News - June 2026 RSS Feed

Bancroft native Thomas Kollasch of Divine Mercy Parish was ordained to the priesthood June 27 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City by Bishop John E. Keehner. He is the second diocesan priest to be ordained by the bishop.

After a major fire in January where the Monona County KCs lost appliances, utensils, product and the booth was damaged, they are looking for assistance for the July 7 to 12 county fair.

“We have a non-profit, Preserve Fort Dodge, that’s formed to rehabilitate abandoned structures in Fort Dodge,” said board member and parishioner Carissa Harvey. “We initially started as the Sacred Heart planning committee.” The group’s focus is currently on preserving Sacred Heart Church with plans to take on another community project upon completing repairs and improvements on the 100-plus year old church.

Interested in obtaining a ticket to attend the Mass of Beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen? Tickets will be required due to anticipation of huge crowd. Tickets are now available.

After a four-year stint of service as the vice rector of formation at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Missouri, Father Shane Deman is returning to the Diocese of Sioux City to serve at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Denison.

Surrounded by church history, beautiful architecture and religious art, a group of 35 parishioners made up primarily of youth and a few young adults from the Lakes Catholic Community as well as diocesan seminarians recently participated in a pilgrimage to the Eternal City.

The continental leaders for the synod are wrapping up their meetings in Rome this week. However, parishioners in the Diocese of Sioux City probably won't be involved until early 2027.

Illuminating Catholics, podcast of the Diocese of Sioux City, was recognized at the recent Catholic Media Association annual conference for an episode highlighting issues facing refugees and immigrants in northwest Iowa.

Photo recap of the June 20 March for Life event at the Iowa state capitol.

Bishop John Keehner offers his reflections on the consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the USCCB weeklong plenary assembly.

Six Catholic high schools participated in the annual CYO baseball and softball tournaments at LeMars and Remsen last weekend. Two brackets of three teams each were used in both tourneys.

When people think of summer programs in the church, they often imagine Vacation Bible School, retreats, or mission trips. This year Sioux City Mater Dei Parish added a new summer camp designed specifically for students who missed the usual confirmation preparation timeline.

Wesley native and San Antonio Oblate School of Theology President Father Louis Studer, OMI, celebrates the 50th anniversary of his ordination on June 19.

It was the summer of 1979. Most Rev. Frank Greteman was Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese. Less than a year previously, the College of Cardinals had shocked the world with the election of the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Karol Wojtyla took the name John Paul II.

As Deacon Thomas Kollasch prepares for his priestly ordination next weekend, he reflects back to the beginning of his seminary journey. The Bancroft native and Divine Mercy Parish member finished his final exams last week at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC) in Rome. He said the final stage of his six-year seminary journey reminds him of the excitement he felt when he was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux City.

Young adults have busy schedules with work and raising families. They attend Mass but may not feel connected to the church or other young Catholic adults. With that in mind, regional events are being planned to help them connect with one another and with the church. A Faith and Fellowship event was held this week at Jackson Street Brewing East in Sioux City with Father Travis Crotty, vocations director, who offered a presentation on faith for the attendees.