News features

Beginning Sept. 14 and continuing through November, Catholic Charities will offer expanded telehealth appointment hours, including early morning, evening and limited weekend availability. The expanded hours are part of Strong Minds, Strong Farms, a new rural mental health initiative made possible in part through a Working Here Grant from Farm Credit Services of America.

Heidi Probasco, diocesan director of stewardship and development, announced that the diocese and Bishop John E. Keehner would posthumously present an award to Richard “Dick” Seivert for his lifetime of dedication to Catholic education and the most vulnerable populations in our world.

The third annual Eucharistic Rally was held at Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine on Sept. 10. The event started by praying the rosary by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Queen of Peace statue, then exposition, speakers, music, eucharistic procession to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

After surpassing its fundraising goal, the Our Faith. Our Future. Our Legacy. campaign for Mater Dei Parish in Sioux City has moved into the fulfillment stage. The campaign kicked off in May with a goal of $3.5 million and more than $4.4 million was pledged from 580 out of 1,768 registered households, about a 35% participation rate.

As the nation observes the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Lumen Media gathered some reflections from diocesan leaders throughout the Diocese of Sioux City. The contributors shared where they were when they heard about the planes crashing in New York, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania as well as what were they thinking.

Father Richard A. Sitzmann, 91, passed away at Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City on Sept 6, 2026. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:30 a.m., Sept. 11 at Holy Cross Parish - St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Sioux City. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery (Neptune) in Hinton.

Except for somewhere around 60 minutes (or more if you are a daily Mass-goer) on a Sunday, we live our lives out in time, in Chronos. But as soon as we begin to celebrate Mass, we enter into a different kind of time. And this time, called Kairos, is very different from Chronos.

It was more than two years ago when the town of Marcus added a walking/biking trail that extended along the property line of Holy Name Cemetery. Soon after, the parish cemetery committee suggested the possibility of adding a gazebo to the cemetery grounds. Father Tim Pick, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Marcus, said with the collaborative efforts of the parish cemetery committee, the finance and endowment boards and a generous donor, the idea recently came to fruition.

(Bilingual) The sacrament of matrimony was uplifted in a Mass celebrated by Bishop John E. Keehner Aug. 30 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. Among the nearly 50 couples honored at the Mass were both newlywed couples and those commemorating milestone anniversaries from various parts of the diocese. Casi 50 parejas casadas recibieron el reconocimiento durante una misa especial oficiada por el Obispo John E. Keehner el 30 de agosto en la Catedral de la Epifanía para celebrar el sacramento del matrimonio.

(Bilingual) Last December, St. Michael School in South Sioux City, Nebraska, announced that the school would close in May 2026 after nearly 75 years of operation. Many students and some staff found a new school home just across the Missouri River. El pasado diciembre, el colegio San Miguel de South Sioux City, Nebraska, anunció que cerraría sus puertas en mayo de 2026, después de casi 75 años de trayectoria. Muchos alumnos y parte del personal encontraron un nuevo hogar escolar al otro lado del río Missouri.

FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries have shared the Catholic faith for many years on college campuses, developing friendships and forming disciples. In recent years, FOCUS has expanded their mission to include parishes. St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll recently hired Gregory Kinser as a full-time missionary.

(Multilingual - English, Spanish and French) The Vatican released Pope Leo XIV's message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated Sept. 27, the last Sunday of the month. This year's theme, “Even just one of these children,” focuses on the vulnerability of minors who are forced to flee, trafficked or harmed along the way.