Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City is the Roman Catholic
diocese
for the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa
, US
The diocese comprises 24 counties in northwestern Iowa, and it covers an area of 14518 square miles (37,601.4 km²).
The See city
for the diocese is Sioux City
, Iowa. The Latin
title is Dioecesis Siopolitanensis, and the corporate title is the Diocese of Sioux City. The Cathedral
parish for this diocese is the Cathedral of the Epiphany
in Sioux City.
Currently, R. Walker Nickless is bishop of Sioux City. He succeeded Daniel N. DiNardo, who served from 1998 to 2004. In January 2004 Bishop DiNardo was named the Coadjutor Bishop
of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston
, and he became the coadjutor Archbishop with that diocese's elevation to Archdiocese in December 2004. The office of Bishop was sede vacante
until November 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI
named R. Walker Nickless as the new Bishop of the Diocese. Nickless was formally ordained as the next Bishop of Sioux City on January 20, 2006. While the Bishop's office was vacant, the Diocese was led by Msgr. Roger J. Augustine, who served as Diocesan Administrator. Bishop Lawrence D. Soens is the Bishop Emeritus, or retired Bishop, for this diocese.
, Iowa. In the following years Diocesan officials and other Catholics began to feel that due to its size the Dubuque Diocese wasn't able to fully support their needs because at the time it covered the entire northern half of the state of Iowa. They also did not like the distances involved in traveling to Dubuque, which was on Iowa's eastern border - several hundred miles away.
On January 15, 1902, Pope Leo XIII took a 24 county area of northwest Iowa from the Archdiocese of Dubuque and created the Diocese of Sioux City. When it was founded, the Diocese of Sioux City had 50,000 Catholics, 95 priests, 84 parishes, and 32 missions. Leo XIII named Rt. Rev. Phillip J. Garrigan, a vice-rector of The Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
as the first Bishop of the Diocese.
Bishop Garrigan was formally installed in office on June 18, 1902. He proceeded to name what was then Saint Mary's Church as his Cathedral church. Garrigan applied to the Vatican
for permission to rename Saint Mary's to the Cathedral of the Epiphany, which was subsequently approved.
Bishop Lawerence D. Soens was named the Bishop of Sioux City in 1983, and served until his retirement in 1998. Soens was accused of having sexually abused children prior to his appointment as Bishop.
Bishop Soens was followed by Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, who served as Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese from 1998 until he was named the coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston in 2004. The diocese was then vacant until November 10, 2005 when Monsignor
R. Walker Nickless was named Bishop.
Msgr. Kevin McCoy
, who has served as the rector of the Pontifical North American College
is a priest of the Sioux City diocese.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
for the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
The diocese comprises 24 counties in northwestern Iowa, and it covers an area of 14518 square miles (37,601.4 km²).
The See city
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
for the diocese is Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
, Iowa. The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
title is Dioecesis Siopolitanensis, and the corporate title is the Diocese of Sioux City. The Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
parish for this diocese is the Cathedral of the Epiphany
Cathedral of the Epiphany (Sioux City, Iowa)
The Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, Iowa is the cathedral parish for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. The Cathedral is located at 1000 Douglas Street in Sioux City.-History:...
in Sioux City.
Currently, R. Walker Nickless is bishop of Sioux City. He succeeded Daniel N. DiNardo, who served from 1998 to 2004. In January 2004 Bishop DiNardo was named the Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston; Harris; Austin; Brazoria; Fort Bend; Grimes; Montgomery; San Jacinto; Walker; and Waller.The chancery of the diocese is located in Downtown Houston. The Archdiocese's...
, and he became the coadjutor Archbishop with that diocese's elevation to Archdiocese in December 2004. The office of Bishop was sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
until November 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
named R. Walker Nickless as the new Bishop of the Diocese. Nickless was formally ordained as the next Bishop of Sioux City on January 20, 2006. While the Bishop's office was vacant, the Diocese was led by Msgr. Roger J. Augustine, who served as Diocesan Administrator. Bishop Lawrence D. Soens is the Bishop Emeritus, or retired Bishop, for this diocese.
History
In the past, the area that now makes up the Diocese of Sioux City was under the jurisdiction of a number of Catholic prelates. Most of these were academic as no Catholic presence in the area. In 1838 this area came under the authority of the newly created Diocese of Dubuque. For nearly 64 years the area remained under the authority of the Diocese and Archdiocese of DubuqueDubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, Iowa. In the following years Diocesan officials and other Catholics began to feel that due to its size the Dubuque Diocese wasn't able to fully support their needs because at the time it covered the entire northern half of the state of Iowa. They also did not like the distances involved in traveling to Dubuque, which was on Iowa's eastern border - several hundred miles away.
On January 15, 1902, Pope Leo XIII took a 24 county area of northwest Iowa from the Archdiocese of Dubuque and created the Diocese of Sioux City. When it was founded, the Diocese of Sioux City had 50,000 Catholics, 95 priests, 84 parishes, and 32 missions. Leo XIII named Rt. Rev. Phillip J. Garrigan, a vice-rector of The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as the first Bishop of the Diocese.
Bishop Garrigan was formally installed in office on June 18, 1902. He proceeded to name what was then Saint Mary's Church as his Cathedral church. Garrigan applied to the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
for permission to rename Saint Mary's to the Cathedral of the Epiphany, which was subsequently approved.
Bishop Lawerence D. Soens was named the Bishop of Sioux City in 1983, and served until his retirement in 1998. Soens was accused of having sexually abused children prior to his appointment as Bishop.
Bishop Soens was followed by Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, who served as Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese from 1998 until he was named the coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston in 2004. The diocese was then vacant until November 10, 2005 when Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
R. Walker Nickless was named Bishop.
Msgr. Kevin McCoy
Kevin McCoy (rector)
Kevin C. McCoy, is a Roman Catholic priest, originally of the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa. He was born at Jefferson, Iowa, on April 24, 1954, attended Loras College and the North American College in Rome, and was ordained July 25, 1981, at Jefferson. He was Chancellor of the Diocese of Sioux City...
, who has served as the rector of the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
is a priest of the Sioux City diocese.
Ordinaries of the diocese
The following men have served as Bishops of this diocese, along with their dates of service:- Philip Joseph GarriganPhilip Joseph GarriganPhilip Joseph Garrigan was a Roman Catholic clergyman.Garrigan was born in Whitegate, Ireland in 1840, he came to the United States with his parents, and received his elementary education in the public schools of Lowell, Massachusetts. He pursued his classical course at St...
- March 21, 1902 - 14 October 1919 (His death) - Edmond HeelanEdmond HeelanEdmond Heelan was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1920 until his death in 1948.-Biography:...
- March 8, 1920 - 20 September 1948 (His death) - Joseph Maximilian MuellerJoseph Maximilian MuellerJoseph Maximilian Mueller was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1948 to 1970.-Biography:...
- September 20, 1948 - 20 October 1970 (His retirement) - Frank Henry GretemanFrank Henry GretemanFrank Henry Greteman was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Frank Greteman was born in Willey, Iowa, to Bernard and Mary Greteman...
- October 15, 1970 - August 17, 1983 (His retirement) - Lawrence Donald SoensLawrence Donald SoensLawrence Donald Soens is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of Sioux City in the state of Iowa from 1983 to 1998.-Early life & Ministry:...
- June 15, 1983 - November 28, 1998 (His retirement) - Daniel N. DiNardo - November 28, 1998 - January 16, 2004 (Reassigned as the Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston)
- R. Walker Nickless - November 10, 2005–Present.
Diocesan priests who became bishops
- Edmond Heelan, Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Sioux City
- Frank Henry Greteman, Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Sioux City
- Dennis Marion SchnurrDennis Marion SchnurrDennis Marion Schnurr is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Cincinnati, having previously served as Bishop of Duluth from 2001 to 2008 and as Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati from 2008 to 2009.-Early life and ministry:Dennis Schnurr was born in...
, Bishop of DuluthRoman Catholic Diocese of DuluthThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. The episcopal see is in Duluth, Minnesota. It was established on October 3, 1889 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese includes Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St...
, Archbishop of CincinnatiRoman Catholic Archdiocese of CincinnatiThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
High schools
- Bishop Garrigan High SchoolBishop Garrigan High SchoolBishop Garrigan High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Algona, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City.-Background:...
, Algona - Bishop Heelan Catholic High SchoolBishop Heelan Catholic High SchoolBishop Heelan is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Sioux City, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City.-History:...
, Sioux City - Gehlen Catholic High SchoolGehlen Catholic High SchoolGehlen Catholic School is located in LeMars, Iowa. Gehlen's athletic teams are known as the Jays. They compete in the War Eagle Conference with eight other teams from northwest Iowa. Their two main rivals are the two other Roman Catholic schools in the War Eagle, Spalding Catholic High School and...
, Le Mars - Kuemper Catholic High SchoolKuemper Catholic High SchoolKuemper Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Carroll, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City....
, Carroll - St. Edmond High School, Fort Dodge
- St. Mary's High SchoolSt. Mary's High School (Remsen, Iowa)St. Mary's High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Remsen, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City....
, Remsen - St. Mary's High SchoolSt. Mary's High School (Storm Lake, Iowa)St. Mary's High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Storm Lake, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City.-Background:...
, Storm Lake - Spalding Catholic High SchoolSpalding Catholic High SchoolSpalding Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Granville, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City.-Background:...
, Granville