The Badger Catholic: Diocese of Sioux Falls

Bishop Swain, when he was still Monsignor Swain, was pastor of Madison’s Holy Redeemer Church at the time he was appointed bishop of Sioux Falls. That was only a short while after I returned to the practice of my Faith, so I never met him, though I did attend a talk he gave here to Madison’s Thomas More Society (a Catholic lawyers’ group) on religious liberty, last fall. He’s clearly more than just talk–back home in South Dakota, he’s recently had to take action.

SIOUX FALLS, SD, March 18, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has taken action against a Catholic insurance agency that has chosen to cover contraception with no co-pay in order to satisfy the legal requirements of the Obama administration’s health reform law.

Bishop Paul Swain said the action of Avera Health Plans has created “public scandal,” because its practices are “inconsistent with Church teaching.”

The decision hits close to home, as the diocese of Sioux Falls is an Avera customer, although the changes do not affect the diocese’s policy.

continue at Laetificat Madison

Photo

SIOUX CITY, IOWA, August 4 (CNA) - The Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota recently celebrated the interior restoration of its Cathedral of St. Joseph, completing a 15-year effort to bring classical beauty back to the nearly century-old worship space.

"This is not the end but rather the beginning of a new day for the Cathedral of St. Joseph as a place to see beauty, learn about the faith, and draw closer to God," said Sioux Falls Bishop Paul J. Swain, who welcomed worshipers and visitors after blessing the restored cathedral's doors on July 25.

Former Sioux Falls bishop and current St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson attended the dedication, witnessing the completion of the redesign that he initiated during his leadership of the diocese. Bishop Donald J. Kettler of Fairbanks, Alaska, who is a former rector of the cathedral, also attended the ceremony.

In addition to the artistic overhaul, designed by the acclaimed architect Duncan G. Stroik, the $16.2 million project also included extensive building maintenance and structural work, along with the complete replacement of the church's electrical wiring, sound system, lights, heating and air conditioning.

CNA

Duncan Stroik also designed the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Some photos of Cathedral of St Joseph: