April 11, 2012 - In some Protestant churches, the Sunday after Easter is (unofficially) known as “Low Sunday” because Easter Day has priority—and because relatively few people attend church that day. But for us as Catholics, Easter is celebrated seven whole weeks. Every Sunday is special because it highlights a different aspect of the resurrection. This Sunday focuses on God’s mercy.

April 11, 2012 - This Sunday, the octave of Easter, when the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday, we should be thankful for the forgiveness the Lord has freely bestowed upon us. And we have good reason to be thankful.

April 5, 2012 - In the Archdiocese of Denver, an estimated total of 1,200 people - adults, teens and children - will enter the Catholic Church at their local parish during the Easter Vigil liturgy.

April 5, 2012 - This Friday, April 6, is known as "Good Friday." Though the day commemorates Jesus' brutal crucifixion and death, Christians also celebrate Christ's death as God's eternal victory over evil and the finality of our own death.

April 4, 2012 - This Thursday April 5, known as Holy Thursday, commemorates the night before Jesus' arrest, crucifixion and death. Masses on this day are commonly called the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

April 4, 2012 - Easter, the feast of the Resurrection, observed April 8, marks the celebration of this Christian joy that Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata spoke about. Beginning with the Easter Vigil, Catholics across the Denver Archdiocese will join together in proclaiming and singing the praises of Christ resurrected.

April 4, 2012 - Our faith in the resurrection begins with the testimony of the apostles and ends with our own experience of Christ. The testimony of the apostles can take one a certain distance along the path of faith, but it’s our own personal encounter with the risen Lord through Scripture, prayer and the sacraments that we come to believe.

April 4, 2012 - Christmas occupies such a large part of the Christian imagination that the absolute supremacy of Easter as the greatest of Christian feasts may get obscured at times.

April 4, 2012 - At times, we are so accustomed to the Easter story that we cannot sense how truly miraculous it was.  We take the Resurrection in stride.  It’s hard to really fathom what Jesus Christ has done for us.

March 30, 2012 - On Palm Sunday, April 1, Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection. For Catholics, Palm Sunday, often referred to as "Passion Sunday," marks the beginning of Holy Week.

March 28, 2012 - When God disappears from public life, the world eventually descends into darkness and despair. The emptiness left by the disappearance of God is filled by selfishness, greed, lust and violence. Christ conquered evil, but the battle still goes on. It’s up to us to bear witness to the Son of God. We must take up our cross, follow Christ, resist evil and defend life.

March 28, 2012 - The Palm Sunday liturgy is the only Mass of the year at which the lay faithful are invited to join the priest or deacon in proclaiming the Gospel. Our participation in the Palm Sunday Mass is an invitation.  It is an invitation to be present and active during Holy Week and the sacred triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

March 26, 2012 - As area Christians prepare to mourn the death of Jesus Christ on the cross on April 6, Good Friday, they have an opportunity to venerate one of the largest relics believed to exist of that cross.

March 21, 2012 - Bishop Conley reminds us that our prayers and fasting are the most powerful way to protest threats to our religious freedom. He invites you to join him and Catholics throughout the country in a Day of Fasting on Friday, March 30.

March 21, 2012 - The Eucharist is both a sign and an invitation to all people to become part of God’s one, holy family.  In the sacraments of the new covenant, especially the Eucharist, God writes the law of love on our heart so we can experience it in a deeply personal way and then share it.

March 14, 2012 - In a mini-pilgrimage during Lent, the faithful can walk with Christ in his suffering and death when praying the Stations of the Cross. Stations of the Cross services are available in nearly every Catholic church in the world during the penitential season of Lent; with many parishes offering the devotion on a weekly basis.

March 14, 2012 - Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins will return to the Archdiocese of Denver March 25-April 1 to share an exposition of 150 saint relics and a message of evangelization and healing.

March 14, 2012 - One of the first things one notices upon entering a typical Catholic Church is the crucifix. For many Protestants and unbelievers, the cross is a problem or at least a puzzle. But for us, it is the ultimate sign of God’s love.

March 14, 2012 - Many bishops in the United States are asking Catholics to fast for an end to religious perseution, on Friday, March 30.  I will be fasting that day.  I invite you to join me.

March 7, 2012 - Satan is real. Evil is real. Christ frees us from both. Catechumens and those who’ll be received into the Church at Easter are a blessing and an inspiration to the rest of us. They remind us that following Christ takes courage and conviction.

March 7, 2012 - Each Friday during Lent, Catholics are asked to fast from meat and reflect on Christ’s passion. Many parishes in the Denver Archdiocese are holding fish fries or soup dinners on these Fridays until Friday, March 30.

March 7, 2012 - Parishes across the Denver Archdiocese that participated in the 2012 “Light is On For You” confession campaign reported an impressive turnout of both frequent Sunday Mass-goers and strayed Catholics during the two-and-a-half-hour time priests heard confessions.
 

Feb. 29, 2012 - In between the roar of airplane engines overhead, Daniela Urdaneta heard the announcement about the chance to receive ashes at Denver International Airport Feb. 22. In observance of Ash Wednesday, both travelers and employees came to the airport chapel after hearing on the intercom that ashes were being distributed.

Feb. 29, 2012 - The transfiguration of Jesus reveals the glory that lies hidden in his humanity. It not only gives us a foretaste of future glory and fortifies us for our Lenten journey, it also shows us the path we must take in order to reach heaven.

Feb. 22, 2012 - During Lent parishes throughout the Denver Archdiocese will host missions, retreats and other events to mark the season. Here is a partial list of events scheduled.

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—In his 2012 Lenten message, Pope Benedict XVI called on the faithful to be concerned for one another and “not to remain isolated and indifferent” to the fate of others.

Feb. 22, 2012 - During Lent we renew and intensify our solidarity with Christ who fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days. We also take up our cross and follow him as he travels to Jerusalem where the glorious act of the world’s redemption was accomplished.  Lent is a time of more intense reflection and self-examination, prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Feb. 22, 2012 - We know and God knows the extent to which we are in need of his mercy. We know about the sinfulness we’ve been clinging to. Or are carrying in our hearts. Each of us knows the times when we have chosen sin—have chosen our will over God’s will. This is why Lent should begin with the sacrament of penance—should begin with a good confession.

This Lent, commit to the sacrament of penance. Bring your family and encourage your friends. If you haven’t been in a while, we’ve tried to make it easy for you. On Wednesday, Feb. 29, at nearly every parish throughout the Archdiocese of Denver, confessions will be heard from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The “light will be on for you”—we’ll be waiting. Visit www.archden.org/light.

Feb. 22, 2012 - One week into the 40 days of Lent, on Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Catholic Churches will invite their members to the experience God's love in the sacrament of reconciliation through an initiative named "The Light is on For You."

WASHINGTON (Feb. 21, 2012)—Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), offers “10 Things to Remember for Lent” as the Church prepares to begin the season with Ash Wednesday on February 22...

Feb. 22, 2012 - Here is a selection of recent releases that might be suitable for your spiritual reading during Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22.

Feb. 15, 2012 - The loss of a consciousness of sin results in a superficial spirituality that makes it hard to get the most out of Mass.  Lent offers a new chance to put our spiritual house in order. If you've been dragging around some nagging sins and haven't been to confession in awhile, now is a great time to put those sins behind you, receive forgiveness and renew your relationship with God. Resolving to make confession a regular part of your life is a great way to begin Lent.

Feb. 9, 2012 - The Office of Liturgy will provide Ash Wednesday services at Denver International Airport on February 22, Ash Wednesday.

Feb. 8, 2012 (Denver Catholic Register) - Bishop James Conley, apostolic administrator of the archdiocese, is asking all parishes to help Catholics rediscover the sacrament and find peace in God's Church through the campaign called 'The Light is on for You.'

by Rev. Andreas Hoeck, S.S.D., a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver

An apostolic exhortation by the late Pope John Paul II: "To those who have been far away from the sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving love, I make this appeal: Come back to this source of grace; do not be afraid! Christ himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with God!"

Feb. 1, 2012 - The little rubber wristbands that aided faithful in remembering their Lenten promises are making a comeback. This year the Sacrificium bands, meaning 'sacrifice,' are purple and the Denver Archdiocese ordered 85,000 for adults and children to use during Lent.

March 9, 2011 - Catholic News Agency highlights the Archdiocese of Denver in this survey article of the new and unique was in which various dioceses in the U.S. are seeking to pass on the ancient practices of the Lenten season.

March 9, 2011 - People often ask, "Why do I need to go to a priest to confess my sins?" Father Barron explains. Perhaps his reasoning will inspire you to seek out the amazing graces waiting for you in the Sacrament of Confession. If so, be sure to check out Denver's Parish Penance Schedule [click here], available at www.archden.org/lent.

Guide your prayer this Lent with the help of these spiritual classics!