Bishop's statement on deaths of Iowa Guard members, worldwide violence

A multi-year labor of love turned an unused area in a former convent into a beautiful parish library with 2,000 new volumes of Catholic books for children through adults. Just over a year ago, the Sioux City Holy Cross Parish Women of Faith hosted an open house to showcase the library and Catholic resources available to the parish. Around that time, Father Randy Schon, pastor, asked the organizers – Jeanne Hindman, Jeannie Forker and Michelle Brady – if they thought about opening up the library to a wider audience. He suggested reaching out to the other three Sioux City parishes.

Green in Spanish is verde. Blue in Spanish is azul. While adults may turn to products like Duolingo and Babble to learn Spanish, young learners attending preschool at St. Patrick School in Sheldon do so as part of their school day. Jessica Schmalen, principal at St. Patrick School, said while the school has had His Little Ones Preschool for a number of years and a few years back went to an all-day option, this year they decided to offer it as a dual language program and for the first time include 3 year olds.

(Bilingual article) All parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City will have a second collection at their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses to benefit the good work of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Sioux City, caring for our most vulnerable and those who struggle with life's challenges. Bishop John E. Keehner offers his support via the following letter in English and Spanish.

Whether one looks at the beginning of history biblically or strictly from a scientific point of view, without the spiritual perspective, it’s reasonable to surmise that humankind’s first home outside paradise would have been a cave. Archaeologists have verified the authenticity of cave paintings dating back to prehistoric times, suggesting that caves were the first natural shelters for our ancestors.

Several of our diocesan parishes are commemorating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Diocese of Sioux City and patroness of the Americas. The feast day is Dec. 12.

“A pilgrimage is a sacred journey to a holy place, made with the intention of encountering God in a special way,” from Humboldt St. Mary Parish’s advertisement of their upcoming Advent pilgrimage. The parish is inviting the public to participate in the St. Mary’s Pilgrimage of Hope on Dec. 10 at the church as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope. It is the first time the parish has offered this type of pilgrimage.

When the Diocese of Sioux City was looking for new payroll software, it found a web-based program that offered not only more features but also the ability for use across the diocese. According to Denise Kneifl, parish accounting and payroll specialist for the diocese, earlier this month the diocese implemented a new software program called Paylocity that is used in about 60 dioceses across the country.

Bishop Heelan High School recently honored Bishop Emeritus Walker Nickless for his years of support of the school in the dedication and naming of the legacy case that contains school memorabilia of the last 77 years. During a presentation at the Sioux City high school on Dec. 1, a plaque bearing the name of the Bishop Nickless Legacy Case was unveiled and the case was blessed.

Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy is offered at two sites in Iowa for those of the Byzantine tradition who would like to participate or those interested in attending.

Bishop John E. Keehner received two letters appealing decrees promulgated on Nov. 10. One decree erected the parish of St. Donatus in Alton by merging the parishes of St. Mary in Alton, St. Joseph in Granville and St. Anthony in Hospers. The second decree expanded St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denison by merging the parishes of Sacred Heart in Manning, St. Ann in Vail and St. Rose of Lima in Denison.

Three diocesan Catholic high schools saw action on the gridiron at the University of Northern Iowa Dome in Cedar Falls in the 2025 Iowa high school football tournament with two taking home titles and one capturing second place.

Nebraska and Iowa will meet Friday in Lincoln for the 15th annual Heroes Game, presented by Pioneer Seeds. As part of the rivalry game, citizen heroes were selected from each state, with St. Donatus parishioner Jayce Koob of Granville selected as Iowa’s Hero and Ashley De La Cruz-Martin chosen as Nebraska’s Hero. Both will be recognized Friday, Nov. 28, at Memorial Stadium.

With the increase in families using the local UDMO food pantry, the Iowa Great Lakes Knights of Columbus Council 5043 saw a need in the community and made a quick decision at its monthly meeting to donate to Upper Des Moines Opportunity. Knights of Columbus Officers presented a check Nov. 11 to Jason Petersen, representing Upper Des Moines Opportunity.

A native of Whittemore, retired diocesan priest Father Merle Kollasch has lived near his old stomping grounds since retirement in 2009 – in the rectory of St. Joseph Church in Bode that is part of Divine Mercy Parish. “It’s about 20 miles from Whittemore – a beautiful home… with an attached garage,” said the 91-year-old priest. “People here are so kind to me.” Another plus of his current location is that Bode is only 30 miles from his last assignment at then Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Pocahontas (now part of St. Sebastian) where he served from 1995 to 2009.

Bishop John E. Keehner was the principal celebrant for the Red Mass on Nov. 18 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City to honor those working in the legal profession, including members of the judiciary, attorneys, those working in the legislative offices and those working in church law. The Red Mass is so named due to red vestments worn as not only a remembrance of the martyrs Thomas More and John Fisher but also in invocation of the Holy Spirit to shed his wisdom on all members of the judiciary, including legislators, judges, attorneys, legal assistants and all members of the legal and governmental professions.

A two-vehicle crash just before 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the intersection of Highway 75 and C-80 near Hinton, just north of Sioux City, sent several people to the hospital including members of the Remsen St. Mary’s School girls’ basketball team. According to a press release from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, the accident involved a 2014 StarCraft Prodigy bus that carried two coaches and seven players from Remsen St. Mary’s and a 2016 jeep with four passengers. In response to the numerous requests from the public to financially assist the students and their families, Remsen St. Mary School administration has established accounts at two financial institutions to accept donations.

It was in the spring of 2023 when Father Ross Caniglia, pastor of Our Lady of the Plains Parish of Lake City, Manson and Rockwell City, had two of his musical works published – a prayer set to music and a complete Mass setting. Later that year, in November of 2023, the priest began working on another melody. “If I recall correctly, I came up with the melody and then found the text which fit it well,” said Father Caniglia.

Catholic educational leaders from across the United States have issued an open letter expressing their gratitude and support for Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago, in light of his recent leadership and pastoral witness regarding immigration challenges in the Chicagoland area. The statement reaffirms the church’s enduring commitment to the dignity of every person, solidarity with immigrants and refugees, and the pursuit of justice and mercy in public life. Patty Lansink, superintendent of the Catholic schools for the Diocese of Sioux City was one of the signers.