COLORADO SPRINGS. Seminarian Thomas Pressley, who recently completed his third year of theology studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, will be ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop James Golka on June 4. The Herald recently interviewed Pressley about his background and vocational journey.

COLORADO SPRINGS. A new diocesan Catholic school will open at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in the fall of 2022. The St. Gabriel Classical Academy will include preschool through fifth grade, with full-day and half-day options for kindergarten.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Anyone who has tried to complete a home remodeling project over the past couple of years has probably encountered a shortage of materials, and St. Mary’s Cathedral was no exception. The interior renovation of the church, which began late last summer, will be finished in early May — several months later than expected.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Office of the Permanent Diaconate will hold an information session on May 7 at 9 a.m. at St. Peter Parish in Monument. Any men who are interested in learning about the role and ministry of deacons in the Diocese of Colorado Springs are invited to attend. A new class of deacon candidates is expected to begin studies in the fall of 2023, with an eye towards ordination in 2028.

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.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Bishop James Golka will hold six listening sessions — one in each of the diocese’s five deaneries and a Spanish-language session — as part of the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality convened by Pope Francis.

COLORADO SPRINGS. A new residence for pregnant mothers and their preschool age children is set to be built on the campus of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish. The home is the culmination of years of research and planning by four long-time pro-life advocates in the Diocese of Colorado Springs — Julie Bailey, Lisa Schmitz, Dick Eitel and Mike Faricy — who refer to themselves as the “Gang of Four.”v

COLORADO SPRINGS. Members of two religious orders based in India have moved to Colorado Springs to work as nurses at Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center. Both orders were invited by Carmelite of Mary Immaculate Father Abraham Kannampalackal, who serves as a chaplain at Penrose Hospital.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Bishop James Golka celebrated Mass at The Catholic Center at The Citadel on Nov. 20 in honor of the Capuchin Franciscan order’s 20 years of ministry at the mall.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Matthew Kane, a seminarian for the Diocese of Colorado Springs who recently completed his theology studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, will be ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop James Golka on Dec. 22 at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Diocese of Colorado Springs announced Oct. 4 that Gary Niemerg was named Director of Catechesis, Evangelization and Youth Ministry. He previously served as Director of Religious Education at Corpus Christi Parish for 15 years.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Serra Club members from around Colorado gathered Oct. 22-23 at the St. John Henry Newman Catholic Student Center in Colorado Springs for the annual District Six convention, and local Serrans garnered several awards.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The National Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM) named Javier Cervantes as the recipient of its 2021 “Exemplary Award for Hispanic Ministry.” The award is co-sponsored by Loyola Press and is designed to honor someone who reflects the best practices, servant leadership and communion in mission for which the association strives, said NCADDHM president Javier Orozco. Nominees are chosen by peers working in the field of Hispanic ministry.

COLORADO SPRINGS.  A year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, more than 900 people attended the Bishop’s Respect Life Dinner Oct. 6 at The Broadmoor.

Deborah “Deb” Harney, a member of St. Patrick Parish, received the Respect Life Volunteer of the Year award.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Dr. Pat Castle is the first to acknowledge the progress that the pro-life movement has made over the past 30 years.

“Today, we’ve got more than 4,000 pregnancy help centers in America and less than 700 abortion facilities,” said Castle, who will be the keynote speaker at the Bishop’s Respect Life Dinner Oct. 6. “In 1991, that was about reversed. Each of those (pregnancy help) centers is really important, and we’ve done a better job of communicating that they exist.”