(Bilingual) Official priest assignments from Bishop John E. Keehner.

The April 13 Monday morning update from the Iowa Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Iowa Catholic Bishops.

Surrounded by family and friends, 2021 Bishop Heelan High School alumna Sister Mary Incarnata of the King of Glory, made her first profession with the Poor Clares of Hanceville, Alabama. She made her profession March 25 on the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

The diocesan shrine of Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine in Sioux City received significant damage to one of its buildings on Easter Sunday when a car crashed into the entrance of the Divine Mercy Chapel. According to Terry Hegarty, executive director of the diocesan shrine, he was out of town on April 5 when the alarm company as well as maintenance man both alerted him to the accident. The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m.

(This is the second article in a 2-part series about the impact of social media on children and teens.) In an article that was published in LumeNotes on April 2, a therapist from Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Sioux City revealed a sobering statistic that 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 report using social media and one-third of them say their use is constant.

Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee. — from The Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo, 1,1.5 Dennis Hogan knew he was looking for something. He just didn’t know what, or where to find it. His story of conversion shows that it’s not necessarily the events of life that shape us, but how we respond to those events.

Column from Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT Every so often in the Gospel, Jesus asks an unsettling question. Perhaps one of the most unsettling questions he asks is whether he will find faith upon the earth when he returns again. It’s a disturbing question because we have a hard time imagining a world where no one believes in God any longer. What could possibly happen to create such a scenario?

During Danbury Catholic School’s final hour of school before the Easter break, the older students relived Jesus’ final hours during their Living Stations of the Cross.

On April 11, the 39th Annual Friends of Gehlen Catholic Ball will celebrate under the glow of “Friday Night Lights” at the Le Mars Convention Center. This year’s event is hosted by General Chairs Brad and Sarah Cave, along with Tyler and Kylie Petty.

Each year, from early March through mid-December, Silver Roses are stewarded by Knights of Columbus councils along routes from Canada to Mexico. Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It will be in the Sioux City Diocese April 19 through 25.

The Society of Our Lady of the Trinity sisters in Carroll are hosting a discernment retreat in May.

(Bilingual) Bishop John Keehner shares the English and Spanish text of his Easter Vigil homily.

Humboldt St. Mary School raised a record breaking $182,115 at the March 14 annual spring gala. They exceeded the Phase I playground improvement project goal.

After a jury in California found two large social media companies to be liable of creating social media platforms designed to be addictive, a therapist from Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Sioux City weighed in on the subject. Nate Phillips, clinical supervisor of children and school-based services, said the court decision could be a “watershed moment” that has potential to be akin to the tobacco settlements.

Pews in the Sioux City Cathedral of the Epiphany were filled with the diocesan faithful for the March 30 annual chrism Mass, the first for Bishop John Keehner in the Diocese of Sioux City. In addition to adult parishioners, over 200 students from numerous Catholic schools throughout the diocese and some parish religious education students attended the event.