COLORADO SPRINGS. Elaine Tourville, who served as volunteer librarian for Holy Apostles Parish for more than 30 years, died Aug. 13. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 25 at Holy Apostles.

Al comenzar la temporada festiva, es importante recordar que entramos en un tiempo sagrado en la vida de la Iglesia. El Día de Acción de Gracias es un día en el que damos gracias a Dios por toda la bondad y las bendiciones en nuestra vida que solo vienen de Él. También recordamos que la Eucaristía significa “acción de gracias”, y en cada Misa damos gracias al Padre por enviar a su Hijo para salvarnos.  Después iniciamos el santo tiempo de Adviento, cuando preparamos nuestro corazón para celebrar la Encarnación de Jesús en la Navidad.

As we begin the holiday season, it is important to remember that we are entering into a holy time in the life of the Church. Thanksgiving is a day in which we thank God for all the goodness and blessings in our lives that only come from him. We also call to mind that the Eucharist means “thanksgiving” and at every Mass we give thanks to the Father for sending his Son to save us. We then begin the holy season of Advent when we prepare our hearts to celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus at Christmas. Through his Incarnation, Jesus “has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin.” (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 22) By shattering the darkness of sin and death, Jesus restores in us our great dignity as sons and daughters of God created in his image and likeness. My prayer is that this holiday season is an opportunity for all of us to grow closer to Jesus and become more like him so that he can use us to accomplish his holy will in our families, our parishes, and in our diocese.

On Feb. 5, 1918, Spencer Penrose, who was in the midst of building the Broadmoor Hotel, wrote a letter to Bishop J. H. Tihen of Denver, indicating that his wife, Julie Penrose, was “anxious” to build a small Catholic chapel near the hotel. He enclosed proposed drawings for the chapel and indicated it would be built on land donated by the Broadmoor. He estimated the cost would be between $10,000 and $15,000. Bishop Tihen approved, as long as the property was controlled by the church, and by September the project was underway. On Sept. 5, 1918, noted local architect Thomas MacLaren sent the bishop blueprints for the new chapel.

COLORADO SPRINGS. It’s hardly news that planning for death — or, more precisely, for what happens after it — may be the least popular to-do list item ever.

Yet consider the alternative: if a person dies without putting their wishes down on paper, they leave the funeral planning in the hands of grief-stricken family members who may or may not practice the Catholic faith. Increasingly, the Catholic Church is encouraging parents to spare their kids the anxiety of working through funeral details.