Turning 75 years old this year, Dale Heider of Humboldt wanted to do something special to mark the occasion – something with a purpose. Having hiked the Grand Canyon with his long-time friend Dave Lensing twice before, Heider decided that’s what he wanted to do to mark his milestone birthday.

A catechetical leader serving at Divine Mercy Parish in Algona has been hired by the diocese as a faith formation coordinator. Delores Huemiller, who presently serves as the parish director of discipleship at Divine Mercy, will start her new diocesan position as one of three faith formation coordinators on Oct. 1.

​A priest from Nigeria who helped make it possible for students at Sacred Heart School in Boone to pray a rosary via Zoom two years ago with their counterparts in the African country, recently visited the diocesan Catholic school. Visit to Iowa Father Paul Miapkwap, a diocesan priest from the Diocese of Shendam in Nigeria, visited the Diocese of Sioux City on Sept. 3 and 4.

Mary’s Choice pregnancy and family resource center of Sioux City is hosting the annual Giving Hope Banquet Oct. 15. The event features guest speaker Brandy Meeks, president of the Vitae Foundation and a leader in the national pro-life movement. Meeks and her husband launched Cornerstone Marketing Strategies to assist pregnancy centers using research-backed digital marketing strategies.

Following the Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School and Carroll Kuemper Catholic High School football game on Aug. 30, the teams knelt down together for prayer. Prayer was led by Father Travis Crotty, chaplain at Bishop Heelan, and Father Pat Behm, pastor of St. John Paul II Parish of Carroll.

Since its debut in 2010, the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference (COL2024) at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines has grown exponentially with new ways to draw in thousands of Catholics, based on the year-round commitment of a core steering committee and hundreds of parish outreach volunteers, affectionately referred to as COL “Go To” folks.