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Diocese of Sioux City

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Diocese of Sioux City
Diœcesis Siopolitanensis
Cathedral of the Epiphany
Cathedral of the Epiphany
Location
Country United States
Territory 24 Counties in the Northwest quadrant of Iowa
Ecclesiastical province Dubuque
Coordinates 42°30′02″N 96°24′23″W / 42.50056°N 96.40639°W
Statistics
Area 14,518 sq mi (37,600 km2)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2020)
455,293
85,516 (18.8%)
Parishes 73
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established January 15, 1902 (124 years ago)
Cathedral Cathedral of the Epiphany
Patron saint Our Lady of Guadalupe
Secular priests 92 (diocesan)
2 (religious Orders)
53 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop John Edward Keehner
Metropolitan Archbishop Thomas Robert Zinkula
Bishops emeritus R. Walker Nickless
Map
Website
scdiocese.org

The Diocese of Sioux City (Latin: Diœcesis Siopolitanensis) is the Latin Church diocese for the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The cathedral parish for this diocese is the Epiphany and the see city is Sioux City.

The Diocese of Sioux City comprises 24 counties in northwestern Iowa, covering 14,518 square miles (37,600 km2).

History

1800 to 1900

The first Catholic missionaries arrived in the Iowa area during the early 1830s. They were under the supervision of the Diocese of St. Louis. In 1837, the Vatican erected the Diocese of Dubuque, covering Iowa and adjoining territories.[1] Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque in 1856 erected Corpus Christi Parish in Fort Dodge. It was the first parish in the present-day Diocese of Sioux City.[2] Sioux City in 1867 received its first resident priest, turning a mission church into St. Mary's Parish.[3] A second St. Mary's Parish was founded in Storm Lake in 1871 and its church was dedicated in 1872.[4]

The Sisters of Mercy in 1890 opened St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City.[5] Today it is part of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s – Downtown. In 1897, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Sioux City was authorized as a new religious order by the Vatican.[5]

1900 to 1950

On July 24, 1900, Pope Leo XIII erected the new Diocese of Sioux City by separating 24 counties in northwestern Iowa from the Archdiocese of Dubuque.[6] At that time, the Catholic population of the diocese was approximately 50,000.[7]

The pope appointed Philip Garrigan, vice rector of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., as the first bishop of the new diocese.[7] Garrigan designated the uncompleted St. Mary's Church in Sioux City as the cathedral for the diocese.[3]

In 1902, the Sisters of Mercy opened the St. Joseph School of Nursing in Sioux City.[5] The Cathedral of the Ephiphany was dedicated in 1904.[3] The Benedictine Sisters in 1907 opened St. Vincent Hospital in Sioux City.[5] It is also part of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s – Downtown. The Sisters of St. Francis in 1910 opened St. Anthony's Home in Sioux City for orphans and other children needing a home.[8]

During his tenure as bishop, Garrigan visited all the parishes of the diocese. He authored the article on the Diocese of Sioux City for the Catholic Encyclopedia.

After Garrigan died in 1919, Pope Benedict XV named Auxiliary Bishop Edmond Heelan of Sioux City as his successor in 1920.[9] During his term as bishop, Heelan greatly expanded Catholic education in the diocese. In 1929, Heelan donated land in Sioux City to the Sisters of St. Francis for the establishment of Briar Cliff College for women.[10] Today it is Briar Cliff University. In 1947, Pope Pius XII named Joseph Mueller of the Diocese of Belleville as coadjutor bishop to assist Heelan. When Heelan died in 1948, Mueller automatically became bishop of Sioux City.[11]

1950 to 2000

During his 22-year-long tenure, Mueller built several new schools, churches, and other parish facilities. After Mueller retired as bishop of Sioux City in 1970 Pope Paul VI appointed Auxiliary Bishop Frank Greteman of Sioux City as its fourth bishop.[12] The primary focus of his episcopate was Catholic education. Greteman retired as bishop of Sioux City in 1982.[11]

In 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Lawrence D. Soens of the Diocese of Davenport as the next bishop of Sioux City.[13] While Soens was bishop, he established the Ministry 2000 program, the Priests Retirement Fund, and some youth ministry programs. The diocese also mandated that the parishes establish pastoral and finance commissions.[14]

In 1997, John Paul II named Daniel DiNardo from the Diocese of Pittsburgh as coadjutor bishop to assist Soens. When Soens retired as bishop of Sioux City in 1998, DiNardo automatically succeeded him.[15] While bishop, DiNardo oversaw a $14 million capital campaign for the diocese.[16]

2000 to present

In 2004, Pope Benedict XVI appointed DiNardo as coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.[15] To replaced DiNardo in Sioux City, Benedict XVI appointed R. Walker Nickless of the Archdiocese of Denver as the seventh bishop of the diocese.[17] David Newbrough, the chief financial officer of the Bishop Heelan Catholic school system, sued the school and the diocese in 2013. He claimed that he had been fired because he was not a Catholic.[18] The lawsuit was dismissed in 2015, with the judge citing federal law allowing religious institution to discriminate in employment on religious grounds.[19]

In 2015, Nickless granted permission to the Ministry Institute of Christ the Servant to identify as a Catholic institute.[20] The Ministry Institute was affiliated with Briar Cliff University. In 2016, the diocese announced plans to consolidate 41 parishes due a shortage of priests and decreased mass attendance. Some of the redudent worship sites became oratories and sites for prayer services, funerals, and weddings, but not for weekly masses. Most of the affected parishes were in rural areas of the diocese.[21]

After Nickless retired in 2025, Pope Francis named John Keehner Jr. from the Diocese of Youngstown as bishop of Sioux Falls on February 12, 2025.[22][23]

Sexual abuse

In 1992, after receiving multiple sexual abuse allegations, the Diocese of Sioux City forced Rev. George McFadden to undergo treatment and retire from his pastoral position. However, after finishing treatment, the diocese assigned him to hear confessions and celebrate mass at the cathedral. McFadden was finally suspended from all ministerial functions in 2002. At that time, Bishop DiNardo said it had been a mistake in 1992 to allow McFadden to continue in ministry.[24] By August 2004, the diocese had been served with 20 lawsuits alleging abuse by McFadden.[25] The diocese had settled 16 of these lawsuits by March 2005; by July 2005, the number of lawsuits had reached 26.[26]

In June 2005, the diocese was sued by a man who accused Bishop Soens of fondling him. The alleged abuse started in 1963 when Soens was director at Regina Catholic High School in Iowa City.[27][28] In November 2008, the diocesan review board reported that there were several credible accusations against Soens of sexually abusing minors. Thirty-one men had accused him of abusing them between 1950 and 1983. His case was referred to the Vatican for further action.[29]

In October 2018, the diocese admitted that for several decades it had concealed sexual abuse committed by Rev. Jerome Coyle. It stated that Coyle had abused at least 50 boys during his time as priest. Coyle confessed his history of abuse to Soens in 1986, who placed him on a six-month medical leave, but did not report the admission to police or suspend him. The diocese eventually forbade Coyle from publicly functioning as a priest. However, he still retained his title and continued to collect financial assistance from the diocese while living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The diocese did not notify anyone of his admission nor of allegations against Coyle, and it did not take any further action against him.[30]

In October 2019, Samuel Heinrichs sued the diocese, claiming that he had been physically and sexually abused when he was ten years old by Rev. Dale Koster. The abuse occurred during the 1960's at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Carroll. The stress caused Heinrichs to develop an ulcer when he was in the fifth grade.[31] The diocese and Heinrichs settled the lawsuit in 2021.[32]

Bishops

Bishops of Sioux City

  1. Philip Joseph Garrigan (1902–1919)
  2. Edmond Heelan (1920–1948)
    - Thomas Lawrence Noa (Coadjutor 1946–1947), appointed Bishop of Marquette before succession
  3. Joseph Maximilian Mueller (1948–1970; Coadjutor 1947–1948)
  4. Frank Henry Greteman (1970–1983)
  5. Lawrence Donald Soens (1983–1998)
  6. Daniel N. DiNardo (1998–2004), appointed Coadjutor Bishop and later Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of Galveston-Houston (elevated to Cardinal in 2007)
  7. R. Walker Nickless (2005–2025)
  8. John Edward Keehner (2025-present)

Auxiliary bishops

  • Edmond Heelan (1918–1920), appointed Bishop of Sioux City
  • Frank Henry Greteman (1965–1970), appointed Bishop of Sioux City

Other diocesan priest who became bishop

Dennis Marion Schnurr, appointed Bishop of Duluth in 2001 and later Archbishop of Cincinnati

Education

High schools

School Location Mascot
Bishop Garrigan High School[33] Algona Golden Bears
Bishop Heelan High School[34] Sioux City Crusaders
Gehlen Catholic School[35] Le Mars Jays
Kuemper Catholic School[36] Carroll Knights
St. Edmond Catholic School[37] Fort Dodge Gaels
Remsen St. Mary's School[38] Remsen Hawks
St. Mary's School Storm Lake Panthers

Closed schools

School Location Mascot Fate
Corpus Christi Fort Dodge Celts Consolidated with Sacred Heart High School, Fort Dodge, to form St. Edmond's, Fort Dodge, in 1955
Holy Family Lidderdale Unknown Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic, Carroll, in 1955
Holy Name Marcus Wildcats Closed in 1964
Immaculate Conception Cherokee Irish Closed in 1969
Messenger Ryan Boone Raiders Closed in 1970, succeeded Sacred Heart, Boone
Our Lady of Good Counsel Fonda Irish Closed in 1975
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mount Carmel Cougars Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic in 1958
Presentation Academy Whittemore Crusaders Consolidated with St. Cecilia, Algona to form Bishop Garrigan, Algona, in 1959
Sacred Heart Boone Spartans Closed in 1967, succeeded by Messenger Ryan, Boone
Sacred Heart Early Sabers Absorbed by St. Mary's, Storm Lake, in 1967
Sacred Heart Fort Dodge Irish Consolidated with Corpus Christi Catholic, Fort Dodge, to form St. Edmond's, Fort Dodge, in 1955
Sacred Heart Pocahontas Eagles Closed in 1970
Sacred Heart Templeton Aces Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic in 1959
St. Ann's Vail Eagles Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic in 1960
St. Bernard's Breda Bobcats Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic in 1979
St. Cecilia's Algona Blue Knights Consolidated with St. Cecilia, Algona to form Bishop Garrigan in 1959
St. Columbkille's Varina Black Hawks Closed in 1961
St. John's Arcadia Bears Absorbed by Kuemper Catholic in 1995
St. John's Bancroft Johnnies Absorbed by Bishop Garriganin 1989
St. Joseph's Ashton Ramblers Closed in 1967
St. Joseph's Bode Trojans Absorbed by Bishop Garrigan in 1970
St. Joseph's Granville Cardinals Consolidated with St. Mary's, Alton to form Spalding Catholic, Granville, in 1962
St. Joseph's Le Mars Joe Hawks Merged with St. James School, Le Mars (no high school) to form Gehlen Catholic, Le Mars, in 1952
St. Joseph's Salix Wildcats Absorbed by Bishop Heelan, Sioux City, in 1960
St. Mary's Alton Blue Jax Consolidated with St. Joseph's, Granville to form Spalding Catholic in 1962
St. Mary's Emmetsburg Irish Closed in 1968
St. Mary's Larchwood Traveliers Closed in 1968
St. Matthew's Clare Irish Absorbed by St. Edmond's, Fort Dodge, in 1961
St. Patrick's Danbury Bluejays Closed in 1968
Spalding Catholic Granville Spartans Absorbed by Gehlen Catholic in 2013
Trinity Catholic Sioux City Crusaders Became Bishop Heelan in 1949

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Sioux City is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[39]

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Diocese of Sioux City (SIOPOLITAN).

Erected 15 Jan., 1902, by Leo XIII. The establishment of this diocese was provided for in the Bull appointing Most Rev. John J. Keane, D.D., to the Archbishopric of Dubuque on 24 July, 1900. This provision was made on the occasion of that appointment for the reason that the new diocese was taken entirely from Archdiocese of Dubuque. It comprises twenty-four counties in north-western Iowa, including a territory of 14,518 square miles. Sioux City is on the extreme limit of the western boundary of Iowa, situated on the east bank of the Missouri River, about one hundred miles north of Omaha. With the exception of Des Moines, the capital, it is the largest and most enterprising municipality in the State of Iowa, containing a population of between fifty and sixty thousand. It is in the midst of a large and rich agricultural country, and relies chiefly on the products of the soil, of which the staple article is corn; consequently grain-packing is the chief industry of Sioux City. The Catholic population of the diocese is almost sixty thousand. It has 138 churches, including missions, 122 priests, of whom 6 are religious (4 Friars Minor and 2 Fathers of the Sacred Heart); 53 parochial schools, with 4 hospitals; 4 academies; 2 schools of domestic science; an orphanage, a Good Shepherd home, an infant asylum, a home for the aged, and a working girls' home. There are 7327 children in the parish schools, and nearly 8000 under Catholic care. The composition of the Catholic population of the diocese is English-speaking and German. These form the principal elements of the Church's membership here, and are almost equally divided in numbers. A characteristic feature of western Catholicism is manifest here as in other western dioceses, that is the ardent desire of the people for parochial schools wherever it is possible. Out of the 10,000 children of school age (i.e. under seventeen years) in the diocese, three-fourths are in parochial schools. The following orders conduct schools and charitable institutions in the diocese: Sisters of Charity B.V.M., Sisters of Christian Charity, Sisters of St. Dominic, Sister of St. Francis (Dubuque, Iowa), Franciscan Sisters (Clinton, Iowa), Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, School Sisters of St. Francis, Presentation Nuns, Servants of Mary, Sister of St. Benedict, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Since its establishment nine years ago, the diocese is thoroughly organized and has been constantly expanding by the erection of churches, schools, and expanding by the erection of churches, schools, and other institutions. The present bishop, the Right Reverend Philip J. Garrigan, D.D., first bishop of the diocese, was born in Ireland in the early forties, came to this country with his parents, and received his elementary education in the public schools of Lowell, Mass. He pursued his classical course at St. Charles's College, Ellicott City, Maryland, and courses of philosophy and theology at the Provincial Seminary of New York at Troy, where he was ordained on 11 June, 1870. After a short term as curate of St. John's Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, he was appointed director of the Troy seminary for three years; and was for fourteen years afterwards pastor of St. Bernard's Church, Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In the fall of 1888 he was appointed first vice-rector of the Catholic University at Washington, D. C., which position he also held for fourteen years. He was named Bishop of Sioux City on 21 March, 1902, and consecrated at the see of his home diocese, Springfield, Massachusetts, on 25 May of the same year, by the Right Rev. T.D. Beaven, and on 18 June following took possession of his see.

References

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  4. Back to citation "Highlights of St. Mary's School First 100 Years!" (PDF). St. Mary's School. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
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  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 Garrigan, Philip. "Sioux City". The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. retrieved 18 November 2017.
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