On Mission

(Photo provided) Betsy H. Boyle, a beloved educator and leader whose life was dedicated to Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver and across the United States, passed away suddenly at home on Friday, November 7, 2025. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Betsy was the daughter of the late Lois (Hale) and John Boyle and sister of Jack Boyle. Although her roots were in Ohio, her impact extended far beyond, particularly through her decades of service in Catholic education. She is survived by her...

Dante Alighieri with Florence and the Realms of the Divine Comedy (Hell, Purgatory, Paradise), fresco by Domenico di Michelino (1465, after Alesso Baldovinetti), Florence Cathedral. (Photo: Heroldius/Menkin AlRire, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)   November, the month of the dead, calls us to remember our own death and to prepare for eternal life. We may be tempted to think of this preparation in minimalist terms — avoiding mortal sin and fulfilling a basic set of obligations, such as...

Two Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy students, with faces painted, enjoy the Día de los Muertos Fiesta at the school, complete with homemade delicacies. (Photo by Tracy Seul) By Tracy Seul It was a night of remembrance, music and faith, coinciding with the Church's Hallowtide. The school community at Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy in Westminster came together for their fourth annual Día de los Muertos Fiesta, honoring those who had gone before and blending liturgical prayer with...

Each year, the Archdiocese of Denver invites the faithful to support the Annual Seminaries’ Appeal, helping form the next generation of priests. With over 120 men currently in formation at St. John Vianney and Redemptoris Mater seminaries, each seminarian’s education — including theological studies, pastoral training and spiritual formation — costs $61,000 annually. Your prayers and generosity make this formation possible, nurturing men who are answering Christ’s call to serve as shepherds in...

(Photo: Pexels) By the Wheaton Agency In the quiet basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, a young parish priest named Father Michael McGivney faced a heartbreaking reality. Widows, newly bereaved, would knock on his door, desperate for help. Their husbands — often the sole breadwinners — had died unexpectedly, leaving families not only in grief but in financial ruin. Children were at risk of being sent to orphanages. The Church, stretched thin, could only do so much. Father...

John Unitas with the Baltimore Colts in 1963. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain) In early October, a dinner conversation with an old friend turned to why we both find the National Football League virtually unwatchable these days: the constant penalties (often elongated into absurdly lengthy reviews); incessant injuries to key players; TV ads for in-game betting; and above all, the adolescent, suggestive post-touchdown “celebrations” that remind one why, when Elvis Presley  first...

In Gaza-Palestine, amid the massive destruction in Jabalia camp, a young man and his mother drive a cart through the camp's streets on June 10, 2025. (Photo: Unsplash) In a powerful testament to the compassion and unity of our local Church, the faithful of the Archdiocese of Denver generously contributed $ 223,694.97 through September's special second collection to aid victims of violence in Gaza.  A check for the full amount was submitted to Catholic Relief Services in October, and a second...

St. Martin of Tours sharing his cloak with a beggar by François Joseph Thomas De Backer. (Photo: François Joseph Thomas De Backer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) By CNA Staff On Nov. 11, the Catholic Church honors St. Martin of Tours, who left his post in the Roman army to become a “soldier of Christ.” Martin was born around the year 316 in modern-day Hungary. His family left that region for Italy when his father, a military official of the Roman Empire, was transferred there. Martin’s...

(Photo by Ryan Brady) Nearly 150 high school students from across the Archdiocese of Denver gathered at St. Mary Parish in Littleton for the 2025 Pro-Life High School Symposium, hosted by Respect Life Denver, a ministry of Catholic Charities, and St. Mary’s Respect Life group. The day offered students a chance to grow in faith, courage and authentic love through the theme “Rise Up: Love Deeply, Live Boldly.” Both Catholic and non-Catholic pro-life students attended, representing schools...

(Photo: Adobe Stock) By Msgr. Edward L. Buelt, J.C.L.   A Midnight Call The nursing home’s night nurse called me in the middle of the night, waking me from a sound sleep. She asked that I come immediately to administer the last rites to a non-responsive, near-death resident.   When I arrived, the woman’s daughter explained her mother’s condition. She was certain her mother would not live to see the morning. I sat beside the woman, greeted her softly and found that she did not respond. She was...

How faithful preparation can bring peace to life’s final chapter (Photo: Unsplash) By Carla D. Little As Catholics, we know this life is not our final home. We are pilgrims journeying toward eternal life. But as we walk this path, we are called to be good stewards not only of our resources but also of the responsibilities entrusted to us, especially in life’s final chapters. While many aspects of the end of life are outside our control, one meaningful step we can take is to prepare an estate...

For families who could not afford burial, the Bring Them Home Mass and Crypt of All Saints ministry became an answer to prayer and a moment of profound healing. (Photo provided) By Erin Scherer The cremated remains of 42 individuals were placed reverently at the foot of the altar at the annual Bring Them Home Mass at Mount Olivet Cemetery last Saturday, as family and friends gathered to pray for them and entrust them to God. It was fitting on this All Saints Day, where we celebrate the lives...