The annual Mass for Life in the Diocese of Des Moines will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. at Christ the King Parish, 5711 SW 9th Street in Des Moines. The Mass for Life is held annually in part by Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium, which promotes the social justice mission of the Catholic Church through a coordinated effort to work towards a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life for the pursuit of the common good.

On April 7 from 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m., The Phoenix House Domestic Violence Shelter & Sexual Abuse Program invites the community is invited to attend the third annul Art of Healing at Queen of Apostles Parish Hall, 3304 4th Ave. in Council Bluffs. This year’s theme celebrates the art of cooking, featuring fine foods from talented chefs and elegant presentation. Event sponsors include Mercy Hospital, Hy-Vee, Doll Distributing, Ameristar Casino and Hotel, Council Bluffs Savings Bank, The Daily Nonpareil, Heartland Properties & the Narmi Group.

Catholic Charities received a $15,000 grant from the Nationwide Insurance Foundation for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and St. Mary Family Center in Des Moines. Funds will support the work of both programs which are part of Catholic Charities Poverty Reduction Programs that seek to provide basic needs for individuals and families as well as resources and support to return to self-sufficiency.

More than $59,000 in pledges and donations was raised during the annual Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on June 24. Sponsored by Mercy Medical Center for the sixth year, proceeds support programs and services in central Iowa that provide food, shelter, counseling and other services to all people in need.

Recipients of Catholic Charities’ Bishop Charron Caritas Award were announced at the annual volunteer appreciation dinner held May 25 in Des Moines. Purcell Printing & Graphics received the award in the group category, and Dennis Wilson, volunteer for St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter and St. Mary Family Center, received the individual volunteer award. Sponsored by Mercy Medical Center, the Bishop Charron Caritas Award recognizes Catholic Charities volunteers for compassion, humility, commitment and enthusiasm in helping all those in need. Purcell Printing and Dennis Wilson will be recognized publicly at Catholic Charities Night at the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on June 24 as they join Bishop Pates and Catholic Charities’ Executive Director, Nancy Galeazzi, on the field prior to the first pitch.

Catholic Charities Board of Directors voted today to independently continue resettling refugees.

Catholic Charities honors Legal Aid as 2010 Agency of the Year in appreciation for the help it has offered.

The United Way of the Midlands named Catholic Charities' Domestic Violence Sexual assualt Response and Resource Team as Volunteer Group of the Year! Nominated by Catholic Charities' Phoenix House, those recognized by the honor are: Memory Mescher, Sharon Stokes, Lesa Socha, Mary Lou Pfeiffer, Bard Hovenga and Ian Steele.

Timothy and Meggan Bierbaum will be celebrating the first birthday of their daughter Sophia next month. They welcomed their adopted daughter into their lives on her birthday May 29, 2009. Sophia was born at the University of Iowa Hospital. Her adoption was finalized in December 2009. Sophia and her parents live in Des Moines.

St. Joseph Emergency Family Shelter broke ground Monday on a project that will double its capacity to house homeless families thanks to a $1 million gift and a grant through the I-JOBS program.

With the expectation that comprehensive immigration reform could soon be considered by Congress, it is important that supporters of reform make their voices heard on Capitol Hill. Join the Justice for Immigrants Postcard Campaign and urge Congress to pass reform legislation. Here is how you can particiapte: Download the postcards to sign and send to your representatives Parishes and groups can receive postcards by emailing Mireya Ramirez at mramirez@dmdiocese.org, Hispanic Community Outreach Specialist, with the number of postcards requested as well as the parish contact person and address.

This event has always been one of my favorites because it was at the 2005 Catholic Charities Night at the I-Cubs when I first learned of the breadth of services offered by Catholic Charities in the Des Moines Diocese and began my volunteer involvement with a wonderful organization! - Event Chairperson & Board Member Samantha Chambers

I was recently asked, “What sets Catholic Charities Counseling Program apart from others?” My simple response was that we have the pleasure and the opportunity to provide therapy services for all those that may need it. Our sliding fee scale enables us to provide quality, professional services to those who may otherwise not be able to access services. We also take insurance allowing people who do have the option to utilize their health care benefits. But that’s not all.

A special thank you from a client to Catholic Charities' St. Mary Family Center.

I am a better person because of my work with Catholic Charities.

Speech contest season is in full-swing and St. Albert is off to a very strong start!

The 4th grade team, Food-A-Licious, placed in the top seven FIRST Lego teams in December advancing them to the state competition in Ames on January 14th. FIRST Lego League is a science and engineering competition for 9-14 year olds.

Registration for incoming freshmen at Dowling Catholic High School will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Beat those winter blues with an evening of great music, fun and festivities! Dowling Catholic’s Performing Arts Department presents “Deep Maroon Serenade” on Sunday, February 12, at the Sheraton West Des Moines (1800 50th Street).

Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in a National Geographic Bee. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography.

The Diocese of Des Moines has put the proposed Cristo Rey Des Moines project on indefinite hold until additional philanthropic financing can be identified.

Bishop Pates ordained Father Guthrie Dolan to the priesthood on Friday, June 3 at St. Ambrose Cathedral.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released the results of the John Jay College study on causes and context of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy.

Bishop Richard Pates issued a statement on labor-management relations.

Bishop Emeritus William Bullock, seventh bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines, died April 3 after having been diagnosed with lung cancer.

List of Lenten fish fry dinners.

Through the persistence and generosity of co-workers at Mercy Medical Center, a family was reunited with a son in Ghana.

The diocese's newest parish already has a website up and running. See the 'birth announcement' of St. Luke the Evangelist. Get more information about this new faith community by registering online at http://www.saintluketheevangelist.org/

An interfaith prayer service of dedication was held at St. Ambrose Cathedral on Jan. 13 at which Gov.-elect Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Reynolds pledged to serve the people of Iowa.

Davenport Bishop Martin Amos offered the invocation at the Jan. 14 inauguration of Gov. Terry Branstad, who is beginning his fifth term in office. Gov. Branstad and his wife, Chris, are Catholic and most likely will worship at Christ the King Parish in Des Moines, where their friend Msgr. Frank Bognanno is the pastor.

Bishop Richard Pates announced two extremely generous Christmas gifts that will lay the foundation for the creation of a new parish in Ankeny to be named St. Luke the Evangelist. Bishop Pates named Father Lawrence Hoffmann as pastor of the new parish effective Jan. 1, 2011.

The Diocese of Des Moines was advised today of the tragic death of the beloved Sr. Stella Neill, RSM, due to a single-car accident last night. Sister Stella was not only a leader in the Catholic community but in the broader community, specifically related to housing issues. She was the founder of Anawim Housing and has assisted the diocesan Senior Housing Corp. In a note to all priests, sisters and deacons of the diocese, Bishop Richard Pates said: "We are very much aware of Sister Stella’s enormous contributions to her religious community, to the Diocese of Des Moines, to the religious women in this diocese and her indefatigable leadership and service to the poor through the housing projects of Anawim and most recently the housing initiative of Christ the King Parish." Funeral arrangements are pending. Please watch the diocesan blog and Facebook page for details as they become available.

The following is a list of communal penance services held in Catholic churches the Des Moines area during this Advent season.

Bishop Richard Pates, in unison with Pope Benedict XVI, prayed this past Saturday at St. Ambrose Cathedral for those awaing birth in the womb of their mothers.

Seminarian Guthrie Dolan was ordained a deacon on Friday, Nov. 19 at St. Joseph Church in Des Moines. Being ordained to the transitional diaconate is the last major step toward priesthood. Deacon Dolan will be ordained a priest on Friday, June 3 at St. Ambrose Cathedral.

Diocese of Des Moines begins its centennial celebration marking its 100th anniversary as a diocese.

The Christ Our Life Catholic Conference is Oct. 16-17 at Wells Fargo Arena. Go to www.christourlifeiowa.com for tickets and more information.

Seminarians gather for Day of Reflection, convocation before heading back to school.

Jesuit Father John Foley, founder of the Cristo Rey model for high school, visited Des Moines on Thursday, July 1, to promote the Cristo Rey concept. The Diocese of Des Moines is doing a feasibility study to determine the viability of such a school in the Des Moines metro area.

Catholic Youth Camp celebrated 50 years of serving youth in the Diocese of Des Moines on May 29.

Deacon Zach Kautzky shared with The Catholic Spotlight radio show a few years ago how he first heard his call to be a priest, his response, and the faith journey that has led him to his ordination day on Friday, June 4.

Folks from across the diocese gathered at St. Francis of Assisi May 20 to pick up practical strategies for helping families make the Bible relevant to their everyday lives.

Catholic Charities to independently continue resettling refugees, continuing a legacy of helping those fleeing their homeland due to war and persecution.

During today’s Holy Thursday Mass at St. Ambrose Cathedral, Bishop Richard Pates washed the feet of about a dozen people. The washing of feet is symbolic of service and charity of Jesus Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.”

Last night, the diocese celebrated the annual Chrism Mass, at which oil and chrism is blessed and at which priests renew their vows.

Catholic Charities' homeless shelter, the St. Joseph Emgergency Family Shelter, is expanding thanks to a donation of $1 million from Tom Moreland and St. Jude Enterprises and a grant from the state's I-Jobs program. Ground was broken on Monday, March 22.

Bishop Richard Pates invited the basketball players and cheerleaders from St. Albert School and Dowling Catholic High School to a spaghetti supper and wished them well in the state tournament this week.

Bishop Richard Pates, along with other bishops in Iowa, lobbied state legislators on Feb. 2 at the state Capitol as part of their work with the Iowa Catholic Conference.

For the first time in recent history, the number of religious priests has increased!

Emphasizes Importance of Studying the Faith as an Organic Whole

The 2012 celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life will be observed in the United States on the weekend of Feb. 4-5.

Mass with Seminarians, August 20, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI gives guidance and support to seminarians for their years of formation.

VATICAN CITY, 27 SEP 2011 (VIS) - On Saturday 24 September, during the course of his apostolic visit to Germany, the Holy Father met with seminarians in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, whom he addressed off-the-cuff in German. Extracts of his remarks are given below.

MAYNOOTH, Ireland, OCT. 18, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Answering the "call" is getting a little easier these days, and in a surprising place. Those who want more information on joining the Catholic priesthood in Ireland need look no further than their smart phone.

The clergy topped the list of the Ten Happiest Jobs found in an article at Forbes.com, as reported a General Social Survey by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago.   Read the whole article here:  ...