Hispanic Catholic leaders to receive Archbishop Gomez Awards

By Erika Palma

The fourth annual Archbishop Jose H. Gomez Awards Dinner will be held on the evening of Oct. 16 at Centro San Juan Diego, the Denver archdiocese’s family and pastoral care center offering education and outreach to Spanish-speaking Hispanics.

This year, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., and San Antonio Archbishop Gomez, formerly the auxiliary bishop of Denver, will honor Luis and Irma Olivas, Richard McLean and Ronald Montoya, all of them active parishioners and leaders in the archdiocese who have dedicated their skills, time and effort to the ministry of the Church and the new evangelization.

The event is set from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., beginning with a reception, followed by a dinner and program conducted by Anne Trujillo, KMGH Channel 7 News anchor. In addition to Archbishops Chaput and Gomez, Auxiliary Bishop James Conley of Denver will also be present.
The purpose of the Archbishop Gomez Awards is to honor individuals or established groups that have demonstrated excellence in the award categories of Pastoral Leadership and Social Justice Leadership in Hispanic Ministry. A special Amistad (Friendship) Award is presented to those who give their time and continuous support to Centro San Juan Diego.

The Olivas will receive the Pastoral Leadership Award. The couple arrived to the United States from Mexico in the year 2000 after Luis Olivas was laid off from his 20-year job as a nurse. They arrived to Colorado with little money and knowing no English. In the midst of their difficulties, they felt God’s call to get involved with family pastoral ministry at Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish in Commerce City.

The couple now serves as regional delegates for the Catholic Christian Family Movement. They are parishioners at Queen of Peace Church in Aurora.

The Olivas lead by example in serving their parish, said Father Gerardo Puga, C.C.R., spiritual advisor to the Catholic Christian Family Movement, who nominated the couple. He said they also lead by “the way they live their own marriage and family life according to the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.”

The couple credited God with seeing them through their difficulties and showering them with blessings.

“We are grateful to God for the trust he has shown in us,” said Irma Olivas.

McLean will be the recipient of the Social Leadership Award. He and his wife Guillermina are longtime parishioners at St. Therese Parish in Aurora.

Father Bert Chilson, pastor of St. Therese, who made the nomination, described McLean as “an outstanding Catholic layman.” McLean has volunteered in various ministries and has promoted a cultural and language exchange between English and Spanish speaking parishioners.

“He loves the Lord and his people without guile and without prejudice,” Father Chilson said.
Several years ago, McLean helped form FAMILY, a parish group affiliated with Metro Organizations for People, a nationwide network that assists with faith-based community organizing.

Commenting on his ministry, McLean said, “We know it is not right as Christians to make ourselves insular—to support boundaries between us and our fellow Christians—so we need to find ways to come together in Christ.”

The Amistad Award will be presented to Montoya, president and CEO of PlastiComm who has been a tireless supporter of Centro San Juan Diego and has served as president of its advisory board since its inception.

“The mission of Centro San Juan Diego,” Montoya said, “is to provide family services as well as Catholic services. I am so delighted that our archbishop and the Archdiocese of Denver are working hard to secure the funding to move this program forward for our community.
“We must give back,” Montoya said. “We have an obligation to share and to help others to succeed.”

Tickets for the Archbishop Gomez Awards Dinner are $100 per person. R.S.V.P. deadline is Oct. 8. Centro San Juan Diego is located at 2830 Lawrence St. For more information, call 303-295-9470 Ext. 104 or send e-mail to centro@archden.org.