AURORA. Father John Auer, who served as pastor at several parishes in the Diocese of Colorado Springs before his retirement in 2016, died Nov. 20 at age 79. Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Dec. 4, 5-6 p.m.: Vigil, St. Mary’s Cathedral

Dec. 5, 10 a.m.: Mass of Christian Burial, St. Mary’s Cathedral

Dec. 9, 11 a.m.: Interment at Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs (priest section)

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.