The Catholic Messenger

01/09/2026

As Mass was about to begin, Bishop Dennis Walsh suddenly asked everyone to leave a room used as the chapel at the Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) in Fort Madison.

“Can you leave us alone for confession?” he said, before closing the door behind him and walking toward an inmate in a wheelchair.

A mix of inmates, prison staff, and volunteers waited in an adjoining room. The group could see lips moving without sound through large glass windows. The bishop listened intently and then gave absolution to Hugh, a man serving a life sentence. He had been waiting a year for the opportunity to receive the sacrament.

Read the full story in the Jan. 8 Catholic Messenger or at this link!

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By Dan Russo The Catholic Messenger FORT MADISON — As Mass was about to begin, Bishop Dennis Walsh suddenly asked ...Read More

01/08/2026

We're BACK... with a look back at 2025! What were your favorite moments of 2025?

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger The faithful of the Diocese of Davenport experienced joy, pride and sorrow in 2025 ...Read More

12/25/2025

A multi-parish group of women dreamed of starting a ministry to support families that choose life amid difficult circumstances. The women, who knew each other through their involvement in local pro-life activities, just needed a plan and a place to land. “We thought, ‘What can we do to spread hope and help once the baby is here, and stand behind the thought that everyone has worth and dignity?’” recalled Gretchen Brown, a member of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City.

The women received the gift of office space earlier this year, thanks to a local business owner who wishes to remain anonymous. Now, they are paying that gift forward through their rapidly growing new ministry, Gifts of Hope.

Read the full story in the Dec. 18 Catholic Messenger.

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By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger IOWA CITY — A multi-parish group of women dreamed of starting a ministry to ...Read More

12/25/2025

The best gift we got,” written at the bottom of this year’s Catholic Messenger Christmas card contest winning entry, summed up colorful visual art expressing the idea that Jesus is our gift.

More than 490 entries were submitted by students in grades K-6 this year for the annual competition. Caroline Toomey, 10, a fifth-grader at Regina Catholic Schools in Iowa City, won the overall contest.

Read the full story in the Dec. 18 Catholic Messenger!

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By Anne Marie Amacher The Catholic Messenger IOWA CITY — “The best gift we got,” written at the bottom of ...Read More

12/23/2025

12/23/2025

A listing of Christmas Mass times and locations in the Diocese of Davenport:

Updated Dec. 9, 2025. (All parishes in the Diocese of Davenport were invited to participate in this listing) Bettendorf Our ...Read More

12/18/2025

What are your resolutions for the new year? What are your spiritual goals for 2026?

If you'd like to share yours in an upcoming Catholic Messenger article, send a Facebook message or email [email protected]! We'd love to hear from you.

12/17/2025

Podcast time:

https://catholicmessenger.net/2025/12/catholic-messenger-conversations-episode-76-a-bishops-christmas-carol/

Bishop Dennis Walsh discusses attending the U.S. Bishop’s plenary assembly in November and the special message on immigration they issued. He also talks about his first time attending the National Catholic Youth Conference and what it’s like to be a bishop during the Christmas season. He closes be sharing some of the traditions he has at Christmastime.

12/12/2025

Aaron Gunsaulus’ love of service and Scripture defined his life as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC).

“As a pastor in a reformed denomination, I was probably the least likely to become Catholic,” he recalled, acknowledging that at one point in his life he had a “pretty significant anti-Catholic streak.”

After 15 years tending to the spiritual needs of his flock, a series of unusual events led him, his wife Cami and two of their children to enter the Catholic Church at this year’s Easter Vigil.

Read the full story in the Dec. 11 Catholic Messenger or at this link!

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(This is the second part in a series.) By Dan Russo The Catholic Messenger NEWTON — Aaron Gunsaulus’ love of ...Read More

12/08/2025

ADVENT WEEK II REFLECTION by LUKE GREGORY

As a father of three young children, the temptation of becoming distracted by society’s bombardment of advertisements for a certain gift or toy is a real struggle, especially since the shopping push seems to begin earlier and earlier each year. For in­stance, this year, I went to a grocery store the day after Halloween and noticed that they already had Christmas candy on the shelves! ’snotevenThanksgivingyet

Thanks be to God that the Church, in her wisdom, selected the readings for each week of Advent with the focus of this liturgical season in mind, thereby helping us to fight off the temptation of consumerism by maintaining our focus on what is truly important about Advent.

Read the full reflection in the Dec. 5 Catholic Messenger or at this link.

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(This is the second in a series on the Sunday Scripture readings of Advent.) By Luke Gregory For The Catholic ...Read More

12/07/2025

People throughout history have imagined God as “a cosmic jerk who is out to get us,” lay evangelist Chris Stefanick told a packed house at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. “That’s a nightmare,” he said, but “God created you for joy.”

During evening presentations in Iowa City and Davenport last month, the Colorado-based speaker and author emphasized the importance of Christian joy. That joy, he believes, is rooted in God’s love for each and every one of us. “It’s not about your perfect love for God, but his perfect love for you; you have to simply say ‘yes’ to the love you could never earn,” he said to the Davenport crowd. “We have to remember the love story,” because without that, religion becomes nothing more than a “to-do list.”

Read the full recap in the Dec. 4 Catholic Messenger or at this link!

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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!

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger People throughout history have imagined God as “a cosmic jerk who is out to ...Read More

12/05/2025

An estimated 16,000 youths and adults gathered for the National Catholic Youth Conference Nov. 20-22 to celebrate their shared faith. About 370 youths and 130 adults - including first-time attendee Bishop Dennis Walsh - traveled to Lucas Oil Stadium and Con­ven­tion Center as part of the Dio­cese of Daven­port’s official con­tin­gent.

“I was surprised how many people were there to praise and show how much they love God,” said Aubrey Hahn of Holy Family Parish in Riverside. “When the cameras would scan the crowd of the young people you could tell they were deep in thought, that right in that moment it was only them and God. To see kids praising God was an amazing thing… you normally don’t see that.”

Read this week's Catholic Messenger to hear more highlights from the diocesan delegation!

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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!

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger INDIANAPOLIS — An estimated 16,000 youths and adults gathered for the National Catholic Youth ...Read More