Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
October 31 , 2001
`Whatever happened to Father X ?'
Father Gabel, mountain missions founding priest
When Father Manuel Gabel made his First Holy Communion he wrote to his sister, who was one of two sisters who were nuns with the Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood in Wichita, Kan., telling of this great event, and adding, "I am going to be a priest."
After graduating from St. Francis de Sales High School, Father Gabel attended St. Thomas Seminary and was ordained by Archbishop Urban Vehr on May 31, 1957. He offered his first Mass at his home parish in St. Francis de Sales.
After spending the summer at Holy Ghost Church in Denver, Father Gabel was assigned to Assumption Parish in Leadville, and also served as chaplain at the Catholic hospital. While in Leadville, Dillon Dam was being built. Father Gabel was asked to begin a mission in Dillon to serve the many Catholics working on the dam construction. Establishing missions in Dillon, Breckenridge and Fairplay were both challenging and enjoyable because of the ever-changing beauty of the mountains.
In 1959 Father Gabel became associate pastor at Presentation Parish in Denver until 1963, when he was named pastor at St. John's Church in Stoneham, with its missions of Briggsdale and Grover. While most of the priests in the diocese thought that this was a difficult assignment, Father Gabel found it highly enjoyable. The parishioners were cooperative and affirming, and the trips to the missions for Sunday Mass were pleasant as Father Gabel found a great deal of beauty in the prairie. The friendship of all the priests in the small farming communities around Sterling proved a great help in dispelling loneliness and providing support.
In 1963 Archbishop James Casey was appointed to Denver. One of his first actions was to visit all the parishes. However, the priest assigned to drive him to Stoneham could not find that small village. When the archbishop did eventually make it to Stoneham, he asked Father Gabel if he liked to teach. Naively, Father Gabel answered "yes," since he had enjoyed teaching high school religion while at Presentation. The archbishop proceeded to assign him as chaplain at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, teaching medical ethics at the School of Nursing there.
In 1969 Father Gabel was returned to pastoral duties at St. Anthony Church in Julesburg, and, in 1971, was assigned as pastor to his old home parish of St. Francis de Sales in Denver. Msgr. Gregory Smith remained at the parish as pastor emeritus. Father Gabel's high school religion teacher and old pastor was a tremendous help, as well as a best friend.
The St. Francis assignment began a "seven-year" period. Father Gabel remained at St. Francis for seven years, then he worked at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Castle Rock for seven years, and finally he toiled for another seven years as pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains Church in Estes Park. It was while there that Father Gabel acquired a great love for hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Father Gabel still enjoys regular hikes with his priest-buddies.
In 1992 Father Gabel was assigned as pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Boulder. He found the people there to be extremely welcoming, friendly and cooperative. The seven-year pattern was broken in 1995, when Father Gabel retired to live in residence at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Denver. Father Gabel now enjoys all the best parts of pastoral life: offering Mass, presiding at funerals and celebrating the sacraments of confession, baptism and marriage, while not missing administrative duties at all. Father Gabel especially enjoys offering the school Mass once a week and teaching liturgy to St. Catherine students.
Send correspondence to Father Manuel Gabel at St. Catherine Siena Parish, 4200 Federal Blvd., Denver, CO 80211-1640.
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