The annual collection for the St. Joseph Education Society will be taken November 5-6.  This is a vital collection for our Diocese as this fund helps provide for the education of our seminarians [future priests] and for our deacons.  An envelope is available in your packet and a second collection will be taken at all Masses November 5-6.

29 October 2016
 
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
Where would the Church be without her priests?  I as Bishop, and I know you as parishioners, are all so very grateful for the ministry of our priests, who give up so much in order to serve Christ and our needs.  Most especially, we know we need Christ in the most holy Eucharist in order to flourish in our Catholic faith, and to have the Eucharist, we need priests.  The increasing age and declining number of our priests is one of the reasons we are undertaking the current Pastoral Planning process.  I am sure that, however this process may affect you now, you still want your children and grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren, to have enough priests, well trained and dedicated servants of Christ.
 
The St. Joseph’s Education Society is a fund of the Diocese of Sioux City that provides for the education of our seminarians, and the continuing formation of all our clergy.  Our current seminarians are devout and holy men, and I am greatly encouraged every time I have the chance to be with them, because I know that they will serve our diocese very well, in the future.  We need more such seminarians, and we need more support for their priestly formation, so that the Church will always grow and thrive here in Iowa.
 
Next weekend, at all Masses for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 5 and 6, we will have the special collection for this St. Joseph’s Education fund.  This is an annual collection, because our needs for seminarian and clergy formation continue every year.  In your gratitude for priestly ministry you have received and are receiving, I ask you please to consider prayerfully your contribution to this collection.  If every person attending Mass next week gave just $5, we could fully fund next year’s expenses for the St. Joseph’s Education fund.  Most especially, I ask you to continue to pray for all our current and future priests.  May God bless you for your devotion and generosity,
 
Your brother in Christ,
 
Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless
Bishop of Sioux City