Iowa faith leaders speak out against calls to enact death penalty

January 31, 2018   |   Connie Ryan, Iowa View contributor

At its core, our opposition to the death penalty is based in our faith traditions that inform our beliefs on what is right and wrong and what we must stand against on behalf of our faith and human rights. Our collective faiths compel us to use our voices to declare the death penalty wrong and immoral. The government should not kill a human being as retribution or punishment, regardless of the person’s actions.

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Going to the peripheries: Bishop Zinkula follows the example of Pope Francis

January 25, 2018   |   Barb Arland-Fye

Advocates for people living on society’s margins, whose voices are not heard, have been asking Bishop Zinkula to tour their neighborhoods and programs in the Davenport Diocese. “The bishop is uniquely positioned to call attention to the substantial potential and needs of our inner-city residents,” says John DeTaeye, director of development for Humility of Mary Housing Inc. and Humility of Mary Shelter Inc. in Davenport. “The residents of the inner-city neighborhoods are crying out for public investments; street and alley lighting, sidewalk improvement, access to social services, affordable housing, jobs, and private and public education opportunities.”

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LCWR Denounces the Administrations’ Decision to Rescind TPS for Salvadorans

January 11, 2018   |   Leadership Conference of Women Religious

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious strongly denounces the cruel decision by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 200,000 Salvadorans. El Salvador is the fourth country whose citizens have been stripped of their right to protection by President Trump’s administration. Rescinding TPS from human beings under continuing threat of violence of all types is inconsistent with the values and traditions of this nation and with our belief in the dignity of all persons.

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Free clothing room opens to shelter residents in Davenport, donations needed

December 23, 2017   |   Kevin E. Schmidt

The free clothing space is conveniently located for those who need it, Adamson said, and staff members really wanted to provide customers with a dignified way to get clothing, including coats, hats, shoes and stockings.

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A Place to Call Home

December 14, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

Mother and daughter no longer have to “couch surf,” or look for a place to rest their heads each night. With the support of Humility of Mary Housing, Inc. (HMHI) and their dedication to bettering their lives, they live in their own apartment and savor the stability.

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Heading to Rome: New leadership post for Sr. Storms

December 7, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

“In the dream I heard a voice telling me, “you are ready, let your sisters call you.” At first I fought the call. I didn’t want to leave the ministry I love at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. I said, ‘I am too old to take on this monumental task.’ I struggled, I cried, but I couldn’t say no.

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This is the Life God Called us To

November 9, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

“As the youngest member of our community we certainly support Sister Lynn and encourage her participation in Giving Voice,” said Sister Mary Ann Vogel, the CHM president. “We need to move away from the diminishment narrative of religious life. There will be a future and the women of Giving Voice will be among those leading us into the future.”

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2017 Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award winner

October 23, 2017   |   Thomas Geyer

Akreyi’s vision is of a sovereign country that will encompass the historic lands of the Kurds and the minorities who live in peace with them. It is a vision of a place of safety for these people. It is a place that will give them a way to escape the genocides that have befallen those people, much as Israel has become a safe haven for the Jewish people.

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CHMs advocate for refugees, immigrants

October 12, 2017   |   CHM Sisters

The Congregation of the Humility of Mary, based in Davenport, is calling upon concerned citizens to advocate for immigration policies that continue to promote the United States as a beacon of hope for our diverse, global community

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Faith through the Flames

October 4, 2017   |   Matt Milner

The weight of the organ crashing through the burning floor. Pages were torn from books by the fire. The heat and updraft sent the pages flying upward until they were scattered by cooler breezes. “Throughout the afternoon we watched as one floor after another succumbed to the flames. You could tell whose room was burning as that person began crying, knowing that all their possessions were gone,” she wrote. It’s not just memories of the fire that allow people to envision the scene. The Congregation for the Humility of Mary has film. The video, which is available on YouTube through the community’s channel, opens with a shot of a building engulfed in flames. It moves briefly to a firefighter spraying a solitary hose on the building, then leaps back to the flames. It’s clear who will win.

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VANG - a play that tells stories of immigrant farmers in Iowa

September 21, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

Photographs of recent immigrant farmers flashed on the wall behind an actor and actress portraying real-life immigrants who found refuge and a good life in Iowa. The play “Vang,” which means garden or farm in Hmong, riveted the attention of audiences in DeWitt and Davenport because the storytelling evoked the pain, loss and perseverance of ordinary people.

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No Hate Rally inspires Kindness

August 28, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

Sister Lynn Mousel, CHM, walked to the rally with several other members of her religious community, the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in Davenport. They carried signs from a Kindness campaign of the Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. “I felt like it was important to be able to do some kind of action, to stand up against this climate of divisiveness and violence,” Sr. Mousel said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group that can stand up together and share the same message.”

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Humility Sisters Celebrate Jubilees

July 7, 2017   |   Lisa Martin

Latest edition of CHM Spirit complete with all upcoming events and retreats including VANG! a play you shouldn't miss, Spirit of the Prairie, a party you shouldn't miss and a link to a beautiful video about Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat!

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Catholic Leaders Remain Committed to Paris Agreement

June 8, 2017   |   Barb Arland-Fye

People of faith in the Diocese of Davenport and around the United States are reinforcing efforts to address climate change in response to the U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

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The Des Moines Diocesan Schools Office will be renamed in honor of Humility Sister Jude Fitzpatrick

May 31, 2017   |   Anne Marie Cox

Bishop Richard pates announced the Catholic Schools Suite in the Catholic Pastoral Center will be named the "Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, CHM, Catholic Schools Suite" in grateful recognition of her extensive years of leadership and commitment to Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Des Moines.

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