The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops will soon gather for the June Assembly in Orlando. On Thursday June 11 the U.S. bishops, united in prayer, will officially consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Solemnity is June 12) in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of our country.

It is in faith that we learn of the hidden, invisible dynamics of the supernatural realm, the divine wind that breathes heaven through our soul into creation, and the most important reality of our lives: God loves us, God is with us, God will never give up on us.

The Diocese of Pueblo bishop, who recently submitted his resignation as required by the Catholic Church upon reaching the age of 75, entered the priesthood only after earning a master's degree in music and piano, teaching music at Fort Worth Community College, and managing a nursery company for 14 years.

All signs throughout the diocese pointed to a blessed celebration of the Holy Triduum, and so it was. Throughout the preparation of the Lenten Season, and into Holy Week, we were led into new signs of resurrection in our hearts, families, and parishes.

The Tomb, the Garden, the relationship with Jesus, the safe places where we pray: all are crucial to our understanding of the Resurrection.

As many are aware, according to canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law, bishops are requested to submit a letter of resignation to the Supreme Pontiff upon reaching their 75th birthday. Accordingly, prior to my own 75th birthday of March 3, I have submitted that letter to Pope Leo XIV via the Papal Nunciature. My present status as Bishop of Pueblo continues until my resignation is accepted by the Holy See, and my replacement is announced.

I was struck by the pressures and anxieties experienced by young people today, and by the number of times the speakers tried to convince them to believe in God’s personal, unconditional love. I started to wonder why this message was being repeated with such insistence. It seemed a little cheesy. Doesn’t God’s love go without saying?

We have just celebrated the Rite of Election in Pueblo, and I am now on a prior scheduled retreat with brother bishops in Florida. These Rites will be completed in Durango and Grand Junction upon my return, and I wish to share some thoughts about their significance.

This Wednesday we shall take the ashes in the form of the cross on our forehead. We begin the forty days of Lent with the reminder of our mortality, as dust unto dust, and our salvation, the cross of Jesus Christ. The symbolism is powerful.

The Christian story of creation is unique. All ancient cultures and ethnicities have fascinating myths of origin: stories of gods, goddesses and creatures whose activities, quarrels and preferences explain the unpredictable world. ...Within the bookends of creation comes one event which brings purpose and hope to it all: The life of Jesus Christ.

Who exactly was St. Valentine? His identity is sketchy, at best. Two saints of the same name are honored as Roman Martyrs – one who was a bishop of Terni, Italy, and the other a priest and physician in Rome. More than likely, St. Valentine, as pointed out in Butler’s Lives of the Saints, was a Roman priest who assisted martyrs under the persecution of Claudius II.

We have experienced the blessings of the Nativity, the Holy Family and the Epiphany, and now, with the Baptism of Jesus, we move into Ordinary Time. In a few weeks, we will be entering the season of Lent. Although we will be given hints of what lies ahead for Jesus and for those who are his disciples, during this interim period our readings invite us to reflect on what it means to encounter him and become his disciple.

The time for interior reflection is here. The Sunday liturgical readings reveal Jesus calling his disciples, preparing for the road ahead.

The Diocese of Pueblo has a new hire!

All gifts will lead to a new relationship with God, a new plan, a new king; clearly, God’s king, beginning here: with a little child to guide them.

I recently returned from the annual Baltimore assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. One urgent message released nationally from this meeting was a letter, composed and approved in assembly, regarding many concerns about the present state of detention and processing of immigrants, whether documented or not.

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered for their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States.

The Diocese of Pueblo has a new hire!

The Diocese of Pueblo has a new hire!

On this past Monday morning in Baltimore, the Bishops of the United States began the November Plenary Conference in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. As we have followed the path of Pope Francis through this Jubilee Year of Hope, so now we have been gathered under the leadership of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.