Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Denver is building a community far beyond the scope of regular weekend Mass.
“At Lourdes we like to talk about ‘making timeless truths timely,’” said pastor Father Brian Larkin. “Our ‘Gathering at the Grotto’ series was created to show in a dynamic way how the Catholic faith is ever ancient, ever new.”
“Gathering at the Grotto” is an event at the parish that includes food, drinks, social time and a talk given by a guest speaker.
This summer’s talks are meant to follow a shared theme — Catholic giants of the 20th century. At the June 28 kickoff event, Dr. Terry Wright spoke on Dorothy Day. At the July 26 event, Father Larkin will speak on “Henri de Lubac and the Obedience of Faith.” Finally, at the August 16 event, Ted Sri will speak on St. John Paul II.
The two upcoming events will begin at 6:30 p.m. Father Larkin hopes they foster a community of Catholics who are excited to live out their faith.
“Christianity has to become incarnate,” he said. “Rather than being a mere list of truths, Christianity is a way of life, and that will never happen if we just check our ‘Sunday Mass box.’”
It’s important for Catholics to become more knowledgeable as our culture grows more secular, said Father Larkin.
“I hope people will grow to appreciate the amazing depth of our faith, that they find each other on the way, and that Lourdes can become a place of renewal in our city.
(Featured photo by Anya Semenoff)