IOWA CITY — College student Clare Loussaert is passionate about helping Spanish speakers break through language barriers. She did not speak Spanish growing up — “No one in my family speaks it,” she told The Catholic Messenger. Yet, when she started volunteering at the Iowa City Catholic Worker hospitality house seven years ago, “I saw how it could be useful to learn and help me communicate better with others.” The hospitality house primarily supports Spanish-speaking immigrants as they transition to life in the United States.

The history of pacifism is rich and varied in the United States of America and within liberal-progressive currents in our Catholic Church. Literally, to be a pacifist is to be pacific; to be peaceful. A worthy way, I feel, to express one’s love for God and neighbor.

The diocesan Office of Social Action is now accepting applications for the 2026/2027 Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) internship. This internship provides a unique opportunity to support those who live on the margins of society.

Deacon Kent Ferris, main speaker at the March 3 event sponsored by the parish’s Justice and Peace Commission, began with a six-minute video from the Fifth World Meeting of Popular Movements (Oct. 21-24, 2025). The late Father Guillermo Trevino, a diocesan pastor, was a delegate to the meeting, an initiative of the late Pope Francis to bring together grassroots organizations from five continents seeking to inspire the poor and organized peoples to become protagonists of change.

Project Renewal offers after school and summer programming for youths in grades K-12. “We (give) them opportunities and experiences that they otherwise might not have, a safe place to be, and positive role models,” she explained. Volunteers help participants with homework, lead recreational activities and teach life skills. Snacks — funded in part by the Diocese of Davenport’s CRS Rice Bowl collection — fuel participants in their endeavors.

DAVENPORT — The holy season of Lent is a special time for personal and spiritual growth. “It’s a time to reflect deeply on ourselves and others,” said Deacon Kent Ferris, diocesan director of Social Action and of Catholic Charities. Read more...

DODGEVILLE — By sharing seeds and knowledge of local planting techniques, Squanto helped the starving Pilgrims grow enough food to thrive in a new land. In a similar way, faith-filled farmers in the Diocese of Davenport are making use of their talents to assist people struggling to cultivate crops in other countries.

St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville is rolling out a new parish Laudato Si’ Plan during the Season of Creation this year. The parish Green Team has been working the past few months to create an interactive online plan with simple goals that make it easy for parishioners and parish groups to participate (https://tinyurl.com/3rf6nmhd).

By Jay Gilchrist For The Catholic Messenger St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville is rolling out a new parish Laudato Si’ Plan during the Season of Creation this year. The parish Green Team has been working the past few months to create an interactive online plan with simple goals that make it easy for parishioners and parish groups to participate (https://tinyurl.com/3rf6nmhd). The plan’s goals are adapted from “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home,” the 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis. The four goals call the community to Learn from the Earth, Hear the Poor, Live Simply, and Help to Heal the Planet. This 10th year of the Church’s Laudato Si’ mission is a wonderful time to renew our practices of care for creation, and what better time than right after we dedicated a new worship space?

In Catholicism, we refer to the tradition in the same way that Peter referred to God in Matthew 16:16: it is living. This living tradition unfolds in the midst of our own living through the discernment of the Spirit. That brings us to our Diocese of Davenport. From the listening sessions that occurred during the winter and spring of 2022, we gained a three-year focus that has moved along one year at a time.

NOVEMBER 8-9, 2025 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL, DAVENPORT For 8th–10th Graders Step into a weekend designed to unplug from the ordinary and connect with something real. The St. John Paul II Experience is a co-ed Catholic retreat for teens in 8th through 10th grade—filled with fun, faith, food, and fellowship. You’ll hear powerful talks, share in small groups, and discover what it means to make Christ your friend. This isn’t school, and it’s not a lecture. It’s an experience—a chance to be surrounded by peers on a similar journey, to ask big questions, and to encounter your faith in a new way. The retreat runs from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, all for just $50. Space is limited—join us and and see what God might have waiting for you. Registration will begin in September of 2025: Email retreats@diodav.org

The Iowa Catholic Conference, which is the public policy voice for Iowa’s bishops, is asking Catholics to advocate on behalf of the following concerns: This week is the deadline for Congress to act on the White House’s request to cancel lifesaving funding for international assistance, called rescissions. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the request for cuts, which means your advocacy is necessary to move the Senate to oppose this package.

Separated from his beloved Nicaragua by a government that disowned him for speaking up for justice and peace, Bishop Silvio Jose Báez Ortega, OCD, accepted a peace award in Davenport that he dedicated to courageous Nicaraguans continuing that advocacy.