¡Feliz otoño! A medida que salimos del verano y nos adentramos en el otoño, llega el momento de la vuelta a la escuela y de retomar nuestras rutinas y el ritmo de vida diario.  También es importante que mantengamos un ritmo y una rutina en lo que se refiere a la oración y a nuestra vida espiritual. A menudo, cuando la vida se vuelve ajetreada y agitada, es fácil abandonar el hábito de la oración. Siempre vamos a estar ocupados, pero tenemos que recordar que debemos inspirarnos en María, la del Evangelio, que se sentó a los pies de Jesús y “eligió la mejor parte” (Lucas 10, 42), y reservar tiempo cada día para encontrarnos con Jesús, de modo que él sea siempre el centro de nuestras vidas. 

COLORADO SPRINGS. Janelle O’Keeffe, a longtime member of the Serra Club of Colorado Springs, died July 18 in Colorado Springs. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 19 at the Newman Center, followed by burial at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.

COLORADO SPRINGS.  Sister Judith Anne Schaeffer died Aug. 3 at age 86 at Mount St. Francis. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 21 at St. Francis of Assisi Church, followed by burial in Mount St. Francis Cemetery.

HONOLULU. Father Alphonsus Khanh Kim Pham-Nguyen died July 27 at age 60 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A vigil and Requiem Mass took place at Our Lady of Lavang Church in Albuquerque Aug.8-9. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 16 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Honolulu, Hawaii, with Bishop Larry Silva presiding, followed by a private Rite of Committal.

COLORADO SPRINGS. On May 3, the Association of Salesian Cooperators welcomed eight new members from Colorado Springs during a Mass at St. Patrick Parish.  The eight new cooperators are: Maria Force, Margaret Kinney, Katherine Klataska, Elias Quintero, Naomi Quintero, Ernest Rodriguez, Sidney Rodriguez and Michelle Schumacher.

COLORADO SPRINGS. On Aug. 27, the Feast of St. Monica, the annual diocesan Mass of Praying Prodigals Home was celebrated by Bishop James Golka at St. Mary’s Cathedral, followed by a program in the parish center led by Connie Pratt.

COLORADO SPRINGS. When Catholic Charities of Central Colorado purchased the former Helen Hunt Elementary School in late 2022, dry erase boards, maps and other items left behind by teachers and students still hung on the walls. The school, which opened in 1902 and operated for more than a century, had essentially stood frozen in time since it was closed due to declining enrollment in 2016. Various nonprofits had occupied parts of the building, including Catholic Charities, but its age and other factors made substantive renovations a challenging prospect.

SEDALIA.  It’s been 17 years since Jesuit Father Joe Laramie lived in Colorado, but in some ways it seems like he never left.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Many Catholics in the Diocese of Colorado Springs may be aware that Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the diocese, and that Bishop James Golka dedicated a new shrine in her honor, located at 927 N. Logan Ave., on July 5. But the connection between the two is even more meaningful when considered in light of the symbolism found in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was miraculously imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego, according to a priest considered to be one of the world’s top experts on the subject.

COLORADO SPRINGS.  The Diocese of Colorado Springs held two Discernment Retreats this past summer: one on July 12 for men ages 18-40, and one on Aug. 16 for boys ages 11-17.  This was the third consecutive year for these discernment retreats and it was also the third consecutive year that Bishop James Golka was our keynote speaker.