News features

Will Swanson of Storm Lake joined the church at the Easter vigil in 2013 and was married a few weeks later at St. John the Baptist in Bancroft, his wife's home parish. Thirteen years later, he is preparing to be ordained as a permanent deacon on Aug. 1 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany along with Kevin Holzman of Orange City, Jeff Schoep of Sioux City and Jeff Zyzda of Sioux City.

Seminarians of the Diocese of Sioux City have been assigned to help parishes and organizations this summer before they return to their respective seminaries this fall. The seminarians also participated in a pilgrimage to Rome in June and several accompanied diocesan youth to the Steubenville Youth Conference in Rochester, Minnesota. They shared where they are assigned and highlights from their summer experiences.

Diocesan retired priest, Father Craig Collison, will be honored this fall for his dedication to Catholic education. He will receive a Clergy Award at the Oct. 11 Bishop’s Dinner for Catholic Schools in Sioux City. “Father Collison has championed Catholic education since his early days as a priest. His service in our Catholic schools over 45 years of active ministry positively impacted hundreds of students," said Bishop John E. Keehner.

Thoughts about becoming a priest didn’t really set in for the Diocese of Sioux City’s most recent seminarian until he became involved in faith-based activities at college. Father Travis Crotty, diocesan director of vocations, recently announced that Colby Pudenz of Carroll will begin seminary studies. “I would say it was in the spring of my freshman year of college when I started considering it,” said the 2024 graduate of Kuemper High School.

National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, which will be held July 19-25, is a national education campaign to spread the teachings about Catholic teaching on marriage and matrimonial love. According to Karmen Bower, diocesan director of faith formation, the week is organized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and provides an opportunity for local dioceses to share information about natural family planning.

*Updated: Parishes from the Diocese of Sioux City, Des Moines Diocese and Archdiocese of Dubuque share Catholic events and opportunities offered for RAGBRAI riders starting July 18.

In seven years’ time, the Diocese of Sioux City has gone from 48 active priests serving 86,000 Catholics in 2019 to 34 active priests serving 88,000 Catholics today. Amy Bloch, executive director of Catholic Charities, pointed out that stretching diocesan clergy thin can be a cause for stress for the priests as their ministry responsibilities grow. The diocese offers voluntary Clergy Wellness sessions to help priests in their ministry.

William Kahle, seminarian from Divine Mercy Parish of Kossuth County and West Bend, is serving in a leadership position in his college seminary that is helping him grow and potentially prepare him for priestly ministry. He was elected last winter by his peers to serve as head prefect of the student body.

LUMEN MEDIA REPORT – This spring the Catholic Schools Office for the Diocese of Sioux City announced five recipients of this year’s Bishop’s Education Awards. Two teachers received the Excellence in Education Award: Carla Johnson, English teacher at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City and Kathleen Jones, fifth grade teacher at Sacred Heart School in Boone. Three others were honored with the Good Shepherd Award: Chris Bork, principal of Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City; Sara Bormann, principal of St. Mary School in Humboldt and Michelle Davis, custodian at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City.

Through the years deacon candidate Kevin Holzman of Orange City has come to know well the perseverance of God. The parishioner of St. Donatus Parish made up of St. Mary Churc in Alton, St. Joseph Church in Granville and St. Anthony Church in Hospers, pointed out he first felt a calling to the diaconate about 18 years ago.

Column by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT The “heart” speaks to the deepest core of the person, the place where we think, choose, desire, remember and love. It is the place where the state of our relationship with God is revealed. Sins of the heart, therefore, are more about interior thoughts, desires, intentions and attitudes that turn us away from God, even if we have not acted on those desires, etc., yet.

To accommodate the needs of the office along with the priests’ new parish responsibilities, the Vocations Office is reorganizing as of July. Father Crotty and Father Deman will retain their roles in the Vocations Office while bringing on Father Zach Jones and Deacon Dan Goebel to the department on a part-time basis to assist.