Laura Vallejo

Kevin and Amanda Lopez, along with their children Antonio, Karlie, Kendall, were named the Utah Knights of Columbus Family of the Year for 2026. SANDY — A family from Blessed Sacrament Parish in Sandy who is active in their parish and the wider community was honored as Family of the Year at the 2026 Knights of Columbus convention and awards banquet.Kevin and Amanda Lopez “stay very active in the parish and in our Catholic community, including the education of their daughters,” according to the nomination presented by Greg LeClaire, Grand Knight of Council 6966 at Blessed Sacrament. “They have embraced the parish and the schools of their daughters with engagement and effort in various activities.”Kevin Lopez, who has been a Knight for 12 years, has been the council’s financial secretary for six years. Amanda Lopez supports various fundraisers in the community. Both were born and raised in Utah. The couple has three children.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Saint Carlo Acutis Apostolate, a youth outreach program of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, is offering a unique opportunity to support the ministry: merchandise bearing the images of young saints that is available through a website run by the ministry. All proceeds from sale of the merchandise will go toward supporting the Saint Carlo Acutis Apostolate ministry, which reaches out to young people throughout Utah with the good news of St. Carlo Acutis and his love for the Eucharist.The Apostolate organizes mini rallies in different diocesan parishes and missions throughout the year where the youth can attend Mass, participate in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and hear music and inspirational talks.

Bryan Penn SANDY — Bryan Penn is stepping down as principal of Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Sandy, but his path in Catholic education has not ended. His educational path started at Blessed Sacrament in 1999, when he was hired as a middle-school teacher. “Over the last 27 years, I have served in a couple of schools as a teacher, department head, and came back to Blessed as administrator,” Penn recalled.

SANDY — After 30 years of dedication to early Catholic education, Mary Smith is set to retire. Smith was the director of Little Blessings Extended Day Program of Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. “It has been great,” Smith said. “All my four kids came to school here, did all their sacraments, and I think it is a great school.”

OGDEN — Benito Magaña, head of maintenance of Saint Joseph Catholic Schools in Ogden, this month is celebrating 25 years of servicing the facilities. “This is a blessing,” Magaña said. “When I started here, I felt like this was my home.” At the schools, Magaña oversees a staff of three people who are responsible for groundskeeping and maintenance of all the facilities on both campuses.

Father Eleazar Silva (left), pastor of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in West Jordan, and Father José de Guadalupe, who serves in Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Villa Corona, Mexico, honored Our Lady of the Rosary at a May 31 celebration at the West Jordan parish.

Young adults get to know other young Catholics in a recent speed-dating activity sponsored by the Young Adult Council. OREM — Dozens of Catholic young adults gathered in the St. Francis of Assisi Parish gymnasium on June 13 to celebrate the Catholic Connections 2.0. The event, designed for singles aged 21 to 35, was the first speed-dating event celebrated specifically for Catholics, said Michael Edwards, director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, which helped organize the event along with the diocesan Young Adult Council to help single Catholic young adults meet others, resulting in new friendships and possible romance.

SALT LAKE CITY — As the people of Venezuela work to stabilize their lives after last week’s two powerful earthquakes, Catholics in Utah are offering prayers and gathering donations to help.Authorities in Venezuela have called the earthquakes the worst disaster in more than a century. Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela’s National Assembly president, has said that the number of people killed has risen to almost 2,000, with more than 10,000 injured and tens of thousands of people still unaccounted for. It is estimated that 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the two earthquakes, which happened within seconds of each other at 6:04 p.m. on June 24. One measured magnitude 7.2; the other, 7.5.On June 26, Bishop Oscar A. Solis asked local Catholics to pray for the repose of the souls of those who were killed in the earthquakes, for the recovery of the injured and for the well-being of those who were missing. He also asked for prayers for the people assisting the displaced and working to recover missing people. In addition, he urged all pastors and administrators throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City to include petitions for the people of Venezuela at all Masses during this past weekend.

The fire started June 22 and has grown rapidly due to high temperatures, strong winds and extremely dry vegetation conditions. It is the sixth largest in the history of the state and currently the largest fire in the United States.

DRAPER — The annual family Congress offered by the Diocesan Charismatic Renewal will be Aug. 1-2. Presenters will include Father Jose Barrera-Hernandez, pastor of San Felipe Parish in Wendover; Father Andre Sicard, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine; Fr. Jorge Roldan, spiritual advisor to the Diocesan Charismatic Renewal and pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Salt Lake City; and Fr. Jonathan Tavera from the Archdiocese of Tlanepantla in Mexico.