WATCH: Meet Denver's Next Archbishop!

By Neil McDonough and André Escaleira, Jr.

On Saturday, February 7, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo had accepted Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's request to retire and had named Most Reverend James R. Golka, currently Bishop of Colorado Springs, as the sixth Archbishop of Denver.

Later that morning, the archbishop-designate was introduced to the faithful of Northern Colorado in a press conference held at the Cardinal Stafford Library at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver. Following the conference, he celebrated Mass for seminarians, priests, deacons, family and guests in Christ the King Chapel.

“I’m equally excited and equally sad. Excited because I trust God more than I trust myself, and if God wants me to be here, I’m going to say yes,” Archbishop-designate Golka shared during the press conference, emphasizing the goodness of God’s plan for each of us.  

“By March 25^th, I promise you I’ll be more excited,” he quipped, referring to the date of his installation as Archbishop of Denver, the Solemnity of the Annunciation. “[But I’m also] sad to leave my good people in Colorado Springs. Over four and a half years of being there, I fell in love with the people, the parishes, the priests, the diocese. They are a big part of my heart. I carry them with me, and I will miss them dearly. So I just ask your prayers during this transition time.”

Get to know Northern Colorado's next shepherd by watching the video above!