Denver Archbishop James R. Golka was formally installed as the sixth Archbishop of Denver on Wednesday.
More than 4,000 people were in attendance for the installation mass at the CoBank Arena at the National Western Complex. About 300 priests, deacons, and lay ministers participated in the procession at the beginning of the celebration.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio, who is Pope Leo XIV’s official representative in the United States, read the Apostolic Letter assigning Golka as the next Archbishop.
“It is our desire that you inform the clergy and the people of this ecclesial community about this our decree,” Pierre read. “So that they may regard you as a teacher of doctrine, a steward of God's mysteries and a humble servant of the people of God.”
Golka marched through the arena and presented the Apostolic Letter from Pope Leo XIV as the congregation applauded before he was installed.
Antonio Bobadilla, who is a lifelong Catholic in Denver, didn’t know much about Golka when the announcement was made. But, he said, he was excited for the newly-installed Archbishop.
“I'm looking for somebody who has a strong personality, kind of like the way I've grown up,” Bobadilla said. “He seems more gentle. He seems more humble and meek, which is what God uses in the church.”
The Mass was celebrated in English and Spanish. At the time of his appointment, it was noted that Golka was fluent in Spanish and worked within the Hispanic communities for his home Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska.
Before he took to the pulpit to give his homily, he recognized several clergymen, including Archbishop emeritus Samuel J. Aquila, who announced his retirement on his 75th birthday last year. For nearly 14 years, he led the Archdiocese that’s home to almost 600,000 Catholics, according to the Official Catholic Directory.
According to the Code of Canon Law, a diocesan bishop is mandated to submit his resignation to the Vatican when he reaches the age of 75. The acceptance of the resignation was delayed due to the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican finally accepted Apquila’s resignation and announced Golka’s appointment in February.
During the homily, he told the story of one of his parishioners who almost died during COVID. Then, a pastor in Grand Island prayed for him before taking him off a ventilator. The parishioner survived minutes later. He told the story to remind Catholics not to just go through the motions when praying.
“We simply do what the church asks us to do, and then we trust that Jesus will do the rest in our Catholic tradition. The sacraments are encounters with Christ, and as priests, we administer them as best we can, but we're not the one who saves you. Jesus does through the sacraments,” Golka said. “The main archbishop of this diocese is not James Golka. Thanks be to God. It is Jesus Christ. The main pastor of any parish is Jesus Christ.”
Golka recognized his family, who were in attendance. The fourth of ten children, Golka was born and raised in Grand Island, Nebraska. Both of his parents, Robert and Patricia, had passed away within the last three months. Robert’s funeral was held three weeks prior to Wednesday's Installation Mass. He talked about his father’s last days during his homily.
“I tell you, three weeks ago, as we sat with my dad for three days as he was unconscious, he was at utter peace and my family began to root him on at first. It felt kind of strange, but it felt very faith-filled. Dad, you can go, you can go dad whenever you're ready, he was at peace for that,” Golka said.
The Vatican didn’t have to search far to find a new leader for the Archdiocese of Denver. Golka was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Grand Island in 1994. Golka held various positions throughout the diocese before his appointment as Bishop of Colorado Springs in June 2021.
Julie Bailey, Director of Respect Life for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, was heartbroken to see Golka leave. But she believes that he will do amazing things in the Archdiocese of Denver. She said Golka set a vision for prayer through three words: charity, unity, and humility.
“He helped us to look beyond our differences and to come together and to really serve God and the diocese as Jesus intended us to,” Bailey said. “And he really provided that just incredibly prayerful leadership, and I just am very honored to be here, to be included in this celebration. He's going to be an amazing addition to the Archdiocese of Denver leadership beyond anything I've seen.”
The celebration of Archbishop Golka’s installation continues with Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver on Thursday at 12:10 p.m. The celebration marks the newly installed archbishop taking possession of the seat of the mother church of Northern Colorado.
