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Words matter. That is just one of the points made by Charleen Katra, executive director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) during the Clergy Day held Nov. 6 at St. Mary Parish in Storm Lake that focused on inclusion of persons with disabilities into parish life. Due to the topic, lay catechetical leaders were also invited to attend this session.

Father Clair Boes, retired priest of the diocese, 86, died Nov. 6 at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge. Services are pending. That information will be shared when it is available. May perpetual light shine upon him, O Lord and may he rest in peace.

The 800-550 Series CH-1 military chapel was constructed in August 1942 for the World War II-era Sioux City Army Base. Building 105-Chapel 2 was built for Catholic troops and was considered a temporary structure, intended to serve the base for five to seven years. Still standing decades later, the chapel will be demolished this winter to make way for “future development opportunities for the aviation industry,” according to the City of Sioux City. It was decommissioned this week.

In response to the cuts in federal funding of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) last week, the Diocese of Sioux City and diocesan parishes and schools are making extra efforts to get food in the hands of those who need assistance. From cash collections to food drives, Catholics are stepping forward to feed the hungry.

Tapping into the church’s history of honoring and praying for workers in various professions, the Diocese of Sioux City, Bishop John E. Keehner and the Cathedral Parish in Sioux City are planning a Red Mass for attorneys, judges, lawmakers and those working in the legal profession.

Briar Cliff University announced the appointment of Dr. Brian Peterson as the next provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, effective January 5, 2026. Dr. Peterson joins Briar Cliff from LaGrange College, where he has most recently served as vice president for academic affairs.

Nearly 300 students in seventh to 12th grades from 13 parishes attended the Called Youth Conference held Nov. 2 at St. Joseph Parish in Granville. Delores Huemiller, diocesan faith formation coordinator who planned the event with a team of directors of religious education, said they received positive feedback about the speaker’s talks and were thankful Bishop John E. Keehner was on hand for Mass and hearing confessions. “I hope they came away with knowing that they can live a life in relationship with Christ even when it is hard. I hope they took advantage of confession opportunities. And I hope they came away encouraged and knowing that God loves them,” she said.

... the saints, whether they are great theologians like St. Thomas, or missionaries like St. Francis Xavier, or mystics/contemplatives like the great St. Theresas, are exactly like this as well. Their love for the lost and their desire for the salvation of every soul move them to great heights of holiness, to profound union with Christ in his redemptive work.

“With the Administration signaling a severely limited continuation of this historically bipartisan program, we urge due consideration for all those who have long awaited their opportunity for relief,” said Bishop Mark J. Seitz, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. Bishop Seitz’s remarks follow the Administration’s formal publication of the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026, which allows up to 7,500 refugees to be resettled over the next year. This is the lowest ceiling since the program was created by Congress in 1980.

Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Sioux City are participating in a three-year pilot program in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Dubuque to attempt to measure faith growth in students over time and using that data in their faith formation approach.

In an effort to encourage reporting of potential wrongdoing in diocesan entities and to protect those reporters, the Diocese of Sioux City recently updated its Whistleblower Policy and is distributing it widely throughout the diocese.

When a dance team member at St. Mary’s School in Storm Lake saw that the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association (ISPTA) was promoting a care initiative she wanted to become involved. “On social media, I saw other teams were doing service projects with the #ISDTACares,” said Ruby Phelps, a junior at St. Mary’s. “I had just spoken with Mrs. Amy Halder and had discussed the food insecurity within our school system. I knew that I wanted to take action and figured this was the perfect opportunity.”