Blessed openings mark big weekend

The Eye

Lots of eyes, including this one, were on the openings of two new buildings in Northern Colorado last weekend.

One has been taking shape out of the sight of passing traffic on U.S. Highway 287 in Virginia Dale — the approximate half-way point between Fort Collins and Laramie.

The 21 nuns of the Abbey of St. Walburga on Nov. 13 hosted throngs of seldom-seen visitors, including Catholic parishioners from throughout the region, when they opened the doors of their $5.2 million abbey nestled in a valley ringed by granite loaves and spires just west of the highway.

“Normally, we avoid crowds,” understated…