"THE TRIUMPH OF GRACE"

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Easter Parish Mission

On May 3-5, 2018, Fr. Greg Ames visited St. John's and gave 3 presentations about 'The Triumph of Grace."  We are very grateful to Fr. Greg for blessing our parish with his insight and wisdom.

Each of the sessions were recorded.  Videos can be viewed below or click the "Download mp3 podcast" button to download the audio of the session to your device.

Thank you for your support of our Easter Parish Mission!

SESSION 1 - THURSDAY, MAY 3
“What is so amazing about grace?”

A new look at the grace found in an empty tomb.

SESSION 2 - Friday, May 4  
“Seeing the cross with new eyes.”

Overcoming our blindness and discovering painful grace.

SESSION 3 - Saturday, May 5
“Peace is my gift to you.”

Discovering a new peace promised in seven wonderful gifts.

ABOUT THE EASTER PARISH MISSION

Fr. Gregory Ames, a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver, shares the beauty of Easter Grace, calling us to be ONE in the Body of Christ and challenging us with the Dangerous Bread!

Fr. Greg weaves his creative stories and inspiring words into dynamic presentations which will discuss how Easter leads us to grace!

Fr. Greg has served in various parishes during his 30+ years of ministry and is a two-time cancer survivor.  He is a dynamic and engaging speaker who can touch the hearts of children, youth and the elderly.  Please bring your entire family to our exciting parish mission!

about Fr. Greg

Fr. Gregory K. Ames is a Priest of the Archdiocese of Denver. Affectionately known as, “Fr. Greg” he has served in various parishes over his 30 years of active ministry. After having studied for the priesthood as a seminarian for the Diocese of Cheyenne, he went on to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Denver, which is his family home, and completed his education at St. Thomas Seminary. He served at St. Anne’s in Arvada, Sacred Heart in Boulder; St. Jude’s in Lakewood and was Pastor of St. Peter’s in Greeley for ten years and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Northglenn for twelve years. Fr. Greg is currently the Parochial Vicar at Spirit of Christ in Arvada.

Fr. Greg has had extensive experience with youth.  He served as Chaplain of Mullen High School, for three years and Holy Family High School for six years and since 1993 has taken nearly a thousand-young people to World Youth Days around the Globe.

He also speaks tenderly to the elderly and as he cares for his aging parents has grown to have a deep affection and appreciation for their journey.  He was the confessor to the Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburga Abbey for nearly ten years, giving him a great insight into the contemplative life and spirituality of St. Benedict.

Apart from his many years of ministry Fr. Greg is a Cancer survivor, having experienced a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer, and kidney Cancer both in 2008 and again in 2015, when he  survived a second round of Cancer. Because of his cancer, his ministry changed dramatically and Fr. Greg began his work with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and Fr. Benedict Groeschel. For nearly three years Fr. Greg ministered to the homeless at St. Anthony’s Shelter in the south Bronx. He continued this unique ministry at the Mission in Ft. Collins and the Guadalupe Shelter in Greeley working for Catholic Charities of Denver until he returned to Parish ministry in June of 2017.

Fr. Greg has also been invited to share his spiritual insights through his parish missions. He recently held missions in Durango Co.  and Atwood Kansas. He has also has presented parish missions at Our Lady of the Mountains in Estes Park Colorado, St. Joseph’s parish in Ft. Collins, St. John the Baptist parish in Longmont Co., St. Leo’s parish in Grand Island, St. Margaret’s Parish in Cortez, St John’s parish in Buffalo Wyoming and at Spirit of Christ in Arvada, where he currently serves. Fr. Greg is well known in the Denver area for his storytelling. He brings a unique perspective to the Gospel presenting the teachings of Jesus in a solidly Roman Catholic Tradition, which is truly evangelical in its flavor.   His presentations will re-introduce us to the gift of Amazing grace in our lives and help us make this Easter season a true grace filled time to prepare for Pentecost. For some Easter is a new time for parishes to hold their missions but Fr. Greg will help us understand the grace that came from the cross and Empty tomb! He will engage the entire family in discussions about Grace and demonstrate with truly beautiful stories how to experience openness to the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit in times of uncertainty.  He is a dynamic and engaging speaker who can touch the hearts of children, youth and the elderly.  Please bring your entire family to our exciting parish mission

Reviews:

“I invited Fr. Greg to give his very first parish mission at St. Josephs parish, because as a priest in Residence here, the people had grown to love him. They were very excited to hear his stories of working with the homeless at the local shelter. Fr. Greg is a holy man, who brings the message of Jesus into absolute clarity. His stories, enthusiasm and charisma make him an excellent presenter that can captivate an audience. My staff and I were thrilled with the attendance and the parish will never forget this great mission.”

Fr. Steven Voss

Pastor, St. Joseph Catholic Church  Ft. Collins, Co.

“Fr. Greg gave a very meaningful mission on the year of mercy. His reflections capture the beauty of mercy in ordinary life. He is a priest who can speak the ancient truths of our faith in a way that has meaning for our every day life.  Our parish was enriched by the insights and faith of Fr. Greg as he presented our parish mission.”

Fr. Reinhold Wiesbeck 

Pastor St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Longmont Co.

“We were so fortunate to have Fr. Greg Ames as our presenter for our Parish Mission. Our lady of the Mountains was in need of a real call to community and was looking for a mission that would evangelize people and teach them our Catholic faith. Fr. Greg Ames did a great job and our attendance grew every evening…it was very clear his mission was evangelizing our parish family”

Fr. Joseph Hartman

Pastor Our Lady of the Mountains,  Estes Park Co.

“I have known Fr. Greg for over 35 years, as a classmate and friend. His mission on the year of Mercy was excellent. He had a very good attendance and seemed to capture the year of mercy through his use of Stories and life experiences. We were happy he accepted our invitation to come to Nebraska.”

Fr. Donald Buhrman

Pastor St. Leo’s Parish,   Grand Island Nebraska

“ Fr. Greg was a treasure! People loved his parish mission. They enjoyed his stories and were enriched by his life experience, especially in his work with the homeless and poor.  We were looking for a mission that the whole family could enjoy and Fr. Greg’s mission fit the bill..”

Judy Sturdevant

RE director, St. Columba Parish, Durango Colorado

“Fr. Greg did a wonderful job sharing his personal story with our parish. He had beautiful insights into where Grace appears in our life. He opened our hearts and minds to the reality of the actual graces present on the Wyoming prairie and in the human heart. My family especially enjoyed his invitation to lay on the meadow and gaze at the stars! We all did it too…

Karen Hostetler,

Parishioner and business owner, Mountain Meadow Wool co.  Buffalo Wyo.