Gehlen Catholic School is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Amanda Anderson as its new President. Dr. Anderson, a Le Mars native, brings a well-rounded background in education, having held leadership positions at Iowa State University and the University of South Dakota. Her work has focused on wellness, fitness education, and curriculum development. She also directed the Exercise Clinic at Iowa State and recently served as a substitute teacher throughout the Le Mars community, giving her valuable insight into both higher education and K–12 settings.

Pocahontas County Farm Bureau delivered an incubator to the first grade classroom at Pocahontas Catholic School on March 18. Hailey Webbink's students have been carefully tending the eggs and after 21 days, the baby chicks started to hatch. They will be delivered to a local farm this weekend.

MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and the Iowa Donor Network are joining forces to inspire Iowans to donate life during National Donate Life Month this April. On April 9 a flag-raising and press conference were held in the MercyOne Professional Office Building lobby.

Staff from the MercyOne Siouxland Foundation and Sterling in Sioux City joined forces April 9 to tie blankets for children served by the MercyOne Siouxland Child Advocacy Center.

The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption is hosting a pilgrimage for adults and students April 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The grotto is one of the four jubilee sites designated by Bishop Walker Nickless for the Jubilee Year of Hope.

The Vatican court advised Bishop Nickless that two petitions for recourse were accepted for further study. Both were regarding the St. Donatus merger from last fall.

Today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced its decision not to renew the cooperative agreements with the federal government related to children’s services and refugee support. Citing the government’s suspension of the cooperative agreements to resettle refugees, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB explained how the government’s decisions have forced the Conference to reconsider the best way to serve the needs of those seeking safe harbor from violence and persecution.

Since September, Briar Cliff University students have been pen pals with George Bruder’s fourth grade class at St. Mary School in Humboldt. On April 4, the BCU students took a special road trip to visit their pen pals in person. The day was filled with meaningful moments, celebrated Mass together, enjoyed recess and spent time learning from one another. As one BCU student stated, “This was the best day ever!” The visit was a beautiful reflection of friendship, connection and shared joy across generations.

Storm Lake St. Mary School President Father Brent Lingle announced that Kate Swanson will serve as PreK-12 Principal for the school with new hires Amanda Woodall and Kathleen Besch to serve as assistant principals starting with the 2025-26 academic year. Longtime 6-12 Principal Ryan Berg will be moving to Bettendorf at the end of the current school year.

Abby Lee, a senior at Bishop Heelan High School, has been selected as the April 2025 Rotary Club Student of the Month. She will be honored during the Rotary Club meeting on April 7. Lee has a 4.236 GPA, ranking her seventh in her class. She has been active in National Honor Society, Student Council , Pep Club, Miracle Makers, basketball, volleyball and soccer. Abby is the daughter of Stuart and Delna Lee of Sioux City.

When the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released the National Directory for the Formation – Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in 2022, the diocese started reorganizing the Office of the Diaconate. Father Brent Lingle, pastor of Storm Lake St. Mary Parish and president of St. Mary School was named director of the office. Deacon David Penton of Divine Mercy Parish in Algona was hired as full-time coordinator of formation. Once the deacon started his duties in September 2024, the retooling to meet the standards of the directory began.

Siouxland Catholic Radio 88.1 FM is preparing for two significant events next week. The 2025 Juried Youth Art Festival with the theme "Illustrate God's Love: will be held at St. Boniface Parish Hall in Sioux City from April 8-10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will occur during the same time as the Spring Pledge Drive at the KFHC studios, 701 W. 5th St. These events are free and open to the public.

The Sioux City Bishop Heelan 'Cowboy Up' Auction on April 10 is set to raise funds for safety-focused projects. With 20 live auction items up for grabs, as well as a wide selection of super silent and silent auction treasures, there's numerous items available for all supporters.

Bishop-elect John E. Keehner returned to Iowa this week for a few days to prepare for his move from Ohio. He will be ordained as eighth bishop of Sioux City on May 1. The ordination will be livestreamed and broadcast on KTIV.

The Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Sioux City - and those anywhere throughout the world for that matter – will be able to have a bird’s eye view of the episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect John E. Keehner on May 1. According to Dawn Prosser, diocesan director of communications, the 2 p.m. ordination will be broadcast live from the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City on the local NBC-affiliate, KTIV, and for those outside of this viewing area it will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Sioux City YouTu​be channel.

As Catholics celebrate the joy of the risen Christ at Easter, for those in the Diocese of Sioux City it’s also a time to express appreciation for priests who have served them through the years. The Retired and Infirm Priests Collection will be held in the diocese on Easter weekend, April 19-20. According to John Schmitz, diocesan director of stewardship and development, there will be a second collection to benefit retired priests of the diocese.