The Archdiocese of Denver gained a “very needed” Latino priest Saturday when a native of Mexico was ordained by Archbishop Charles Chaput.
Deacon Miguel Enriquez, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, was ordained in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at East Colfax Avenue and Logan Street.
He will be assigned to St. Pius X Parish in Aurora for three years.
The Archdiocese of Denver says it has about 400,000 Latino parishioners, out of a Latino population of roughly 700,000 in the archdiocese, which doesn’t include southern Colorado.
But only 34 priests of Latino heritage serve the archdiocese, including 15 from Mexico.
“The reason Deacon Miguel (is being) ordained in December and not in May, as usual, is because he came from Mexico with some studies already done,” said the Rev. Jorge Rod riquez, vice rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. “The fact that he is very needed as a priest is another factor to recommend his ordination in December.”
Enriquez received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy at St. Joseph Seminary in Guadalajara. He came to Denver in 2003 to work on his bachelor’s degree in sacred theology at St. John Vianney.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
