The latest in pastoral planning/church status - Sanborn St. Cecilia Church will be reduced to profane but not sordid use. Bishop's appeals regarding petitions against merger decrees in Marcus and Pomeroy were both overturned.

Anthony Vera, a seminarian of the Diocese of Sioux City, was one of 34 seminarians studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome to receive the Ministry of Lector. Archbishop John J. Kennedy, secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, conferred the Ministry of Lector on Jan. 12 in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at PNAC.

By this time of year, most seniors have come up with a plan of action for their next step beyond high school. For five seniors at Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars, plans include joining the military. The five students are: - Cole McCarty - Air National Guard - Kale Pearson - Air National Guard - Samantha (Sami) Zubrod - Air National Guard - Haley Gries - Air National Guard - Bradan Weber - Marine Corps With 40 students in the senior class, the percentage joining some branch of the military comes to about 12.5%.

As the new year kicks off, 2025 brings the implementation of a new deanery structure in the Diocese of Sioux City. Father David Esquiliano, judicial vicar and canon lawyer, explained the diocese recently went from four deaneries to three. “For parishioners in the pews, they will not notice a change,” he explained. The most recent deanery model divided the 24-county diocese into four quadrants – Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast Deaneries. The new deanery configuration sections the diocese into thirds – West, Central and East Deaneries. Each deanery is now made up of eight counties.

(bilingual) Bishop Nickless writes about opportunities to reflect upon the sanctity of life with the Roe v. Wade anniversary Jan. 22 and the recent release of the U.S. bishops' Catholic Elements of Immigration Reform.

Mental health in our world, our country and even in the Diocese of Sioux City is a growing concern. Suicide rates are alarming. Is anyone immune from life and work stressors that can lead to mental health challenges?

Although his own children are grown, Jeff Zyzda mentioned he was “nudged by the Holy Spirit” to explore some type of altar server program that Mater Dei Parish in Sioux City could establish. “I grew up as an altar server at St. Francis, (a Sioux City parish that closed in the late 1990s),” said the member of the parish who is also a candidate for the permanent diaconate. “Like everyone, I enjoyed serving but I didn’t think that much about the impact.” It was about two years ago when Zyzda began to really ponder about what could be done to give altar servers a little more direction and support in their ministry.

The USCCB released a statement from the Department of Migration and Refugee Services Advocacy and Policy Office this week to articulate the Catholic elements of reform based on social teaching - Catholic elements of immigration reform.

Commentary by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT Most of us could stand to have a little more joy in our lives. In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas said that man cannot live without joy. And if he does not find authentic joy, he will inevitably be drawn to carnal delights (pleasures of the flesh) and the innumerable addictions that derive from them. Pope St. John Paul II speaks of joy this way, “God made us for joy. God is joy, and the joy of living reflects the original joy that God felt in creating us.”

Holy Cross Parish of Sioux City and All Saints Parish, Le Mars, are offering the Building a Eucharistic Marriage series for couples from newlyweds to those married for decades. Couples enjoy a "date night" setting, camaraderie and tools to strengthen their relationships.

The Carroll New Creation Pregnancy and Resource Center was featured on the cover of the national Knights of Columbus Columbia magazine for January/February 2025. The local Knights were instrumental in opening the center.

Iowa State University Women's Basketball program announced that Algona Bishop Garrigan graduate Audi Crooks reached 1,000 career points in her 49th career game - the fastest of any ISU women's basketball player to reach this milestone.

Storm Lake St. Mary High School named the 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame athletes that will be inducted at the Jan. 17 homecoming game, including the 1935-36 boys' basketball team. In addition to their athletic victories, 10 of the 12 members served in the military during WWII. Other inductees will include Tim White, Class of 1987 and former boys' basketball coach, Brad Wilkening.

Auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, Most Reverend J. Gregory Kelly was named Bishop of Tyler on Dec. 20.

(bilingual) Merry Christmas! Christmas begins this evening with vigil Masses held in parishes throughout our diocese. We are filled with hope at the news of our Savior, born of a virgin in humble surroundings. Today is also the first day of the Jubilee Year 2025 – ending Dec. 23, 2025. The Holy Father will open the holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica at 7 p.m. local time (noon for northwest Iowans) on Christmas Eve.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB offered a statement on the president's commutations of federal death row sentences.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis called on Catholics to focus their Holy Year 2025 pilgrimages on Jesus Christ, who is both the path and destination for Christian hope. At his general audience Dec. 18, the pope began a new series of talks on "Jesus Christ our hope," which he announced will the theme for his weekly catechesis throughout the Jubilee Year, which is set to begin with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 24. Jesus, "is the destination of our pilgrimage, and he himself is the way, the path to be traveled," he said in the Vatican audience hall.

Numerous issues regarding mothers, women and children are among the concerns for the Iowa Catholic Bishops for the 2025 legislative session, which begins Jan. 8. Tom Chapman, executive director for the Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC), the official public policy voice of the bishops of Iowa, shared a few of the issues he anticipates will be discussed at the Iowa state legislature in the coming months.

A new video series produced by the Knights of Columbus proclaims the truth and beauty of the Catholic vision of marriage and family life in the modern world. The Into the Breach: Mission of the Family video series is to help people of all ages strengthen and grow in their faith as a family.

A papal Missionary of Mercy brought storytelling and humor to the Advent parish mission – “60 Minutes for Jesus” - held at St. Mary Church in Remsen Dec. 15 to 17 as he presented talks each night for parishioners of Remsen and Marcus. Father Jim Sichko, a native of Texas and priest of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, each night of the mission featured a 60-minute talk focused on the general themes of kindness, trust and leadership.