Illuminating Catholics
Illuminating Catholics – shedding light to understand the modern church Welcome to the Illuminating Catholics - podcast of the Diocese of Sioux City. Your hosts are Dawn Prosser, director of Communications for the diocese and Karmen Bower of the Faith Formation Office. We will shed light upon topics of faith in the modern church. Our guests include Catholic clergy, religious sisters and other experts in their fields to help us understand what’s happening in the church today. We will explore issues (even tough ones) and find answers to common questions about Catholicism. Thank you for joining us for today’s Illuminating Catholics – shedding light to understand the modern church. Be sure to subscribe! We are funded in part by the generous donations to Together as One - Our Diocesan Annual Appeal.
Episodes
Father Travis Crotty, diocesan director of vocations, discusses the June 2 to 5 vocations trips planned for young women and men. Ave will take young women to Nebraska to visit shrines and two convents as well as recreational opportunities. Quest wiill take young men north to Minnesota to visit Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, area shrines and enjoy outdoor activities and more.
Do you try to read Scripture and maybe don't understand it at first? Our resident "Scripture Scholar," Father Tim Friedrichsen of Sacred Heart Parish in Sioux City enlightens listeners as he breaks down the senses of Scripture for us. Knowing the different types and intent of the authors, we can better understand what the words mean for us today. He recommends a Catholic study Bible with footnotes and i...
Mental health therapist, Shalea Schloss of the Sioux City Catholic Charities office, is the guest for today's episode in light of Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in April. She shares her background and interest in working in mental health, red flags to look for regarding potential child abuse and resources in northwest Iowa for children and families.
Helpful links:
As Karmen said on the podcast - it's a bittersweet time as Bishop Walker Nickless is winding down his 19+ year time as serving as our bishop in the Diocese of Sioux City. He talks about his time growing up in Denver, his vocation story, parish ministry in the Archdiocese of Denver, the call to serve as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City and his time as a bishop. We also talk about what's ahead a...
Retired priests Father Craig Collison and Father Merlin Schrad have a long history of ministry in the diocese and also share a longtime friendship. Each share their background and ministry path. Surprisingly, they served in many of the same locations - just not at the same time. Although retired, they both remain busy with helping active priests by assisting with Masses, confessions, visiting the sick and more. When a...
In this episode we tackle a difficult topic in the church. We had a conversation with Katie McMahon of Shiloh post IVF Ministries about her infertility and IVF journey. We also explored the church's teaching regarding IVF and why it is not in alignment with the church. Learn more about the IVF process and the resources that Shiloh offers for parents who have used IVF or those who just want to learn more.
Joe and Matt share the loyalty of the Men's Conference attendees from year to year and why they keep coming back. The two Le Mars All Saints parishioners and conference organizers talk about what to expect at the Saturday, April 5 Men's Conference in Le Mars. Songwriter, singer and professional Catholic speaker Steve Angrisano is the keynote speaker. There will be breakout speakers including Father Brian Fel...
Retreat organizers Deacon Pat Brockhaus of Holy Cross Parish in Sioux City and Mary Lehr of Sacred Heart Parish have been working with Danielle Fennessy of the diocesan Faith Formation Office to present Into the Garden for any area youth grades 6-12. The retreat features Steve Angrisano and will be held April 6 at Sacred Heart Parish in Sioux City. (More information and registration available at: https://scdiocese.org...
Zooming in from Ashtabula, Ohio in the Diocese of Youngstown, Bishop-elect John E. Keehner joined our hosts for a conversation. Even if you watched the press conference, you will want to listen and learn more about the Bishop-elect's life in Ohio, what is ministry is like and what he is looking forward to when he takes possession of the diocese as our 8th bishop.
Please keep Bishop-elect Keehner and Bishop Walker...
Retired priest of the diocese and former diocesan director of worship, Father Bruce Lawler, is today's podcast guest. He shares his history serving in the diocese prior to his retirement and talks about the pillars of Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving, what they mean and why we participate in these practices. He also discusses other important Lenten activities that help us look at our own spiritual situations...
Trinity Heights Queen of Peace Shrine in Sioux City is one of the four 2025 Year of Hope Jubilee pilgrimage sites. Terry Hegarty, longtime executive director, has a wealth of knowledge of the history of the shrine and its features, such as the large statues. He also shares about the EWTN Hidden Gems filming (also at the Grotto of the Redemption), and the beautiful new chapel that is under construction. Hegarty invites...
We had a conversation with Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, explaining what the ICC is and how it serves our bishop and Catholics throughout our state. He is a native son of the diocese from Spirit Lake and shares his background, his work at the state capitol and working with the four Iowa bishops. Learn why we should be informed about legislative issues and how to stay connected with I...
Learn more about the history of jubilees, 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage sites in the Diocese of Sioux City and how a pilgrim can obtain plenary indulgences during this holy year. Our diocesan Director of Worship Father Andrew Galles explains everything jubilee for us.
Learn more about the diocesan jubilee year here.
Learn more about Father David Esquiliano's Jubilee pilgrimage trip Nov. 3 to 14, 2025 by co...
Hosts of the March 1 Turn youth conference share how they have collaborated to offer this regional event - open to all youth in grades 7-12 in the diocese. Megan Ulrich of Ascension Parish based in Boone, Sandra Hildreth of Our Lady of the Plains Parish based in Lake City and Stephanie Hall of St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson (all of Greene County). The Ascension Parish faith formation staff hosted the conference on the...
Catholic Schools Week special edition! Briar Cliff University students Trey Jungers and Derek Scheuring talk about living out their faith on a Catholic college campus. Jungers is a graduate of Newell-Fonda High School and Scheuring is an alumnus of Denison St. Rose of Lima and Denison High School. They share why they chose a Catholic college and how important it was to them to receive the Bishop's Scholarship to ...
Patty Lansink, our diocesan superintendent of schools, talks about the 15 different Catholic school systems in the diocese and how each has a unique character to serve students of all faiths, cultures and abilities. System-wide, enrollment has collectively risen 5% over last year. Lansink also shares how the MLTF program and ESAs help make Catholic education more affordable for parents. To celebrate the value that Cat...
Sister Anne Marie Walsh of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity authors a column for Lumen Media and is a speaker and retreat leader. She lives near Willey (Carroll County) at the Domus Trinitatis Center for renewals and retreats.
Sister Anne Marie shares her history growing up in a Catholic community outside Milwaukee. She first discerning a vocation in a time when the religious sisters she looked up to w...
Hosts of the popular Outcast Catholic podcast are also our diocesan Office of Vocations leaders. Father Shane Deman is director of seminarians for our diocese and also vice-rector at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and Father Travis Crotty is director of vocations as well as chaplain for Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School and Briar Cliff University. They share their vocations stories and answer our "mythbusters" ...
Happy New Year's Eve! Sister Jane Conrad and Sister Joy Peterson of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary out of Dubuque share the rich history of ministry of the community with roots in Cork, Ireland, as they celebrate 150 years of "tending the light." Learn why the lantern is an important symbol of the sisters, the start of their ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City and the expanded min...
Deacon Jake Rosenmeyer, seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux City studying at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, discusses his thesis regarding care for the earth. He shares highlights from A Theology of Agriculture and its Relationship with Laudato Si, including Scripture basis from Genesis, the dignity of work and feeding the world and man's role as steward of the land. Living in a rural diocese and the son of fourth gen...
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