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Bishop says he would live ‘100 lives’ as a Catholic priest
By Nissa LaPoint
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Photo by James Baca/DCR |
Those closest to Bishop James Conley say he possesses a deep love for God, a magnetic joy and extensive knowledge of the Catholic Church and her teachings.
But even more so, he is widely relatable.
“We really didn’t know what to expect,” said Brigid DeMoor, youth program coordinator for the women’s program Endow, about the first time she invited Bishop Conley to a meeting. “He came and we were just stunned by how normal he was.”
DeMoor along with Msgr. Bernard Schmitz, liaison for clergy and pastor at Mother of God Parish, and Bishop Conley’s sister, Susan Atkins, spoke about his love for youth, sports, his early childhood and ready sense of humor at the annual Serra Salute for Vocations Dinner Sept. 30 at the Pinehurst Country Club in Denver.
Msgr. Schmitz said Bishop Conley, apostolic administrator for the Archdiocese of Denver, has been like a brother to him during the last three years they’ve known each other at Mother of God Parish, where Bishop Conley resides.
“He gets behind his work like I do. He cheers for his (sports) teams like I do. He relishes a ride on the bike or a run. He enjoys a good meal and can cook a good one also,” Msgr. Schmitz said. “Serra honors him because he portrays a joy that is so needed in a world too often swallowed up with worry and anxiety.”
Bishop Conley was honored at the dinner by the Serra Trust Fund for Vocations, an organization that fosters and promotes vocations to the Catholic priesthood and religious life. Last year local Serra clubs raised $32,830 for seminarians in the Archdiocese of Denver, said Lucy Kane, Serra Trust chairwoman.
“Serra has one purpose and that is to support vocations,” Kane emphasized.
Since 1935, Serra International has grown from a small luncheon in Seattle to a global association in more than 36 countries. There are nine Serra Clubs in Colorado, seven of which are in the Denver-metro area and Boulder.
Dolores de Aragon, vice president of programs for related organization Serra International, introduced the speakers after dinner that night, including Bishop Conley’s sister who lives in Kansas.
“To you all he’s a priest and bishop, but to me he’s always been my big brother, one who spent a lot of time over the years teasing and annoying me to no end, but it did show me just how much he loved me,” Atkins said.
She recalled the time he was left in charge one weekend when their parents were away.
“He threw this great big party with lots of people,” she said. “He swore me to secrecy—‘Don’t tell mom and dad.’ I kept my end of the bargain, but I think he forgot about our neighbors.”
Later in his junior year of college at the University of Kansas, Bishop Conley converted to the Catholic Church and entered the seminary for the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., in 1980. He was ordained five years later. He served the Holy See as an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops and was a pastor in Wichita before being named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Denver in 2008.
As a priest, those around him have noted his passion for life, the time he spends with his family and his penchant for John Henry Newman, a 19th-century cardinal and important literary figure.
“There is a joy about him that is wonderful because it draws one in,” Msgr. Schmitz said. “One must figure if he has that joy there must be something about priesthood that is great.”
During the time she has known Bishop Conley, DeMoor said she has been struck by his passion.
“He’s full of this sense of wonder and by his conversations and by his interests and by the man that he is, he helps draw all of us into a deeper understanding of truth, goodness and beauty ... which is Christ,” DeMoor said.
After a few seminarians played folk music including the Irish song “Wild Rover,” Bishop Conley spoke about the blessings God has given him.
“I have gratitude in my heart for everything in my life,” he said. “If I had 100 lives to live, I would live each one as a Catholic priest, because it’s a great life.”
Although he said he wasn’t sure if he’d live each one as a bishop. As an auxiliary bishop, there are many responsibilities.
“First of all I realized I couldn’t use my favorite line anymore: ‘I’m sorry ma’am, you’re going to have to talk with the archbishop now,’” Bishop Conley joked.
“Being an auxiliary bishop is a great gig nonetheless.”
At the end of the night, he was presented with an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, and an icon of the Madonna and Child.
Bishop Conley also said that no matter what a person’s vocation is, one must recognize that everything depends on God.
“God is our strength and we have to be humble enough to recognize that,” he said. “We’re just instruments in his hands, and if we’re docile enough to be able to allow him to use us, then great things can happen in our lives.”
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