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Finding Grace in Grief: How Faith and Counseling Bring Healing at Life’s End

By Lisa Smith, MA St. Raphael Counseling, a ministry of Catholic Charities When we face the loss of someone we love, our hearts often struggle to make sense of what feels impossible to bear. At St. Raphael Counseling, a ministry of Catholic Charities, we witness this sacred space every day: where pain, love and faith meet in the human heart. It’s in this space that healing begins, and where God quietly reminds us that even in our sorrow, we are never alone. Recently, during one of our grief...

A Relic, A Pilgrimage and a Miracle? Blessed Miguel Pro Relic Arrives at Westminster Catholic School

What began as a simple request turned into a schoolwide celebration, and a possible modern miracle. For Jessica Carillo and her husband Mario, the arrival of Blessed Miguel Pro to the Westminster Catholic church and school was a providential moment of grace — one that may have led to a miraculous healing. (Photo provided) By Tracy Seul Viviana Chavez never imagined that a single visit to adoration would open the door to a whirlwind of grace, unexpected miracles and a renewed devotion to...

Filling the Void of Loss with Faith: How Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services of Colorado Accompanies Families with the Love of Christ

(Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.) When grief arrives, it never comes gently. The house feels hollow, words catch in the throat and the silence seems louder than prayer. In those fragile hours, Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services of Colorado (CFCS) steps forward — not merely to provide funeral logistics, but to fill the void of loss with faith, hope and the comforting presence of the Church. A Ministry Rooted in History and Compassion CFCS is a nonprofit ministry of the Archdiocese of Denver...

Walking the Walk: Jerry’s Mission to Support Moms Through Marisol Health 

(Photo provided) For longtime Colorado native Jerry Fitzgerald, faith and pro-life convictions have always gone hand in hand. “I’ve always had a strong passion against abortion and for the protection of life,” he said, when asked what drew him to Marisol Health, a ministry of Catholic Charities that provides life-affirming care for women. Jerry’s journey with Marisol began a year ago through prayer. He regularly joined others outside of Planned Parenthood for Mass, Rosaries and the Stations...

Archbishop Aquila Slams Both Parties Over Immigration Failures Outside ICE Facility in Aurora

At a Stations of the Cross prayer gathering in Aurora, Archbishop Aquila condemns political gamesmanship and calls Catholics to defend the God-given dignity of migrants. (Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.) Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, together with Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez, led a Stations of the Cross prayer service around the ICE Detention Facility in Aurora. Several hundred attended the peaceful procession and joined in saintly solidarity with the innumerable immigrants affected...

PHOTOS | The Silent March That Spoke Volumes: Catholics Grieve and Hope Outside Aurora ICE Detention Center

In the footsteps of Jesus’ Passion, Archbishop Aquila, Bishop Rodriguez and the faithful lift up the cries, sorrows, and hopes of immigrant families. (Photo by André Escaleira, Jr.) You could hear the crunch of the dry Denver grass underfoot — that’s how quiet it was in the north-east Metro on Saturday morning.  Led by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and Bishop Jorge Rodriguez and sponsored by the Committee for Pastoral Care for Migrants, several hundred from more than 36 local parishes gathered...

Remembering Father John Auer

(Photo courtesy of St. Michael Parish, Calhan, Facebook) Father John Auer, a beloved priest affectionately known as “God’s fisherman” for his lifelong love of fly fishing, entered eternal life on Nov. 20 after 45 years of priestly ministry. Ordained in 1979 for the Archdiocese of Denver, he became a priest of the newly formed Diocese of Colorado Springs in 1984. His decades of service, marked by perseverance, gratitude and an unwavering devotion to the people of God, leave a lasting legacy...

A Denver Priest, a Hollywood Director and a Bowl of Fettuccine: Father Scott Bailey Advises on Catholic Life for New ‘Knives Out’ Film

Through his work with director Rian Johnson and actor Josh O'Connor on the new Knives Out film, Father Scott Bailey created opportunities for understanding, even evangelizing, the Catholic faith. Father Scott Bailey, pastor of Risen Christ Parish in Denver, with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery producers Ram Bergman, Leopold Hughes and Nikos Karamigios. (Photo courtesy of Father Scott Bailey) By Jay Sorgi Sometimes, God uses big meals with fettuccine alfredo to open doors for...

From the Cemetery to the Seminary: How Serving the Dead Brought Four Vocations to Life

Through tending graves, comforting the grieving and witnessing the Church’s prayers for the dead, these seminarians learned what it truly means to shepherd souls. Isaac Cunnings, Zach Welton and Greg Hitschler at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Arvada. (Photo provided) Zach Welton’s first funeral at Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Wheat Ridge was unlike anything he’d experienced before. Assigned to assist with a monthly burial service called “Precious Lives,” he found himself standing in a grave,...

Peggy Coppom Turns 101: A Catholic CU Boulder Superfan Whose Joy Still Inspires Colorado

(Photo: @LauraLevyCO on X) For most Colorado sports fans, loyalty lasts a season or two. For Peggy Coppom, it has lasted nearly nine decades. The beloved University of Colorado Buffaloes superfan — and longtime daily Mass-goer at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Boulder — turned 101 years old this week. And as anyone who has followed her remarkable story knows, Peggy isn’t just a Buffs fan. She has become a symbol of joyful perseverance, deep faith and contagious hope. Peggy and her twin...

Guiding Lights: Illuminating the Path at Life's End

(Photo: Lightstock) By Mark Hahn Emmaus Catholic Hospice   In the tender embrace of faith, the journey towards eternal life is a sacred passage. For Catholics, this transition is imbued with profound spiritual significance, demanding care that honors not only the physical self but also the soul. It is in this spirit that Emmaus Catholic Hospice stands as a guiding light, offering compassionate, faith-centered, end-of-life care that upholds the dignity of every individual and our faith in the...

Official Priest and Deacon Appointments: November 2025

(Photo by Grant Whitty) Here’s a list of all the new priest and transitional deacon assignments for the Archdiocese of Denver, including pastors, parochial vicars, new deans and presbyteral council representatives. Pastor Assignments Father Joseph Onyango Oiye, I.M.C., Parochial Administrator, St. Anthony Parish, Sterling, Sacred Heart Parish, Peetz, and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Iliff , effective September 27, 2025, ad nutum archiepiscopi . Parochial Vicar Assignments Father George M....