The calming effect of church – amen
Dear Editor:
Raise your hand if you were raised Catholic.
I believe many of us share the same memories of candle-lit Christmas Eve masses, Lenten fish fries and hours spent in churches guarded by the strict, knuckle-slapping nuns of Catholic school.
Unfortunately, for so many of us our Catholicism (or spirituality in any denominational sense) is merely that – a memory. Especially in Aspen, where beauty abounds and inspiration can come flooding in with a mere glance upwards in any direction, we might never feel a need for fulfillment in any spiritual sense.
However, having been out on the town late enough to catch my fair share of 2:15 a.m. buses to Snowmass, I beg to differ. Granted, the 20-something-year-old ski-bum demographic I fall under isn’t generally pegged as “religious,” but I’ve come across a surprising number of older, younger, married, single, whatever-type people who are undoubtedly on the path to somewhere more bleak than our recent snowpack. Props to you, drinking, drug abuse, unhealthy relationships, etc.
I’m not out to evangelize but to simply plant the seed for a visit to your local church. To all my fellow seasonal workers: This place can become your home, but you’ve got to make it one. Get involved, get inspired, and make a few friends outside of the bars and off the slopes. Families, what a great gift to give to your children: the gift of a parish community, one above the social hierarchy of school and perhaps even of our town as a whole. Visitors, what better a place than a church to really “meet the locals”?
You might be surprised at just how active our local parishes are, even in the midst of such a secular community. Lectures, movies, studies and celebrations happen most nights, not to mention the regular schedule of masses and services.
Even if a full service isn’t in your future most places of worship remain open for visitation throughout the day. Come in, sit in the comfortable quiet of a peaceful place. It’s good for the soul, even if yours doesn’t seem to need it.
Molly Eyler
Snowmass Village
‘One step at a time’: Snowmass resident surpasses goal of 85 uphills for his 85th birthday
At the start of the 2023-2024 ski season, Mone Anthan set an ambitious goal for himself: uphill 85 times for his 85th birthday. By the time his birthday came on March 15, he had surpassed 85 uphills and was shooting for 100.