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Show I j """ TTEwsRTxrjLor . i : I I Within the past four decades which j revors the history , of the Catholic J :hurih in Colorado, there is no year X -whic h can boast of such an important jdace in the annals of the church in the intermountain west as the one which is I rapidly drawing to a close. I It is at this season of the year that I jurespection is always in order. The eld year with its shattered hopes or realized ambitions and the future with s i its rose tinted possibilities, appeal to the fancy. i As each successive year speeds swift-I swift-I ly on, new glories are added to the lpes of the history ofthe church in Colorado, and the mind unconsciously Zanders back to the pioneer days when j the "Apostle of the Rockies," the saint- ? fd Bishop Machebeuf, first planted the i eJ of Catholicity in the Pikes Peak district. That was years ago, but I there are many who remember those ; j trying times. . and for this memory 1 Jiinre deeply appreciate the present po- f Fition of the church in this state. While 'he work accomplished in those early . days is recalled only by the older resi- d'.-nts of Denver, their history. has been i Landed down to the rising generation, S :id to the young and old alike, the 1 Jruits of the year 1902 are a source of I pratification. The church in Colorado has hern traced over and over again, ' j and ho k upon book has been written k rif its .joneer days. Of late years, the t-nder incidents of those times have s Ven swallowed up in the onward Hian-h. .... ' May 33. WOO, when the lapt mass was s ei :.-!,v;,t ed in the old St. Mary's' eathe- !rr.l. established nearly forty years ago f ' the first bishop of Denver, marks f I the dividing line between the old and I th" r.ew life of the church in Denver. K I "''ief then active steps have, been taken. I provide an edifice' more befitting the j Kierl iluiracter of its functions. To t ! 'his i ni a house to house canvass has I "' :i nia.ie with the result that $100,000 1 - " n raised for this purpose. The ! I ! V'", 'nr ' H' s,ructure, and the parochial j i j! ! : 1 ; ,11 residences.- is absolutely j f'.oin d-bt. Ground was recently ' I I the building and tbe work " ' "i! 2 ushed ahead with energy. j ! j ,"!:" the crowning glories of the j j I !; n 1 'nver, St. Vincent's orphan-j eompietely destroyed by fire i j . -: in .Mil",-!, and now, owing to the gen- ; ' I T.f y ' : 1 enver non-Catholics as well ' M fis ''fth-ii.-s, it is again in process of ; ' I . ': at a cost of $75,000. - - .. i "it:: ,;i Catholics have long endeav- j j t: ! ' '.,:'is' funds for the building of I i'l .u:!; 1 M' ''hurch and success has at I I I ,f,s'5,.''''"-V!,"'J their efforts. One of the J S f r.!'.'!:.:"VJ 'inl" churches of the diocese 1 s.'"'-i e;vi-t-d in-that suburb at a cost j ' ; The Annunciation parish; !! "filliant future in store for it ' 1 J.'. -i-'i work on a new church - ''' i;- tl.- year. E s '" reason of its youth, but by I I v' - ",v i,! s 'east among the 'churches 0.:1,('h in I'rorcss of erection, is the f 1 ;'vi"!1 ,,vv!li,'h 'he Polish Catholics of 1 '""-idi' :ire spending their energies. ; r;rv- !';i: ,r,r Jarzinski of Philadelphia ! t I f,.'.'V"' ''"ing the year and is holding j ' ti1(, 1,1 private residence awaiting ( I v'j,' ' of the church. Pre- i j - oi.i'v-!his time th" residents of! i I thrw"'"-!." h:,v beon ir'hH.Ted to walk "; , ,'( 'he nearest church. . c,,,, ' ": KTHndepfand Tnost-soU mn j i j,;, .'J""'" s of the Catholic' church took"! ' ' "1. !i!e Colorado 'diocese twice; I 1V.;V vear; and by the wav, for I ti'-.r, ' ":n; :n ils history. The beau- ' Pier. T,V ' hu,Th of tbe Annunciation, I I vpv v ,-v Uev- J- J- Gibbons at Lead- ; ?;'ri ,ns febt cleared early in the 1 il.Mz Ui was consecrated by Bishop ' hurcho- ry2S" it is one of the finest -1 l'lishh'i'S "' tne ?tate and is accom-,!i" accom-,!i" ruin a frr';lt noble work among 1 s- t'i ?'?'r Lakp county. On June ! lj"l) I,, tv n,e f'hui-ch of St. Eliza- : 20 b, st Df'"ver, built some years r I v.-j:S ..' ' (5'i'raan speaking Catholics, j consecrated. - I ""as .;'sJt ,of 575.000. this structure! 0. p v V)y Rev- Father Francis, tftoi'ts'u 'h'fu.ETh his. indefatigable ! Was entirely freed from debt. j This is regarded as a triumph for Denver Den-ver and many a town of twice its size would proudly boast of such an achievement. achieve-ment. , The manner in which religious orders 1 nave conducted hospitals in Denver has long been an object of admiration. Un-I Un-I til a short time ago, this field was en- tirely covered by the Sisters of Charity Char-ity and the Sisters of St. Francis, conducting con-ducting St. Joseph's and St. Anthony's hospitals respectively. 'Toward the end of last year, the Sisters of Mercv who had been established here for about ten years in St. Catherine's home for working girls, decided to open a water cure sanitarium at Montclair. To this end generous contributions were received and now one of the handsomest handsom-est institutions of the kind graces the hill south of the city park. The formal j opening took place in Februarv of this j year and since then the hospital has been steadily advancing. . Rut of all the blessings' which have-been have-been showered upon the Denver diocese during the. year, the eff acting' "of a reconciliation between the two factions of l,he Italian colony on the north'side was among the most noteworthy. The Damascio faction, after erecting their church and failing to receive recognition recogni-tion from Bishop Matz, threatened to cause no slight disturbance for those who had remained faithful to the orig- ina pastor, Father Lepore. Their ap- i plication for admission into the non- j Catholic denominations was denied thm by the Protestant ministers and it looked as if the trouble would be of long duration. Suddenly, as if by a miracle,- peace was restored and now there is just one Urge congregation working in perfect harmony with their pastor. In addition to this, a parochial j school has been onened for the children of the colony with fifteen missionary j Sisters of the Sacred Heart in charge. I The advent of this order into the west j is an event of no small moment. With regard to the personnel of the diocese of Denver, there have been many changes during the past twelve months. A signal honor was conferred on one body when Rev. John B. Pita-val. Pita-val. for many .years in-charge of the "Aspen church and later stationed at Durango, was 'appointed by the Most Heverend Archbishop Bouregarde as auxiliary bishop of Santa Fe. His consecration con-secration in the Santa Fe cathedral was an event for the Colorado priests, nearly all of whom participated in the ceremonies. , Rev. S. R. Brockbank, pastor of St Dominic's church and one of the finest i orators of the Dominican order, was called to the pastorate of-a flourishing eastern church -and Rev. Frank O'Xeil came from New;-York to-fill the vacan-i vacan-i cy in the Denver pulpit. Rev. Edward I Barry, formerly pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart, was recalled to this city and resumed his duties at his old post. ; Rev A. B. Casey, for many-years many-years assistant at the cathedral and later assistant to Father O'Ryan at St. Leo's church, was promoted to the pastorate at Manitou. where he has been eminently successful. Owing to the accident with which Father Carrigan met while on a visit to Santa Fe, and which has crippled him for life. Rev. Father Tettemer, one of the best scholars and most zealous jriests of the Archdiocese of St. Louis was called to Denver to assist at St. Patrick's church. The energetic pastor pas-tor of St. Elizabeth's, Rev. Father Francis, O. F. M., was sent back to New York, where a broaded field awaft-ed awaft-ed him. Rev. Cornelius O'Farrell came from Ireland and assumed his duties as third assistant at the cathedral. There have been other.-niirior changes too numerous nu-merous to mention. After summing up the work which has been accomplished in Colorado within .the past year, it is hardly strange that Bishop Matz should say, as he did a few weeks ago, "This is the most eventful year we have ever known." ELIZABETH A KELLY. |