Denver Catholic

INDEX Archbishop's column .......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Call To Charity ..................................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 Bulletin Board ..................................13 Crossword/Word Search ...............13 Nun of the Above quiz .................. 14 Service Directory ........................... 15 Pro-life community to converge at Capitol DECEMBER 17, 2014 114 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume XC - No. 44 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE LOCAL NEWS CATHOLIC PRESS PAGES 8-9 PAGE 11 Denver Catholic Register takes on old name, new strategy PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/DCR Around the Archdiocese PARISH NEWS PAGE 6 PAGE 6 Creativity feeds Boulder food bank's strategy Loreto windows shine March for Life Denver set for January BY JULIE FILBY For the first time, the Cath- olic community of northern Colorado is collaborating with Colorado Right to Life, to orga- nize the annual March for Life, to be held in downtown Den- ver next month. The Archdiocese of Denver and Respect Life Resources of Catholic Charities, along with standing organizer Colorado RTL, will host the 2015 March for Life Denver Jan. 17 begin- ning mid-day with Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception cele- brated by Archbishop Samuel Aquila. Mass will be followed by a rally at the Capitol and a march around Civic Cen- ter Park with prayer, music, speakers, and life-affirming messages. "It's the first time we're hav- ing a definitive joint venture," explained Lynn Grandon, di- rector of Respect Life Resourc- es and Lighthouse Women's Center. "The Christian com- munity is realizing we've got to come together on the things we agree on." And specifically, that pro-life Christians agree on the dignity of each and every human life. "We're taking a public stand to affirm the value, worth and dignity of human life at every age and every stage," she said. The events aim to mirror the national March for Life held on or around Jan. 22 each year, the anniversary of the U.S. Su- preme Court decision Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in 1973. Since that ruling almost 42 years ago, it is estimated more than 57 million babies have died nationwide through abortion. The D.C. march draws hundreds of thousands, standing up for the unborn. Thousands also head west for the Walk for Life West Coast that's been held annually in San Francisco since 2005. Organizers hope the Denver event will draw crowds from not only Colorado, but also from Wyoming, New Mexi- co, Kansas, Arizona and other states. "We want to begin a replica- tion of what they're doing on the coasts because so many people struggle to travel that far," Grandon said. Denver is home to the sec- ond largest abortion facility in the country at Planned Parent- hood of the Rocky Mountains. Legally there is no gestational limit to abortion in Colorado— although the vast majority of states, 41, prohibit abortions except when necessary to pro- tect the woman's life or health after a certain point in preg- nancy, most often fetal viabil- ity. Colorado is home to one of only four late-term abortion providers in the country. The state is also being target- ed by physician-assisted sui- cide advocates, with two Col- orado lawmakers announcing plans last month to bring the debate to the Capitol next year. The legislators are working with Compassion and Choices (formerly the Hemlock Soci- ety) that has launched a na- tional campaign pushing for legalized assisted suicide. "We feel we have to show Denver that there are thou- sands concerned about the value of human life, from conception to natural death," Grandon said. "That we stand for beauty, truth and life." Following the Mass at the Ca- thedral Basilica, participants will walk to the nearby Capitol for a rally where speakers will PHOTO BY JEFFREY BRUNO A YOUNG woman participates in events surrounding the 2014 March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. A march aiming to replicate the D.C. event will be held in downtown Denver Jan. 17. See Life, Page 10

• Cover