COLORADO SPRINGS. At 2 a.m. on April 21, Stacy Paris — hours away from leaving for Italy with 24 teens and 16 other adults to witness the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis scheduled for April 27 — received a phone call from her daughter letting her know that Pope Francis had died. Although the news came as a surprise, it quickly became clear to Paris that the group should follow through on their original travel plans, she said.

COLORADO SPRINGS.  Knights of Columbus councils in the Diocese of Colorado Springs had another successful year in 2024 and were honored accordingly by the Colorado Knights of Columbus at the State Convention held recently at the Antlers Hotel.

To commemorate Black History month, the Black Catholic Ministry office of the Archdiocese of Denver hosted a mini conference titled “Strengthened by the Spirit” on Feb. 15 at Queen of Peace Parish in Denver.

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).