Deacon Carlos Lois Padilla died on March 7. He was 83 and had served as a deacon for nearly 36 years.
He was born in Conejos, Colo., on May 6, 1930, and spent his early years in the San Luis Valley, being baptized and confirmed at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Antonito, Colo. At the age of 7, he moved to Denver.
On Feb. 24, 1949, he married Beatrice Elizabeth Davis at his Denver parish, St. Elizabeth’s. The couple was married 65 years and was blessed with 12 children.
In 1967, he started a janitorial service, Antoine’s Building Services, which quickly expanded into other service oriented operations.
He was a third order Franciscan, which was likely a factor in his decision to pursue the then newly formed diaconate in the Denver Archdiocese. On March 22, 1978, he was ordained a deacon by Archbishop James Casey at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Deacon Padilla ministered to the Denver parishes of St. Elizabeth’s, Sacred Heart and Annunciation.
In 1993, Deacon Padilla was granted retirement due to medical issues, but he continued to minister wherever possible including at the Gardens of St. Elizabeth and St. Anthony’s Hospital.
“The deacon community is particularly indebted to Deacon Carlos as he and his classmates were pioneers in the newly reinstated order of the diaconate in the Archdiocese of Denver,” said Deacon Joseph Donohoe, director of Deacon Personnel. “He was a man who loved his family deeply and had the heart of Deacon St. Francis of Assisi.”
Deacon Padilla is survived by his wife, Beatrice, his sister Leti Lang, and his 12 children: Carlos (Katherine), Yvonne, Randy (Imelda), Richard (Tracy), Bernadette, Michael, Maria (Ed), Rachel, Helena, Mark (Brenda), Damian (Lynn), and Dismas (Angi). He also leaves behind 36 grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren.
A vigil rosary was held at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge March 13. A funeral Mass was celebrated the next day at Holy Family Church in Denver. The committal service was conducted at Mount Olivet by Father Marty Lally, pastor of Holy Family, immediately after the funeral Mass.