News - October 2024 RSS Feed

The Diocese of Sioux City joins with dioceses across the country to celebrate Vocations Awareness Week Nov. 3-9. In conjunction, the Vocations Office for the diocese has published a poster with current diocesan seminarians as well as a prayer calendar. The calendar contains the names of all priests of the diocese so that parishioners can prayer for them daily.

As we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week, questions often arise as to how many seminarians we currently have in our diocese and what efforts are supporting future vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life. Given our parish closures and mergers, there is concern about how many young people will be available to serve the church in the future. Yet the reality that the church is facing runs deeper than simply calculating available personnel.

A licensed marital and family therapist since 1992, Deacon David Brown of Boone noted he was drawn to that profession because he wanted to help and serve people. “That is why I am in my career and my vocation,” said the deacon, who is a behavioral health state specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach based out of Ames. He is assigned to serve as a deacon at Ascension Parish of Boone County.

Briar Cliff University is proud to announce an ambitious initiative, the Foundations for the Future Comprehensive Campaign. With a minimum goal of $10 million, the campaign will focus on enhancing affordability, improving the on-campus student experience, and securing Briar Cliff’s position as the most affordable private university in the tri-state region.

Thanks to the collaboration of the catechetical leaders from the diocesan Northwest Deanery, over 250 middle and high school students from northwest Iowa gathered in Granville for the regional Called Youth Conference Oct. 27. The conference was co-sponsored by the Diocese of Sioux City. Event organizers shared that they were pleased with their first combined effort to offer a youth conference. Amy Strouth, director of religious education for Sheldon St. Patrick Parish, pointed out as this was a regional conference, they expected 100 to 150 participants. “To have 22 parishes with 250 students come – that was so amazing. Having eight priests there for confessions and adoration - it was beyond amazing. The Holy Spirit had a hand in so much for that day,” she said.

Catholic Charities broke ground Oct. 28 at their Sioux City office for a 7,200-square-foot addition dedicated to specialized youth mental health services. The addition, Angeline’s Wing, is named in honor of Angeline Thom of Ashton whose generous estate bequest helped launch the project.

(bilingual) Happy All Saints Day, when we commemorate all people in heaven (canonized or not) who lived with virtue, gave their lives for others, martyrs for the faith that we should imitate. It is also a day of obligation to attend Mass. I hope you see this not as an obligation but a privilege to remember those who sacrificed so much for the faith. Feliz Día de Todos los Santos, cuando conmemoramos a todas las personas en el cielo (canonizadas o no) que vivieron con virtud, dieron su vida por los demás, mártires por la fe que debemos imitar. También es un día de obligación para asistir a Misa. Espero que vean esto no como una obligación, sino como un privilegio para recordar a aquellos que sacrificaron tanto por la fe.

The St. Malachy Knights of Columbus of Boone Count Ascension Parish hosted a rosary for the country Oct. 26 at the High Trestle Bridge.

Mary Beth Gehlig of Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford received second place in the CDA education contest.

Father David Hemann, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Milford was installed as the chaplain of Catholic Daughters Court Our Lady of LaSalette #1585 on Oct. 22.

Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford celebrated CDA Sunday on Oct. 20.

(bilingual) Obligations for All Saints and All Souls Obligaciones para el Día de Todos los Santos y de los Difuntos

Plymouth County Right to Life put up crosses at the northeast corner of Le Mars during Respect Life Month as a reminder of the lives lost to abortion and the need to uplift a culture of life.

Nineteen vocalists from Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City were chosen to be members of the All-State Choir. Henry Osborn was accepted into the chorus for his fourth time, which is a notable feat.

Wartburg Theological Seminary (WTS) and the Archdiocese of Dubuque are sponsoring a two-day ecumenical event celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). Morning and evening events will take place on Thursday, October 31 and Friday, November 1 at the WTS campus in Dubuque.