Happy Feast Day of Blessed John Paul II!

Today is a great day in the life of the universal church and in the life of this particular church of St. Francis of Assisi in Castle Rock, Colorado! Happy Feast Day of Blessed John Paul II. This feast has allowed me to pause and to think about how Pope John Paul II has spiritually influenced our now completed building project. I went back to the blog that I wrote on May 17, 2010.

Happy Birthday to our Late and Great Pope John Paul II

As you know I have a great affection and love for our Late Holy Father Pope John Paul II. I was ordained a Priest in 1999 and have very much been inspired by the way in which he lived his life, his depth of prayer, his wisdom, his love for the Eucharist, his strong love for the people to whom he ministered, his closeness with his friends, his many writings (in particular on the mercy of God) and his great love for our Blessed Mother.

Pope John Paul II said three things that have strongly influenced my living out of the Priesthood and they are:

• Be Not Afraid!
• Duc et Altum! (put out into the deep!)
• Totus Tuus! (Totally Yours. May I totally be yours!)

In my chapel is a wonderful painting from the Eddy family and I love this particular print because it shows Pope John Paul II’s determination and inner strength. I keep in it my private chapel at home and draw strength from it.

Tomorrow on May 18th we as a parish go before our Diocesan Building and Property Commission and humbly ask them and our Bishop for permission to build our new Church Sanctuary. I am personally so grateful to our parishioners for their abundant generosity, love for the Church, great support for this project and perseverance over the years to turn this dream into a reality. I am grateful to Father Vollmer and Fr. Herb Hayek for their vision and all of their hard work. The leadership of this parish has been a blessing to work with, as well as my most excellent staff.

May 18th is the Birth date of Pope John Paul II. What a providential date to meet and talk about our future! It is so easy to be afraid, especially in this economy – Be not Afraid! It is easy to say that it is a good time to stay close to the shore and in safe waters, Duc et Altum! And like Pope John Paul II you and I entrust everything to Our Lady and his most Blessed Mother – Totus Tuus!

As you know on that date the permission to go ahead and build from the Diocesan Building and Property Commission and several days later received from Bishop Sheridan (after consulting his College of Consultors) permission to build!

One of the great things that strike me about our late and great Holy Father was his deep prayer life. There is a great audio interview with Cardinal Tucci on the depth of prayer exhibited in the daily life of Pope John Paul II. Here it is.

Here are two great links to two great youtube videos! The first is a great song entitled Jesus Christ you are my life!

The second is a great song called Totus Tuus!

Enjoy! Fr. Brad

Our New Church was Dedicated by Bishop Sheridan on October 4, 2011!

The Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi!

This great picture was taken by Ray Schieferecke, from our Building and Property Commission. It’s a great picture of everyone gathering outside of the church prior to its dedication. Our parking lot was overflowing and our new Church was soon packed with parishioners and guests. Our Bishop Michael Sheridan was the Principal Celebrant and did a great job with the Mass including the formal rite of Dedication. Bishop Hanifen was present with us as well. Former Pastors, Father Bill Vollmer and Fr. Herb Hayek OP, were with us as well as most of the Priests and Deacons of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. It was a truly beautiful Mass, at the culmination of many years of hard work and sacrifice by our wonderful parishioners. Gloria and her Environment Committee worked hard to get all of the details and flowers together. Don Billings and the combined choirs did a phenomenal job with the Music! Thanks to all who helped make this day possible!

The wonderful picture above shows the beauty of our new Altar and Sanctuary Area. It really came out great! The marble Mensa (top of the altar) is from the old church. Berich Masonry did a great job with building the base of the new Altar and Tabernacle. CAPCO in Denver did a phenomenal job with cutting the Onyx translucent stone that is behind the Tabernacle. The beautiful San Damiano Cross was hand made by Dick Tobin, one of our parishioners. Our new Tabernacle came from Gerkens in Denver. The Diamond Family (our parishioners did the woodwork for the New Altar, Tabernacle, Ambo and Presider and Deacon Chairs. It really came out great. The beautiful Bernini Window was handcrafted by a local artist. Modern Woodwork in Denver did a beautiful job with the woodwork Baldacchino over the Tabernacle.

Words can never adequately express our thanks to Brett Prather and his partners from Architectural Innovations who designed such us such a beautiful new Church Sanctuary! Words can never adequately express our thanks to Fransen-Pittman General Contractors. This was my second build with them. They did a great job on this. Our General Superintendent on this project was Mark Thiesen. Out of genuine respect and love for his passion for excellence – I called him (and still do) my Master Builder. We dedicated the tree in front of our new Church Sanctuary to him. Mark – you are a real blessing!

A few days after our dedication we had our first snowfall of the Season! How pretty the church and its grounds look in the snow!

Again, my personal thanks to each of you who have made this project successful! It is a joy serving in this parish – a parish that has been around since 1888 with such a legacy that continues not only today but also for the future!

In Christ, Fr. Brad