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
Most are familiar with the FOCUS missionaries on college campuses, evangelizing college students during a critical time in their lives. St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll has hired the diocese's first parish-based FOCUS missionary - Gregory Kinser. Greg shares his journey joining the Catholic faith as a high school student, becoming a missionary after college and the move to Carroll. He shares his vision for his new...
Father Jake Rosenmeyer, parochial vicar of Holy Trinity Parish of Webster County and St. Mary Parish in Humboldt, talks about the life of St. Francis, his devotion to this popular saint and his connection to St. Clare. Father also talks about Briar Cliff University, the Year of St. Francis and diocesan pilgrimage sites (go to www.scdiocese.org/stfrancis for more information).
Rachelle Rawson, executive director and co-founder of the faith-based Agape Community Services based in Sioux City. She shares the mission of the organization to serve area men post-incarceration, recovering from addictions or mental illness. They learn responsibility, job skills, lives of service and how to be strong Christian husbands, fathers and community members. The goal is to strengthen families by strengthen...
María Ruiz Scaperlanda of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City - promoter of the canonization cause for Blessed Stanley Rother, martyred in mission territory of Guatemala where he was ministering in the midst of a civil war. Scaperlanda wrote the biography “The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Blessed Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma,” a widely praised biography of the first American-born priest reco...
High school senior Sam Lange of the Archdiocese of Dubuque is a member of the National Youth Advisory Council for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, where he was encouraged to lead a service project. Lange has created the Iowan Eucharistic Procession project, collaborating with dioceses and parishes to organize eucharistic processions in each diocese. Bishops will bless large puzzle pieces in the s...
Since our last interview with Dr. Ryan Allen of the FIRE Foundation of Northwest Iowa (https://firefoundationnwiowa.org), the organization gave $80,000 in grants to diocesan Catholic schools to foster inclusion in the schools The mission of the foundation is to champion inclusion of students with disabilities in Catholic schools by providing resources, fundraising and fostering a culture of belonging. What sta...
Heidi Probasco, diocesan director of stewardship and development shares more about the Oct. 11, 2026 Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Schools. Tickets will go on sale July 27. Find out which teachers and Catholic school employees will be honored as well as the return of the Clergy Award. Heidi shares other details such as an opportunity to pray through sung solemn vespers (optional) and a display of art from our Catholi...
Another corporal work of mercy in the Catholic tradition is feeding the hungry and the conversation for this episode is the work of The Siouxland Soup Kitchen. Executive Director Lyn Kluender explains how the kitchen is supported by area community members, businesses and churches of various denominations. The Siouxland Soup Kitchen opened in 1987 in St. Joseph Church in Sioux City solely to feed the hungry. Today, t...
Our first episode of season 3!
Father Patrick Behm, pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll, explains all things adoration for us. He explains what adoration is, how to participate in adoration and why Catholics should consider including adoration in their faith lives. Father Behm also talks about the adoration chapel at his parish.
Check with your own parish for adoration opportunities.
Wrapping up Season Two with Shayla Moore, executive director of The Warming Shelter in Sioux City. As it is a Corporal Work of Mercy to provide shelter to those experiencing homelessness, in this episode, we learn more about the origins of the shelter, involvement of area faith communities, the support network to help clients long-term and who uses the services at the shelter. Also, learn how you can help the cause ...
Looking for a regional site for a meaningful road trip? The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin is about 7 to 8 hours away from diocesan parishioners, and many have visited. John Paul Brissette of the shrine shares the story of Servant of God Adele Brice and the message she received from Our Lady of Champion. He invites all to the July 1 to 9 Catholic Saints of America event to celebrate A...
Diocese of Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka invites all to make a pilgrimage to St. Louis Sept. 24 to celebrate the beatification of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The archbishop is a native of Peoria and was a pioneer in using the new media to evangelize and share the Gospel message. Bishop Tylka talks about the archbishop and invites the faithful to plan a pilgrimage to the beatification and include a stop in Peoria....
Kelley Grothus, director of religious education (DRE) of Ascension Parish - St. Malachy Church in Madrid is passionate about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She shares her history of working with the program, how it works and how it meets the needs of children as they grow in their knowledge of the faith. Also, there are three levels of training available starting this summer for faith formation leaders.
Bishop John E. Keehner promulgated his first pastoral letter on May 31 - solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The letter, Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum, God So Loved the World - A pastoral reflection on the meaning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for our world today. He wrote it in anticipation of the June 11, 2026 U.S. Bishops' consecration of our nation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as the nation celebrates the 250th an...
We had a conversation with Jim Murray, our new interim superintendent from Humboldt, and Dr. Dora Jung, our new Director of Catholic Schools from Sioux City, who will be leading our Catholic Schools Office. They both will hit the ground running July 1 as they begin their new positions with the Diocese of Sioux City and become acquainted with communities, schools, administrators and students. In this episode, y...
Father Dan Greving, native of Willey and pastor of St. Donatus Parish (Alton, Granville and Hospers churches), helps us to understand Mary's role in the church, her intercessory role, basis in Scripture, Marian feast days and devotions for the Month of May. He clears up misconceptions such as worshipping Mary, adoration vs. veneration and praying to Mary versus requesting her intercession.
We interviewed Jerrett and Luisa Wendt of Built on Rock Parent Coaching. They share the journey that led them to Built on Rock, a Catholic parenting program. Despite many parenting courses, they found themselves at "rock bottom" and found a faith based approach. They will be presenting to parish formation leaders at a workshop in June and offering an evening session in Spanish. Learn more about the resources they of...
Podcast co-hosts Dawn Prosser and Karmen Bower interview Father David Esquiliano, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Sioux City, about the Freemasons and Catholic teaching about the fraternal organization.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Illuminating Catholics – shedding light to understand the modern church. Follow us for more episodes on topics of the Catholic faith. We are funded in part by Togethe...
Father Travis Crotty, director of vocations, shares the activities planned for the upcoming months including the June 1-4 Quest pilgrimage to Pilsen, Kansas, hometown of Father Emil Kapaun, servant of God, and Oklahoma City to visit the shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother. Also, there is a July 31 to Aug. 2 Quo Vadis retreat in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Learn more or register here. He explains the highlights of each...
Our embedded Catholic Mutual Group claims and risk manager, Dustin Heino, discusses the work of Catholic Mutual, including providing support and resources for parishes enhancing their safety and security measures. As there have been acts of violence, medical emergencies, natural disasters and other situations at houses of worship around the country, parishes need to be prepared for the worst and pray for the best. D...
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