Many Church leaders have issued statements and taken other actions following the death of George Floyd and the resulting protests. In 2017, the U.S. bishops issued a pastoral letter against racism called “Open Wide Our Hearts”. For other Catholic Church resources on racism, go to http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/index.cfm. For messages from your bishop, visit your diocesan website: Archdiocese of [...]
Gov. Reynolds has issued a new proclamation closing additional businesses, including mall stores that can only be reached from the inside, social and fraternal clubs, bingo, gaming and music stores, playgrounds and amusement parks through April 30. The governor asked people to stay home unless absolutely necessary. Click here for the text of the proclamation. [...]
Many parishes are offering Masses and other spiritual resources online. Click here for a link to the diocesan web pages or updates. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new proclamation on Thursday suspending elective and nonessential medical procedures (including abortions) and extending retail business closures to clothing stores, bookstores and others until April 7. Click here for [...]
The Iowa Legislature is taking a break until at least April 15 following passage early this morning of a supplemental budget bill, Senate File 2408. Among other provisions, the bill appropriates $20 million in emergency funds to the governor and would keep the state government going through August if necessary. The bill also includes the [...]
Last Friday at the State Capitol was the first legislative “funnel” deadline. If a bill has not been passed by a committee, it is considered dead for the session. This rule does not apply to budget or tax related bills. The ICC encourages the Senate to pass the constitutional amendment, HJR 14, which would enable [...]
The Catholic bishops have released a statement in support of a constitutional amendment to clarify that a right to abortion is not guaranteed by the State of Iowa’s Constitution. The bishops said, “The dignity of the human person is the foundation of our moral vision for society. We recognize that each person is created in [...]
On caucus night, Feb. 3, 2020, Iowans will gather by party preference at their precinct sites to elect delegates to the 99 county conventions. The event is a statewide invitation to Iowans to gather in their communities to consider presidential candidates and issues and is the first-in-the-nation test of the 2020 electoral cycle. The Iowa [...]
Recent studies affirm the ability of Catholic schools to create positive outcomes for students and families. One of the reasons our education model succeeds is a commitment to helping students grow intellectually while demonstrating how to love and serve God by serving others. That principle is integrated into every education program, from small rural schools [...]
BISHOPS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT RACISM AND MASS SHOOTINGS Bishops from three committees at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed their deep concern on Aug. 8 about racism and xenophobia that apparently motivated the recent massacre in El Paso and that have motivated numerous other recent mass shootings in the United States. Following [...]
Father William Joensen, Ph,D. was appointed today by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines. Bishop-elect Joensen, 59, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and a professor of philosophy at Loras College. He grew up in Ames. During a news conference held earlier today, Bishop-elect Joensen said “I’m an Iowa [...]