Six students of Remsen St. Mary School earned Gospel Spirit Awards this week.

CDA Court Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford participated in the White Ribbon Against Pornography campaign the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. The white ribbons around the trees in front of St. Joseph Parish are to raise awareness and as a reminder to pray for an end to pornography.

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School sixth grade traveled to Spirit Lake to view glacial land formations on Oct. 17. This trip was an introduction to a soil and conservation unit led by Colleen Schwanz of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Bishop John E. Keehner presided at the fourth annual White Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City Oct. 21. The White Mass was established in the 1930s to honor, thank and pray for those working in the healthcare field. It was named to reflect the customary white coats and uniforms worn by healthcare workers.

For the first time in over 70 years, the Kuemper Catholic School system in Carroll is planning a major facility expansion project. Last week, school leadership unveiled the $28.5 million uKnighted: Building a Future in Faith campaign at an informational meeting with supporters.

People who work in the legal profession and courts in Fort Dodge and Webster County were honored at the Red Mass held Oct. 23 in Fort Dodge.

Not everyone experiences or at least realizes when they have been called in their lives. For Father Paul Nguyen, he had two life-changing calls – a call to the priesthood and a call (rather calls) to receive an organ transplant. It was two to three years ago when Father Paul Nguyen’s kidney function began to decline and close monitoring by his nephrologist commenced. The pastor of St. Sebastian Parish of Pocahontas and Fonda started dialysis about a year ago, and believing he could manage that treatment, opted not to pursue a transplant. “However, it proved to be to far more challenging that I expected – physically exhausting and spiritually limiting,” he wrote in an update to his parishioners. “I struggled to celebrate Mass faithfully and often felt drained, with little energy to do anything.”

Strong parent and grandparent involvement in Catholic schools is one of the many wonderful blessings and traditions of diocesan schools be it working in concession stands or reading to students. For about five years now, parents and grandparents at St. Edmond School in Fort Dodge have had to opportunity to become involved in a distinctively spiritual way through the Prayer Partner Program. They are asked to pray daily for specific faculty and/or staff members of the school.

Briar Cliff University in Sioux City has announced the establishment and expansion of two endowed scholarships supporting students pursuing degrees in education. The Sister Ruth Schock Endowed Scholarship has been increased to $100,000, and the newly created Franciscan Educators Endowed Scholarship has been established at $100,000.

For the first time in 25 years, the magnificent first-class relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux have arrived in the United States honoring the 100th anniversary of her canonization. They will be on display at the Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill Nov. 15-18. Holy Hill is one of only 40 sites in 10 states nationwide to host the relics.

The sixth-annual Siouxland Inspirational and Historical Film Festival will be shown at 2 p.m. Nov. 9, at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City.

Briar Cliff University in Sioux City hosted its annual Donor Scholarship Dinner on Oct. 20 at the St. Francis Center on campus. The evening brought together scholarship donors and student recipients to celebrate the generosity that makes a Briar Cliff education accessible and life-changing.

Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford celebrated CDA Sunday on Oct. 19. The court led the rosary before the 9 a.m. Mass, sat together as a group and assisted with various parts of the Mass. A reception followed in the parish center.