Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
January 23, 2002
News 4's Stephanie Riggs featured at First Friday Forum
Award-winning TV anchor to share faith at networking event
News 4's Stephanie Riggs has anchored the number one rated evening newscast at KCNC-TV for the past seven years. An award-winning journalist and author, Riggs will share accounts of her work and her faith during the next First Friday Forum, which begins with 7 a.m. Mass Feb. 1 at the John Paul II Center, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver.
Riggs is the next in an outstanding series of speakers that have drawn anywhere from 150-300 people to the monthly gathering. In January, Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter offered a thought-provoking address that covered issues including the death penalty, abortion and the spiritual challenges faced by elected leaders.
Ritter drew a distinction between the popular understanding of the Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty, and the actual teaching, which allows for the death penalty when it is used by society as part of the legitimate right to self-defense. He pointed out, however, that the Church's position is that modern society has the means of imprisoning a criminal in such a way that he or she will be unable to harm others, so the death penalty is therefore practically never legitimate.
On abortion, Ritter pointed out the challenges of being a pro-life Democrat. As district attorney, he said he is required to uphold the law of the State of Colorado, which at this time allows for abortion. If someone breaks the law by damaging equipment at an abortion clinic, or obstructs entry into a building, he explained that he is required to enforce the state's laws. At the same time, he recognizes that some forms of abortion, such as partial birth abortion and abortions done on minors without parental approval, are under scrutiny and may change in the future.
In March, Sister Timothea Elliott, R.S.M., a nationally known Scripture scholar, will be the featured speaker at the forum, which includes a free continental breakfast. The event concludes no later than 9 a.m.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been growing in popularity in recent years. Inspired by God's profound love and mercy, embodied in the Holy Eucharist, the devotion has been the subject of some of the Church's greatest spiritual writers.
In 1673, Jesus Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and revealed to her that he had chosen her to foster devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Throughout the rest of her life, St. Margaret Mary shared Christ's desire that the faithful would make reparation for their sins and the sins of the world by honoring his Sacred Heart on the First Friday of the month. To do so, Catholics are encouraged to do one or more of the following: attend Mass, spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, make an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart, or receive the sacrament of confession.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a source of spiritual strength for Catholics throughout the world.
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