On Mission

(Photo: Archdiocese of Denver file photo) With sorrow, yet with confidence in the mercy of Jesus Christ, the Archdiocese of Denver remembers Deacon John MacCarthy Franklin, who entered eternal life on July 16, 2026, at the age of 93, following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. He died peacefully at his home in Frisco, Texas, in the presence of his beloved wife, Diane. Deacon Franklin was ordained to the diaconate on June 10, 2000, by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. He faithfully...

A peaceful moment with a sleeping goddaughter became a profound reflection on grace, prayer, witness and the love of God for one new godfather. (Photo provided) A warm November day might be rare in Denver, but in Florida, it’s to be expected. But even as November days go, this was a perfect one. It was sunny and temperate, there was a light breeze, and my four-month-old goddaughter, newly baptized, was asleep on my chest. I sat quietly on my mom’s screened-in porch, admiring the paddling of...

After the death of her husband, a Colorado woman carried forward his dream of visiting the Wisconsin shrine — and discovered unexpected healing along the way. Marianne Arling and her pilgrimage group smile at Servant of God Adele Brice's tomb. The group visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin as part of the Catholic Saints of America exhibit, in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding. (Photo provided) By Marianne Arling I first read...

Behind the Church's requirements is a deeper mission: helping a child grow in faith, follow Christ and one day become a saint. Father John Paul Leyba baptizes a baby at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Littleton. (Photo by Rachel Moore) By Alejandra Bravo Director of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries Archdiocese of Denver Why does Baptism preparation sometimes feel like a burden instead of good news? What would change if we helped parents approach Baptism preparation with the same...

In a weeks-long tour around the archdiocese, the Denver archbishop visited several schools during back-to-school season, welcoming communities back and encouraging them at the beginning of a new academic year. Denver Archbishop James Golka distributes Communion during Mass at St. John Paul the Great High School in Denver. The archbishop visited several Catholic schools around the archdiocese, including St. John Paul the Great, at the beginning of the new academic year. (Photo by Madison...

Colorado’s first Hispanic Serra Club begins with more than 120 members and a mission to strengthen priestly and religious vocations in the Church through prayer and service. Bishop Jorge Rodríguez (third from left) and Father Sean Galvin, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Lafayette (third from right), hold plaques from Serra International during the chartering ceremony for the new Hispanic Serra Club in the Archdiocese of Denver. (Photo by Christina Antus/Denver Catholic) By Patricia...

(Photo provided) When Peggy Morrow looks back on nearly 10 years of faith formation at St. Scholastica Parish in Erie, she sees the Holy Spirit at work from the very beginning. “The Holy Spirit inspired Father Robert Wedow and myself, guiding us through various events to introduce family faith formation,” Morrow said. Those promptings gradually led Morrow and Father Wedow, the parish’s pastor, toward an approach that placed parents and families at the center of their children’s formation....

What if the government told you that it was creating a “universal” preschool funding program to allow families to pick the best preschool for them — public, private or faith-based — but excluded your child simply because you chose a Catholic preschool? Catholic preschools in the Archdiocese of Denver have been seeking equal treatment for three years, despite Colorado's exclusion of religious schools from its "Universal" Preschool Program (UPK). The fight began in August 2023, when a team of...

The phrase “contraceptive mentality” can confuse Catholic couples trying to discern family size faithfully and live the Church’s call to responsible parenthood. (Photo: Pexels) By Elizabeth Timpe It has been 58 years since the publication of Humanae Vitae, the pro-life encyclical by Pope St. Paul VI. In the decades since, the Catholic Church has promoted methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) to help couples live out this teaching. Notably, the Couple to Couple League (CCL) has been around...

(Photo: Unsplash) Reluctant as I am to fiddle with the U.S. Constitution, I’m willing to consider an amendment banning any elementary school from opening before Labor Day. That’s the way things were when I was a boy in Baltimore and could no more imagine being in school before Labor Day than I could imagine rooting for the New York Yankees. Labor Day marked the end of summer vacation: Ocean City, Maryland, emptied a few days earlier; my mother took my brother and me to Stewart’s in downtown...

At Christ on the Mountain Parish in Lakewood, programs and community are encouraging families to preach, teach and live the faith. Mary Ann Fairbank, director of religious education and youth at Christ on the Mountain Parish in Lakewood, smiles with children involved in the parish's programs. (Photo courtesy of Christ on the Mountain Parish) For many Catholic parents, the day of their child’s Baptism is the culmination of months of preparation. At Christ on the Mountain Catholic Parish in...

Serra Clubs quietly support seminarians, priests and religious vocations through prayer, friendship and encouragement — a mission Archbishop James Golka says the whole Church can share. Denver Archbishop James Golka greets Serrans after Mass, thanking them for their prayerful support of vocations in Colorado. (Photo by Madisen Martinez/Denver Catholic) On Saturday, August 29, Archbishop James Golka celebrated his first Mass for the local Serra Clubs and their members at the Christ the King...