diocese of Davenport Archives

Conviction met with mix of relief, lingering sadness over Tibbetts’ murder

Jun 4, 2021

A senior high picture of Mollie Tibbetts, the 20-year-old college student slain while jogging in her Iowa hometown three years ago, remains pinned to the bulletin board of Angie Gritsch, the former youth minister at Tibbetts’ parish.

By Barb Arland-Fye

Iowa reaches out to dioceses on getting vaccines to underserved groups

Apr 2, 2021

Getting vaccines to underserved populations in Iowa — immigrants, refugees, Hispanics, African Americans and other communities — needs to happen through their faith communities and other local groups they trust.

By Barb Arland-Fye

Rural churches respond to spread of virus

Nov 28, 2020

When Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds last week announced new coronavirus restrictions for Iowans, including broad mask-wearing requirements and restrictions on the size of gatherings, she excluded religious activities.

By Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register

Iowa Catholics pray for workers at meat-packing plant who died of COVID-19

Aug 8, 2020

A small group of deacon formation classmates, parishioners and family members stood across the road from Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Columbus Junction July 24 and prayed Morning Prayer.

By Barb Arland-Fye

‘It spreads so fast,’ says Iowa Catholic; COVID-19 hits 15 family members

Jul 31, 2020

As Alicia Nava flipped through family photographs the morning of July 25, she said solemnly from behind a floral print mask, “We were taking precautions.” Three weeks before, she was in the hospital battling COVID-19, as were five of her relatives.

By Lindsay Steele

Capital punishment, immigration issues compel Iowa bishops to speak up

Jul 8, 2020

Iowa’s Catholic bishops are taking a prominent stand on three pressing federal issues, one involving the imminent execution of four federal death-row inmates, another on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, and the third on the asylum system.

By Barb Arland-Fye

Judge blocks law requiring 24-hour waiting period before getting abortion

Jul 3, 2020

A Johnson County district court judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of the state’s new law requiring women to wait 24 hours before having an abortion, the Iowa Catholic Conference reported July 1.

By Barb Arland-Fye

Iowa bishop says pandemic should prompt release of Guatemalan detainees

May 28, 2020

Davenport Bishop Thomas R. Zinkula has asked the chief of Homeland Security in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to release three Guatemalan immigrant detainees because the COVID-19 pandemic “places immigrants being detained in a very vulnerable situation.”

By Barb Arland-Fye