Papal recognition honors lives of
distinguished service

Few men seek the priesthood out of social ambition.  Those who do, rarely last.  It’s a rewarding path, but not an easy one.  While diocesan priests take no vow of poverty, their pay is modest, the hours are long, and the work of leading and serving a parish community can be demanding.  This is the way it should be.  Jesus asks all of us as disciples to live a life of service.  But that applies in a special way to priests, who are called to model Christ sacramentally through holy orders.

The Church is a community of believers who are equal in dignity through  their baptism.  She’s also a body whose members have different tasks in advancing the Gospel, depending on their vocations.  Lived well, the Christian life—whether we’re laypeople, clergy or religious—needs no special honors or recognition.  Deepening our experience and love of God is its own reward.  It’s more than enough.

But what we do need as Christians are examples to encourage us.  This is why the archdiocese revived the practice of papal honors for laypeople and religious nearly a decade ago.  The Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, the Benemerenti Medal and similar honors have real meaning.  The men and women who receive the Holy Father’s recognition have served the Church in special ways over many years.  They also represent many other good disciples who have done exactly the same, and their witness calls all of us to follow Jesus Christ and his people even more effectively.

The same applies to our priests.  The rank of “monsignor” has a long history.  It’s a special honor for diocesan priests, and never given lightly.  The last time the Holy Father appointed monsignors for the Church in northern Colorado was during the Great Jubilee of 2000—nine years ago.  In fact, the Holy See carefully limits the number of monsignors any diocese is allowed to have at any given time.  What this means is that the men who do receive this honor accept it not just for their own distinguished service, but also on behalf of their brother priests, many of whom are equally deserving.

All of us should take pride in the wonderful men whom Benedict XVI has named our new monsignors:  Msgrs. Robert Amundsen, David Croak, Jorge De Los Santos, Michael Glenn, Robert Kinkel, Kenneth Leone, Peter Quang Nguyen and Bernard Schmitz.  These men deserve our gratitude and praise, because all of them have touched thousands of lives with God’s grace.  All of them have served without counting the cost.  And each is an example of the many other extraordinary men who serve God’s people as priests in Colorado.  As we begin this “Year for Priests” announced by Pope Benedict, let’s remember to keep them in our daily prayers.  Let’s also commit ourselves to support and encourage our priests in every way we can.  They depend for everything on the love of God—and also on the love of their people.

Please join me in congratulating our new monsignors—and all our priests—on lives of generosity and service well-lived.

An archdiocesan vespers service investiture and reception for the new monsignors will take place in the early fall; details will appear in the Denver Catholic Register.