All Articles

At a special Mass of thanksgiving, the Catholic faithful gathered with their shepherd to express deep gratitude ahead of his upcoming retirement. Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila blesses and greets the faithful at the end of a Mass of Thanksgiving at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora. (Photo by Juan Andrés Coriat) Last Saturday, members of the local Hispanic community gave thanks for and honored the ministry of Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila during an emotional Mass and celebrat

(Photo: Unsplash) After months of dedicated effort, three ballot initiatives backed by the Catholic Church in Colorado are heading to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office for review and eventual inclusion in the November 2026 ballot. Proposition 109, “The Protect Women and Girls’ Sports Act,” garnered over 170,000 signatures and aims to designate sports as male, female or co-ed, thereby protecting women and girls’ private spaces. Proposition 110, “The Protect Children fro

Archbishop-designate James Golka welcomes a student to school at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Denver after blessing a religious bracelet. (Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.) As students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Denver shuffled their way through the school gates, some still wiping the sleep from their eyes, they were met with a bit of a surprise — even before the Monday morning school bell trilled. Dropping by to welcome students as they arrived were Den

Students from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora and Holy Family High School in Broomfield attended the funeral of a teenager who died with no known family on February 2, a testament to the works of mercy. (Photo courtesy of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Colorado) By Erin Scherer Unknown, and yet, accompanied “What makes this funeral special is that none of us know anything about this man,” said Bishop Jorge Rodriguez. “Perfectly unknown. And, we are here to accom

(Photo provided) Catholic Charities of Denver and Save the Storks have officially launched the Marisol Health Mobile, a state-of-the-art clinic on wheels that will bring free, life-affirming healthcare directly to women and families across the Denver metro area. The new mobile clinic — funded through a more than $700,000 grant from Save the Storks and additional contributions from Marisol Health donors — marks Save the Storks’ 106th mobile medical clinic nationwide and the fi

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

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

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 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

(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: Pannonhalma Archabbey, courtesy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) As Catholics begin the penitential journey of Lent, the Church once again invites the faithful to unite prayer, sacrifice and generosity in a special way. On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, parishes across the United States will take up the Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, an annual appeal sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that has brought healing an

Let Lent lead us into love through Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities offers several opportunities to get involved and give back this Lent, from Fort Collins to the Denver Metro, from the Western Slope to your own neighborhood. (Photo provided) Lent arrives every year like an invitation, quiet but impossible to ignore. The ashes on our foreheads remind us that life is brief, and love is meant to be shared widely. You may be thinking about what to give up, but Lent also as

On Saturday, February 7, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV had accepted Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's request to retire and had appointed Most Reverend James R. Golka , currently Bishop of Colorado Springs, as the sixth Archbishop of Denver. That same morning, the Archdiocese of Denver hosted a press conference to introduce Northern Colorado's newest shepherd at the Cardinal Stafford Library at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. In the conference, Archbi

On Saturday, February 7, Pope Leo XIV accepted Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila's request to retire and appointed Bishop James R. Golka, currently Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, as the Archdiocese of Denver's sixth archbishop. (Photo by Daniel Petty/Denver Catholic) “If we don’t pray first, we’re going to be lost. So let’s pray,” Denver’s next archbishop began on Saturday morning.  Mere hours before, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV had accepted Archbishop Samu

(Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Colorado Springs) DENVER — Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop James R. Golka as the sixth Archbishop of Denver, the Holy See announced early February 7, 2026.  Archbishop-designate Golka, 59, is the current Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. He will succeed Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, 75, who has been chief shepherd of the Archdiocese of Denver since 2012.  Archbishop Aquila’s retirement — which he offered to the pope upon his 75th birthd

(Denver Catholic file photo) February 7, 2026  My Brothers and Sisters,  As I prepare to enter retirement, my heart is filled above all with gratitude — to God, to the priests and deacons of this local Church, to consecrated women and men, and to the lay faithful who have walked together as missionary disciples in Northern Colorado. From the beginning of my ministry here, I have been convinced that the Lord is at work among us, calling us ever more deeply to conversion, commu

Then-Bishop James R. Golka preaches during Mass at SEEK26 in Denver. (Photo by Grant Whitty/Courtesy of FOCUS) Archbishop-designate James R. Golka was born September 22, 1966, in Grand Island, Nebraska, the fourth of 10 children born to Robert and the late Patricia Golka. He graduated from Grand Island Central Catholic High School and attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1985-89, where he earned degrees in philosophy and theology.  He served as a Jesuit lay

Then-Bishop James R. Golka blesses attendees at Mass at SEEK26 in Denver. (Photo by Madisen Martinez/Courtesy of FOCUS) Habemus archiepiscopum! We have an archbishop!  On Saturday morning, the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that Pope Leo XIV had accepted Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila’s request to retire from pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Denver after nearly 14 years of service. At the same time, the Holy Father appoin