A memorial gift to the Catholic community in Madrid has resulted in an outdoor Stations of the Cross display at St. Malachy Church, which is part of Ascension Parish of Boone County. It was Deacon Verne Burke’s sister-in-law Becky who entrusted him with selecting a memorial for the church in memory of her husband and his brother, David Burke who died in 2022 after a battle with cancer.

Families in the Spencer area who are affiliated with Sacred Heart School and Parish, once again have the opportunity for their children to participate in the Sacred Heart Summer Care Program that fulfills a big need – summer childcare with numerous activities to keep boredom at bay and a means to stay connected to other students.

Father Paul Nguyen, pastor of St. Sebastian Parish based in Pocahontas, was the primary honoree at the May 5 annual jubilee Mass at Storm Lake St. Mary Church. The priest celebrates his 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination this year. Eighteen retired priests celebrating their 50th through 67th ordination anniversaries were also acknowledged. Celebrating his first jubilee Mass in the diocese, Bishop John E. Keehner offered the homily and thanked the priests and deacons for their dedication to the church and to their ministry.

As the final days of high school tick down, one senior at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City reflected on how happy he is his parents – now both deceased - chose a Catholic education for him. Ronnie Vedin, a senior at Bishop Heelan who has been a part of the school system since he was in kindergarten, has witnessed through the years how the school family has rallied around those with struggles big and small.

As is the custom when bishops are named by the Holy Father, a bishop-elect works with a special artist to create a personal coat of arms and also one combined with the diocese they have been called to serve. Bishop John E. Keehner received his completed coat of arms designed by heraldic artist David Burkart, as recommended by Father Andrew Galles, director of worship for the Diocese of Sioux City.

While the siblings of Bishop John E. Keehner all had different reactions to their brother being named to the episcopate, they all agreed he has the qualities to make a great bishop. His younger brother and baby of the family, Rich Keehner, said he was shocked, “but in a good way.” His twin sister Carol Miller mentioned that she expected it. “I was overjoyed and knew that my parents, who are both deceased, would be completely overjoyed,” she said. “You know, he’s a good guy.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world. Black smoke indicates they have cast their votes without anyone garnering the necessary two-thirds majority, while white smoke confirms that the Catholic Church has a new pope. The best time to be in St. Peter's Square to see the smoke is just after 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) the first day of the conclave, May 7; and on the following days at 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EDT) and noon (6 a.m. EDT), and again at 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m. EDT) and just after 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT).

Following the Easter Octave, Bishop Walker Nickless offered a Mass for the Dead for Pope Francis on April 28 at the Sioux City Cathedral of the Epiphany. A portrait of the Holy Father was in the sanctuary with black bunting draped around the frame, signifying the mourning following the death of the pope. Bunting was also draped over the main doorway leading into the Cathedral sanctuary.

Most Rev. John E. Keehner, a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, was ordained as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City on May 1 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. He was ordained by Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque with Bishop Walker Nickless, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Sioux City and Bishop David J. Bonnar of Youngstown serving as co-ordaining bishops.

It was St. John Paul II who called Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska “the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time,” as her revelations of Jesus’ love and compassion inspired the Divine Mercy devotion. Pope John Paul II had canonized St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, and declared the second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday.

Three Kenrick Seminary graduates who are working in vocations ministry recently joined me for an online discussion about the current landscape of vocational accompaniment. We discussed trends that we are seeing and how we help young discerners cultivate an authentic and positive desire for a religious vocation.

Column by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT Jesus tells us that we will be accountable for every word we use. Right away, that tells us that there is something extraordinary about language and our use of it that must be respected. With a bit of reflection, it becomes apparent that language in all its forms is meant to serve communion, our communion with God and with others. Likewise, it serves our own inner healing and integrity so that true communion actually becomes possible for us.

A brainstorming session resulted in a mini pilgrimage experience set for June 12 for middle school students to experience the beauty of diocesan churches and grounds. Danielle Fennessy, a coordinator for the Faith Formation Office, explained that the directors of religious education (DREs) in the southern tier of the diocese wanted events to be available for their middle-school aged students to attend.

Diocesan seminarians James "Jimmy" Fitzsimmons and Garrett Hugeback completed their Rite of Lector Thursday evening at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in the St. Louis area. Fitzsimmons and Hugeback are pictured with visiting family members.

The new executive director of Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City brings a vast array of long-term care work experience to the position. Jacque Kreber began her duties as executive director on April 7. Most recently she served as the executive director of Hospice of Siouxland from 2022 through the agency’s recent acquisition by St. Croix Hospice, but the majority of her career has been in long-term care.

Regular readers of LumeNotes/The Lumen are familiar with Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT, for her monthly column, Grace Notes. Her love of writing as part of her vocation has prompted the publication of several books, and the second in a series of Eucharistic Calendars. Her most recently published volume is titled: “A Eucharistic Calendar: Daily Reflections on the Mystery of the Blessed Sacrament, Volume II, The Seasons of Septuagesima, Lent, Passiontide and Easter.”

Bishop Walker Nickless released a statement the morning of April 21, 2025 upon the death of the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

There is power in music. The rhythm of the notes, the rise and fall of the melody speak a language that can often be understood by people of many different tongues. At Briar Cliff University, an old genre of music is planting a new foothold in the region, welcoming young people to campus in a unifying effort of culture and music.

The episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect John E. Keehner is less than two weeks away and plans are firmly in place with the assistance of countless individuals serving on various committees and subcommittees. One such committee handles the event security, which is being coordinated by Mike Hamm, a retired law enforcement officer.

The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is a designated pilgrimage site by Bishop Walker Nickless for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. The grotto is offering three pilgrimage options to satisfy the requirements to obtain the plenary indulgence for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.