We believe that prayer is the principal tool for closeness and communication with God and that a community will work as it should when it is united, particularly united in prayer.

You are invited to attend this mass on May 30th at St. Mary Cathedral (22 West Kiowa Street).  There will be social time after the mass to enjoy a dessert reception and if you so desire, to join the prayer society.  We hope to see you at the mass:

The Castle Rock office will be an extension of the services already provided by Catholic Charities out of the Colorado Springs office.  Immediate services include Community Outreach, Parish Social Ministry, and Immigration and Naturalization services.  Should there be a request of pregnancy related services, referrals will be given to counselors located in the Colorado Springs office.  The office is located at St. Francis of Assisi church,  2746 Fifth Street in Castle Rock.  Stephen Ryan will be the Regional Office Director.

Thank you to the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce for helping with the ribbon cutting ceremony and all who attended.  We are very excited to be part of the Castle Rock community.

The Project Rachel Colorado team is hosting a one day “Basic Training” session on June 19^th at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Monument.  Attending the one day basic training event is the first step to potentially becoming part of a team!  For additional information call 719-866-6535.  Registrations for the event are being taken at counselinginfo@ccharitiescc.org

We are seeking to develop a trained team for each deanery in the Diocese of Colorado Springs and both professionals and volunteer coordination is needed.  Applications to be a part of a local team will be available at the one-day basic training event on June 19, 2013.

The Castle Rock office will be an extension of the services already provided by Catholic Charities out of the Colorado Springs office.  Immediate services include Community Outreach, Parish Social Ministry, and Immigration and Naturalization services.  Should there be a request of pregnancy related services, referrals will be given to counselors located in the Colorado Springs office.  All are invited to attend the Grand Opening ceremony on May 7th beginning at 1:00 pm and followed by a brief reception at St. Francis of Assisi Church at 2746 Fifth Street in Castle Rock.  Please RSVP to 719-866-6422 or info@ccharitiescc.org.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Freedom Financial Services, who has sponsored this event for 9 years now, and to all of our other sponsors (see below), guests, donors and committee members.  Your support and dedication makes this event a success.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Veronica Ambuul
Veronica@coloradocatholicherald.com
(719) 636-2345

COLORADO SPRINGS. On March 13, 2013, Bishop Michael Sheridan of the Diocese of Colorado Springs issued the following statement upon learning that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, had been elected to the chair of St. Peter:

“It was with great joy that I learned that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to be the successor of Peter, taking the name of Pope Francis. The fact that our new pontiff is both the first Jesuit and first Latin American to be elected pope makes the news particularly exciting. Cardinal Bergoglio is known for his humility, simplicity, and as a respected theologian. I am fully confident that the Holy Spirit was at work during the conclave, and I look forward to our new Holy Father’s leadership and guidance for years to come.”

The former Cardinal Bergoglio was born Dec. 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires and was ordained to the priesthood in the Society of Jesus on Dec. 13, 1969. He was ordained a bishop on June 3, 1997 and was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on Feb. 21, 2001.

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The Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs and Catholic Charities of Central Colorado lament the passage of a civil unions bill by the Colorado General Assembly, Senate Bill 11, that lacks any meaningful conscience protections for Coloradans.  In passing this version of the bill, our Colorado General Assembly struck a serious blow against religious freedom.  It has now created the real probability that a bill advanced in the name of equality and tolerance will be used as a tool for anti-religious discrimination against others, including faith-based adoption agencies.  Similar legislation without conscience protections has already been used to attack religious institutions and people of faith in other states.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes religious freedom as our first, most cherished right. The Colorado Constitution also upholds this principle, ensuring the rights of Coloradans to practice their religious beliefs. In rejecting conscience protections, our government seeks to determine where religiously-affiliated organizations may carry out their charitable work.  It has begun to construct an untenable framework that permits the state to determine that faith, for some, may only be lived within the four walls of a church.  The General Assembly has said, in essence, that many Coloradans with sincerely held religious beliefs are unfit to be in the marketplace and public square even though their faith requires them to be active there.  Some legislators have said as much explicitly. Primary bill sponsor Senator Pat Steadman, speaking of organizations like those who seek to operate their charitable ministries in accord with their beliefs on traditional marriage (beliefs which comport with the definition of marriage in our state Constitution), said: “So, what to say to those who claim that religion requires them to discriminate? I’ll tell you what I’d say. Get thee to a nunnery and live there then. Go live a monastic life away from modern society, away from the people you can’t see as equal to yourself.” This message is outrageous and demonstrates a deep intolerance of the religious beliefs of many Coloradans.

The Catholic Church has very publicly served those most in need, including children, for 2000 years. It has done so without regard to race, creed or sex. The Church’s very identity, and Catholic Charities’ identity by extension, is bound up in its charitable work.  This work is as important to the life of the faithful as the sacraments and proclamation of the Gospel.  The Church’s charitable work has continued throughout the centuries, even when such service was punishable by death at various times in history.  When undertaking this work, the Church and its related entities are engaged in ministry, not mere business.

The Colorado General Assembly has done a great disservice to children in need by rejecting religious freedom protections.  Inexplicably, most of the legislators who support Senate Bill 11 also supported conscience protections last year, but have refused to do so this year. The government has now set the stage to disregard the desires of many birth parents, as well as the voices of so many adoptive parents who seek to work with an agency that shares its religious beliefs in this very personal decision. The General Assembly’s actions will also likely plunge Colorado, a state with significant diversity of belief, into years of unnecessary litigation to force our leaders to uphold the principles that our state and federal Constitutions so clearly seek to protect.

The Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan                                Mark C. Rohlena

Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs                           President and CEO

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado

With green beer and fine wines flowing, those in attendance will enjoy a gourmet dinner with wine from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.  Following dinner, guests will have the opportunity to bid on a variety of live auction items including an African Safari and a Notre Dame Football weekend against USC; Green Pearls, and Catered Gourmet Dinners.

Guests can then dance the night away to the music of One More Shot.  Tickets are available at a cost of $100 per person, with all proceeds from the event benefiting the programsof Catholic Charities.  For additional information and/or reservations contact Catholic Charities at 719- 866-6422 or visit our web site at www.ccharitiescc.org/stpatsgala.

Thank you to our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and attendees.  You make this event a success.