The Catholic Messenger

07/27/2026

Abp. Sheen pilgrimage photos - Part 2!

📷 by Dan and Jessi Russo

07/27/2026

PILGRIMAGE PHOTOS PART 1

Thank you to everyone who made the Abp. Sheen-themed pilgrimage a success!

📷by Dan and Jessi Russo

07/24/2026

Aaaaand, they're off!

Have a great time in Peoria learning about Abp. Fulton Sheen and experiencing the city he grew up in!

07/21/2026

TWO SPOTS JUST OPENED UP!

If you missed your chance to sign up for our Sheen-themed pilgrimage to Peoria on Friday, you're in luck! Call us ASAP at 563-323-9959 -- the tickets are first-come, first-served!

We'd love to have you join us!

07/19/2026

Many families and individuals have experienced barriers to full participation in parish life, whether physical, social, or simply because parishes have not always known what support would be most helpful, says Trevor Pullinger, Director of the Office of Faith Formation and Coordinator of Catechesis for the diocese.

"At the same time, we have accompanied pastors and parish leaders who genuinely want to serve individuals and families with disabilities well, but often don’t know where to begin,” he said.

The diocese is responding by hosting a Belonging: Disability Ministry event Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City. Each parish is being asked to identify a parish disability advocate or contact person for ongoing support and communication, Pullinger said.

Read the full story in the July 16 Catholic Messenger or 👇

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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!

07/17/2026

🎙Podcast time!🎧
Sister Lynn Mousel, CHM is a member of the leadership team for the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, a women’s religious order based in Davenport. She is also a child psychiatrist.
Sister Lynn discusses the history and mission of her order, how she discovered her vocation to religious life and what it has been like to integrate her Catholic faith into her career as a medical doctor. She also reflects on how parents can help foster good mental health for their children.

Sister Lynn Mousel, CHM is a member of the leadership team for the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, a women’s religious order based in Davenport. She is also a child psychiatrist. Sister Lynn discusses the history and mission of her order, how she discovered her vocation to religious life and...

07/17/2026

After 11 men were instituted as acolytes at St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville recently, books on pastoral care for the sick and pyxes blessed by Bishop Dennis Walsh were given to the group, symbolizing aco­lytes’ dedication to service and to the Eucharist.

“This ministry is not simply a step in formation — it is a sign of what God is doing in your hearts,” the bishop told the class, which is aspiring to become permanent deacons.

Read the full story in the July 16 Catholic Messenger or 👇

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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!

07/15/2026

As Deacon Class IX enters its final year in formation, the Diocese of Davenport is beginning to look ahead to the next deacon formation class.

Beginning this August, the application process for Deacon Class X will get underway — in both English and Spanish. These will be parallel tracks as part of one formation program, meeting at the same place and time so meals and prayer can be shared and the two classes get to know each other.

Learn more in the July 9 Catholic Messenger or in the comments 👇

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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!

07/13/2026

UPDATE: The signup deadline has passed; call us at 563-323-9959 if you want to be added to our standby list.

Archbishop Sheen-themed pilgrimage to Peoria July 24 Don't miss your chance to explore his hometown alongside Bishop Dennis Walsh, Catholic Messenger Editor Dan Russo, and a busload of new friends!

07/11/2026

The Cath­olic community in Bettendorf begins a new chapter with the formation of the new St. Joan of Arc Parish that took effect July 1. The parish campuses of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney continue to be used.

The parish takes the same name as St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, which opened in the fall of 2025. The name was unanimously voted on by parishioners on both campuses and unveiled in 2023. The new school replaced Lourdes Catholic School in downtown Bettendorf.

“This is not an ending — it is a beginning. Two Bettendorf parish communities, each with rich histories and deep faith, are becoming one family under the patronage of St. Joan of Arc. We honor the past with gratitude, but we look to the future with great hope,” Father Rich Adam, the pastor of the parish, said after Mass July 1 on the St. John Vianney campus. “Our mission remains unchanged: to proclaim Jesus Christ, to form disciples, and to build his Church. As St. Joan of Arc famously said, ‘I am not afraid… I was born to do this,’ and we move forward with that same trust.”

Read the full story in the July 9 Catholic Messenger or at the link n the comments👇

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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!