The rain seemed reminiscent of the community\u2019s own baptisms, through which each beloved son and daughter of Christ were born anew. In like manner, the providential visit of the Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, marked a profound moment of life in St. Joan of Arc Parish\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
The parish was an unlikely host, Father Nathan Goebel, pastor of St. Joan of Arc in Arvada said. A providential phone call months ago, received in joy, would bring nearly 500 people to encounter the Lord.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no idea how we got chosen or why we got chosen. We were just chosen, and were excited for it,\u201d Father Goebel said, remembering that initial call.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the reasons why I think that our parish was identified as a potential stop is we\u2019ve had an adoration chapel for 30 years,\u201d Father Goebel continued.<\/p>\n
Since\u00a0Pope St. John Paul II\u2019s transformative visit<\/a>\u00a0to Denver in 1993, a devoted group of St. Joan of Arc parishioners have been coming together 24 hours a day for the last 30 years in prayer and worship of the Eucharistic Lord.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you already have a community that\u2019s just hope-filled and desirous for the Lord to come,\u201d Father Goebel said.<\/p>\n From that first phone call, the devoted, hope-filled parish mobilized, preparing themselves and their community for the Eucharistic Lord\u2019s visit on his way to Indianapolis.<\/p>\n Despite several logistical hiccups Friday morning, the Perpetual Pilgrims arrived at St. Joan of Arc with Jesus and were greeted by an enthusiastic catholic (that is, universal) community.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, to see so many of the faithful, not just from our parish, but throughout the States and our different dioceses come together to give reverence and praise to God shows the catholicity of our faith,\u201d Father Goebel told the\u00a0Denver Catholic<\/em>, reflecting on all those who joined the procession. Alongside St. Joan of Arc parishioners were faithful from other parishes, visitors and people not as engaged with their faith. Individuals of many different racial and ethnic backgrounds, ages and abilities were present, coming together in prayer and worship of the One Lord.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just such a gift to be able to see all of them processing behind Jesus, who was leading them on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart,\u201d Father Goebel continued.<\/p>\n The universality, or catholicity, of the faith indeed was on full display at St. Joan of Arc\u2019s Eucharistic procession.<\/p>\n For Faith Brake, a former Annunciation Heights missionary who happened to be visiting Denver during the pilgrimage, it was that demonstration of the Church\u2019s unity that was most moving.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been overwhelmed by a reminder of the universality of our faith, and that it\u2019s not just me out here journeying with Jesus, but the church is alive and on fire,\u201d Brake told the\u00a0Denver Catholic<\/em>. \u201cThe spirit was tangible in there. I\u2019m definitely feeling refueled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis honestly felt like a little taste of Heaven, to be reminded that we are pilgrims on earth in a very tangible way\u201d Kat Hurd, another former Annunciation Heights missionary and visitor to St. Joan of Arc, shared. \u201cIt was cool, but mostly to be reminded of that in a crowd of a lot of people, children and elderly people and everyone that was walking. It was cool to be among them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just amazed and overwhelmed by joy,\u201d shared Joe Trujillo, the parish\u2019s coordinator of high school youth ministry. \u201cSeeing everybody\u2019s joy here and their willingness to be here with Jesus is totally life-giving and a reminder that the Church is very much alive.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_gallery type=”flickity_style” images=”7567,7568,7569,7571,7572,7573,7574,7575,7576,7577,7578,7570,7579,7580,7581,7582″ flickity_spacing=”default” flickity_controls=”next_prev_arrows” flickity_overflow=”hidden” flickity_wrap_around=”wrap” flickity_desktop_columns=”1″ flickity_small_desktop_columns=”1″ flickity_tablet_columns=”1″ flickity_phone_columns=”1″ flickity_box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” display_title_caption=”true” onclick=”link_image” el_class=”removetitle”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Coupling the Eucharistic procession as a testament to the Church\u2019s life was a lunch presentation on the life of\u00a0Servant of God Michelle Duppong<\/a>, who was baptized at St. Joan of Arc.<\/p>\n The former FOCUS missionary whose cause for sainthood is now open is most known for her simple, daily, joyful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Despite her battle with cancer, Servant of God Michelle Duppong remained rooted in her faith, the joy of Christ and the hope of eternal life. From that place of faith-filled surrender, she was able to share the love of Christ with all those she met, shared Ashley, who was in discipleship with Servant of God Michelle Duppong while attending the University of Nebraska.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was especially in her suffering and in her death that she showed the fullness of joy, what it meant to live by joy,\u201d. \u201cIt looked different, of course, but she showed that joy in her patience and perseverance. Even as she was dying of cancer, she was ministering to others through this joy and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n For Duppong, that profound, confounding joy came from one place: her identity as a beloved daughter of God.<\/p>\n \u201cThat joy came first and foremost from Michelle\u2019s absolute security in who she is,\u201d Ashley continued. \u201cShe knew fully and deeply that she was a beloved daughter of God. That knowledge of who she was gave her freedom to show joy. Because she was able to receive that love from God, she was able to share it with others. Sharing the love of God wasn\u2019t just something she did, but it is who she was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, as a parish, we\u2019re growing in our love for Jesus as she had a love for Jesus,\u201d Father Goebel shared. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing our parishioners get into the connection with Michelle. And it\u2019s beautiful to see that other people are realizing that the faith is born from the parish, from that baptismal font. The faith is imparted through Christ, through the ministry of the priest, and it extends throughout the church.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur people were ready and eager to receive him. There\u2019s such joy in a father when your children are already doing what they are supposed to be doing without you even telling them. Their reverence; their joy; they knew all the songs; they withstood the heat. We\u2019re just really grateful,\u201d Father Goebel told the\u00a0Denver Catholic.<\/em><\/p>\n Even the Arvada skies could not hold back their tears of joy for having welcomed the Eucharistic Lord to their community.<\/p>\n Having encountered the Lord in the Eucharist, and having met one of his beloved daughters in Servant of God Michelle Duppong, the community had a front-row seat to the Kingdom of Heaven.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Communion of Saints isn\u2019t so far away,\u201d Father Goebel shared. \u201cThe Church and Jesus\u2019 heart are one.\u201d<\/p>\n +++<\/p>\n For more information on upcoming events with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of Denver, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n To see more of the latest news, updates and photos from the Pilgrimage, click\u00a0here<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” custom_height=”60px”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n While known to some for its party culture, multiple Denver priests think of the University of Colorado in Boulder as a turning point in their discernment. Three priests share their experience at the university and its impact on their vocation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7565","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-religious-outreach"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7583,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7565\/revisions\/7583"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}This story was updated on June 7th, 2024. Originally published in the Denver Catholic.<\/a><\/em><\/h5>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"