Even though we priests are ordained to share in the priesthood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we are not divine. Like every human being, we make mistakes. Unfortunately, the mistakes we make can have lasting, even eternal, repercussions. For example, if a priest is unprepared for Mass and fails to say the correct words of consecration, the Mass would be invalid.
One of the areas where I have seen priestly mistakes cause long-term damage is in the sacrament of penance. An angry priest who yells at a penitent, a narcissistic priest who uses the sacrament to recruit people for his prayer or study groups by imposing participation as a penance, an unsympathetic priest who tells a wife to apologize to her abusive husband as part of her penance—these are real examples I have witnessed. Such actions can drive people away from the sacrament of confession for years, or even for life.
Some Catholics, unfortunately, belong to parishes where priests have taught that mortal sin is no longer possible, and as a result, they do not offer confessions regularly. Others simply never develop the habit of going to confession because their parents, their first educators in the faith, never taught them its importance.
Aware of these realities, many dioceses in this country, including ours, participate in The Light is On for You, a special evening of confessions for those who have been away from the sacrament for a long time. In our diocese, this event takes place tomorrow, Tuesday. In most parishes, confessions will be available from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
We will be participating as well, with confessions at the Cathedral from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Fr. Galles will begin hearing confessions at 4:30 p.m., coinciding with our regular daily Mass schedule. When he steps away to prepare for Mass at 5:15 p.m., Fr. Wind will take his place and continue hearing confessions until 7:00 p.m. After Mass, Fr. Crotty, Fr. Galles, and I will be available in the front of the church for confessions until 7:00 p.m.
If you, or someone you know, has not been to confession in a long time, I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to be reconciled with the Lord. The Church requires that we go to confession at least once a year or whenever we are conscious of being in a state of mortal sin. If it has been more than a year since your last confession, consider this an invitation to return to the sacrament.
For those who go to confession regularly or who have only been away for a few months, we encourage you to use our normal confession times:
One of the areas where I have seen priestly mistakes cause long-term damage is in the sacrament of penance. An angry priest who yells at a penitent, a narcissistic priest who uses the sacrament to recruit people for his prayer or study groups by imposing participation as a penance, an unsympathetic priest who tells a wife to apologize to her abusive husband as part of her penance—these are real examples I have witnessed. Such actions can drive people away from the sacrament of confession for years, or even for life.
Some Catholics, unfortunately, belong to parishes where priests have taught that mortal sin is no longer possible, and as a result, they do not offer confessions regularly. Others simply never develop the habit of going to confession because their parents, their first educators in the faith, never taught them its importance.
Aware of these realities, many dioceses in this country, including ours, participate in The Light is On for You, a special evening of confessions for those who have been away from the sacrament for a long time. In our diocese, this event takes place tomorrow, Tuesday. In most parishes, confessions will be available from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
We will be participating as well, with confessions at the Cathedral from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Fr. Galles will begin hearing confessions at 4:30 p.m., coinciding with our regular daily Mass schedule. When he steps away to prepare for Mass at 5:15 p.m., Fr. Wind will take his place and continue hearing confessions until 7:00 p.m. After Mass, Fr. Crotty, Fr. Galles, and I will be available in the front of the church for confessions until 7:00 p.m.
If you, or someone you know, has not been to confession in a long time, I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to be reconciled with the Lord. The Church requires that we go to confession at least once a year or whenever we are conscious of being in a state of mortal sin. If it has been more than a year since your last confession, consider this an invitation to return to the sacrament.
For those who go to confession regularly or who have only been away for a few months, we encourage you to use our normal confession times:
- Monday–Friday: 4:30–5:15 p.m. at the Cathedral
- Friday: 11:15–11:45 a.m. at the Cathedral
- Saturday: 3:00–3:45 p.m. at St. Boniface
- Sunday: 7:45–8:15 a.m. at the Cathedral, St. Boniface, and St. Joseph
Since all of our regularly scheduled confessions take place before Mass, they conclude 15 minutes before Mass begins. This ensures that the priest has enough time to attend to last-minute needs—such as recruiting a lector or servers or ensuring the candles are lit—and to prayerfully prepare for a reverent celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Next week, we will also have our citywide Night of Mercy, offering additional opportunities for confession. Priests from across the city, both active and retired, will be available. This time, it will take place at Nativity Church in Morningside (Mater Dei Parish) on Monday, March 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
As we continue our journey in this Jubilee of Hope, I leave you with the words of Pope Francis from Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year:
Next week, we will also have our citywide Night of Mercy, offering additional opportunities for confession. Priests from across the city, both active and retired, will be available. This time, it will take place at Nativity Church in Morningside (Mater Dei Parish) on Monday, March 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
As we continue our journey in this Jubilee of Hope, I leave you with the words of Pope Francis from Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year:
There is no better way to know God than to let him reconcile us to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:20) and savor his forgiveness. Let us not neglect Confession, but rediscover the beauty of this sacrament of healing and joy, the beauty of God’s forgiveness of our sins!
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Parish Announcements
The Light is On For You Confessions will be on Tuesday, March 18 from 4:30 to 7:00 pm at the Cathedral. This special block of confession time is intended primarily for those who need to be invited back to the sacrament. Do you know someone who has been away from confession for too long? Invite them to these confessions so they might have an opportunity to be re-introduced to the mercy of God and the practice of the faith.
Due to a Lenten Clergy Day of Reflection, there will be no confessions or Masses on Thursday, March 20. The Cathedral Church will be closed on this day.
Stations of the Cross will be prayed every Friday during Lent immediately after the 12 pm and 5:30 pm Masses.
The Cathedral Art Series will present a recital by the Zusammen Cello Group on Sunday, March 23 at 3:00 pm, followed by Sung Vespers at 4:00 pm. This recital is free and open to the public.
Please join us for Sung Vespers every Sunday at 4:00 pm. This is a short liturgy of praying the psalms and a great Lenten prayer opportunity.
The next Night of Mercy will take place at Mater Dei Parish, Nativity Church, on March 25 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Nights of Mercy are quarterly events in which each city parish takes turns hosting an hour of Eucharistic Adoration with several priests available to hear confessions.
Help us decorate our beautiful churches for Easter by donating lilies or mums in honor or in memory of a loved one. Donations may be made by stopping at the parish office, filling out the forms available near the doors of the church, or going to www.sccathedral.org/easter. The names of those donated in honor or memory of will be printed in the worship aids for the first few weeks of Easter.
Join Fr. Esquiliano from November 3-14, 2025, on the Miracles and Saints 2025 Jubilee Pilgrimage to Italy. This once-in-a-lifetime journey offers the chance to experience the grace of the Jubilee Year by visiting the holy sites of Rome, Assisi, Cascia, and Naples, walking through the Holy Doors, and gaining the spiritual benefits of indulgences. For more information, contact Fr. Esquiliano at desquiliano@sccathedral.org. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity!
Fish Tacos will be served as a special Lenten dinner in the Cathedral Hall from 5:00 to 7:30 pm on Friday, March 28.
The Cathedral Arts Series welcomes Dr. Stephen Hamilton, an international concert organist, to present the organ meditations on “The Stations of the Cross” by Marcel Dupré on Sunday, April 6 at 6:00 pm. The meditations combine 14 poetic readings of the Passion and Death of Jesus with powerful organ music. Please join us for this unique and prayerful experience of Christ’s journey to the cross, which is free and open to the public.
All scheduled confession times end 15 minutes prior to Mass. This is to ensure that the priest has sufficient time to prayerfully prepare for Mass and attend to any necessary details for the celebration of Mass. Please arrive sufficiently early if you wish to go to confession instead of arriving with a few minutes left of the scheduled confession time.
Why do the Altar Candles look Brown or Orange? During the season of Lent, the Cathedral Parish uses unbleached candles, which are the natural brownish color of beeswax. Candles used throughout the rest of the year are usually bleached white, but it is a very old tradition in the Church to use unbleached candles during Lent as a symbol of penitence.
Routine reminder about the fast for Holy Communion – a fast of at least one hour must be observed before receiving Holy Communion. The only thing that does not break the fast is water and medicine. Chewing gum breaks the Communion fast and it should nonetheless ever be chewed in church.
Employment opportunity at the Cathedral Parish – we are currently looking for a bilingual receptionist/administrative assistant for the parish. Please call or visit the office for more information.
Routine reminder about silence in church – a spirit of silence should be observed in the church both before and after Mass out of respect for the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The main body of the church is not for gossip and profane conversation, which is often louder and overheard by more people than one might realize. Out of respect for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and other worshippers, please do not carry on conversations, especially prior to Mass. Let us all work together to keep the environment of our churches as sacred and quiet “houses of prayer.”
The Cathedral of the Epiphany will offer a holy hour for parents with children who have special needs. Every Thursday there will be one holy hour in the morning at 11 a.m. and one in the evening at 8 p.m. both in the perpetual adoration chapel. We will have written prayer material to help with praying this silent holy hour.
Please remember to either silence or turn off your phone before you come into the church. We have recently had several instances of phones going off during the Mass and it is a good reminder to please observe this act of courtesy and respect for both our Lord and other parishioners.
Participating in the Mass was one of the Second Vatican Council’s highest priorities for the laity. For the Council Fathers, participation didn’t mean assigning several roles to the laity. First and foremost, it meant spiritually participating in the Mass and understanding the theology of the eucharistic sacrifice that takes place on the altar. One of the ways to most effectively participate in Mass is to lift up our voices in sacred music. This includes not only singing hymns of praise to God, but singing the Mass itself, in the chants and dialogues between the priest and people. Everyone has the ability and ought to sing these simple parts of the Mass in response to the priest. Music elevates the sacred liturgy and manifests for us the beautiful face of Jesus Christ the High Priest in the Eucharist. At the Cathedral Parish, we chant a good portion of the liturgy, especially during the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. This envelops us in the beautiful meeting of heaven and earth in the Mass and this beauty has the power to evangelize and transform hearts.
The Second Vatican Council emphasized the importance of using Latin in the Mass, stating that “steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (Sacrosanctum Concilium #54). These parts, such as the Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, are sung in Latin at the Cathedral during Advent, Lent, and the Triduum, not only to fulfill this desire of the Church, but to unite our multilingual parish together under one mother tongue.
Parish Giving
Masses this Week
Monday, March 17
12:00 pm - Cathedral (English)
5:30 pm - Cathedral (Spanish)
Tuesday, March 18
12:00 pm - Cathedral (English)
5:30 pm - Cathedral (Spanish)
Wednesday, March 19
Fr. Nguyen’s Intention
5:30 pm - Cathedral (Spanish)
Thursday, March 20
No Masses
Friday, March 21
12:00 pm - Cathedral (English)
5:30 pm - Cathedral (Spanish)
Saturday, March 22
Antony Tran (Birthday)
4:00 pm - St. Boniface (English)
Sunday, March 23
8:30 am - Cathedral (Spanish)
10:30 am - St. Boniface (Spanish)
12:00 pm - Cathedral (Spanish)
12:30 pm - St. Joseph (Vietnamese)
Fr. Nguyen’s Intention
Liturgical Ministries
Important Announcement
If you are assigned and unable to assist please request a swap so we do not have Masses without enough ministers.
Saturday, March 22, 4:00 pm St Boniface
Lector
Mary Ann Peck
Servers
Juan Sebastian Lorenzo
Juanita Orozco
Mercedes Orozco
Cantor
Dawn Prosser
Sunday, March 23, 8:30 am at St. Joseph
Lector
Lector
Zenita Philip
Servers
James Plautz
1 needed
Cantor
Teresa Schulte
Sunday, March 23, 8:30 am at St. Boniface (Sung Mass)
Altar Servers
Patrick Kanaly
Cole Hughes
Peter Kanaly
Peter DeWitt
Sam Bouma
Sunday, March 23, 10:00 am at Cathedral
Lector
Lector
Irma Martinez
Servers
Pedro Luquez
Valerie Torres Najar
Steven Garcia
Cantor
Kristen Santos
Mass Counts
A Family of Faith
Required information
1. Confirmation candidates who have not yet sent the name of their chosen saint and sponsor are requested to send the name of their chosen saint and sponsor as soon as possible via the website www.sccathedral.org/saint www.sccathedral.org/sponsor.
2. If your children have been baptized outside of the cathedral, St. Boniface or St. Joseph, and you have not yet brought a copy of the baptismal certificate, you must bring it to the office as soon as possible.
3. Parents need to inform Mrs. Santa Fernandez the day their children will celebrate the Sacrament of First Communion; they can come to notify her personally on March 26 during the second sacramental preparation class or they can call 712 255-1637 extension 111 or send an email to santa.fernandez@sccathedral.org
Date for the Celebration of First Communion all Masses will be in the cathedral.
Spanish Mass - Saturday May 3 at 6pm.
English Mass - Sunday May 4 at 10 am.
Spanish Mass - Sunday May 4 at 8:30am.
Spanish Mass- Sunday, May 4 at 12pm.
Knights of Columbus
Contact - Check out our Facebook page for activities and updates “Knights of Columbus Council 743 USA”.
Email: KofC743USA@gmail.com.
Phone:
English -
Brent- 712-490-0410
Spanish -
Jorge 308-383-2517
- Next meal: April 5 after the 6 pm Spanish mass. April 6 from 8:30am-2:00pm. Breakfast in the morning, tacos after 11:30 am.
- KoC meeting: Thursday, March 18, starting at 6:30pm in the Cathedral Hall.
- State KofC Officers Weekly Open Desk – All Knights are encouraged to interact with state officers at the weekly Open desk. Wednesdays at 8 PM in English; Thursdays at 6:57 pm in Spanish. Register for the meeting link https://www.iowakofc.org/calendar
Community Announcements
What’s new with Lumen Media news?
Be sure to listen to the Illuminating Catholics interview with Bishop-elect John E. Keehner wherever you get your podcasts or head to the homepage of Lumen Media for a link: www.lumenmedia.org. Also, read Bishop Nickless’ bilingual letter regarding church teaching on IVF. We also have coverage of the recent Turn Conference, area fish fry listings on our Events Page and a presentation on immigration by Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso where the Iowa bishops were lauded for their unified voice on immigration. Coming up – coverage of the Rite of Election with Bishop Nickless, coverage of the inauguration of the new Briar Cliff President, and podcast interview with organizers of the Lenten Into the Garden youth retreat with Steve Angrisano. Be sure to sign up for the weekly LumeNotes e-newsletter for up to date diocesan news and multimedia content. Sign up lumenmedia.org or text Notes to 84576.
Immaculate Conception in Cherokee
All are invited to a Magnificat Retreat on Sat., March 22, 9 am-3 pm at Immaculate Conception in Cherokee. Our day will be spent answering God's call to Come Away and Abide in Me. We will come away as we learn to walk in our true identity, and we will abide in Him as we learn to hear Him speak.
Registration is $30 and is due by March 12. Registration and more information is available at our website http://magnificat-iowa.com.
88.1 FM Catholic Radio
Tune into Faith in Action at 9 a.m., Monday, March 24, on Channel 88.1FM. Host Joanne Fox interviews Michael Suing, Deputy Director of Collections for the National Music Museum on the University of South Dakota-Vermillion campus, on the Faith in Music display. This program replays at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Faith in Action is brought to you by Mary's Choice, a Sioux City Pregnancy Resource Center. Previous Faith in Action programs can be found at siouxlandcatholicradio.com, on YouTube, and on several other podcasting platforms.
Siouxland Catholic Radio will be having their Spring Pledge Drive: April 8,9,10 8am-5pm.
Live All 3 days with special guest Tune-In daily
Listen live on 88.1fm or on our App.
If you would like to submit announcements for Lines of Faith, please send them to Blanca at bcancino@sccathedral by 10am Friday.
Carmelite Nuns Celebration
All parishioners and friends are invited to attend a celebration commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Carmelite Guild Board of Directors and Carmelite Nuns of Sioux City. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 18 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at Holy Cross St. Michael Parish Center, 2223 Indian Hills Drive. Doors open at 12:30pm.
The day includes a dessert bar, beverage, information on the Carmel Guild and peace cards, display of Carmel memorabilia, and a slide show. Cards may be played until 3:00pm. Raffle tickets can be purchased until 2:30pm at $1.00 each, and the winners will be announced at 3:00pm. There will be a free will donation. For more information please call 212-0248 or 635-4488.
Bible Study
We will have a new 5 week Bible Study during Easter entitled “The Power of the Resurrection” led by Fr. Jeremy Wind. We will meet Thursday’s at 6:45pm starting April 20-May 18th. Please contact the office for more information.
We need volunteers to help with the occasional funeral luncheons at St. Boniface, St. Joseph, and the Cathedral. Time commitment would be from approximately 9:30am-1:00pm. No cooking or prep work is involved; all the luncheons are catered. Responsibilities include setting up, greeting the caterer, possibly making lemonade or coffee, assisting the family, and light clean up afterwards. We are happy to provide families and friends a space to gather for sharing, which is an important part of the grieving process. Please call Julie at 712-255-1637x109 or email jkrogh@sccathedral.org Thank you!
Calvary Cemetery will have a Memorial Day Mass at 9:00 am Monday, May 29.
Calvary Cemetery
Help Wanted: Caretaker at Calvary Cemetery
Duties include groundskeeping, maintenance & customer service.
This is a full-time position with 401K, PTO, health & life insurance.
For more information, contact Bob at (712) 259-0603 or bobr@scdiocese.org.
The Cathedral Hall will be closed for the entire month of June as work will be undertaken to replace the flooring.
Deacon Jake Rosenmeyer extends his thanks and gratitude to the Cathedral parishioners for their prayerful support, especially those who attended his Ordination Mass this weekend. Please pray for Deacon Jake as he prepares to go to his summer assignment at John Paul II Parish in Carroll and as he prepares to finish his last year of seminary in St. Louis.
Sunday Vespers will not be celebrated during the summer months at the Cathedral due to low attendance. The last Vespers of this season will be on June 2, Corpus Christi Sunday. 4:00 pm Vespers will resume on Sunday, September 8.
Sunday Vespers will not be celebrated during the summer months at the Cathedral due to low attendance. The last Vespers of this season will be on June 2, Corpus Christi Sunday. 4:00 pm Vespers will resume on Sunday, September 8.
Please remember to either silence or turn off your phone before you come into the church. We have recently had several instances of phones going off during the Mass and it is a good reminder to please observe this act of courtesy and respect for both our Lord and other parishioners.
