News - September 2026 RSS Feed

The first graders from Holy Rosary Parish of Sheldon and Sibley enjoyed a trip to Touch of Hope, a Christian bookstore in Sheldon, recently. Touch of Hope had a scavenger hunt where students walked around to find a variety of items such as rosaries, wind chimes, crosses, Bibles and more.

The parents at Pocahontas Catholic School (PCS) can stay informed about events at the school without digging to the bottom of their child’s backpack searching for a printed school newsletter. Laura Frerk, PCS first year lead teacher and former PCS student, was looking for the best way to reach busy parents like herself.

In an effort to ensure a successful academic year for St. Mary School in Storm Lake, Father Brent Lingle, pastor of Storm Lake St. Mary Parish and president of the school, turned to his parish for assistance.

The Bishop Heelan Hall of PRIDE returns for its fifth year, and they invite everyone to join them for an evening celebrating the individuals and teams who have helped shape the legacy of Crusader athletics. This year’s Hall of PRIDE will take place Saturday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Sioux City Convention Center.

October is an exciting month at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, the first and only Marian Apparition Site in the United States. A Relic Tour from Ireland is slated for Oct. 4-7, and a record number of pilgrims are expected for events during the Annual Solemnity of Our Lady of Champion Oct. 7-9. The Shrine will celebrate the re-opening and blessing of the renovated History Center on Oct. 8.

Effective immediately, Dr. Dora Jung has transitioned from director of Catholic schools to superintendent having received her certification from the state of Iowa to serve as superintendent of record for the 14 Catholic school systems in the Diocese of Sioux City. She began her role as director of Catholic schools on July 1. Jim Murray of Humboldt has been serving as interim superintendent since July 1 and will continue serving the diocesan schools as a part-time consultant.

As the four Catholic dioceses of Iowa have joined to create the Iowa Catholic SGO, our diocesan chief financial officer explains how the SGO will work for donors receiving federal tax credits and students applying for scholarships. He also explains how it will work alongside ESAs and Msgr. Lafferty Tuition Foundation scholarships.

Desiring to spread the love of the Eucharist, an Iowa Eucharistic Procession with gatherings in each of the four Iowa dioceses was organized by an Iowa teen. “My objective was to get people in the door to experience Jesus and the Eucharist, and that we did,” said Sam Lange, a senior in high school from Cedar Rapids who is a member of the National Youth Advisory Council for the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend that is part of Divine Mercy Parish of Kossuth County was the site of the gathering Sept. 20.

The annual CYO cross country meet and volleyball tournament were held last week. In the cross country meet at Holstein, the Kuemper Catholic boys of Carroll and Bishop Heelan girls of Sioux City won team titles. The volleyball tournament yielded a three-way tie for first place as Gehlen Catholic of Le Mars, Kuemper and Heelan all finished with 4-1 records on the day to tie for first place.

Briar Cliff University (BCU) and CNOS Fieldhouse representatives announce a new partnership that will give the university dedicated access to one of the region’s premier multi-sport training facilities. Under a new lease agreement that began on Aug. 1, Briar Cliff will utilize one-third of the Fieldhouse space to support University needs, including athletic practices, camps and academic purposes.

(Bilingual) This Sunday, the church will observe the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Without a doubt, migration is a political issue in the broad sense of the word. After all, the word “political” ultimately comes from the Greek polis, referring to the city or community, and migration necessarily raises questions that concern the life of a nation and its people. Este domingo, la Iglesia celebrará la Jornada Mundial del Migrante y del Refugiado. Sin duda, la migración es un tema político en el sentido amplio de la palabra. Después de todo, la palabra «político» proviene en última instancia del griego polis, que se refiere a la ciudad o a la comunidad, y la migración necesariamente plantea cuestiones que afectan la vida de una nación y de su pueblo.

Effective immediately, Dr. Dora Jung has transitioned from director of Catholic schools to superintendent having received her certification from the state of Iowa to serve as superintendent of record for the 14 Catholic school systems in the Diocese of Sioux City. She began her role as director of Catholic schools on July 1.

The Storm Lake area Knights of Columbus Council 2326 recently presented a $2,000 donation to Storm Lake St. Mary’s Catholic Schools to help bolster their efforts to serve students in need through a food pantry program.

In the spirit of Laudato Si and the church's Season of Creation, students in Trisha Boettger's first grade class at St. Rose of Lima School in Denison built and stained two birdhouses that are hung in the school's campus area. Boettger said her mother and stepfather helped "make this happen."