An annual rite of spring in the Denver Archdiocese is the announcement of the priest appointments as named by the Archbishop’s Office. Those appointments, 36 and one seminarian assignment, are listed in this edition of the Denver Catholic Register directly below. Most of the appointments become effective in June.
While all of the appointments are important to the individual priests and the communities they serve, three of the appointments may be readily noticed by the wider Catholic community: the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver is getting a new pastor, the current moderator of the curia – who oversees the administrative offices of the archdiocese—is getting a new assignment, and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila is getting a new priest secretary. There’s also a leadership change at a seminary, a priest will be serving in Poland, and three priests will be retiring.
Msgr. Bernie Schmitz
Currently the Vicar for Clergy, Msgr. Bernie Schmitz has also served as pastor of Mother of God Church in central Denver since 2007. While he will continue as Vicar for Clergy, Msgr. Schmitz has been given a new parish assignment—starting June 18, he will serve as the new pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Father Tom Coyte, longtime pastor of Holy Cross Church in Thornton, will be the new pastor of Mother of God.
“I’m excited and looking forward to it,” Msgr. Schmitz said about his new parish assignment. “The Cathedral Basilica is an extremely diverse community with lots going on all the time.”
Emphasizing that while he’s loved serving his current parish, which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the pastoral center where his office is located, he added with a laugh, “I won’t have to move very far!”
Msgr. Tom Fryar
Since 2004 Msgr. Tom Fryar has ministered as moderator of the curia, supervising the administrative offices of the Denver Archdiocese, which are located at the John Paul II Center in south Denver. Msgr. Fryar, who has also served as pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception since 2006, has been named pastor of St. Thomas More Church in Centennial effective June 18. Father Randy Dollins, longtime mountain pastor, will serve as the new moderator of the curia (see story in April 2 DCR “Mountain priest gets new post at chancery” or online at www.DenverCatholicRegister.org).
“With this new assignment I’ll be able to be fully focused on life in the parish, which is something I’ve had to split my time and attention with these last few years,” Msgr. Fryar said. “There is a great joy, I believe, for any priest to receive an assignment in a parish and to be working amongst the people of God on a daily basis, strengthening their spiritual journey and helping them to be a sign of God’s presence in the world.
“This is what a priest goes to seminary to do!”
Father Matthew Book
Ordained four years ago, Father Mathew Book served a year as a parochial vicar at a parish, then a year in study at the Vatican. Upon his return to Denver in 2012, he began ministering as priest secretary to Archbishop Aquila and until last August, also served as house father to the Companions of Christ, a group of eight seminarians who share a home together to encourage fraternity and communal life. Starting July 23, Father Book will be a first-time pastor as he takes over at St. Joseph Church in Golden. Father Scott Bailey, currently parochial vicar at St. Frances Cabrini Church in Littleton, will serve as the archbishop’s new priest secretary.
“I am very excited to become pastor at St. Joseph Parish and am thankful to Archbishop Aquila and to God for this blessing,” Father Book said. “I look forward to committing myself in service to the people there, and to accompanying them as we all seek to sincerely follow Jesus Christ and share the Gospel with others. It is a serious responsibility, so I hope our parishioners start praying for me right away!”
Seminary change
After several years as vice rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Father Jorge Rodriguez will become pastor at Holy Cross Church in Thornton. Father Rodriguez will also continue his duties as a theology professor at the seminary. Father Jason Wallace, formator and director of pastoral formation at St. John Vianney, will serve as vice rector.
Mission
Father Gregory Cioch, V.F., a native of Poland, will leave the Denver Archdiocese for six years to minister at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in the Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland.
“I was asked to help with the preparation of the seminarians from Poland who come to the USA,” Father Cioch wrote on his Facebook page. “(It’s) the very program that brought me to America 20 years ago.”
Called “the Polish seminary,” Sts. Cyril and Methodius Seminary was founded in 1885 in Detroit, Mich., and has a house of formation in Krakow.
“The first few years of the (formation) program take place in Krakow, my hometown,” Father Cioch explained.
The first few years of the program take place in Krakow, Poland (my hometown).
Retirements
After ministering for a combined total of nearly 151 years, three priests are retiring: Father Lawrence Kaiser, pastor of Guardian Angels in Denver; Father Michael Kerrigan, pastor of St. Paul in Idaho Springs, Our Lady of Lourdes in Georgetown and St. Mary of the Assumption in Central City; and Father James Purfield, pastor of All Saints in Denver, are all retiring. (Read more about these three in the June 4 Denver Catholic Register.)
