Tag Archives: establishment

Sarah Leonard says city in ‘good place’ for next Visit Longmont CEO

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During her time with Visit Longmont, Sarah Leonard tried to champion Longmont’s best features. From its excellent breweries to its convenient location along the Front Range, Leonard made sure to listen to what Longmont fans loved about the city. Leonard served as the chief executive officer of Visit Longmont, the destination marketing organization for the city, from early 2023 until earlier this month. On Dec. 1, Leonard will become the CEO of Visit Estes Park, which promotes the amenities of the Estes Park region. As CEO of Visit Longmont, Leonard guided the nonprofit through decisions aimed at making Longmont a true tourist destination. One of those decisions was the sponsoring the Ice Climbing and Dry Tooling World Cup, which was held at Longmont Climbing Collective in February. The event attracted athletes from around the world. By sponsoring and spreading the word about the event, Visit Longmont helped bring the ice climbing competition to Longmont for the first time. Longmont Climbing Collective, which has a five-year deal to host the competition, is already gearing up for next year’s World Cup weekend. “I just think that is the right size, the right vibe,” Leonard said of the competition. “Teams came and spent time at our hotels and also at our short-term rentals.” Another recent addition to the city’s tourism sector was the Longmont Tourism Improvement District. The special district places an additional fee on lodging businesses in the city, and the revenue will fund marketing programs and tourism improvements for Longmont. Visit Longmont spearheaded the formation of the district, talking to hotel partners about the program early last year. The Longmont City Council approved the establishment of the LTID in August. The proposed 2% tourism improvement district fee is estimated to raise an additional $450,000 annually. While the district is still in its infancy, Leonard believes that the revenue generated by the LTID will strengthen Longmont’s reputation as a vibrant place to visit. “It all goes into a pool for destination marketing, which makes, I think, Longmont more competitive,” Leonard said. “When we bring in new visitors who stay overnight, they’re spending more time and then more money supporting our local businesses. That can benefit everyone.” Leonard also presided over Visit Longmont during the birth of its mascot, Monty the Longmonster. Monty was chosen by locals to be the face of the city and can be spotted at community events. Leonard anticipates staying involved in Longmont’s activities going forward, citing “great collaboration” between the northern Colorado destination marketing organizations. Reflecting on what makes Longmont stand out as a tourist destination, Leonard highlighted the city’s museum, evolving food scene and diverse population. “Having that infusion of culture is really appealing to both visitors and residents,” she said. Applications for Visit Longmont CEO are open for another week. Leonard said she hopes the next leader of the nonprofit will take advantage of the new events coming to the region, such as the Sundance Film Festival. “Longmont is in such a good place for the next person to really take it to the next level, because it has so many exciting things going on,” she said.
https://www.timescall.com/2025/11/19/sarah-leonard-leaves-city-in-good-place-for-next-visit-longmont-ceo/

Fr. Heimerl: Of course the Blessed Mother is ‘Co-Redemptrix’

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**Fr. Heimerl: Of Course the Blessed Mother is ‘Co-Redemptrix’**

*By Fr. Joachim Heimerl | LifeSite News | November 6, 2025*

Is the Blessed Virgin Mary “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of Grace”? Of course she is, I would say. It was only through Mary’s “Fiat” that the one true redemption through her Son became possible, and it was only through her that God gave us the fullness of grace in Jesus Christ.

The pious tradition of the Church has always known this and always understood it correctly. No one would seriously have thought of “deifying” Mary or denying Christ’s unique mediatorship.

When an ambiguous figure like the current prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has nothing better to do than to cast the Marian devotion of the faithful in a supposedly negative light, it says far less about the Blessed Virgin than it does about those who engage in such behavior. The fact that they do so with the “blessing” of the Pope does not make things any better but only illustrates what is really going on behind the scenes. This is nothing less than the establishment of a new “Catholic” Church and a new “Catholic” faith.

Much progress has been made along this path, and only the naivety of those who believe that only truth and goodness can come from Rome has made this work of destruction possible, which, in turn, has only one goal: to bring the Church closer to Protestantism.

With the introduction of the “new Mass” by the unfortunate Pope Paul VI, all the dams broke. We remember with horror Pope Francis’ admission that the traditional Mass of the last 2,000 years no longer fits the (new) faith of the (new) Church.

Only a pope who could make such abominable statements could also be capable of “blessing” sinful relationships and denying the indissolubility of marriage, according to the Protestant model.

Without a doubt, the sellout of the Catholic faith will continue along these lines: the downgrading of the Mass and the other sacraments will not end until women are allowed to enter holy orders through the back door.

To make this possible, a downgrading of the Blessed Virgin is necessary, and this is precisely what the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, under its current prefect, has been working on for some time, as we know.

I am certain that we have not yet reached the peak of the destruction of the Church. It will probably gain momentum under Leo XIV, who is increasingly identifying himself as the “successor” to Francis and who, let’s be honest, is ultimately just as much his creature as the questionable prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The enemies of the Church have always been the enemies of the Blessed Virgin, and they alone are the ones who applaud the latest Vatican statement. Even “theological” fig leaves cannot hide this fact.

The true children of the true Church, on the other hand, hold fast to their devout veneration of the Blessed Virgin and profess: Yes, Mary is Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of Grace, and she is so in the way that the saints have always taught correctly and unambiguously.

On the other hand, we can confidently dispense with the alleged “corrections” of the current prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, even if they are made with the approval of Leo XIV.

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**Read Also:** [Here’s why we must say Mary is the Mediatrix of all Graces](#)

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*Topics:* Apologetics, Catholic, Current Events
*Keywords:* DDF, heretic, Mary, Tucho

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https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4351111/posts

“Backbone of the establishment”: College football mascot Pudge the Cat comforts grieving a son, saves his team, and goes viral

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Fans of college football, cats, and especially both are in love with Pudge, the exotic shorthair who tours with the Bowling Green Falcons. The flat-faced feline belongs to starting long-snapper George Carlson and has been dubbed their official mascot since rising to online stardom in August 2025.

### Meet Pudge the Cat, Emotional Support Mascot

Carlson first met Pudge after doctors diagnosed his mother, Cristen, with stage four ovarian cancer in 2021. The young long-snapper was particularly close to his mother, and the news was devastating enough to interrupt his football career, according to ESPN. Cristen raised her son on a small farm and constantly brought home animals to care for, including cats. Carlson had a special affinity for the flat-faced ones like Persians and exotic shorthairs.

While still fighting her illness, Cristen went out and adopted Pudge for her son in 2023. The following year, Cristen sadly passed away due to complications from the cancer—but Carlson still had Pudge by his side.

### Pudge Boosts Team Morale and Goes Viral

Last August, after a rough practice, Carlson brought Pudge into the locker room, where the cat instantly improved morale. The resulting Instagram reel went viral, set to the sound of the Jet2Holiday meme.

The caption read: “Fall camp so rough we got a locker room cat.” Fans flooded the post with love for Pudge.

Comments included:

– “Might come to homecoming after 9 years just to see this cat,” said @uvtides.
– “Cat you mean backbone to the establishment,” wrote @ryannemarieorosco.

### Pudge Becomes a Star

In the weeks after Pudge went viral, he received his own line of merchandise, gained a dedicated security escort, and appeared in EA’s College Football 26 as the “Star of the Week” in early September. At this point, he likely has more name recognition than any of Bowling Green’s players.

On September 20, three different college football organizations joined forces with Pudge’s official Instagram account to post photos of the cat on the field at Louisville. Pudge was safely tucked in his bubble carrier backpack, strapped to a large man wearing a hat labeled “PUDGE SECURITY.” It’s clear: don’t mess with the star.

### A Humble Celebrity

Thankfully, Pudge hasn’t let the fame go to his head. He regularly greets fans for selfies at tailgate parties and even participates in the game-day Simba cam, allowing handlers to lift him for a better view.

Interviews with the feline tend to be one-sided, but in early October, Steve Hartman of CBS News profiled Pudge and credited him with turning the team’s luck around. The adorable cat has helped bring back fans, filling stadium seats with cat lovers.

“Home game attendance is up almost 60 percent this year,” Hartman reported. “That’s the largest increase of any Division One school in the country.”

“No doubt due in part to the long-snapper and the long napper, who have given everyone in this community a reason to cheer.”

On October 11, the Falcons managed an incredible rally to keep the Battle of I-75 Trophy from their rivals—an achievement fans are sure to celebrate alongside their new favorite mascot, Pudge.

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https://www.dailydot.com/news/college-football-mascot-pudge-the-cat/