Archdiocese of Denver

2 ARCHBISHOP'S CATHOLIC APPEAL | SPECIAL EDITION I n the face of opposition, Peter and the apostles were bold, proclaiming freedom and eternal life through Jesus to anyone who would listen. They were put in prison and then freed by an angel to give witness to the Gospel. After they were threatened by the religious leaders, they gathered with the community of believers to praise God and the Holy Spirit fell upon those gathered. They were "of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own" (Acts 4:32). We decided to dedicate the 2022 Archbishop's Cath- olic Appeal to those apostles and their work in the early Church. They were ordinary men who spread the word of our Lord to all nations. The appeal invites members of the Archdiocese of Denver to support the largest fund- raiser of the year that helps spread Christ's message. As we reflect on our current environment, we see that the Church today faces similar opposition from the ruling class and cultural elites, and even some within the Church. And like the early Church, we must pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness to faithfully pro- claim the Gospel and to unite our hearts and minds so that we give everything to the Lord. After experiencing the March 25-27 Archdiocesan Synod Event and seeing the unity that came from gather- ing representatives from every parish in the archdiocese in prayer and discernment, I can say that the Holy Spirit is certainly at work, and I am excited to see what he will do in our archdiocese. We have an opportunity before us to grow in unity and zeal and we must not miss it. Perhaps you have heard the advice, "always live with the end-goal in mind." While this is good advice for daily tasks, it is all the truer about our eternal end, that is, whether we live with God forever or apart from him. BY ARCHBISHOP SAMUEL J. AQUILA Follow Archbishop Aquila on Social media: | ARCH B I S H O P ' S CO LU M N Having one heart and mind to serve others

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