On Mission

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...

Ever wonder what it's like being a bishop? Or how priests receive their call to become a bishop? During a recent visit to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver, Denver Archbishop James Golka considered all that and more! Speaking at one of the parish's regular Gathering at the Grotto events, the archbishop reflected on his vocation to the priesthood, his call to become a bishop, the move to the Archdiocese of Denver and his first few months in Northern Colorado. He also discussed his family...

Scripture, Tradition and the Church's understanding of salvation reveal why Baptism is not something children should have to wait to receive. Father Scott Bailey baptizes a baby at Risen Christ Parish in Denver. (Photo by Madisen Martinez/Denver Catholic) By Father Scott Bailey Pastor Risen Christ Parish, Denver It’s a famous and dramatic scene: a new mob boss stands by as godfather as the film cuts back and forth between the godfather professing his Catholic faith and his henchmen carrying...

Father Dan Finucane, SJ, reacts to the applause of his Jesuit brothers after celebrating his first Mass at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church in St. Louis. (Photo courtesy of Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province) By Therese Meyerhoff Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province A Jesuit priest for just three months, Father Dan Finucane, SJ, has already come to appreciate the ministry of presence. Father Daniel J. Finucane, SJ, and St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski pause for a...

For the Solemnity of the Assumption, a masterpiece of sacred art reveals the relationship between beauty, longing and love. Assumption of the Virgin by ​Titian, c. 1516-1518. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy. (Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) “What makes good art?” It was the way my friend asked the question. Knowing him, he wasn’t looking for an answer that included anything along the lines of “sound composition, good lighting, technical mastery in the...

(Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) Jealousy is not the same as envy. Envy desires what another possesses, while jealousy seeks to guard what one has so that no one else may possess it. It’s an important distinction for understanding the Bible. God calls himself jealous toward his people Israel, wanting to keep them for himself so that they do not follow after the customs of surrounding nations and their strange gods. In Exodus 34, after charging Israel to tear down altars and...

Part Nine: Once someone has encountered Jesus, the need to change, repent and convert becomes clear. Denver Archbishop James Golka baptizes a young man during the 2026 Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. (Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic) Editor's Note: This column is part of a yearlong series on evangelization, breaking down what often feels like a tall order into real, practical, actionable steps towards intentional accompaniment. Part One: A...

Last year, 18-year-old Lexi Arguello died after complications from a late-term abortion. Activists say staff waited too long to call 911 — and note that women continue to be injured at the clinic. Catholic school students in uniform hold “I am the Pro-Life Generation” signs at the Colorado March for Life in Denver on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo: Kate Quiñones/EWTN News) By Kate Quiñones/EWTN News In Colorado, advocates for life are gathering to remember a young woman who died during a...

A Man for All Season's poster, cropped. (Photo: Fair Use via IMDB) 1966 was a great year for movies and six decades later, the five nominated for “Best Picture” at the 39th Academy Awards the following year are all still worth watching: Alfie; A Man for All Seasons; The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming; The Sand Pebbles; and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? That 1967 Oscar ceremony seems to have taken place on a distant and different planet, though, light-years removed from the...

Archbishop James Golka greeted and spent time with Hispanic parish leaders during the second annual Convocation for Hispanic Parish Leaders at Most Precious Blood Parish in Denver. (Photo: Rocio Madera/El Pueblo Católico) A simple but profound message marked the second annual Convocation for Hispanic Parish Leaders on August 22: God has a plan, and we are called to seek it and discern it. At the annual event, held at Most Precious Blood Parish in Denver and organized by the Office of...

Archdiocese of Denver Totus Tuus missionaries spent the summer serving in parishes across Northern Colorado, teaching young people about God and introducing them to him in prayer. (Photo provided) By Pattrica Serrano-Bann When summer comes, most people head to the mountains, start their vacation time or finally get rest. But across Colorado, a different kind of movement takes shape each summer: missionary work. Year after year, young missionaries spend their summer in gymnasiums, parish...