Sioux City Diocese to hold special collection after devastating Iowa floods

Aerial photo of Floyd River flooding near Alton, one of many communities under water in northwest Iowa in June 2024. / Credit: Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Facebook account

CNA Staff, Jun 26, 2024 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Sioux City will hold a special collection next month to help victims of recent devastating flooding in the state of Iowa.

Sioux City Bishop Walker Nickless has established a flood victims relief collection to be taken in all diocesan parishes July 6-7, according to diocesan spokeswoman Dawn Prosser.

Heavy rains in the Missouri and Mississippi river basins have led to devastating flooding in northwest Iowa this month, with entire communities near rivers and lakes inundated by muddy waters. 

Rivers in some parts of the state have crested above record levels set during historic floods in the Midwest in 1993, affecting thousands of homes. 

Seventeen of the 24 counties within the Sioux City Diocese were included in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ disaster declarations. 

Prosser told CNA that several Catholic parishes had to cancel weekend Masses and many are in the process of getting water damage mitigated. She also said the diocesan Catholic Charities office is receiving a grant from Catholic Charities USA to provide direct financial assistance to area flood victims.

Nickless in a statement said “homes, vehicles, possessions, and perhaps livelihoods have been lost.”

“As numerous areas of our diocese have been devastated by historic flooding, we have thousands of people who are in need,” Nickless said in a statement to CNA. 

“People of all faiths are suffering,” the bishop said. “The faithful of the Diocese of Sioux City and I are praying for those affected by the flooding and will be assisting where we are able.” 

Some parishes, including Sacred Heart in Spencer, Iowa, had to cancel weekend Masses. As of June 24 the parish office was closed as the campus was without power, phone, or internet service. 

Spencer is just over two hours southeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Amy Jones, director of marketing and development for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Sioux City, told the diocese that due to water damage they have had to temporarily close their Spencer office. 

On Saturday, an Illinois man died while trying to drive around a barricade in Spencer, the AP reported.

Father Kevin Richter, the pastor of the Spencer parish, told the diocese that the parish and school properties have not yet experienced water damage. A rectory 40 minutes west, where a retired priest resides, took on several inches of water, as did the St. Anthony Church basement in nearby Primghar. 

In the small town of Rock Valley an hour west of Spencer, St. Mary Church lost power and had six inches of water in the church basement over the weekend, the diocese reported.

Sister Jodie Zimmerman, pastoral minister and director of religious education in Rock Valley, told the diocese that Catholic Mutual insurance helped arrange for a national firm to clean the church basement beginning June 24.

Zimmerman said she has been heartened to see the efforts of parishioners to help, including one parishioner who served free meals in a local parking lot.

Father Siby Punnoose, pastor of three churches in the Sheldon, Iowa, area, canceled the June 22-23 weekend Masses and said the basement parish hall in one of the parishes flooded. 

Professionals are drying and cleaning the hall, he told the diocese. Another Sheldon parish had standing water in the rectory basement, water intrusion in the parish offices, and hallways and water in the school boiler.

President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the flooded areas in Iowa on June 24. Parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota have also been affected by the floods.