Pope Francis designated 2025 as a jubilee year and opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2024, to usher in the Jubilee Year of Hope. The Diocese of Sioux City opened the jubilee year Jan. 26, 2025, with Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City celebrated by Bishop Walker Nickless. Bishop John E. Keehner will close the jubilee year in the diocese Dec. 28 at the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany. All are welcome to attend. “Because a jubilee year is an extraordinary year of graces and blessings which happens once every 25 years, it is a year that is opened and closed with considerable fanfare,” explained Father Andrew Galles, diocesan director of worship.

Several parishes and schools in the Diocese of Sioux City held services and festivities to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec. 12. In many parts of the diocese with large Hispanic populations, celebrations began in early morning hours with the singing of the mañanitas. not only included Mass but large fiestas featuring lively music with mariachi bands, native dancing and ample food.

A mission trip to Guatemala for nine parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish of Kossuth County proved to be impactful to those they served and the missionaries. Among participants were Deacon David Penton and his wife, Amy. The deacon explained he always wanted to go on a mission trip to learn about pastoral care in a different part of the world. “When I arrived, my heart was broken because the people had nothing,” he said. In time the deacon realized, “they had nothing but lacked for nothing."

The Dicastery for Communication releases a free App entitled “Vatican for All” to provide information on the activities of the Pope and the Church in the world for people with sensory disabilities, as part of the “No One Left Out” project.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities invites Catholics nationwide to participate in the 9 Days for Life Novena for the protection of human life. The novena runs from Jan. 16 to Jan. 24, surrounding the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.

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.

Students in grades 7-12 from throughout the Diocese of Sioux City will have the chance to turn their attention to God at an upcoming youth conference to be held Feb. 28 in at St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson. According to Danielle Fennessy, diocesan faith formation coordinator, the 2026 Turn Youth Conference will feature Bishop John E. Keehner as the keynote speaker. “There is a great interest in Bishop Keehner, having just been ordained in May and he has a great willingness to meet his parishioners,” she said.

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) Father David Esquiliano, diocesan judicial vicar and rector of the Cathedral of the Epiphany, gained his U.S. citizenship last week. He shares his long journey from his hometown in Mexico to citizenship in northwest Iowa.

(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.

The Crittenton Center employees will have access to discounted tuition at Briar Cliff University in an effort to expand access to higher education through BCU's Partner Tuition Advantage Program.

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.

(Bilingual article) We celebrate two great feasts in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, which is the patronal feast of our nation, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, the patronal feast of the Americas. Celebramos dos grandes fiestas en honor a la Santísima Virgen María: la solemnidad de su Inmaculada Concepción el 8 de diciembre, que es la fiesta patronal de nuestra nación, y la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el 12 de diciembre, la fiesta patronal de las Américas.

Diocesan priests were advised on Nov. 26 that in some cases, Bishop John E. Keehner will grant pastors the faculties to confirm baptized adults. This would allow adult Catholics to be confirmed outside of the traditional parish confirmation Mass with students, which is celebrated by the diocesan bishop.

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.

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.

Bilingual column by Father Andrew Galles, diocesan director of worship, regarding our new liturgical year starting Nov. 30 (vigil on Nov. 29) of this year.