Each summer, priests across the Archdiocese of Denver receive new parish assignments, beginning a new chapter in their ministry. While these transitions bring exciting opportunities to serve, they also come with a practical challenge that often goes unseen: moving from one parish to another.
To help ease that burden, Catholic Charities launched a new initiative this year called Clergy on the Move, providing transportation and volunteer moving assistance to priests relocating to new assignments.
The idea for the program came from Catholic Charities President and CEO Darren Walsh, who recognized an opportunity to support priests in a practical way. By utilizing trucks already available within Catholic Charities and volunteers from across the organization, the inaugural effort helped priests navigate one of the busiest seasons of the year.
“Every year in the Catholic Church, some priests receive new assignments. This year in the Archdiocese of Denver, there were 34 new assignments, and 24 of those priests needed to physically move,” said Catholic Charities’ Director of Parish Engagement Deacon A.J. Misiti, who organized Clergy on the Move.
“Watching them go through this in the past, it occurred to us that they could really use some help because they’re responsible for coordinating every aspect of their move. Clergy on the Move gave these priests an extra set of hands and access to a truck to help move them from one assignment to the next.”
The initiative became a true collaboration across Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities Housing donated one of its trucks, while employees from the Housing and Marketing teams volunteered their time to load, transport and unload the priests’ belongings.
Four priests participated in the program’s inaugural year, including Fr. Joseph McLagan, who recently moved to St. Thomas More Parish to begin his new assignment as Parochial Vicar.
“Through the generosity of Catholic Charities, Deacon A.J. Misiti reached out to priests who were moving and asked if we needed help,” Fr. McLagan said. “It was incredibly generous to provide a truck and volunteers to move everything from my former parish to my new assignment.”
The response from both the priests and the Archdiocese affirmed that the new ministry filled an important need and laid the foundation for future years.
“It was very well received,” Deacon A.J. said. “The priests were extremely grateful, and so was Father Matt Book, the Archdiocese’s Vicar for Clergy. It’s a wonderful gift to these men who give so much in service to others. We’re excited to continue this program next year and beyond.”
As the charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Denver, Catholic Charities is committed to supporting those who serve the Church in meaningful ways. Through Clergy on the Move, that support comes in the form of helping priests begin their new ministries with one less burden to carry—allowing them to focus on what matters most: serving their new parish communities.