COLORADO SPRINGS. On Jan. 24, St. Mary’s Athletic Hall of Fame inducted Paul Weatherly, class of 1974; Lanny Whiteside DeRoeck, class of 1990; Andy Nigro, class of 2004; Rachael Broerman Friedrich, class of 2007; and Andrew Cornella, class of 2011. The St. Mary’s Athletic Hall of Fame honors those who have made outstanding contributions to St. Mary’s athletics.

DENVER. “Every Life if a Gift” was the theme for the 2020 Celebrate Life Rally and March in Denver on Jan. 11. The Respect Life Apostolate for the Diocese of Colorado Springs chartered a bus and took 51 devoted pro-life warriors from around our diocese and Pueblo to celebrate the gift of life.

COLORADO SPRINGS. “What happened to the strong man?”

     “I’m sorry — but what strong man? What are you talking about?”

     “You know,” she said. “The statue of the muscular, demonic figure that used to be perched on the roof. I walk by here all the time, and I always see it. It’s not there today. What happened to it?”

     “There never was any statue.”

This conversation, as shared in the book “40 Days for Life” by David Bereit and Shawn Carney, really happened. No one else had seen that demon, but this woman had seen it on the roof of the abortion clinic time and time again as she walked past the clinic. After the abortion center was closed and the building was prayed over, the physical representation showing a spiritual reality was gone.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Serra Club of Colorado Springs will hold its annual Anniversary Dinner and Silent Auction on Feb. 24 in Julie Penrose Hall at St. Paul Church. Bishop Michael Sheridan will celebrate Mass at 5 p.m., followed by a wine social, silent auction and catered dinner. Cost is $45 per person; attendees can bring a priest or religious sister for an additional $25. Checks should be payable to: Serra Club of Colorado Springs, 228 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, 80903. RSVPs are requested by Feb. 14. For more information, contact SerraCOSprings@DioCS.net or 719-576-0641. The Serra Club supports vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

COLORADO SPRINGS. When Keith and Veronica Deardorff and their seven children moved to Colorado Springs two years ago due to Keith’s military service, it didn’t take long for members of Holy Apostles Parish to reach out to them.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Four years ago, the 57 seniors who made up the St. Mary’s High School class of 2016 left a big mark on the school and the surrounding community.

COLORADO SPRINGS. John Tosto was a World War II veteran, father of eight children, a business owner, and an accomplished artist. He had also designed and crafted numerous works of art for his parish, Our Lady of the Pines, and other local churches. But when he realized that he would not live to see his final project through to completion, it was devastating.

LIMON. The Union Pacific Railroad still thunders past the small town of Limon, 72 miles east of Colorado Springs. Years ago, frequent stops of passenger trains encouraged growth and the founding of the place, but now it’s the highway that brings visitors. Making their way along Interstate 70, travelers come in for a landing to be served by a bright new cluster of gas stations, gift shops, and several chain hotels. Locals enjoy good work here, and many will attend Mass today at Our Lady of Victory, a handsome red brick church founded in 1925. Today — Dec. 15, 2019 — is a special day, and people and luminaries stream in from all over.

Catholic Schools Week will be observed Jan. 26-Feb. 1 this year. The annual All Schools Mass, which will be celebrated by Bishop Michael Sheridan, is Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. at St. Dominic Parish in Security. Following is a listing of the various activities planned by schools in the diocese for Catholic Schools Week. 

Clifford Chance Billmeyer, a seminarian for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, is the older middle of four sons born to Robert Edward and Carole Anne Billmeyer. He is midway through his fourth year of theology studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and was ordained a transitional deacon Dec. 21 by Bishop Michael Sheridan.

CCH: Who are some of the priests who were instrumental in fostering your priestly vocation?

CB: There have been many excellent priests in my life, all of whom I owe a great deal of gratitude for their devotion, piety and kindness. Two priests however stand out.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Benet Hill Community is holding a lecture series on the prevention of human trafficking on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Library 21C, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Several events will take place in the Diocese of Colorado Springs in commemoration of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States.

COLORADO SPRINGS. When Rick Lentz started donating funds to St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) he didn’t plan to become quite so involved as he is now. What began as simply providing financial support quickly turned into taking some of their online evangelization courses, which soon led him to find out what it would take to become a team leader for Colorado Springs.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Father Jim Baron will celebrate the annual Mass of the Holy Innocents at 11 a.m. on Dec. 28 at Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Christmas break has begun for students at St. Mary’s High School, but in the weeks leading up to break, the students were busy spreading the love of Christmas throughout the Colorado Springs community. Some of these holiday service projects are long-standing, while others are new, but through them all, the St. Mary’s students showed that they are inspired by their faith to live out the love of Christ to those around them.