Richard Bruce Ling

Ling, Richard, 80, of Highlands Ranch, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 4 after a period of declining health due to coronary heart disease. In December, 2014, he and his loving wife of 12 years, Patricia, and their beloved dog, Willie, moved to the Wind Crest Retirement Community in Highlands Ranch where Dick enjoyed making many new friends with his wonderful smile and quick wit. Born June 28, 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska, to Somali Florence Berzenski and James Byron Ling, he was the middle child of three with two sisters, Jackie of Wasilla, Alaska, and Doris, who preceded him in death. Ready for high school, he took an exam and won a full scholarship to Cathedral High School in Denver where he enjoyed playing on the basketball and football teams. In the summers, he worked with his Dad in a Dallas meat plant, lifting 500 lb boxes – he had to be very strong! He also worked on his cousin's farm in Nebraska, helping to thrash wheat and oats. Little did he know when he was in high school that carrying The Denver Post on his ""truck"" bike would shape the rest of his life. He had 180 customers and usually carried the load in canvas sacks that hung almost to the ground. After high school, he bought a light-weight road bike and began riding long distances, and he continued this passion throughout his life, completing biking tours in France and Italy, and four 500-mile bike rides across Iowa. By high school, he knew he wanted to become a priest. Each year, there was a special school assembly for religious vocations, but he was never impressed; he had already made up his mind. Of course, this meant that he didn't date girls, but he did go to his senior prom with the cute girl who lived next door. After high school, he took and passed an entrance exam to St. Thomas Seminary in Denver and told his parents for the first time that he was going to the seminary, but it was no surprise to them. In addition to biking, he had a great love of hiking, climbing 43 of Colorado's 14, 000+ ft mountains. He also loved his fishing adventures, particularly those with his Mom and Dad. He and Pat had quite the bucket list and traveled throughout the world including trips to Bhutan, Russia, South Africa, Greece, and Italy, and many more, plus great adventures at the cabin and throughout the state of Colorado. To quote Dick's recently-completed autobiography: ""I no longer have the 'push to produce' so here I am at Wind Crest Retirement facility, content to read a good book now and then waiting for the day when I go to the 'other side.' I have no fear of death. In fact, I think it will even get better!"" In lieu of flowers, please adopt a pet, go for a hike, make a new friend in his memory, or contribute to Catholic Relief Services, www.crs.org, or Doctors Without Borders, www.doctorswithoutborders.org. BRIEF PROFESSIONAL RESUME - Denver diocesan priest for 32 years. Founder and director of Worship Resources, Inc., 1972. Founder and director of four of Mile Hi Conversations, 1995-99, a conferencing movement for Catholics and other Christians. Author of 16 volumes of Themelines: A Worship Aid for Ministers. Held several leadership positions on commissions dealing with catechetics and worship. Member of the North American Academy of Liturgy. Lectured on worship and pastoral ministry in several states. Taught worship courses in ecumenical settings. Developed an evangelizing model of small ecclesial communities, now a major interest as a writer, lecturer and workshop director. Author of Small Ecclesial Communities: Leaven for a World Catholic Church, to be published by Paulist Press. Author of Impact Homilies and the CD-ROM series, ""A c/Catholic Love."" Directed four Mile Hi Conversations, 1995-1999. Envisioned PEARLE, Participants Engaged in Assessing and Recognizing Liturgical Excellence, 1999. EDUCATION - Denver public schools and Catholic parochial schools.. College: St. Thomas Seminary, Denver, 1953-55. Basselin scholarship to Theological College/Catholic University of American, Washington, D.C., 1955-58, M.A. in philosophy. Theology: St. Thomas Seminary, Denver, 1958-62, M.A. in religious education, S.T.L. Ordained May 26, 1962. University of Notre Dame summer sessions (liturgy, catechetics), 1968, 1969. Sabbatical year: Boston College and Harvard Divinity School, 1988-89. PARISHES - Assistant Pastor: Cathedral, Denver, 1962. All Souls, Englewood, 1962-68. Presentation, Denver, 1968-70; Divine Redeemer, Colorado Springs, 1970-72. Holy Trinity, Colorado Springs, 1972-74. Administrator: St. Michael, Calhan, 1974-75. Founding Pastor: Christ on the Mountain, Lakewood, 1975-82. Assistant Pastor: St. Mary Magdalene, Denver, 1982-83. Mother of God, 1983-84. Pastor: John XXIII University Parish, Ft. Collins, 1984-88. Associate Pastor: Cathedral, Denver, 1988. Pastor: St. Frances Cabrini, Littleton, 1989-93. Associate pastor: Notre Dame Parish, 1993-94. PASTORAL MINISTRIES - Catechist training programs, 1962-69. Grade and high school religious education, 1962-68. Chaplain to the deaf and teacher of sign language, 1962-68. Chaplain to the Benedictine Sisters, 1973-75. WORSHIP RESOURCES, INC. - Founder and Director, 1972-84. A publishing-workshop firm specializing in creative worship aids for priests and parish ministers. COMMISSIONS/ASSOCIATIONS - Denver Worship Commission, 1965-72 (Secretary, 1967-72. Chair of the 1971 Southwest Liturgical Conference regional meeting in Denver). Sacraments of Initiation Committee, 1975-77 (Secretary: 1975¬77), Archdiocesan Religious Education Commission, 1985-88 (Chair: 1985-88). Southwest Liturgical Commission, 1965-78. North American Academy of Liturgy, 1973-. Convocation on the Laity, 1990-91. AUTHOR - Themelines: A Prayer/Homily Aid for Ministers (16 volumes). Many creative worship aids for parish worship. ""A Catechist's Vote for Infant Confirmation,"" The Living Light, Spring, 1970. ""Introductions"" To We Worship Missalette, 1965-69. ""Liturgy in Focus,"" Denver Catholic Register, 1965-69. ""The Christian Way of Death,"" National Catholic Register, 1970. ""Pastoring: Lent - A Replacement for Confirmation,"" Liturgy, January, 1979. ""A Comprehensive, Computerized, Caring of Volunteers,"" Today's Parish, January, 1988. Themes, Prayers and Intercessions, Vols. 1 and 2, World Library Publications, 1971-72. ""The Community as Catechist,"" Christian Initiation Resources, Sadlier Publications. Contributor to Blessings for God's People, Ave Maria Press. ""Small Ecclesial Communities: A Constitutive Element of Catholic Christian Life, ""The Catholic World, July/August, 1991. Small Ecclesial Communities: Leaven for a World Catholic Church, in preparation for Paulist Press. LECTURER/TEACHER - Lecturer on worship, pastoral ministry, volunteerism, and small ecclesial communitie,; in Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, Massachusetts. Teaching: ""History of Liturgy,"" St. Thomas Seminary, 1976-77. ""The Catholic Catechumenate,"" Iliff School of Theology, Denver, 1978. ""The R.C.I.A.,"" University of Loyola, New Orleans, 1981. ""A Survey of Worship,"" Regis College, Denver, 1982; Regis College, Colorado Springs, 1985. Christians in Search Program, Denver, 1982-85. John Paul II Catechist Formation Program, Denver, 1982-86. DIRECTOR - Mile Hi Conversations, 1995, a conferencing movement for Catholics and other Christians. Envisions PEARLE, a collaborative process to assess and recognize liturgical excellence in worship. PRIMARY PROFESSIONAL GOALS - Fostering small ecclesial community process pioneered in Christ on the Mountain parish. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, May 16, 2016, at ten-thirty in the morning, at Christ on the Mountain Catholic Church, 13922 W Utah Ave, Lakewood 80228. Please leave condolences for the family and memories of Richard in the guestbook below.