the archbishop! And I was happy to be “in the background” of his ministry.
Many priests serve the people directly, but the priest-secretary is called to serve the archbishop and assist him in his unique role as shepherd of the entire archdiocese. This position provides a window into the life of a bishop, and for four years, I had the privilege of supporting Archbishop Aquila in that capacity. I will comment briefly on his friendships, his prayer life and his love of Holy Orders.
Friendships
One of the things I quickly learned about the archbishop is that friendship is important to him. Before his appointment as bishop of Fargo, Archbishop Aquila had spent many years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. This led to some lifelong friendships with families and brother priests. Returning to Denver in 2012 became a source of great joy for him, as it allowed him to be once again close to the people he had known for so long (many of whom still call him “Father Sam” or just “Sam”). There were several occasions when I was driving home with him after Mass at a parish, and he would decide to make a surprise visit to one of those families or retired priests. I enjoyed the informality and the spontaneity of it — and so did his friends.
Prayer
Those of us who work with the archbishop know that he is a man of prayer. He is consistent about praying before the Eucharist every day. If I were driving him to a parish for Mass, he would often close his eyes and pray in the car, occasionally making brief notes about a homily that he was going to preach. And the depth of his prayer is evident in every homily and article he writes, as he frequently invites the faithful into a deeper relationship with the Lord through prayer and the sacraments.
Holy Orders
One of Archbishop Aquila’s greatest joys as a bishop is to ordain men to Holy Orders. When he lays his hands on the head of a man in ordination, those standing near him can feel the prayerfulness of the moment. His eyes are closed; he breathes deeply and takes his time. There is a holy gravity in that prayer, and the archbishop is always beaming with joy afterwards! He loves welcoming new men into diaconal and priestly ministry.
In addition to many deacons’ and priests’ ordinations, Archbishop Aquila consecrated two bishops during my time as his secretary: Bishop Jorge Rodriguez (Denver) and Bishop Steven Biegler (Cheyenne). As far as liturgies go, the consecration of a bishop truly feels like the “Super Bowl” of Masses with many moving parts, the presence of multiple bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio, and a ritual with several unique (and powerfully symbolic) elements. To consecrate a new bishop is probably one of the greatest privileges of being an archbishop. As expected, Archbishop Aquila celebrated those liturgies with his characteristic joy and prayerfulness. In each celebration, he always spoke with conviction and a deep love for the priesthood.
I will mention one final thing. Since I spent so much time with the archbishop as his secretary, I got to see parts of his personality that don’t always come out in letters from the pulpit or articles he writes. I learned that the archbishop finds humor and joy in all sorts of things: he’s quick to tease or laugh at something funny, and it’s always light-hearted. I also learned that he is often moved by beauty: his eyes tear up in meaningful moments that are signs of God’s goodness. I think his openness to being moved in this way is a sign of a heart that truly loves the Lord.
Archbishop Aquila’s ministry has blessed the Archdiocese, and I thank God for the priestly witness he has given to me.
