FATHER JOHN NEPIL
Winner-Young Adult Category! Eventually the burnout in America was too much for this cradle Catholic. Enough was enough, so Fr. John and his friends ‘medicated’ by going outdoors as one option in high school. God’s blessings upon the state of Colorado are often reaped by its locals in the high country as we natives call the sacred tundra and crisp treeline (where Deer turn to Elk for all you non-natives). It was here, in mountains similar to the Italian Alps, where Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati ventured, and where Fr. John began to find answers to this life’s wild journey on the front line. By the end of this story from Fr. John Nepil, the essence of adventure is clear, resolute, and addicting, as proven by the crowd on top of Quandary Peak; a Colorado 14er that rises 14,265 feet above sea level.
Why would a group of college students follow a man of faith to the top of a mountain–and a group of CU-Boulder students none the less! A collection of youth eager for life, fun, adventure…and purpose, yes! The images from the video above shed light to that purpose-driven college experience that most students miss out on, but which Fr. John is quickly sharing with the JPII Generation, and beyond. Watch, listen, and soak in the beauty of creation with Aquinas Alpine!
Contest: 2013 Goodness Reigns “Share the Story”
Created By: Seth DeMoor
Location: Englewood, Colorado, USA
Experience Level: Moderate
Filmmaker Age: 27
Video Length: 3 min 52 sec
Credits:
Filming Crew: Seth DeMoor & Joseph DeMoor. Special thanks to Fr. John Nepil
Filmmaker Bio: Seth DeMoor’s first encounter with the Catholic faith came from his mother and father high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Sunday Mass was always part of the family’s weekly happenings. Even though he grew up at 8,000 feet above sea level, this did not translate to a heightened longing for the Catholic faith. The Catholic calisthenics at Mass never traveled from his bones to his heart. Catholicism at the end of high school left him wondering what is the Catholic faith? How does one live it out daily?
On January 3rd, 2010, Seth DeMoor ‘cast into the deep’ on a 2,400-mile bicycle ride across the United States from Florida to Colorado. Why? Because at the University of Colorado, Seth encountered stories from people of authenticity, who were young and all about sacrificing their lives for the Catholic faith. It was a beautiful encounter, so much so that he knew the world needed to hear their stories. And so was born www.OneBillionStories.com.
YOUCAT/Catechism Inspiration: YOUCAT 66: “Was it part of God’s plan for men to suffer and die?”
God does not want men to suffer and die. God’s original idea for man was paradise: life forever and peace between God and man, their environment, and between man and woman.
