Denver: Abp Aquila installed in home diocese

On Wednesday, at a Mass in Denver’s Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Samuel Aquila was installed as the city’s fifth Archbishop. “For me it’s a tremendous gift to be able to return to Denver,” said Archbishop Aquila in an interview with Christopher Wells shortly after his appointment was announced. “I was ordained a priest for Denver in 1976, and served there until 2001 when I was named Co-adjutor Bishop of Fargo. And I really learned at that time the love of the Father for me, and also what it means to be obedient to the will of the Father.”

Archbishop Aquila spoke about what he feels is most important about being a bishop: “Certainly, my deepest desire as an apostle, and as a bishop, is that the faithful come to know Jesus Christ and they come into personal relationship and intimacy with Jesus. My deepest desire is that they truly enter into the communion of love with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the communion of love of the Trinity. And knowing that they can have a very personal, particular relationship with each person of the Trinity, and that they are unconditionally loved, in their own weaknesses and their own sin, by the Trinity who desires only the good and the true for them.”

Archbishop Aquila takes over the pastoral guidance of the Archdiocese of Denver after his predecessor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, was tapped to head the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

You can listen to Archbishop Samuel Aquila’s interview with Christopher Wells here: