Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley, S.T.L, of the Archdiocese of Denver, recently joined local Challenge girls and their families for a BBQ and movie night in Denver, CO. Some members of Challenge, a Catholic leadership club for girls, had learned that the Bishop had never seen “Karol: The Man Who Became Pope,” and invited him to join them for movie night. Eight Challenge team leaders, high school girls from various schools who serve as leaders for the middle school girls in Challenge, and their families welcomed the Bishop with their favorite cheer, Yo soy! Quien? Amiga de Bishop! (“I am! Who? A friend of the Bishop!”), making him smile even before he came through the front door. While enjoying a BBQ on the back porch, the Bishop and teens discussed many things, including apostolic projects, how to discern a vocation (noting the importance of prayer), the Holy Father and the Eternal City (one of the team leaders will be a missionary this summer in Rome), as well as stories of the saints, like St. Agnes and St. John Vianney. When the teens asked about more ways they could help serve the Church in Denver, Bishop Conley explained all about the upcoming Year for Priests, noting the centrality of the Eucharist and the essential role of the priesthood. He invited the Challenge girls in Colorado to respond enthusiastically in supporting the priesthood and specifically the priests they know, encouraging them to write notes of gratitude and to offer spiritual bouquets. He asked for their continued prayers for priests. Following dessert, everyone gathered to watch “Karol: The Man who Became Pope,” the first of a two-part series on the life of Pope John Paul II. All present were moved by this powerful depiction of the early life of such a holy, great man. Bishop Conley, who spent 10 years in Rome as an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops, was flooded with many fond memories of Pope John Paul II, whom he had seen almost weekly. He shared a personal story about his parents’ meeting with Pope John Paul II in Rome several years ago, making everyone laugh. The evening was a powerful witness to the beauty of the Church – teens, parents, the Bishop – both laity and clergy gathered together to celebrate the powerful example of those who have “fought the good fight” and to find ways to make that legacy live on.
