A family mentoring program at Fort Dodge St. Edmond School serves both as a way to welcome new families as well as to help them navigate their new school. Once mentored themselves, the Ponce family is now serving as mentors to a new St. Edmond family.

The special Jubilee of Migrants and Jubilee of the Missions were held at the Vatican on the same weekend, giving Pope Leo XIV an opportunity to talk about the connection between sharing the Gospel and welcoming newcomers -- both of which are Christian obligations.

Anne Loew, nurse practitioner from Carroll, serves homeless veterans through the Veterans Administration Central Iowa. She manages their health care, is on the team to provide basic necessities for the veterans and ensures the veterans are heard. "It's not anything that I'm doing, I'm trying to let God work through me," she said.

The diocesan Office of Worship and Office of Faith Formation have teamed up to offer a unique tool to assist parish OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) teams. The limited series podcast, OCIA Deep Dive, is available to assist any team member navigating the transition to OCIA.

A series of workshops for young girls and their mothers will be offered in four locations in the diocese to assist girls ages 9-11 understand their changing bodies. The Office of Faith Formation is partnering with the Catholic Schools Office to offer the Cycle Prep workshops in the Diocese of Sioux City. “Cycle Prep is for mothers and daughters. It helps them prepare for the daughter’s changing body as she transitions into adulthood,” said Karmen Bower.

It was not coincidental to be gathered for the Blue Mass on the Feast of the Archangels Bishop John E. Keehner stated at the Mass celebrated Sept. 29 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City to honor first responders. Just as the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are heavenly messengers and spiritual guardians, the bishop said the men and women in uniform selflessly give of themselves.

Nine middle and high school age parishioners of Storm Lake St. Mary Parish tried something new on Sept. 9 – attending 7 a.m. daily Mass as a group. After the Mass, they enjoyed donuts together in the parish center before heading off to their respective schools.

The current director of the Catholic Mission Office in the diocese is making an effort to bring back participation in the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), previously known as the Holy Childhood Association (HCA). Father Mark Stoll, J.C.L., director of the Catholic Mission Office for the diocese who has served in that position since 2021, pointed out that for many years student involvement in the missions was a tradition.

(Bilingual) National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. In 1968, Congress set aside a week for this observance and two decades later expanded it to a month stretching from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. In the Diocese of Sioux City, the number of Hispanic parishioners continues to grow. Diocesan wide, 13% of Mass attendees participate in a Spanish Mass. There are pockets of great diversity such as the Cathedral Parish in Sioux City where 84.82% attend Spanish language Masses.

A little-used school courtyard is now home to a statue of St. John Bosco, new soil, plants and flowers thanks to the hard work of the Class of 2028 of Fort Dodge St. Edmond School and generous donors. Most notable is a life-sized bronze statue of St. John Bosco, blessed this week by Father Jake Rosenmeyer.

The Catholic Church in the United States will observe National Migration Week from Sept. 22 to 28. This year, as the Universal Church marks its jubilee year, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be observed on Oct. 4–5, coinciding with the Jubilee of Migrants.*

After COVID-19 kept religious education classes from meeting in person for several months, the parents in the Granville, Alton and Hospers parishes “were longing for face-to-face interaction in the community,” according to Diane Rainbolt, director of religious education (DRE) for the three parishes. “I had not been a DRE before, but as I prayed about what our families needed, I saw my role as DRE not what to do but somebody who gets to walk with these families,” she said, noting parents juggle many schedules. Family nights were created to help.

With Catechetical Sunday set for Sept. 21, the day is a time to not only recognize the good works of catechetical leaders and catechists but an opportunity to reflect on successes of programs within the diocese. One such success story recently unfolded at St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll where the parish’s Vacation Bible School was reestablished this past summer after being on pause a few years. According to Erin Stevens, director of religious education (DRE) at the parish, VBS was held July 21-25 and it drew more than double the number of participants they hoped for.

The permanent deacons and candidates of the Diocese of Sioux City gathered in Storm Lake last weekend for their fall continuing education day to learn more about the role that ongoing formation should have in their lives. Instructors from the Josephinum Diaconate Institute – Deacon Matt Coriale, executive director, and Deacon Roger Carrier, associate director – led the workshop which included presentations and hands-on exercises.

As of Sept. 1, MercyOne was officially acquired and is now known as UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s – Downtown, according to the UnityPoint Health webpage. The MercyOne signage was removed or covered from the grounds and buildings. It signified the end of a 135-year era of Catholic hospitals in Sioux City. The religious statuary in front of the medical center’s main entrance on Fifth Street has been removed as well as the marble statue in the lobby. However, leadership of the two health care entities ensured that the religious artwork would be placed at Catholic entities in the Sioux City area at the time of the acquisition.

A Jubilee Rally was held at the shrine of Trinity Heights Queen of Peace in Sioux City Sept. 11, 2025. The event included talks, a eucharistic procession, music and prayer. Speakers included Deacon Rich Kallsen, Deacon Fred Karpuk and Father Travis Crotty.

Supporters of the FIRE Foundation of Northwest Iowa attended the annual FIRE and Flights event in Sioux City. The organization raises awareness and funds for inclusion of students with disabilities and special needs into Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City.

After the director of religious education (DRE) position at St. Patrick Parish in Estherville had been open for an extended time, for the last two years two women of the parish are sharing the duties. Double-team Courtney Newgard and Britney Rosburg have served as co-DREs for the faith formation program for kindergarten through confirmation at St. Patrick’s since July of 2023. The majority of their efforts are for the youth, but they are working to expand offerings for adults.

NOTE: This article is the first in a series of articles related to faith formation, leading up to Catechetical Sunday that will be celebrated on Sept. 21. Youth groups in parishes throughout the Diocese of Sioux City serve students in a variety of ages. The Salt & Light group of St. Mary Parish in Humboldt started several years specifically for students in 11th and 12th grades. According to Deacon Don Evans, the group was established to try to buck the trend of students no longer participating in faith formation upon their confirmation.

The Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (SOLT) sisters are inviting young women from the United States, Mexico and Central America to join them on Oct. 3 for an evening with vespers, dinner and reflection. Convents in Texas, Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Belize, Guatemala and Mexico – and even Willey in the Diocese of Sioux City - are hosting a Magnificat night with the SOLT sisters. This is the first time the entire SOLT community has planned this type of event.