As of last Saturday, there are nearly 500 Catholics who can now be added to the ranks of those who worked hard, studied diligently and at last fulfilled a strong desire to know, love, and now share Jesus Christ with others.
The Denver Catholic Biblical and Catechetical Schools graduated their biggest class yet June 3, with nearly 320 Biblical School graduates and 150 Catechetical school graduates. The graduation and commencement Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas More Parish, and was presided by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila. Daniel Campbell, Director of the St. John Vianney Lay Division, delivered the commencement address.
“It is always a great joy to reach this point and to be able to celebrate with you in what you have grown in,” Archbishop Aquila told the graduates during his homily. “Hopefully it has been a deepening of your faith, a deepening of your friendship with Jesus and really receiving all that Our Lord has desired to reveal to us, especially in the Word of God, in the sacred Scriptures, and hopefully it has given you a deeper love for the Word of God so that you, for the rest of your lives, will continue to pray with that word and really open your heart to the word.”
“To have seen the work of our graduates, to have them share their lives with us, is something that we count ourselves blessed to be a part of,” Campbell told the Denver Catholic. “I’m reminded of what St. Paul wrote to the Church of Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20: ‘For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.’ I think I speak for all of our faculty in saying that our students are our glory and joy. It is a privilege that they allow us to serve their formation in Christ!”
The Biblical School is a four-year program which through prayer, lectures, small-group discussions and weekly coursework guides students through the Bible and demonstrates the relevance of God’s living Word in the world today. The Catechetical School, on the other hand, is a two-year program which provides a prayerful, organic and systematic presentation of the Catholic Faith, contained both in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
“Our mission at the Lay Division is to put people in contact and communion with the Person of Jesus Christ, who alone leads us to the heart of the Father in the Spirit,” Campbell said. “In essence, we are all about making and maturing disciples. To do so, we try to study God’s call to each and every person to have a personal relationship with him in the Church he established with the Precious Blood of Jesus. We essentially exist to serve the lay faithful by giving them formation in Christ. And I hope, and pray, that we have succeeded in doing so for our graduates!”
For those interested, registration for Biblical School, Catechetical School or one of the many enrichment courses the SJV Lay Division offers is now open! Click here to learn more and register.
