Deacon Mladen has served St. Louis Catholic Parish since his ordination in 2015. Taken from Denver Catholic, “When his country was occupied by Communists, the secret police tried to squash the faith of its citizens. As a young boy, Deacon Mladen Martinovic said he had a strong faith and felt the call to serve God. ‘I had to talk to everybody about God,’ he said. But, the government demanded citizens deny God in public, but he wouldn’t. From 1984-1991 he was taken from school and into police headquarters where he was subjected to long periods of persecution in a dark room. He eventually fled to Germany with his uncle, nearly escaping death. ‘I left my country but the calling was still there. It never stopped,’ he said. He married his wife in Germany and they came to Denver in 1997. He began to learn English and the call to the diaconate returned. ‘I think God is always the one who planted it,’ he said. With his wife’s witness and support, he was able to go through formation.” Deacon Mladen has served the Croatian community at St. Louis Parish in Englewood since his ordination.