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The Iowa Great Lakes Knights of Columbus Council 5043 held its annual Soup and Dessert Supper Sunday, Nov. 2. Over 400 attended the event which raised funds for community initiatives.

The Knights of Columbus Council 6249 recently made a charitable donation to Trivium Life Services (formerly Crossroads of Western Iowa) in Onawa to help support their projects. The funding for the donation comes from the generous parishioners at Blencoe St. Bernard, Onawa St. John and Salix St. Joseph through the Knights’ Campaign for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (C.P.I.D.).

Our Lady of Good Counsel CDA 216 of Fort Dodge welcomed 18 new members to its court, CDA Court # 216.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is meeting in Baltimore this week for their plenary assembly. On Nov. 11, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, was elected as Conference president, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville was elected as Conference vice president. They succeed Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who are concluding their terms as Conference president and vice president, respectively.

Council 2326 of the Knights of Columbus from St. Mary’s Catholic Church is answering the call in these uncertain times of food insecurity. Once again, the Knights are proving that small efforts can lead to big impacts for our local community. The council has been collecting redeemable aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass from residents and businesses across the area, recycling them, and turning the proceeds into community donations.

Siouxland Catholic Radio 88.1 FM is presenting its Fall Pledge Drive, Nov. 11-13, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year, the station will broadcast the entire first day from Bishop Heelan High School with a special focus on “Salute to Service” spotlighting many military veterans with a connection to the station.

Since 2016, the Catholic Church has observed the World Day of the Poor on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as way for Catholics to reflect more deeply on our call to love the poor as our brothers and sisters. On November 15-16, parishes in many Catholic dioceses throughout the United States are able to observe this year’s World Day of the Poor by taking a collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

November is Black Catholic History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Catholics to the Roman Catholic tradition. Established in 1990, Black Catholic History Month affirms the richness of diversity within the Church and allows us an opportunity to appreciate the various gifts and talents that Black Catholics bring to the universal Church.

The Onawa-Blencoe Knights of Columbus Christmas Toy Drive has started with the desire to make a merrier Christmas for area children and their families. New toys, food items and clothing can be donated in Onawa at Bomgaars, Dollar General, Lewis Pharmacy, Sunshine Foods and St. John Catholic church; also, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Salix. There are large boxes at each of these locations for the gifts.

“With the Administration signaling a severely limited continuation of this historically bipartisan program, we urge due consideration for all those who have long awaited their opportunity for relief,” said Bishop Mark J. Seitz, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. Bishop Seitz’s remarks follow the Administration’s formal publication of the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026, which allows up to 7,500 refugees to be resettled over the next year. This is the lowest ceiling since the program was created by Congress in 1980.

Pulse Life Advocates hosts their 15th annual fundraising dinner on Nov. 22 at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Des Moines with a pro-life Christmas Gala, inspiring advocates for life. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, keynotes with a riveting tale of her dialogues on hostile college campuses.

On Oct. 26, the religious education students from St. Sebastian hosted Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat. Residents in Pocahontas, Fonda and Newell were asked to set out non-perishable items, if they were able to, and the students would go around and collect them. Over 1500 pounds of food was donated to the two local food pantries.

CDA Court Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford participated in the White Ribbon Against Pornography campaign the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. The white ribbons around the trees in front of St. Joseph Parish are to raise awareness and as a reminder to pray for an end to pornography.

For the first time in 25 years, the magnificent first-class relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux have arrived in the United States honoring the 100th anniversary of her canonization. They will be on display at the Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill Nov. 15-18. Holy Hill is one of only 40 sites in 10 states nationwide to host the relics.

The sixth-annual Siouxland Inspirational and Historical Film Festival will be shown at 2 p.m. Nov. 9, at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City.

Our Lady of LaSalette Court #1585 of Milford celebrated CDA Sunday on Oct. 19. The court led the rosary before the 9 a.m. Mass, sat together as a group and assisted with various parts of the Mass. A reception followed in the parish center.

On Oct. 7 on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Dr. Mike Scherschligt from the School of Faith in Kansas City presented an evening discussing ways to bring loved ones back to the faith at St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. Dr. Mike led parishioners in a rosary meditation, followed by a social in Greteman Hall, at the Holy Spirit site. Parishioners were able to chat with Dr. Mike and his daughter Theresa during our fellowship.

An Our Lady of Fatima public rosary in the park was held Oct. 11 in the Manning City Park with nine in attendance. Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA) Court Our lady of Fatima #1492 member Carleen Schwieso led the rally, assisted by court members.

During October, month of the Holy Rosary, the Onawa St. John religious education students and teachers gather in the church to pray the rosary. Each person has their own bead and leads the prayer for that bead. This is an annual tradition in the parish, to encourage interest in the rosary and help the students understand the importance of praying the rosary.

In celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is hosting Vatican Unveiled, an exhibit of the largest collection of papal artifacts outside of Rome. Father Richard Kunst, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, serves as curator of the exhibit. Father Kunst has a deep knowledge of the items and a passion for telling their stories.