COLORADO SPRINGS. At the request of Bishop James Golka, parishes around the Diocese of Colorado Springs have been taking second collections to benefit humanitarian relief for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

The Power of the Dog” is one of the most talked-about and decorated films of the past year, garnering twelve Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actor, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, and best director.

Here’s some challenging, ancient wisdom from the desert fathers: “Do not trust in your own righteousness, do not worry about the past. But control your tongue and your stomach.”

Intermittent fasting is a big thing these days. Hmmm. Interesting. The church had a practice of fasting years ago when we fasted from midnight before receiving Communion the next day. Why would the church require such preparation for meeting our Lord through the Eucharist?

To help people navigate some of the complex decisions involved in end-of-life situations, the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers a free and confidential consultation service via e-mail or phone. Often we are asked about the appropriate use of morphine and other opioids. Family members may be understandably concerned about the potential for overdosing their loved ones, as hospice workers appear to “ramp up” the morphine rapidly, especially in the last few hours of life.

The idea came in a dream. It was just like the movies, the fantasy of every writer who has slogged away at a keyboard, awaiting inspiration.

Haley Stewart’s came.

“I woke up, and I was like: ‘I have to write this story! It was just given to me!’”

NEW YORK. In 2017, Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin were among the executive producers of the HBO documentary “War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend.”

The film explored the U.S. military’s post-9/11 deployment of canines trained for use in special operations as well as the deep affection that often developed between these animals and their human partners.

MONUMENT. Col. Earl George Depner (Ret.) was born on a homestead outside of Edgar, Montana on Nov. 12, 1917, and died Jan. 23, 2022, at 104 years of age. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving Knight of Columbus, with over 84 years of continuing service.

What do you get when you combine God’s plan for marriage with 21st-century technology? One answer to that question is the Marquette Method of Natural Family Planning.

Natural Family Planning (NFP) refers to methods of monitoring natural signs of fertility to determine a woman’s fertile window, utilizing that information to either avoid or achieve pregnancy.

COLORADO SPRINGS. School is more than just learning mathematics and phonics; it’s helping children build the foundation of who they will become. The Unified Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Colorado Springs partner with parents on this journey helping form the whole child — mind, body and spirit. All of the Unified Schools are currently enrolling for the 2022-2023 school year, each providing a unique educational experience for their families.

I’m Father Mark Zacker. I’m currently Parochial Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Castle Rock. I celebrated my 25th jubilee as a priest in 2021. I have been serving in the Diocese of Colorado Springs for nearly 20 years. Every day is an adventure! I am so thankful for the gift of the priesthood and the call that I received from an early age. I never seriously considered any other vocation.

One of the greatest challenges in humanitarian work is determining when it becomes enablement. At what point does providing services contribute to the propagation of people’s needs? It is a challenge that arises around issues ranging from homelessness to asylum seekers at the border. The claim of enablement occurs with some frequency for Catholic Charities when focused on the location of the Marian House in Colorado Springs. Some believe that providing services at that location enables homelessness in the downtown area. 

PLEASE NOTE:
There is an error in the crossword puzzle on Page 16 of the March 4, 2022 issue. The wrong clues were provided and the answers do not match the empty crossword lattice. The Herald apologizes for this error.

Here are the correct clues that match the current empty crossword puzzle:

ACROSS

2      Son of Japheth, in Genesis

7      “Cheer, cheer for ole Notre ___…”

8      “We ___, we celebrate, we believe”

9      First mark of the Church

10   One who dies for the faith

12   Old Testament hymn

13   Archdiocese in northern Italy

14   Catholic actor named after his comedian father

15   Prayer time

16   Nun topper

18   Biblical bad weather

20   Catholic author, Mary Higgins ___

22   Jesus was offered this on the cross

23   In chapter 2, Jeremiah compares Jerusalem to this

24   Nun’s headdress

26   Certain mount

28   “…the race is not won by the ___” (Eccl 9:11)

29   Book of the Old Testament

31   Son of Jacob

32   Jesuit who proposed the “Big Bang Theory”

33   First shepherd

34   Rite in the Catholic Church

DOWN

1      Father of Cain

2      Notable Trappist author

3      Patron saint of boy scouts

4      Color of death’s horse in Revelation

5      “God with us” (Mt 1:23)

6      The people in Lystra dubbed Paul this

11   The feast of St. Bernadette Soubirous is in this month

12   Altar linen

16   Number of sacraments, in Roman numerals

17   A finish for Canaan

19   A type of sin

21   Physical remains of, or items that have touched the body, of a saint

22   Direction from the Jordan to Bethlehem

23   Moses floated the Nile in one of these

24   It can rescue us from troubles 

25   Pertaining to the Blessed Mother

27   The Archdiocese of Niamey is found in this African country

30   The Inferno

(Click here for answers)

During the next couple of months while we are all stuck inside looking at seed catalogs, we might want to take a long, hard look at native plants. There are many benefits to using Colorado native plants for home and business landscapes. They are naturally adapted to Colorado’s climates, soils and environmental conditions. When choosing native plants gardeners can work with natural elements, rather than trying to grow plants that are not suited to our diocese’s local conditions and may be finicky and require a lot of extra care.