About Diocese of Sioux City
The Diocese of Sioux City (Latin: Diœcesis Siopolitanensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church covering the 24 counties of northwestern Iowa, with the see city at Sioux City and the mother church at the Cathedral of the Epiphany. Erected on January 15, 1902 by Pope Leo XIII from territory taken from the Archdiocese of Dubuque, it is a suffragan see in the Ecclesiastical Province of Dubuque. The diocese's eighth and current bishop is Most Rev. John E. Keehner Jr., ordained May 1, 2025, who succeeded Bishop R. Walker Nickless, and the diocese counts approximately 85,500 Catholics (about 18.8% of the regional population) served through roughly 73 parishes and a notable Catholic school system anchored by Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools in Sioux City.
- Bishop
- John E. Keehner Jr.
- Established
- 1902
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City, Iowa
- Territory
- The 24 counties of northwestern Iowa: Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Sioux, O'Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Franklin, Sac, and Calhoun counties (covering 14,518 square miles / 37,600 km²).
- Parishes
- 73
- Province
- Archdiocese of Dubuque (Ecclesiastical Province of Iowa, with suffragan sees in Davenport and Des Moines)
History of the Diocese of Sioux City
The Diocese of Sioux City was established on January 15, 1902 by a decree of Pope Leo XIII, separating 24 counties in northwestern Iowa from the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Catholic presence, however, long predates the diocese: Jesuit Father Christian Hoecken celebrated the first Mass in the region in November 1850, and the first resident pastor was assigned to Corpus Christi Parish in Fort Dodge in 1857. Successive waves of Irish, German, French, Bohemian, Polish, Italian, Syrian, Lithuanian, Croatian and Luxembourger immigrants established ethnic parishes across the agricultural frontier between 1850 and 1920. At its founding the diocese had about 50,000 Catholics, 95 priests, 84 parishes and 32 missions. Bishop Philip J. Garrigan, the first bishop, named the unfinished St. Mary's Church in Sioux City as the cathedral, renaming it the Cathedral of the Epiphany. Subsequent bishops expanded Catholic education, founded Briar Cliff College (1929), built dozens of schools and churches in the mid-20th century, and responded to the 21st-century priest shortage with the sweeping Ministry 2025 pastoral plan that reduced parishes from 108 to about 70. The diocese has been led by eight bishops over its 124-year history, and is the only see in Iowa to have produced a cardinal — Daniel N. DiNardo, its sixth bishop, was elevated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
- Erected January 15, 1902 by Pope Leo XIII from 24 counties of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
- First Mass in the region: November 1850 by Father Christian Hoecken, S.J.
- At founding: 50,000 Catholics, 95 priests, 84 parishes, 32 missions
- Eight bishops in 124 years; one cardinal (Daniel N. DiNardo, 2007)
Bishops in Succession
The diocese has been led by eight bishops in succession. The first five — Garrigan, Heelan, Noa, Mueller, and Greteman — were all of Irish descent, reflecting the heavy 19th-century Irish immigration into northwest Iowa. Bishop Philip J. Garrigan (1902–1919) was appointed directly from the vice-rectorship of The Catholic University of America. Bishop Edmond Heelan (1919–1948) expanded Catholic education and donated the land that became Briar Cliff College. Bishop Joseph M. Mueller (1948–1970) led the great 20th-century building era. Bishop Frank H. Greteman (1970–1983) was the first native of the diocese to be named a bishop. Bishop Lawrence D. Soens (1983–1998) created Ministry 2000 and the Priests Retirement Fund. Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo (1998–2004) became a cardinal in 2007 and later Archbishop of Galveston-Houston. Bishop R. Walker Nickless (2006–2025) launched the Ministry 2025 pastoral plan. The current bishop, the eighth, is John E. Keehner Jr. (2025–present), a canon lawyer from the Diocese of Youngstown whose episcopal motto is 'He must increase; I must decrease.'
- 1. Philip J. Garrigan (1902–1919) — first bishop, named the Cathedral of the Epiphany
- 2. Edmond Heelan (1919–1948) — expanded Catholic education, founded Briar Cliff College site
- 3. Joseph M. Mueller (1948–1970) — major building era of schools and churches
- 4. Frank H. Greteman (1970–1983) — first native of the diocese to be named bishop
- 5. Lawrence D. Soens (1983–1998) — Ministry 2000, Priests Retirement Fund
- 6. Daniel N. DiNardo (1998–2004) — later Cardinal (2007), Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
- 7. R. Walker Nickless (2006–2025) — Ministry 2025 pastoral restructuring
- 8. John E. Keehner Jr. (2025–present) — motto: 'He must increase; I must decrease'
Bishop John E. Keehner Jr.
Most Reverend John E. Keehner Jr. is the eighth and current Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, born November 19, 1965, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Youngstown on June 12, 1993 after studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum (B.A.) and Mount Saint Mary's Seminary of the West (M.A. in biblical studies), and a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. He has served as parish vicar of St. Charles in Boardman, tribunal judge, vice-rector and rector of St. Columba Cathedral, university pastoral director at Youngstown State, defender of the bond, and pastor of multiple parishes in Youngstown and North Canton. At the time of his appointment he was pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Ashtabula, Assumption BVM in Geneva, Corpus Christi in Conneaut, and St. Andrew Bobola in Sheffield. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop R. Walker Nickless and named Father Keehner Bishop of Sioux City on February 12, 2025; he was ordained and installed on May 1, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany by Archbishop Thomas R. Zinkula of Dubuque, with Bishop Nickless and Bishop David J. Bonnar of Youngstown as co-ordaining bishops. His episcopal motto, drawn from the words of his patron St. John the Baptist, is 'He must increase; I must decrease.'
- Born November 19, 1965 in Youngstown, Ohio
- Ordained a priest: June 12, 1993 (Diocese of Youngstown)
- Appointed Bishop of Sioux City: February 12, 2025 (by Pope Francis)
- Ordained and installed: May 1, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany
- Episcopal motto: 'He must increase; I must decrease' (St. John the Baptist, Jn 3:30)
Cathedral of the Epiphany
The Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City has served as the mother church of the Diocese of Sioux City since the diocese was founded in 1902. First Bishop Philip J. Garrigan designated the then-unfinished St. Mary's Church in Sioux City as the cathedral and renamed it the Cathedral of the Epiphany, and it has been the seat of every Bishop of Sioux City since. It is the principal liturgical setting for ordinations, Chrism Masses and major diocesan liturgies, including the May 1, 2025 ordination and installation of Bishop John E. Keehner Jr. The cathedral parish was clustered in 2017 with St. Boniface and St. Joseph parishes as part of the Ministry 2025 pastoral plan to form the new 'Cathedral Parish' in Sioux City. The cathedral stands as the visible sign of unity for the 73 parishes and roughly 85,500 Catholics spread across the 24 counties of northwestern Iowa.
- Mother church of the Diocese of Sioux City since 1902
- Originally the unfinished St. Mary's Church, renamed by Bishop Garrigan
- Site of the May 1, 2025 ordination and installation of Bishop Keehner
Pastoral Planning — Ministry 2025
Ministry 2025 is the pastoral plan launched in 2016 under Bishop R. Walker Nickless to reorganize the diocese in response to a growing priest shortage and falling Mass attendance. Drafted with the input of diocesan priests and the consulting firm TeamWorks International, the plan reduced parishes from 108 to about 67 (later reported as 70), moving roughly 40 mostly rural churches to 'oratory' status — meaning the parish is suppressed, the church building becomes a place of prayer without Sunday Mass, and may still be used for weddings, funerals and special events. In Sioux City, the eight canonical parishes were clustered into four new parishes: Cathedral of the Epiphany (combining the cathedral with St. Boniface and St. Joseph), Holy Cross (combining Blessed Sacrament and St. Michael), Mater Dei (combining Nativity and Immaculate Conception), and Sacred Heart (remaining a single parish). The plan also created four deaneries (northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast) and 31 parish clusters, and ensured no parishioner would drive more than 20 minutes to reach Sunday Mass. Priests' workweeks were capped at about 55 hours and weekend Masses at three. Nine of the 31 new clusters are designated for Hispanic-association ministry, reflecting the growing Latino Catholic presence in towns such as Storm Lake, Denison, Sioux Center, Cherokee, Estherville, and Hawarden. Implementation began in summer 2017, and the plan is in effect through 2025.
- Reduced parishes from 108 to roughly 67–70
- About 40 rural churches moved to 'oratory' status (no Sunday Mass)
- Eight Sioux City parishes clustered into four: Cathedral of the Epiphany, Holy Cross, Mater Dei, Sacred Heart
- Priests limited to three weekend Masses and a 55-hour work week
- 31 clusters across 4 deaneries; 9 of the 31 are Hispanic-ministry clusters
- No Catholic in the diocese drives more than 20 minutes to Sunday Mass
- All 23 Catholic schools in the diocese were preserved
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The diocesan Office of Faith Formation supports parishes in faith formation, youth ministry, family life, and marriage preparation. The office is staffed by regional Faith Formation Coordinators serving the Northwest, Northeast and Southern regions of the diocese, including Delores Huemiller, Danielle Fennessy, and Maddie McLarty. The diocese sponsors the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) formation program, an approach rooted in Montessori pedagogy that nurtures the child's independent relationship with God. CGS Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 training are offered at multiple parish sites across the diocese, including Mater Dei and Holy Cross in Sioux City, St. John Paul II in Carroll, St. Cecilia in Ames, and St. Malachy's in Madrid. The diocese also offers a Lay Ministry Scholarship to cover training costs, and a Bishop's Education Grant (up to $3,000 per parish per year) administered through the Office of Evangelization, Discipleship, and Family Life, to help parishes launch or upgrade catechetical initiatives, including FORMED subscriptions, Catechetical Institute resources, and CGS atrium startup materials.
- Office of Faith Formation with three regional coordinators (NW, NE, Southern)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) Levels 1, 2, and 3 trained across the diocese
- Bishop's Education Grant: up to $3,000 per parish per year
- Lay Ministry Scholarship for catechist and lay minister training
Catholic Schools — Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools
Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools (BHCS) is the unified PK-12 Catholic school system in Sioux City, accredited by the Iowa Department of Education, North Central Accreditation, and the National Catholic Education Association. The flagship high school, Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, enrolls approximately 528 students in grades 9-12 with 46 full-time faculty and 14 non-teaching staff; the class of 2024 had 119 graduates. The system also includes Cathedral Dual Language Academy (a faith-centered PK-5 school offering bilingual English-Spanish education), Holy Cross School (PK-8), Mater Dei School (PK-8), and Sacred Heart School (PK-8). The schools' mission is to relate the total student to God through an excellent education leading toward a lifetime of service, with four pillars: Faith, Family, Knowledge, and Service. Bishop Heelan offers rigorous academics including honors-level theology, science, math, and humanities courses; competitive athletics; and fine arts. Graduates have been admitted to Briar Cliff University, Creighton, Notre Dame, Iowa State, University of Iowa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Penn State, St. John's, and many others. The system is governed by a president, a Director of Communications and Marketing, a Director of Enrollment and Curriculum, a Director of Finance, a Director of IT, and a Vice President of Advancement. The Catholic schools of the diocese were preserved through the Ministry 2025 parish restructuring; no school was closed as part of the 2016 pastoral plan.
- Bishop Heelan Catholic High School (grades 9-12, ~528 students)
- Cathedral Dual Language Academy (PK-5, English-Spanish)
- Holy Cross School (PK-8)
- Mater Dei School (PK-8)
- Sacred Heart School (PK-8)
- Accredited by Iowa Dept. of Education, NCA, and NCEA
- President: Dr. John Flanery; Principal: Chris Bork
Marriage & Family Life
The Office of Faith Formation coordinates Marriage Programs that support Catholic marriage and family life across the diocese, working in tandem with parish teams to prepare engaged couples and to support married couples at every stage. Marriage preparation follows diocesan policy and includes FOCCUS-style inventories, sponsor-couple mentoring and natural family planning resources consistent with Catholic teaching. The office also partners with parishes to support family-life ministry and continues to build diocesan programming in line with Bishop Keehner's pastoral priorities.
- Diocesan Marriage Programs coordinated through the Office of Faith Formation
- Engaged-couple marriage preparation
- Sponsor-couple mentoring model
Vocations & Priestly Formation
The diocese maintains a Vocations Office under the banner 'Where is God Calling You?' to foster priestly, diaconal, and consecrated-life vocations from among the faithful of northwestern Iowa. The diocese has been directly affected by the national priest shortage, ordaining only nine priests in the decade before 2016 and projecting a fall from 58 active pastors to 31 by 2025 — a trend that drove the Ministry 2025 pastoral restructuring. The diocese counts 92 diocesan priests, 2 religious-order priests, and 53 permanent deacons in active ministry (as of 2020).
- 92 diocesan priests, 2 religious-order priests, 53 permanent deacons (2020)
- Nine ordinations in the decade before 2016
Safe Environment & Protecting God's Children
The diocesan Safe Environment program implements the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, including background checks, VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' training for all adults who work with minors, and ongoing parish audit and compliance work. The program also covers vulnerable-adult protection, and is paired with a diocesan 'Addressing the Wounds' page that publishes resources for survivors of abuse and provides a reporting pathway in line with diocesan policy.
- VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' training for adults working with minors
- Background checks for clergy, employees and volunteers
- Diocesan 'Addressing the Wounds' resource and reporting page
Outreach & Charity — Together As One
Together As One is the annual Diocesan Annual Appeal that funds vital ministries across the 24 counties of northwestern Iowa, including faith formation, priestly retirement, seminarian education, youth ministry, Catholic Charities outreach, and media communications. The diocese also maintains the 'Addressing the Wounds' outreach for abuse survivors, a Catholic Charities network providing food, housing and immigration assistance, prison ministry, and Hispanic ministry to the growing Latino Catholic population in towns like Storm Lake, Denison and Sioux Center.
- Together As One Diocesan Annual Appeal
- Catholic Charities outreach (food, housing, immigration assistance)
- Hispanic ministry clusters (9 of 31 in Ministry 2025)
- Prison ministry and outreach to rural communities
Eucharistic Revival & Liturgical Life
The Diocese of Sioux City participates in the National Eucharistic Revival, promoting devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist through parish processions, holy hours, eucharistic congresses, and renewed catechesis on the Mass and the sacrament. The Office of Worship, under the direction of clergy such as the Rev. Brent Lingle, supports parish liturgy, trains liturgical ministers, and coordinates the annual Chrism Mass during Holy Week at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, at which the bishop blesses the holy oils used throughout the diocese for the coming year.
- Diocesan participation in the National Eucharistic Revival
- Annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany during Holy Week
Catholic Globe & LumenNotes
The Catholic Globe is the official diocesan newspaper, carrying diocesan news, bishop's columns, parish events, and feature reporting. LumenNotes (Notas Lumen) is the diocese's modern digital digest — short-form Catholic news designed for time-starved readers, with bilingual English-Spanish content — published through Lumen Media, the diocese's communications arm.
- Catholic Globe: official diocesan newspaper
- LumenNotes / Notas Lumen: digital bilingual news digest
- Published by Lumen Media
Diocesan Coat of Arms & Identity
The diocesan coat of arms, displayed on the official scdiocese.org history page, incorporates symbols of the see city of Sioux City (the Missouri River and the Loess Hills), the Catholic faith, and the diocese's patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe. The patroness, formally adopted in the modern era, reflects the significant growth of Hispanic Catholic faithful across the 24-county region. The arms appear on the bishop's personal heraldry, on chancery correspondence, and in parishes across the diocese.
- Diocesan coat of arms published on scdiocese.org
- Patroness: Our Lady of Guadalupe
Province of Iowa & Sister Dioceses
The Diocese of Sioux City is one of four Latin Church jurisdictions in the Ecclesiastical Province of Iowa, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The current metropolitan archbishop is Thomas R. Zinkula of Dubuque, who served as principal consecrator at Bishop Keehner's ordination on May 1, 2025. The sister dioceses in the province are the Diocese of Davenport and the Diocese of Des Moines. Each is a 'particular' or 'local' Church whose ordinary, appointed by the Holy Father, is united to the universal Catholic Church.
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Dubuque (Archbishop Thomas R. Zinkula)
- Sister dioceses: Diocese of Davenport, Diocese of Des Moines
- USCCB Conference Region IX (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)
Visiting & Contact
The Diocesan Chancery is housed in the Catholic Pastoral Center at 1821 Jackson Street, Sioux City, Iowa, with mailing address P.O. Box 3379, Sioux City, IA 51102-3379. The main chancery phone is (712) 255-7933 and the fax is (712) 233-7598. The chancery is staffed by the offices of the bishop, vicar general, chancellor, finance, Catholic schools, faith formation, vocations, worship, communications (Lumen Media), and Catholic Charities. Visitors wishing to find a parish or a Catholic school in the diocese can use the 'Find a Parish' and 'Find a School' search tools at scdiocese.org.
- Chancery: 1821 Jackson St., Sioux City, IA 51105 (Mailing: P.O. Box 3379, Sioux City, IA 51102-3379)
- Phone: (712) 255-7933; Fax: (712) 233-7598
- Online tools: 'Find a Parish' and 'Find a School' at scdiocese.org
