COLORADO SPRINGS. The words “Talitha Koum” at first appear to be the name of a woman, but these are the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, when he goes to see the daughter of Ja’irus. The child is dying. When Jesus arrives, people say that she is already dead, but Jesus says, “The child is not dead, but sleeping.” (Mk 5:39) Jesus takes the young girl’s hand saying, “Talitha Koum; which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’” (Mk 5:41)

COLORADO SPRINGS. A 2019 Pew Research Center survey revealed that approximately 70% of Catholic interviewees believe that the bread and wine used at Communion are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, compared with 30% who believe the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Spurred on by this information, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops responded to this crisis of belief by proposing a national Eucharistic Revival, comprised of three years of renewal and formation. The process began officially in June 2022, with the year of Diocesan Renewal. In June 11, 2023, Corpus Christi Sunday, the parish phase kicked off, and in June 2024, a year of Mission will commence.

COLORADO SPRINGS. The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Colorado Springs has named Marc Wood as Advancement Officer.

“I spent 36 years in the military and law enforcement; I’m married and have four grown children,” Wood said. “I’m also a candidate for the permanent diaconate in my last year of formation, so it just seemed like a good fit. I have a good team who really supports me, and teamwork is important to me because of the field I came from.”

In March 2022, the Pew Research Center released its report titled “Black Catholics in America.” The statistics are salient for serving Black Catholics. The numbers in this report are mirrored in the Diocese of Colorado Springs in that Black Catholics are a “minority,” and by extension, there are fewer Black Catholics over the age of 65. Older Black Catholics have never been the sole focus of a study. Are we providing them with the best information about end-of-life decisions?

If we look closely, we will find that there are saints among us.

Evelyn called me one day, many years ago, wanting to get involved with 40 Days for Life. Even in her 90s, she was impressive. She went out to the sidewalk to pray when someone could bring her. She wrote letters to the editor and articles for local newspapers