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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After several years without a properly functioning organ to accompany music at St. John the Baptist Church in Bancroft, a new digital organ was recently installed, blessed and played at Mass. “It was a sound I had dreamed about for a long time, and it gave me chills to hear it come true,” said Father Matthew Solyntjes, pastor of Divine Mercy Parish including St. John Church.

The Diocese of Sioux City Catholic Schools Office is reminding Catholic school parents of the June 30 deadline for applying for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) funding.

Bishop John E. Keehner conferred holy orders upon two seminarians Saturday morning at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. James “Jimmy” Fitzsimmons of Cathedral Parish in Sioux City and Garrett Hugeback of St. Joseph Parish in Wall Lake were ordained to the transitional diaconate. Both are seminarians studying at Kenrick Glennon Seminary outside of St. Louis.

A native son of the Diocese of Sioux City was ordained a priest June 6 for the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. Father Alex Solsma, a 2007 graduate of Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, was one of seven transitional deacons to be ordained to the priesthood at Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.

Zachariah Steffens of St. Mary Parish, Spirit Lake, declared his candidacy for the priesthood today to Bishop John E. Keehner during a Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany. He had been attending Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, and will attend the North American College in Rome this fall.

Last October, the Carroll Kuemper Catholic School system announced their first major facility expansion project in over 70 years. The $30 million uKnighted: Building a Future in Faith construction project is now underway. The keystone of the project is the 50,000 square foot, three-story addition to the elementary school with 26 classrooms, chapel and other rooms.

About 10 months after Bishop Garrigan Schools in Algona announced proposed plans for a $9 million capital campaign to fund a grade school addition and other projects, the school is beginning to see their plans become a reality as a groundbreaking ceremony was held May 27. According to Christy Peterson, president of Bishop Garrigan, the groundbreaking represented a proud moment in the school’s history as it is thriving and growing. “It’s always exciting to see a goal come to life,” she said.

When parishioners and families attended the Memorial Mass on May 25 held at Calvary Cemetery in Milford, they had the opportunity to view updates that have been made over the last year and participate in a rededication ceremony. Father Zach Jones, a native son of the parish, celebrated the Mass with Father David Hemann, current pastor, and Father Travis Crotty concelebrating. Chris Jones, a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Milford, headed up the project with the help of his siblings and Lynn Moritz, the cemetery sexton.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion – the first and only approved Marian apparition site in the U.S. – is hosting the Catholic Saints of America exhibit July 1-9, 2026, to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. This first-of-its-kind Carlo Acutis-inspired exhibit will honor the holy men and women of America, Saints, Blesseds, Venerables, and Servants of God, who have shaped the nation’s faith and offer inspiring models of Christian virtue.

Column by Sister Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT Most of us, when we think about growth in the spiritual life, focus on healing our wounds—specific memories of pain, regret or trauma. That work is important. But there is something deeper that often goes unnoticed: not just our memories but our memory itself needs healing.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops will consecrate the United States of America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Thursday, June 11. The Mass will be livestreamed. Also, the Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is included in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.