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Building Safe Environments, Strengthening Our Church Communities

Alex Kwan, program manager for the Office of Minor and At-Risk Adult Prevention, leads a Safe Environments training for volunteers throughout the archdiocese. (Photo provided) By Caitlin Burm From parish facilities  to Catholic school classrooms , safety is built into every layer of ministry at the Archdiocese of Denver. While Deacon Mike Daly  is hard at work fostering a culture   of security across the archdiocese, even partnering  with the FBI Denver Field Office, work continues to ensure...

The Hidden Heart of Denver: Carmelite Sisters Radiate the Love of the Trinity

From their convent at the St. John Paul II Center, the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity live a hidden life of prayer and service — reminding the Archdiocese of Denver that God’s love is always present. The community of the Allied Carmelites of Denver with Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila. (Photo provided) Founded in 1986 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the community of the Discalced Carmelites of the Most Holy Trinity arrived in Colorado in 2017 with the mission of establishing a...

Cookies with the Cardinal: Catholic Schoolers Have Joy-Filled Visit with Cardinal Stafford

Amid relics, rose gardens and sub sandwiches, Denver’s retired archbishop reminded children — and adults — of the simple beauty of faith and perseverance. St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School students were blessed with an unexpected visit with Cardinal Stafford. (Photo provided) By Jay Sorgi It was the Eucharist, sub sandwiches, a showing off of the seminary and a Spirit-filled conversation with a cardinal that got on the same level as a bunch of cookie-filled Catholic school kids. More than...

Serving with Love: Kary Lara’s Journey of Faith in Mountain Parishes 

(Photo provided) For Kary Lara, ministry is more than a role; it is a calling that has shaped every part of her life. As director of religious education (DRE) for St. Vincent and St. Mary of the Crown Parishes in Basalt and Carbondale, she serves both English- and Spanish-speaking communities nestled in Colorado’s mountain region, helping families encounter Christ through faith formation, sacraments and service.    Since the parishes are small and close-knit, Lara wears many hats. She...

Forming Shepherds For Tomorrow: Support the Annual Seminaries’ Appeal 

Beginning this weekend, seminarians will visit parishes throughout the archdiocese to share their vocation stories and ask for your support.   Tommy Myers and Deacon Daniel Rivas, both seminarians for the Archdiocese of Denver, are in formation for the priesthood at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. (Photo by Grant Whitty) Each year, the Archdiocese of Denver invites the faithful to support the formation of future priests through the Annual Seminaries’ Appeal. This year’s...

Bring Hope Home This Christmas with Catholic Charities' Adopt-a-Family

(Photo provided) For nearly 30 years, Catholic Charities’ Adopt-A-Family program has matched compassionate donors like you with families, seniors and individuals who need a little extra help during the holidays. In partnership with you, we provide Christmas gifts and hope to those served through our ministries — families nominated by our Catholic Charities team who are working hard to build brighter futures. Yesenia, a mother of two and participant in Marisol Family, knows just how much this...

Building a Legacy of Faith: How The Catholic Foundation Keeps Giving Alive

Through endowments, wills, trusts and Donor-Advised Funds, Catholics across Northern Colorado are building a legacy that strengthens the Church’s mission — from parishes and schools to seminaries and ministries. (Photo: Andrew Wright/Denver Catholic) By Beth Chatterton In 1998, Archbishop Charles Chaput established The Catholic Foundation with a clear mission: to professionally manage and safeguard the financial gifts of the faithful for the long-term benefit of the Church. Nearly three...

Archbishop’s November Intention: For Our Deceased Brothers and Sisters and the Souls in Purgatory

(Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic) “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26 Jesus’ question to Martha is personal. But it is not simply addressed to Martha; it is addressed to us. Do we believe this? Do we trust that Christ truly has power over death, and that our loved ones live in him? For the times when we fail in that...

Where Heaven Meets the Hills: Walburga’s Mother Maria-Michael on the Beauty of Consecrated Life

In the quiet plains near the Wyoming border, the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of St. Walburga live a life of prayer and praise — a hidden wellspring of grace for the Church and the world. (Photo courtesy of the Abbey of St. Walburga) If you’ve never been to Virginia Dale, Colorado, it’s quiet. There’s not much “going on” by worldly standards, and most people might just be passing through on their way to Laramie or Fort Collins. But in that quaint and quiet town, mere miles from the Wyoming...

Teaching God’s Beauty: Frassati Catholic Academy’s Becky Heier Named Colorado Art Educator of the Year

Becky Heier, an art teacher at Frassati Catholic Academy in Thornton, has been named the Colorado Private, Independent and Charter School Art Educator of the Year by the Colorado Art Education Association. (Photo courtesy of Frassati Catholic Academy's Facebook) When students step into Becky Heier’s art classroom at Frassati Catholic Academy in Thornton, they find more than brushes and paints. They find a place where creativity becomes prayer and where beauty points to something — and Someone...

From Womb to Tomb: How Respect Life Denver Serves the Vulnerable at Every Stage

Together with the new Catholic End-of-Life Network, Respect Life Denver is working to defend the dignity of every human life — from the first heartbeat to the final breath. (Photo: Lightstock) Respect Life Denver, a ministry of Catholic Charities, is on a mission to help transform Colorado into a sanctuary where every human being is valued and protected at every stage of life. While that mission begins with the unborn, the most vulnerable among us, it does not end there. Respect for life is a...

Called to Serve: One Deacon’s Journey of Faith, Family and Renewal

Deacon Raul Martinez (left) and his family. (Photo provided) By Caitlin Burm Answering God’s Call Sometimes God’s call to serve comes as a gentle whisper — and often when we least expect it. For Deacon Raul Martinez, that whisper came during one of the hardest chapters of his life. What began in heartbreak became a journey of faith, renewal and service — one that transformed Deacon Martinez, his wife, Linda Martinez, their family and the parish community at St. Theresa Parish in Frederick. “I...