St. Kateri Community
The St. Kateri ministry, in which some 60 people from across the archdiocese representing about 10 Native American tribes celebrate a weekly Mass incorporating Indian traditions, has been at St. Bernadette's since 1985.
"They've been embraced by the St. Bernadette community," Father Coyte said. "They have a beautiful spirituality."
Kateri ministry exists to evangelize and serve the archdiocese's Native American community and provides religious education and community building.
Aid to the poor, homeless
Last fall, the Kateri community, which had turned the parish's old convent into a chapel, moved their weekly Mass into the church proper. Catholic Charities is leasing and transforming Kateri's former home for worship into a home for single-parent mothers with children. Marisol Home, set to open this year, will be able to shelter up to 18 families at once.
"St. Bernadette's will be providing a lot of meal support and volunteer hours," Plouffe said of the Marisol ministry.
Ministry to the poor and homeless has long been a cherished activity of the parish, which helps a near daily stream of indigent from Lakewood's Colfax corridor with food, rent assistance and resource referrals.
"We reach out to many needy families in our school as well," Father Coyte said.
Vast outreach
This spring the parish is launching a three-year, $1.5 million capital campaign to fund necessary improvements to make St. Bernadette's more beautiful, functional and welcoming for its diverse congregation.
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Just as the church's unique ministries stretch beyond its parish boundaries, Father Coyte said so, too, does its need for donations.
"Our outreach is much larger than St. Bernadette Parish," he said. "We're a relatively small parish of 700 to 800 families, yet our ministries are quite ambitious."
Reprinted from the Denver Catholic.