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The seemingly countless people who I interviewed for the diocese’s 40th anniversary story mentioned the same things over and over again. The growth and diversity in the diocese has surprised them yet affirmed the Church’s role in Phoenix. They also said certain landmark events, namely the pope’s 1987 visit, remain a top moment for Phoenix Catholics.

We’ll reflect today on the growth and diversity:

• “This is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and the church has adapted well. We’ve grown along with the state,” said Claretian Father Daryl Olds, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Prescott. “Everywhere you look there are new homes going in. The church continues to grow.” He remembers the Outlets at Anthem being alone along I-17 when he moved to Arizona 7 1/2 years ago. Anthem quickly became a booming community.

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  Matachines perform at the Guadalupe Festival Aug. 8 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.

  About diversity, he said, “We’re a multi-cultural church here and yet we’ve managed to preserve the traditions of the past.”

• “We’re in a growth mode and we’ve always been,” said Fr. Richard Felt, who was ordained in 1969 in Tucson and quickly became part of the Phoenix Diocese. Other dioceses are combining or closing parishes, he said.
• Fr. Felt added that while it’s growing, there still aren’t too many native grown priests. They initially came from France and Ireland. Now they’re from around the country and globe and different orders.

• Sr. Raphael Quinn, principal of Ss. Simon and Jude School, came in 1963. She’s seen growth in new parishes and schools built and in curriculum development.
• She said the need  to recognize the Hispanic community continues as does the need to be all-inclusive yet use our different cultures to enhance one another.
• Despite the growth, Sr. Raphael said, “I think we maintained a real personal touch about it over the years.”

• Fr. Tim Davern, parochial vicar at St. Anne Parish in Gilbert, said Phoenix Catholics should be proud of the diocese’s growth especially since it was “awfully fast. It’s always a challenge to have enough priests to staff the parishes.” Local church leaders have “weathered the storms of the last 40 years,” he said in terms of personnel, new schools and institutions. Msgr. Richard Moyer, now retired, agreed that the diocese has weathered economic waves. “You grow as fast as we do and there’s certainly growing pains with that,” he said.
• “If you look back, one thing that’s noteworthy is how much more ethnically diverse we are now,” Fr. Davern said.
• Msgr. Moyer, found it incredible that the diocese was able to secure land and funding to accommodate its growth.