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Ten couples to be inducted into papal Order of St. Gregory the Great
By Roxanne King
Ten couples in the Denver Archdiocese have been named to the pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great as dames and knights, the Archbishop’s Office announced. The Holy Father last named pontifical knights and dames for the archdiocese in 2005.
“The Order of St. Gregory the Great is the single highest honor the pontiff can bestow on an individual,” explained archdiocesan Chancellor Francis X. Maier.
“Benedict XVI, as pastor of the universal Church, confers this recognition in gratitude for sustained and exemplary witness to the Catholic faith, and service to the Church and her people.”
Those named to the order are: Nancy and Mark Bauman, Joanie and David Holden, Jean and Robert Gryzmala, Diana and Wayne Murdy, Rebecca and Sam Perry, Judy and Richard Thompson, Anne and Steven Wagner, Annette and Steven Waymel, and Patricia and Robert Zarlengo.
One couple, active in Catholic and Colorado causes for many years, has asked to remain anonymous.
Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., made the nominations through the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. The nunciature, the embassy of the Holy See in the United States, reviews each candidate’s qualifications and then forwards appropriate names to the Vatican’s secretariat of state for further review. Worthy candidates are then recommended to the pope, who grants the awards.
The Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the five pontifical knightly orders, was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831 to pay tribute to his sixth-century predecessor.
The couples will be honored by Archbishop Chaput during a 6:30 p.m. Mass Feb. 13 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
In nominating the couples, Archbishop Chaput wrote: “Each of the couples … has spent many years working as a team in various forms of service vital to the Church. In their mutual support, the husband and wife cannot be separated for acknowledgment. … All of these couples are active in Catholic causes, all enjoy good standing with the Church, and all offer a strong example of Christian married and family life in their daily actions.”
The Baumans
Members of St. Louis Parish in Englewood and the parents of three children, retired business executive Mark Bauman, 55, and wife Nancy, 48, a homemaker, “have combined astonishing generosity to the strategic needs of the Church … with a personal humility and piety that are quite rare,” Archbishop Chaput said in his nomination letter.
“Moreover,” he added, “both take a very active role in the life of their parish and the local Church.”
Nancy has been involved in archdiocesan high school improvement and currently serves as chairman of the board for Bishop Machebeuf High School. Mark is the former chair of The Catholic Foundation, which provides donor and endowment services and grant-making to the Catholic community in northern Colorado. Mark has also been instrumental in the establishment of the Catholic graduate school the Augustine Institute, where he serves as chairman of the board.
The Baumans said they were humbled by the award.
“We realized a number of years ago that everything we have is a gift from God and is meant to be used in service to him and his Church,” Nancy Bauman said.
“We believe we will one day be required to give an accounting to God of how we used all the gifts he gave us. God has blessed us immensely and it is our job to give back in a way pleasing to him. This involves giving of our time, talent and treasure to the Church.”
The Holdens
David and Joanie Holden, both 51, are the parents of three sons. They are both financial professionals whose work is marked by excellence and personal integrity. Joanie is a self-employed accountant and financial consultant. David is the chief financial officer for the Denver Archdiocese and president of the Archdiocese of Denver Management Corporation. They are members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Littleton.
“The Holdens have dedicated themselves to building up the Church in an extraordinarily humble and effective way,” the archbishop said in nominating them.
“Both have been active and generous in their parish for many years,” he noted, describing them as “modeling the best qualities of the Catholic lay vocation.”
The Holdens expressed surprise at the award.
“To be in the same company as past recipients and this year’s current recipients is quite an honor, to say the least,” David Holden said.
Joanie Holden added, “We pray that we can continue to distinguish ourselves in our love for our Catholic faith.”
The Gryzmalas
Members of Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Broomfield, Robert Gryzmala, 71, and wife Jean, 69, are the parents of six children. They have used their financial success to quietly fund various vital projects for the local Church, especially in the Catholic education of young people.
In his nomination letter, Archbishop Chaput described them as “a model of an ordinary, hardworking, faithful Catholic family.
“They are unobtrusive, humble but deeply apostolic toward the needs of their parish and the archdiocesan Church,” he said.
Speaking for the couple, Robert said that he and his wife were honored by the recognition and were blessed with the good example of their parents to inspire them.
“Everything we have is a gift from God,” he said. “We are stewards of those gifts while on earth.”
The Murdys
Retired chairman and CEO of the Newmont Mining Corporation, Wayne Murdy, 66, and wife Diana, 63, a homemaker, are the parents of four children and are members of Risen Christ Parish in Denver. Wayne serves as the chairman of The Catholic Foundation.
“As a couple, they have been enormously generous—both with their time and their resources—to our seminaries, our Catholic school system and several parish schools in particular,” the archbishop wrote in his nomination letter.
The Murdys said they were humbled by the recognition.
“In serving others, we proclaim a sense of purpose in our lives,” said Diana Murdy. “We pray that our contributions will assist the work of Christ’s Church in continuing its mission on earth, the salvation of souls.”
The Perrys
Longtime real estate professional Sam Perry, 71, and wife Rebecca, “Becky,” 66, a homemaker, are members of Risen Christ Parish in Denver. They reared four children and also served as foster parents to two children. Becky is a convert to the Catholic faith and energetic in her discipleship. Sam has provided strategic real estate advice to the archdiocese over many years and has served on The Catholic Foundation board and the Archdiocesan Finance Council.
“The Perrys are longtime major donors to the work of the Church,” Archbishop Chaput noted in nominating them. “Both of the Perrys have been personally active in parish and other Catholic apostolates for many years.”
The Perrys said the award was unexpected.
“I know so many people in the archdiocese and what those people do—there are a lot of devout Catholics doing many good things,” Sam Perry said.
“It’s a compliment to the archbishop and the people who work with him that they let lay people bloom. …The archbishop has created an environment where people feel they can give and be helpful and assist with the needs of the archdiocese.”
The Thompsons
Richard and Judy Thompson, both in their 60s, are the parents of four children and are members of the Cathedral Basilica of the Imma-culate Con-ception. Ric-hard is superintendent of Catholic schools for the Denver Archdiocese and Judy is retired after years of service in family businesses and Catholic schools.
In nominating the couple, Archbishop Chaput noted Judy’s “courage, faith and love” during the long illness and death of one of the couple’s children. He described Richard as “a generous father and faithful husband; a superb educator; a gifted businessman and executive; and a loyal son of the Church.”
“So many people are generous in their service to the Church, and we are deeply humbled to be included on a list of so many notable recipients of this honor over the last 180 years,” Richard Thompson said. “We see a need to do all we can to help evangelize and catechize the next generations in the love and truth of our Church.”
The Thompsons said they intend to do all they can to fulfill the motto of the Order of St. Gregory the Great: “For God and Prince.”
“Being from South Dakota, it would be nice to exercise the one privilege of the order—riding on a horse inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City,” Richard Thompson joked. “But I doubt that privilege will be granted!”
The Wagners
Retired managing partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Steven Wag-ner and wife Anne, a school counselor at St. Mary School in Littleton are the parents of six children. Both 59 they are members of St. Mary Parish in Littleton. Both Wag-ners have served in leadership positions in various Catholic apostolates. Anne is a respected school counselor and Steven volunteers on the Catholic Charities of the Denver Archdiocese board. In nominating them, Archbishop Chaput particularly noted the rich faith life they fostered in their family: one son is a deacon in formation for the priesthood; two daughters are lay campus missionaries for FOCUS, another daughter worked for the archdiocesan Pastoral Center.
“They have evangelized their children in an extraordinarily generous way,” Archbishop Chaput wrote. “Through the joy and health of their family life, the Wagners provide a model for transmitting the Gospel to the next generation by creating a genuinely Christian home.”
The Wagners said they were humbled by the honor.
“Our parents were excellent role models of Catholic faithfulness and service to the Church, as well as service to their respective communities, especially in their demonstrated love of God and love of others,” Steven Wagner said. “We have tried to be the same role models for our children and to pass on the virtue of service to God and others.”
The Waymels
Members of St. Louis Church in Englewood, Steven Waymel is a successful business coach and wife Annette is a homemaker. Both 57, the Waymels are parents to eight children. The couple serve as catechists in the Neocate-chumenal Way, a Vatican approved, parish-based catechumenate that aims to bring people to mature Catholic faith.
“The Waymels have evangelized their children with patience and great love, and to great effect,” Archbishop Chaput wrote in nominating them. “One of their sons is studying for the priesthood.
“Both of the Waymels have served on the boards of our two seminaries and supported their parish, our priestly formation programs and other archdiocesan apostolates. … They also have a devotion to prolife work and aid to the disabled, stemming in a special way from their love for a daughter with Down syndrome.”
“We have never done anything to deserve this,” said Steven Waymel, citing Rose Mary and Don McLeod, the couple who brought the Neocatechumenal Way to Colorado and oversee it as meriting the award.
“Eighteen years ago, at a time when our marriage was in crisis and we were unable to save it; God intervened through the Church, and specifically through the Neocatechumenal Way,” he said. “Through this charism, God has changed our lives. He has rebuilt our marriage as a sacrament. He has re-opened us to life—blessing us with two more children. He is doing an itinerary of faith with our family, resulting in vocations to the priesthood and Christian marriage.”
“We have seen that God cannot be outdone in generosity,” added Annette Waymel. “What we do out of gratitude for the mercy God has shown us and our family, is nothing.”
The Zarlengos
Managing partner of Zarlengo Raub LLP, Robert “Bob” Zarlengo, 60, and wife Patricia “Patti,” 59, secretary at Our Lady of Fatima School, are members of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Lakewood. Robert Zarlengo is a longtime lay leader in his parish and has served on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. The couple worked for more than a decade to keep the Denver Archdiocese’s Holy Family High School from closing.
“It was their leadership efforts that helped keep the school alive, eventually identified key donors and new land, and helped to relocate the school and build superb new facilities,” Archbishop Chaput wrote in nominating them. “The new Holy Family High School is a success largely because of the tireless work of the Zarlengos.”
Bob Zarlengo said he was filled with excitement and fear when he learned of the award.
“I was awe struck that the Vatican had heard of Bob and Patti Zarlengo,” he said. “My mother and father showed us what a life of service is and how to do it and make it easy, or second nature.”
“My service and generosity to the Church comes from living with Bob,” said Patti Zarlengo. “His unquestioning dedication to his faith has been an inspiration to me.”
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