Acknowledgments

Tom Weaver, Father John Anderson, and Monsignor Michael Chamberlain first proposed this book and have been patiently supportive as a one-year project turned into a three-year effort. Cathy Cancino of the Office of Major Giving helped type, retype, mail, sort, and proofread various drafts of the parish histories and bishops' biographies.

Many other people at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center made the project possible, most notably archivist Sister Ann Walter, OSB. She not only provided access to her well-organized treasure trove but also made me and my students feel at home by her cheerful assistance. With her red pencil, Sister Ann, a former English teacher, greatly improved this manuscript by making it, as she puts it, "bleed."

Sister Jarlath McManus, CSJ, provided documents, information, and a review of much of the manuscript. Sister Mary Agnes McAuliffe, SC, historian for the Western Region of the Sisters of Charity, may have finally straightened me out on some confusing matters of "which order did what when." I leaned most heavily on Monsignor William H. Jones' book, The History of Catholic Education in the State of Colorado, and on interviews and manuscript reviews he graciously provided.

Monsignor Gregory Smith, who has one of the longest and sharpest memories I have encountered, provided critical as well as colorful detail, based on his key role in church matters ever since Tihen's time. Monsignor Thomas Barry, Father John Anderson, Sister Rosemary Wilcox, SL, and Sister Rosemary Keegan, SL, also provided unusually vivid recollections of things past.

Archbishop J. Francis Stafford generously granted interviews. His candor and support have been heartening. Fathers Edward Buelt and Edward Hoffmann provided interviews and most helpful reviews of the manuscript. Sister Mary Lucy Downey, SCL, gave me a tour of the Archdiocesan Housing Committee, Inc., projects, while James Mauck offered an interview, materials, and clarifications on the role of Catholic Community Services.

At the busy offices of the Denver Catholic Register, editor James E. Fiedler, managing editor Patricia Hillyer, staff writers Marty Moran, Harv Bishop, and Christine Capra-Kramer, as well as photo librarian Jacqueline Martinez were wonderfully helpful. Prize-winning Register photographer James Baca has graciously allowed use of his crackerjack work. Unless otherwise credited, the other illustrations are from the Denver Catholic Register. Zinaida "Sadie" Herrara saved me much time with her indispensible annual production, The Official Directory of the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver.

Thanks also for the skillful support of Eleanor Gehres and her staff at the Western History Department of the Denver Public Library, and Stan Oliner and the staff at the Colorado Historical Society Library. Fathers Harold Stansell, SJ, and Tom Steele, SJ, at Regis College, provided information and manuscript reviews. Many others, whose names appear in the text and in the sources, offered assistance for which I am grateful.

Luther Wilson and the crew at the University Press of Colorado transformed a troublesome, tattered, 850-page manuscript into this tome. Michael P. McKee, the amiable wizard who manages archdiocesan data processing, and June Callahan and Gerry Darr at the University of Colorado at Denver brought me into the computer age, rescued me from word processing nightmares, and helped with formating and printing multiple drafts. Many CU-Denver students came to the rescue with parish histories, which supplemented my own research. They included Lynette Benson, Lien Bui, Dave Cole, Carole Hildebrant, Mary Judge, Randy Lichtenfield, Gwynne Ellen McFarland, Diana Miller, Ben Negrette, Hai Xuan Nguyen, Maggie O Connor, Maureen Parish, Sarah Przekwas, Mike Rael, Steve Stamm, Betsy Stapp, Greg Thomas, Jill Thomas, and My Tran. Student histories of Catholic institutions and churchmen, which also augmented my research, were completed by Santa Adams, Mark Buchanan, Patrick J. Canavan, Andrew Coukous, Letitia Czartoryski, Denise Drvedahl, Patricia Halpine, and Gina Kastel. Three graduate students—Peg Ekstrand, Ben Negrette, and Vicki Rubin—helped in various ways, as did the indispensible graduate student assistant on this project, Sarah Przekwas. Fernie Baca, assistant vice chancellor for research at CU-Denver, found graduate student research funding.

Outside reviewers, who improved this story, include the late Margaret Jacob, Philip Goodstein, Stephen J. Leonard, Duane A. Smith, and Ed J. Haley—the veteran cartographer, historian and editor. Louise J. Noel, Dennis Gallagher, Lara Walchuk, and Vi—my wife—helped. To Vi, I dedicate this work. During its creation she joined the church and prayed this would be finished and acceptable.

Thomas J. Noel
April 1, 1989