Several times each month, a “No One Dies Alone” (NODA) alert reaches approximately 35 compassionate volunteers across the Pikes Peak region. Typically initiated by a perceptive nurse who recognizes that a patient will soon die without family or friends present, the alert prompts contact with the hospital chaplain and sets in motion a coordinated vigil. Led by a NODA coordinator, this vigil attempts a continuous volunteer presence, offering a caring human connection as a life transitions.

Tucked into the natural beauty of Colorado’s landscapes, a Mary Garden offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of today’s fast paced world. These sacred gardens — dedicated to the Virgin Mary — blend prayer, symbolism, art and nature in a tradition that dates back to ancient Europe.

My favorite of this celestial company was St. Dympha . . . I found a frame for [her holy card] . . . and for many decades, it sat on my desk in Whitehall, to the amusement or consternation of my colleagues. I had the private enjoyment of knowing, alone among all who labour within the Foreign Office, that St. Dympha is the patroness of those afflicted with nervous disorders. In my profession I will accept all available assistance (Excerpted from “Enter the Lion: A Posthumous Memoir of Mycroft Holmes,” Hawthorn Books, 1979).

Over 10 years ago, as I was preparing to come to work for Catholic Charities, a friend suggested I read “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation. In those pages, I found not only an articulation of Catholic Social Teaching that would provide the practical foundation for the work of Catholic Charities, but also the honest voice of love and mercy that Pope Francis brought to the world. In that way, he has always felt like a guide in this work, and, like so many, I am deeply saddened by his passing.

Catholic theology and Catholic biblical scholarship have been companions through the centuries, but the travelling has not always been comfortable. Catholic theology untethered from the life of the Church or the biblical sources can lead to an excess of enthusiasm (as I witnessed growing up in Central and South America); drinking too deeply into historical critical biblical methodologies can leave both students and their teachers with a shipwrecked faith.

In these early months of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the intertwined calls of Pope Francis and Bishop James Golka urge us to be “tangible signs of hope.” Within the Diocese of Colorado Springs, we are committed to showcasing how our community actively lives out the call to hope during this Jubilee Year.

The month of May is a beautiful blessing in Colorado, often marking the transition from spring to summer. Gardeners are busily working the soil and excited for a fresh, new season. Garden tasks during this time can be both productive and spiritually enriching. Here are a few garden tasks for May that were inspired by the Holy Spirit:

Gender dysphoria is a bodily integrity disorder where a person senses that their biological sex is inconsistent with their gender identity. In other words, “your body is not the real you.”

It’s that time of the year! Gardeners are atwitter, wondering, “Should I start seeds now? Should I wait?” They are like children on a long (or short) road trip asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Get ready, spring is here, we’re off to start indoor seeds!