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Denver Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez anoints a woman during the annual Mass for the World Day of the Sick. (Photo by Grant Whitty/Denver Catholic) By Grant Whitty A large red banner bearing an eight-point cross murmured in the mild February breeze as the faithful ascended the steps of Denver’s historic Holy Ghost Parish for noon Mass. The cross symbolizing the eight Beatitudes is the emblem of the Sovereign Order of Malta, which sponsored Sunday’s special liturgy celebrati

Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrated his final Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday. (Photo by Neil McDonough) As Catholics across Northern Colorado marked the beginning of Lent on Wednesday, Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrated his last Ash Wednesday Mass as shepherd of Northern Colorado. Earlier this month, it was announced that Pope Leo XIV had accepted his retirement and named his successor, Most Rev. Jam

(Photo: Lightstock) As the Lenten season begins, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila has issued his final pastoral note, entitled "Encounter Jesus: Listening with the Heart." In it, he encourages the faithful to encounter the Lord Jesus, especially in Scripture, discern his voice and allow his will to be carried out through each of us. The pastoral note and its exhortation come following the announcement that Pope Leo XIV had accepted Archbishop Aquila's request to retire on February

Thanks to a partnership between the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver and the Colorado Catholic Conference, lawmakers, staff and visitors to the Colorado State Capitol had the chance to mark Ash Wednesday with prayer. (Photo by Neil McDonough) Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and in downtown Denver, the holy season saw a surprising start as the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the Colorado Catholic Conference brought ashes to a

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Fair Use) Those who remember the epic pontificate of St. John Paul II may recall a tall, handsome layman with well combed, iron-grey hair, dressed in a black business suit, white shirt, and black tie, following the clerical members of the papal household into St. Peter’s Square on many great occasions, or carrying an umbrella over the Pope’s head when it rained. That same man is at center stage in photos of the assassination attempt of May 13, 1981

Darren Walsh, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Denver, and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila at the Beacon of Hope gala in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of Denver) By Darren Walsh President & CEO Catholic Charities of Denver As we welcome our new archbishop, I have been reflecting on the leadership of Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and, just as importantly, on the friendship and steady support he has offered Catholic Charities of Denver over so many years. Arch

Why the Great Commission still applies to married couples. Mission brought Alli and Tanner to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN, in July 2024. (Photo provided) Leaving staff as a campus missionary with FOCUS was a difficult transition. I absolutely loved evangelizing students at the University of Colorado Boulder, and I didn’t want my zeal for souls to fizzle out. I was determined to continue living on mission, even if it would look different. My fiancée w

In a formal letter of commendation, the sisters recognized the Denver archbishop’s “steadfast fidelity” to preaching the Gospel of Life.   Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila invited the Sisters of Life to the Archdiocese of Denver early in his ministry, and was pleased to welcome them at a Mass in September 2015. (Photo by Andrew Wright/Denver Catholic) It’s no secret that the dignity of life faces profound challenges in the apostolic age in which we live. Unlike the eras of the pas

(Photo: Adobe Stock) By Micah Ellalasingham, MFT-C St. Raphael Counseling Communication Breakdown As a Marriage and Family Therapist, the most common concern couples bring into the therapy room is some variation of “We can’t communicate.” Spouses, feeling unheard, are seeking the “tools” to fix it. However, within the session, a deeper pattern usually emerges. When couples say, “We need to work on communication,” what they often mean is, “I want you to listen to me and fulfil

(Photo provided) In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul describes the ideal of a Christian husband, writing, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, and is himself its savior […] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:23, 25).   This image of Christ as the head of the Church is often evoked to properly explain his relationship to her — and of a husband to his wife.   But

From diaconate formation to the wedding Mass, God was at work every step of the way. (Photo by Mo, emmkayyphotos.com By Jay Sorgi Katie and Victor Villa prove that God can turn small things, like a delivery of raffle tickets and a night at a taco bar, into something beautiful, even a sacramental union. Of course, it helps to have dads who are Denver-area deacons and who became close friends during their formation, which they began together in 2019. “Steve Boselli and the Bose

(Photo by Rocio Madera) Everyone’s favorite season of sacrifice is just around the corner! The penitential period of the Church year seems to sneak up on us year after year, and brings with it lots of questions. While wonder is  a gift of the Holy Spirit, there’s no need to sit in uncertainty any longer! Is Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation? According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) 1991 general decree, there are six Holy Days of Obligation i

(Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.) No, those strange folks with dirt on their head aren’t actually all that strange! Ash Wednesday is just around the corner, and with it, the beginning of Lent, a time of spiritual preparation, reflection and introspection. During this holy time, Christians around the world will consider ways to live more simply, to act more generously and to get to know God better. The ashes rubbed on the foreheads of millions each year remind us of our weakness

By Neil McDonough and André Escaleira, Jr. On Saturday, February 7, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo had accepted Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's request to retire and had named Most Reverend James R. Golka , currently Bishop of Colorado Springs, as the sixth Archbishop of Denver. Later that morning, the archbishop-designate was introduced to the faithful of Northern Colorado in a press conference held at the Cardinal Stafford Library at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver

The importance of the Church and Christian friendship in healing and strengthening married life. Lumen, a community of Catholic married couples. (Photo provided) Loneliness is a phenomenon that does not arise only in the lives of people who lack strong friendships; it often extends to marriages as well. Just as it is not good for a person to be alone, the isolation of a couple can lead to countless problems, and even to failure. By contrast, God’s plan for marriage and the fa

Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) by Caravaggio, c. 1605. (Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) It’s easy to take things that we’re used to doing for granted. Lent’s just one of those Catholic customs that come around every year as the liturgical year moves through its cycles. But if we actually think about why we practice it, it may help us to get more out of it. I’d like to explore the “why” behind it to help us be more intentional in how we enter into Lenten practices thi

(Denver Catholic file photo) Deacon Gordon David Hudec, who ministered the charity of Christ for nearly four decades as a husband, father, grandfather and ordained deacon, entered eternal life on February 7, 2026, at the age of 80, surrounded by his family. Born March 23, 1945, in San Diego, California, to Frank Hudec and Julia Hodina, Deacon Hudec was baptized on April 29, 1945, at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish and confirmed on April 11, 1957, at Our Lady of Angels Par

(Photo courtesy of Holy Family High School) For parents of eighth graders, the approach to high school can feel like it arrives all at once. One moment, your child is navigating middle school lockers and homework; the next, you’re weighing decisions that will shape their intellectual, spiritual and personal formation during some of the most influential years of their life. Recognizing how weighty that moment can feel, the Archdiocese of Denver’s Office of Catholic Schools has

(Photo: © Vatican Media) Last month, Pope Leo XIV received more than 1,000 itinerant catechists in an audience in the Hall of Blessings, responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way in 138 nations on five continents. The papal audience came at the end of a gathering held at the “Servant of Yahweh” Center in Porto San Giorgio under the guidance of the team responsible for the Neocatechumenal Way worldwide, and included Kiko Argüello, founder of the Neocatecumenal Way, as well as Fa

(Photo: Pexels) The “ Melian Dialogue ,” from Thucydides’ classic History of the Peloponnesian War , is the foundational text of the Realist school of international relations theory. It’s 416 B.C., and the island-statelet of Melos has remained neutral in the war between the local superpowers, Athens and Sparta. A diplomatic delegation from Athens goes to Melos and demands that the Melians join Team Athens. The Melians decline, first citing principles of justice. The Athenians