As Colorado’s Legislative Session Begins, Catholics Are Called to Pray

Entrusting lawmakers, families and the common good to God’s providence, asking him to guide decisions that affect life, dignity and society.

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As Colorado’s elected officials return to the State Capitol, a new legislative session begins — a season that will shape laws, policies and priorities affecting families and communities across the state.

Each year, the opening of the Colorado State Legislature marks more than the start of debate and decision-making. It is also a moment that invites prayerful reflection for Catholics, who are called to engage civic life with faith, hope and charity. As lawmakers take up their work, the faithful are encouraged to cover them in prayer, asking God to guide their hearts and minds toward the common good and a renewed respect for every human life.

"With the 2026 Legislative Session beginning this week, we encourage all Catholic faithful to be praying for their legislators as well as all who work in our State Capitol. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide them and for the Lord to soften their hearts," said Nathan Fisher, associate director of the Colorado Catholic Conference. "Politics can be used to pull people apart or bring them together. Too often lately, it has been divisive; let's end that together. By infusing our faith into our politics, being guided by prayer, we can really see each other again, as made in the image of God, not simply the R or D next to a name."

The Church teaches that participation in public life is a moral responsibility, rooted in love for neighbor and concern for justice. In every time, season and election cycle, the call to pray for those in authority remains constant. Scripture reminds us that leaders, too, need wisdom, humility and courage to serve well, especially in a complex cultural moment marked by division and competing interests.

Prayer does not replace civic engagement, but it grounds it. When we pray for legislators, we ask God to help them see beyond partisanship and pressure, to recognize the dignity of every person — from the unborn to the elderly, from the immigrant to the poor — and to craft laws that protect life and foster human flourishing. We also ask that they be strengthened to act with integrity, honesty and compassion, even when decisions are difficult.

For Catholics in Colorado, this intention carries particular weight. Our state faces ongoing challenges related to the protection of human life, care for families, access to resources and the moral fabric of our communities. As legislators open the session and begin considering bills that will shape these realities, prayer becomes an act of accompaniment, a way of walking alongside those entrusted with leadership.

“As lawmakers return to the Golden Dome this year, we ask Catholic faithful to pray for the Holy Spirit to dwell in the halls of the Capitol and give our lawmakers discernment to protect life and care for those in need," said Brittany Vessely, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference. "Because of bad policy, Colorado has become a national leader in late abortion and has the worst cost-of-living in the country. It is imperative that Colorado Catholics pray and hold their representatives accountable to preserve the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and address poverty and affordability in our state.”

This is also a moment to pray for respectful dialogue and peace. Healthy democracy depends on the ability to listen, seek understanding and work together for solutions that serve all. Asking the Holy Spirit to guide conversations at the Capitol is a way of fostering a culture where truth is sought and charity is practiced, even in the midst of disagreement.

Catholics might consider simple ways to mark the opening of the legislative session:

• Offer a decade of the Rosary for public servants

• Include legislators in daily intercessions, whether in private or communal prayer, or at Mass

• Pray with family and friends for wisdom and courage for those who govern

As the Colorado State Legislature begins its work, let us entrust our state to God’s providence. May lawmakers be guided by a desire to serve rather than to be served, to protect life rather than diminish it and to pursue policies that reflect justice, mercy and the dignity of every person.

In this new session, may prayer help shape not only the laws of Colorado, but the hearts of those who are called to lead — and the hearts of those who support them in faith.