Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City
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A Roman Catholic diocese, the Diocese of Sioux City is the diocese for the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa. The diocese is comprised of 24 counties in northwestern Iowa, and it covers an area of 14,518 square miles.
The See city is Sioux City, Iowa. The Latin tile is Dioecesis Siopolitanensis, and the corporate title is the Diocese of Sioux City. The Cathedral parish for this diocese is the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
Currently, R. Walker Nickless is bishop of Sioux City. He succeeded Daniel N. DiNardo, who served from 1998 to 2004. In January of 2004 Bishop DiNardo was named the Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston, and he became the coadjutor Archbishop with that diocese's elevation to Archdiocese in December of 2004. The office of Bishop was vacant until November of 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI named R. Walker Nickless as the new Bishop of the Diocese. Nickless was formally ordained as the next Bishop of Sioux City on January 20, 2006. While the Bishop's office was vacant, the Diocese was led by Msgr. Roger J. Augustine, who served as Diocesan Administrator. Bishop Lawrence D. Soens is the Bishop Emeritus, or retired Bishop, for this diocese.
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[edit] History
In the past, the area that now makes up the Diocese of Sioux City was under the jurisdiction of a number of Catholic prelates. Most of these were academic as no Catholic presence in the area. In 1838 this area came under the newly created Diocese of Dubuque. For nearly 64 years the area remained under the authority of the Diocese and Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Later priests and other Catholics began to feel that due to its size the Archdiocese wasn't able to fully support their needs because at the time the Archdiocese covered the entire northern half of the state of Iowa. They also did not like the distances involved in traveling to Dubuque, which was on Iowa's eastern border.
On January 15, 1902, Pope Leo XIII took a 24 county area from the Archdiocese of Dubuque and created the Diocese of Sioux City. When it was founded, the Diocese of Sioux City had 50,000 Catholics, 95 priests, 84 parishes, and 32 missions. Leo XIII named Rt. Rev. Phillip J. Garrigan, a vice-rector of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. was named as the first Bishop of the Diocese.
Bishop Garrigan was formally installed in office on June 18, 1902. He proceeded to name what was then Saint Mary's Church as his Cathedral church. Garrigan applied to the Vatican for permission to rename Saint Mary's to the Cathedral of the Epiphany. The Vatican approved Garrigan's request.
Bishop Lawerence D. Soens was named the Bishop of Sioux City in 1983, and served until his retirement in 1998. Soens has been accused of having sexually abused children prior to his appointment as Bishop.
Bishop Soens was followed by Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, who served as Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese from 1998 until he was named the coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston in 2004. The diocese was then vacant until November 10, 2005 when Monsignor R. Walker Nickless was named Bishop.
Msgr. Kevin McCoy, who has served as the rector of the Pontifical North American College is a priest of the Sioux City diocese.
[edit] Ordinaries of the Diocese
The following men have served as Bishops of this diocese, along with their dates of service.
- Philip Joseph Garrigan - March 21, 1902 - 14 October 14, 1919 (His death)
- Edmond Heelan - March 8, 1920 - 20 September 20, 1948 (His death)
- Joseph Maximilian Mueller - September 20, 1948 - 20 October 20, 1970 (His retirement)
- Frank Henry Greteman - October 15, 1970 - August 17, 1983 (His retirement)
- Lawrence Donald Soens - June 15, 1983 - November 28, 1998 (His retirement)
- Daniel Nicholas DiNardo - November 28, 1998 - January 16, 2004 (Reassigned as the Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston-Houston)
- R. Walker Nickless - November 10, 2005 - Present.
