Prior to ordination, the men of Deacon Class VII are required to make a 5-day retreat.

By Anne Marie Amacher The Catholic Messenger DAVENPORT — “You need to trust in God. God will help you,” Immi­gration Counselor Gricelda Garnica told Rodney Swanson last fall. He had all but given up hope of being reunited with his wife, who lives in Vietnam.

Congratulations to those members of Deacon Class VII who earned their Masters of Pastoral Theology Degree from St. Ambrose!

Before these candidates are called to Holy Orders by Bishop Amos, the People of God are to be asked about their worthiness.

A team of 27 people from the Diocese of Davenport and elsewhere provided medical and dental care to Haitians in the Jean-Denis area of Haiti last month. Ann Wester, coordinator for the Haitian Connection mission group of St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf, said the majority of volunteers were from the parish. Others came from Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine; Iowa City; Dubuque, Iowa; and from the Quad-City area. They met with a team from Hands Together of Palm Beach, Fla.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: I, along with other bishops across the country, join the voice of Bishop Joe Vasquez, Chair of the Committee of Migration and Refugees for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, regarding the actions of President Trump concerning our dealings with Mexico and refugees.

Attend the final session of the Amoris Laetitia Webinar Series- Pastoral Response in Accompanying Families in Faith. Please click above for more information or to register.

KEOTA — In a few weeks, new college graduate Maggie VanRoekel will head to Bolivia to help provide educational opportunities to marginalized citizens. As a volunteer with Franciscan Mission Services, she will spend two years living in solidarity with students at Unidad Academica Campesina in Carmen Pampa, teaching English and participating in ministerial work.

At its fall meeting, the USCCB set December 12, 2016, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe aside as a National Day of Prayer with a focus on the plight of refugees and immigrants. In their press release the Bishops note that “It will be a time to place before a merciful God the hopes, fears, and needs of all those families who have come to the U.S. seeking a better life.” Please open the full story for resources... beyond December 12.

Filing fees for a wide assortment of immigration applications and related paperwork will increase under final rules released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Oct. 24. The increases take effect Dec. 23. Click link to learn more.

Since 2006, the Sisters of St. Francis in Dubuque, Iowa, have worked to bring safe water to villages in Tanzania and Honduras through its Sister Water Project. With support from Safe Water for Life and Dignity (SWLD), the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in Davenport, Holy Spirit Sisters, Salvatorian Missions, Dubuque Rotary Club and many donors, the Sister Water Project has completed or restored more than 125 well projects in Tanzania and 10 water systems in Honduras.

Praying for a new bishop...

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has published a new Instruction, Ad resurgendum cum Christo, regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation.

Congratulations to the following MFP participants who were commissioned as Lay Ecclesial Ministers for the Diocese of Davenport on October 15: Jane Doucette (St. Mary, Iowa City) William Doucette (St. Mary, Iowa City) Karina Garnica (Sacred Heart, Davenport) Rebecca Hannum (St. Mary, West Point) Jane Playle Kauzlarich (St. Mary, Oskaloosa) Juana Plum (St. Mary, Albia) Andrew Reif (St. Mary, Dodgeville) Lori Smith (St. Mary, Oskaloosa) Donna Tylkowski (St. Mary, Oskaloosa)

Here are links to prayers from the USCCB for use during this election season (English and Spanish) as well as a link to sample intercessions as we approach Election Day.

The nine candidates for the diaconate spent a week at St. Meinrad developing their preaching skills.

Pope Francis recently declared September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, as the Orthodox Church has done since 1989.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The 2016 election season is well underway. Voting begins at the end of September and continues through Election Day, Nov. 8. Many of you have already begun your decision-making process. This time offers an excellent opportunity to examine the candidates and issues with a properly formed conscience, learning and taking to heart the moral and social teaching of the church.

By Emmaline Jurgena For The Catholic Messenger Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl collection continues to grow in donations, generating $85,009 this year. The total is up from $82,353 in 2015, and a vast increase from $63,386 in 2014. Twenty-five percent of the funds collected in the Davenport Diocese stay in the diocese; 75 percent go to CRS programs around the world.

By Lindsay Steele The Catholic Messenger DAVENPORT — St. Am­brose University student Corrigan Goldsmith always enjoyed going on mission trips and doing service projects. But after starting her Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) internship in 2014 and taking part in mandatory leadership training, she began to realize that helping people with immediate needs is just the beginning. Fighting for systemic change is also essential.