Archbishop Samuel Aquila: “Never underestimate the value of your testimony.”

Denver, 07/16/2014 (Sodalite News – USA). The Archbishop of Denver visited the missionaries of Christ in the City on July 16th to thank them for their generous service and evangelization to the needy and homeless during their year of service, as well as to encourage them to continue their work as they return to college or professional life. He assured them that he plans to warmly recommend that other bishops invite the valuable work of these volunteers into their own diocese.

Archbishop Samuel made the personal visit to Christ in the City missionaries in their residence in Seton House, their historic residence in downtown Denver, to express his sincere gratitude for their work with the poor and to remind them that “they should never underestimate the value of their testimony.”

The Archbishop lauded Christ in the City as a wonderful ministry to the needy as well as an excellent source for spiritual, intellectual, and charitable formation to young adults. Archbishop Aquila affirmed that for the Archdiocese Christ in the City is a “great gem” that is “simply reaping fruits.” His words made reference to the testimonies of many homeless and needy that have been transformed by the charity and approximation to the Gospel.

Volunteers offering a lunch in for homeless people in Denver.

In respect to Christ  in the City´s expansion plans, the Archbishop also had words of encouragement for the missionaries. He assured them that “whenever another bishop asks me if they should invite Christ in the City missionaries to their diocese, I answer ’of course, because they will have a tremendous in your city, and especially in the lives of those who will be served by them. ’”

The visit of Archbishop Aquila came just a few days before the departure of the young missionaries to their new residence in Denver, at St. Joseph´s Parish. Yvonne Noggle, the current director of Christ in the City, assured that although the move provides a new challenge for the project, they are overjoyed to follow in the footsteps of the Missionaries of Charity who also have lived at the Seton House and currently reside on the grounds of Saint Joseph´s Parish. The Missionaries of Charity moved to help better attend the needs of the poor in the area around the Parish, and the Christ in the City missionaries hope to do the same.

A Christ in the City missionary in a lively conversation

Noggle also remarked that Christ in the City has plans to grow and expand to Philadelphia at some point in the future. There they hope to launch a program of “parish ambassadors” that will help train local parishioners to establish a Christ-in-the-City-style outreach in their communities.

Noteworthy was the visit of Father Brian Kolodiejchuk to the Christ in the City community at the beginning of June. Fr. Brian is the priest in charge of the cause of canonization for Blessed Mother Therese of Calcutta.  He shared his personal experience of knowing Mother Theresa and shared words that invigorated the missionaries to continuing serving and evangelizing the poor and homeless in Denver, inspired by the project´s patron Mother Theresa. Father Brian assured the attentive listeners that “Mother Theresa was convinced of God´s personal and tender love for her, and her life was a constant effort to return love for love.”