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The inaugural Briar Cliff University (BCU) Franciscan Values Lecture Series tackled a difficult and often controversial topic – immigration. On Feb. 9, students, faculty and community members gathered to learn more about the historical context of immigration in the United States, Catholic social teaching and the local church’s response. The discussion included Welcome program staff from Catholic Charities and Bishop John Keehner's chief of staff, Deacon Mark Prosser.

Members of the diocesan permanent deacon community participated in a service day Feb. 7 in Sioux City at Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), building safe and comfortable beds for children in need. The organization’s motto is, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!”

(Bilingual) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops outlines Lenten regulations regarding fasting and abstinence.

(bilingual) A Mass of Reparation will be offered March 23 by Bishop John E. Keehner for victims of clergy abuse in the Diocese of Sioux City. El 23 de marzo, el Obispo John E. Keehner ofrecerá una Misa de Reparación por las víctimas del abuso por parte del clero en la diócesis de Sioux City.

A mini reunion was held at Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City when six classmates from Heelan High School’s class of 1950 recently united for a celebration. The class of 1950 was the Catholic school’s first graduating class. According to Deb Poss, director of development and marketing at the retirement home, the gathering was a true legacy and testament to continued friendships and a love for their school, God, family and each other.

Several parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City have offered Spanish Mass many years and for Cathedral of the Epiphany, Vietnamese Mass is a regular weekly liturgy. Recently, a monthly French Mass has been added to the liturgy offerings in Sioux City. With the blessing of their pastor, Father Brad Pelzel of Mater Dei Parish in Sioux City, a grassroots effort by the Catholic French-speaking community in Sioux City helped to make French Mass a reality. When Father Pelzel was approached last fall about having a French Mass, he wasn’t very aware of this particular need.

(Bilingual) Bishop John E. Keehner pens a letter on Lent as the faithful prepare for Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18.

Dennis Kurth was honored for his 40 years of service to the community and his church on Feb. 2. He received an honorary plaque and hearty congratulations from his brother Knights at the monthly meeting of the Knights of Columbus Iowa Great Lakes Council 5043 at St. Mary Parish in Spirit Lake.

St. Mary’s Catholic School announced its Fund-A-Cause project for this year’s Ball and Charity Auction in early January. Since then, generous donors have stepped forward to support the much-needed renovation of the community gym entrance and first floor of the high school. To date, $579,060 has been committed toward the $1.5 million project, with additional donors actively being pursued so construction can be completed this summer.

In an effort to assist Bishop John Keehner in fulfilling his episcopal obligation to be more engaged with his parishes, and to make the best use of resources, many confirmation liturgies will be grouped, starting in 2027. Conversations to move towards consolidating confirmation liturgies began under Bishop Walker Nickless, now bishop emeritus of the diocese.

A background in pastoral ministry and higher education helped lay a path to Briar Cliff University in Sioux City for the school’s director of campus ministry. Dr. Michael Horka, Ph.D., who has been with the university since October, noted that while coordinating structured ministry activities and service opportunities are part of the job, some of the most important aspects of his work centers on being available to students. “It’s the behind the scenes, those interpersonal moments of meeting with students who want spiritual accompaniment,” he said, adding that it can be meeting with a student once or sometimes it’s walking with them “through a difficult moment of their life over a course of weeks.”

The second grade students at Denison St. Rose of Lima School received $1,000 to add a calming corner to Jean Fletcher's classroom.

(Bilingual) Following is a letter from Bishop John Keehner in both English and Spanish, addressing the current national immigration climate and the fears experienced by many of our immigrant brothers and sisters. This message echoes recent communications shared by the Iowa Catholic Conference and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding the dignity of every human person.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After praying the Angelus Feb. 1, Pope Leo XIV said the Olympics sends a powerful message of fraternity and hope for peace. "I hope that all those who care about peace among peoples and are in positions of authority will take this opportunity to make concrete gestures of détente and dialogue," he said.

Bishop John E. Keehner issues an official letter accepting Deacon Robert Lenz's request to retire.