COLORADO SPRINGS. Father Paul Wicker, who served as pastor of Holy Apostles Parish for more than 35 years, died May 31 at age 83.

Public visitation will be held on June 5 from 1-5 p.m. at Shrine of Remembrance, America the Beautiful Chapel, and on June 6 from 5-7 p.m. at Holy Apostles, with a rosary and vigil service at 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will take place June 7 at 11 a.m. at Holy Apostles, with a reception afterwards in the parish hall. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. at Shrine of Remembrance. A livestream of the funeral Mass will be available at www.holyapostlescc.org. 

COLORADO SPRINGS. Sheila Whalen, previously the principal of St. Peter School in Monument, was named Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Colorado Springs effective July 1. She replaces Holly Goodwin, who is retiring.

COLORADO SPRINGS. William Dwayer, a seminarian for the Diocese of Colorado Springs who has been studying theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, will be ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop Michael Sheridan on May 22 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The Herald recently interviewed Dwayer about his background, vocational discernment, and next steps.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Kathy Thayer, who spearheaded adoption and family services for Catholic Charities of Central Colorado for over two decades, retired May 7. A farewell reception was held that afternoon at Marian House.

“Catholic Charities will always have a special place in my heart,’ Thayer said. “There isn’t another nonprofit in town like us — there really isn’t.”

COLORADO SPRINGS. Pope Francis has appointed Father James Golka, 54, a priest of the Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, as the bishop-elect of Colorado Springs and accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael Sheridan. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on April 30 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop-elect Golka was introduced at a press conference at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Colorado Springs on the same day.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Bishop Michael Sheridan announced that, beginning May 23, Catholics in the Diocese of Colorado Springs will no longer be dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. The dispensation, which was granted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will also end May 23 in the Archdiocese of Denver and the Diocese of Pueblo.

COLORADO SPRINGS. For people who experienced their parents’ divorce as children, the impact on their adult relationships cannot be underestimated, said Dan Meola, who along with his wife, Bethany, founded the Life-Giving Wounds ministry.

The Meolas will give a presentation at Holy Apostles Parish on May 10 from 6-8 p.m. Advance registration is required by contacting Christian Meert at Christian@CatholicMarriagePrep.com.

COLORADO SPRINGS. As part of the marriage preparation requirements in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, each engaged couple must take a class in natural family planning (NFP).

One of the four options for fulfilling the requirement is training in the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. In Colorado Springs, Creighton Model classes are taught at St. Francis Medical Center by Kris Hardesty, who has been Certified FertilityCare practitioner for nearly 25 years. Classes are also offered at Ave Maria Parish in Parker.

COLORADO SPRINGS.  After years of attending Mass in classrooms and other temporary locations, Catholic college students in Colorado Springs now have a permanent place to worship. Bishop Michael Sheridan dedicated St. John Henry Newman Chapel on Feb. 20 — marking a major milestone for diocesan campus ministry.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Holy Cross Father Ronald Raab, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Colorado Springs, is the illustrator of a new book titled “The Stations of the Cross in Atonement for Abuse and for the Healing of All,” published by Liturgical Press.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Diocese of Colorado Springs’ Office of Child and Youth Protection (OCYP) has recently undergone a reorganization that included the appointment of Deacon Tom Dickinson as Director and the adoption of the VIRTUS platform for safe-environment training.

Deacon Anthony Donbosco Le was born and raised as a Catholic in the war-torn country of Vietnam. He has six siblings, two sisters and four brothers. Only one sister and two brothers have survived. The others died due to sickness or went missing while escaping from Vietnam.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Serra Club of Colorado Springs announced the winners of its 2020 Priesthood Appreciation Contest. The theme of this year’s contest was “How Has a Priest Inspired You?”

COLORADO SPRINGS. When Catholic couples discover years or decades after being married civilly that their marriage is not considered to be valid by the Church, it can come as a surprise and leave them wondering what steps to take. Fortunately, the Diocese of Colorado Springs is equipped to help such couples enter into a valid Catholic marriage so that they can live a complete sacramental life.

COLORADO SPRINGS. With new cases of coronavirus on the rise in Colorado, it could be another six months before long-term care facilities — including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior residences and rehabilitation centers — will be open to outside visitors. When that does finally happen, however, the Diocese of Colorado Springs will have a plan in place to better reach Catholics who are unable to regularly attend Mass.