December 3, 2008

Book traces history of Colorado Springs Diocese

COLORADO SPRINGS—A hardcover coffee table book and large special edition of The Colorado Catholic Herald are being prepared to celebrate the Diocese of Colorado Springs’ 25th anniversary in January.

The Herald special section is slated to be a glossy-covered issue nearly three times the size of a regular edition of the paper and will include historical flashbacks, interviews with important figures in the history of the diocese and many pictures from the past 25 years.

The edition will be sent to all Herald subscribers as part of their subscription near the official anniversary date of Jan. 30.

“This special edition will be a landmark for the Herald and it will be a different and complementary publication to the hardcover book,” said Herald editor Bill Howard. “This special edition will be something to keep on your coffee table or in your library for years to come. We cannot wait to release it.”

Editions du Signe, a France-based publisher, has produced a hardcover book, “I Lift My Eyes to the Mountains,” covering the history of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. There will be a section on each parish and mission in the diocese.

Pastors were asked to gauge interest within their parish in the book and preorder copies in June. Copies have been shipped to interested parishes, but if the book is not available at one’s parish, pastors can obtain them through Doug Flinn, executive assistant to Bishop Sheridan, in the Bishop’s Office at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

“It is my hope that this pictorial history of the Diocese of Colorado Springs will become a valued keepsake in Catholic households throughout the diocese,” said Bishop Michael Sheridan in a statement. “It will not only provide us with a memento to usher in the next 25 years, but also serve as a wonderful reference tool.”
Michele Tesan of Editions Du Signe said that the book will not be for sale in bookstores.

“It’s very good for the people to discover their roots through knowledge of the diocese,” Tesan said. “(This book) is a treasure for each family and would make a popular Christmas gift.”

The book took nearly two years to produce, with research performed by Father Steven Avella, a professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. Editions Du Signe has produced nearly 80 books for Catholic dioceses and archdioceses and Christian churches around North America.