The Catholic Messenger

09/28/2026

On Sept. 19, Bishop Dennis Walsh presided over Mass and Eucharistic adoration at St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City, which was part of a statewide series of processions of the Eucharist in all of Iowa’s Catholic dioceses.

During the event, local clergy blessed a large puzzle piece shaped like the Davenport diocese, which encompasses the southeastern portion of the state. It will be joined with three other pieces representing the other three Iowa dioceses Sept. 26-27 at the Christ Our Life conference in Des Moines.

Read the full story in the Sept. 24 Catholic Messenger or at www.catholicmessenger.net.

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/25/2026

- Internationally known Theology of the Body speaker/author Christopher West and award-winning musician Mike Mangione will lead a multimedia event, Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land, Nov. 12 at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport. The 2 and a half hour program begins at 7 p.m. in the church.

The duo will weave together live music, video clips and sacred art for an evening of beauty and reflection on the meaning of life, love and human destiny through the lens of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body writings.

“An understanding of JPII’s (St. John Paul II) work can provide us with ways to have conversations with others, both young and old, regarding how to live our lives with dignity and as God intended,” said parishioner Kaye Meyers, a member of the event’s planning team.

Read more in the Sept. 24 Catholic Messenger or at www.catholicmessenger.net.

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/24/2026

🎙Podcast Time! 🎧Catholic Messenger Conversations: Christopher West Coming to the Midwest

Internationally known Theology of the Body speaker and author Christopher West and is our guest this month. He and award-winning musician Mike Mangione will lead a multimedia event, Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land, Nov. 12 at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport. In anticipation of that, Christopher took time for an interview in which he gives a general introduction to St. John Paul II’s teaching on the human body and human sexuality. He responds to questions about hot topics in the Church today regarding the body. West also speaks about his latest book “The Truth and the Lie: What It Means to Be Human in the Age of AI,” set to be released next month.

The program in Davenport begins at 7 p.m. in the church. The duo will weave together live music, video clips and sacred art for an evening of beauty and reflection on the meaning of life, love and human destiny through the lens of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body writings. More on the event, including ticket information is at: https://aftontickets.com/M4MDavenport

This podcast contains mature subject matter that may not be suitable for all listeners.

This podcast episode contains mature subject matter that may not be suitable for all listeners Internationally known Theology of the ...Read More

09/22/2026

With the theme of “Our Faith, Our Future,” this year’s Annual Diocesan Appeal (ADA) is focused on supporting the local Church now, with an eye also gazing forward to “the Church that we hand off to the next generation.”

“One of the things Bishop Dennis Walsh has said is that we are investing for today and for tomorrow,” said Jennifer Praet, director of Stewardship for the Davenport Diocese.

The official fundraising campaign began Sept. 12-13 and will continue in coming months. As part of the effort, registered households in each parish will receive a letter from the bishop with a pledge card.

Read the full story in the Sept. 18 Catholic Messenger or at https://catholicmessenger.net/2026/09/annual-appeal-investing-for-today-preparing-the-church-for-tomorrow/

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/20/2026

For more than 100 years, Ron Overberg’s family has owned farmland overlooking the tiny community of St. Paul. In the center of town — population 100 — sits St. James the Less Catholic Church. “It’s easy to recognize God during morning prayer when you look over the fields and see the steeple,” he said.

Overberg and members of the Together in Christ Parishes, which include St. James the Less-St. Paul, St. John the Baptist-Houghton, St. Mary of the Visitation-West Point and St. Boniface-Farmington, gathered on the evening of Sept. 5 for a Rural Life Mass. Bishop Dennis Walsh presided at the Mass, which takes place annually around harvest time.

Read the full story in the Sept. 18 Catholic Messenger or at https://catholicmessenger.net/2026/09/feeding-the-world-together-catholics-gather-for-rural-life-mass/

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/13/2026

Elementary teacher Becky DeJonghe was running out of options in her stage-4 cancer battle.

She had already gone through countless surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy to fight a very aggressive form of sarcoma. It had taken one of her legs, and seemed poised to take her life, as well. “She had reached the lowest and most difficult stage of her journey. Her life expectancy was now months, and her long-term survival (chances) were basically zero,” said her oncologist, Doctor Michael Porubcin.

DeJonghe, who considers herself spiritual but not religious, prayed to St. Raphael at the insistence of her sister-in-law. What followed was “one of the most gratifying cancer outcomes of my career,” Dr. Porubcin said.

Read the full story in the Sept. 10 Catholic Messenger or at https://catholicmessenger.net/2026/09/dr-reflects-on-remarkable-remission/

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/09/2026

🌟 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗢𝗡! 🌟
𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲
We’re excited to announce a new 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 webpage designed to help create more welcoming, inclusive, and faith-filled communities where 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀!
The new webpage will be a one-stop resource for individuals with disabilities, families, caregivers, parish leaders, educators, and anyone passionate about disability inclusion.
✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱:
📖 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 – Resources to help make faith formation accessible for all
💙 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 – Support and resources for those who care for others
⛪ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 & 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 – Practical tools for building more inclusive parishes
🏫 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 – Ideas and support for inclusive Catholic education
🤝 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Learn how Parish Advocates can help foster belonging and inclusion
Because 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱—𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗱, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱… 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻!

09/08/2026

A pilgrimage to two prominent Catholic sites in Wisconsin will be led by Bishop Dennis Walsh Oct. 7-9. Catholic Radio station KTJT-LP will host the trip to Our Lady of Champion and Holy Hill.

Bishop Walsh said he was curious about both sites and noted that the only Church-approved Marian apparition in the United States is at Champion. He has been to the third Marian shrine in Wisconsin, Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, with his seminarians last year.

“The apparitions in Wisconsin are not well known,” Bishop Walsh said. He looks forward to learning more during the trip.

Read the full story in the Sept. 3 Catholic Messenger or at https://catholicmessenger.net/2026/09/pilgrimage-to-holy-hill-our-lady-of-champion/

---

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/05/2026

DAVENPORT — For the first time in more than 20 years, the Davenport Northwest Little League team competed in the Little League World Series, representing the Midwest Region recently in the international tournament held annually in Williamsport, Penn­sylvania. Among the squad’s biggest fans were the students, faculty and staff at John F. Kennedy Catholic School.

That’s because 8 out of the 12 young athletes attend the school in Davenport.

“We see them all the time,” said Angie Hillebrand, the school’s administrative assistant. “I think these kids are great baseball players, but they’re also great kids.”

Read the full story in the Sept. 3 Catholic Messenger or at https://catholicmessenger.net/2026/09/iowa-little-league-world-series-team-has-strong-connection-to-catholic-school/

----

Support Catholic news with a print and/or e-edition subscription for less than $1 a week! Contact your parish or sign up at https://www.catholicmessenger.net/forms/subscriberservices.php today!

09/03/2026

📢 IMPORTANT LOCATION CHANGE – ON THE FARM MASS

Due to the extreme heat forecast for Saturday, the On the Farm Mass planned for Saturday, September 5 has been moved indoors to St. James Catholic Church in St. Paul.

⛪ Mass will be celebrated at 5:00 PM at St. James Church.

🍽️ A meal and program will follow at the St. James Parish Center in St. Paul.

Please note that only the location has changed. The Mass, meal, and program will continue as planned.

Please share this post and help us spread the word to everyone who may be planning to attend.

We look forward to seeing everyone Saturday!