Statements and Documents

June 24, 2024 Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Today we mark the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed South Dakota to begin protecting preborn children and their mothers from the harms of abortion. This is a fitting day to express gratitude for the thousands of South Dakotans who have rallied to meet the needs of women and families facing difficult or challenging pregnancies. Our state has a robust network of agencies and organizations that help pregnant women and families meet a variety of needs, including health care, housing, financial assistance, parenting education, and more. The state of South Dakota has established a website – https://www.sd.gov/life – where access to all…

June 6, 2024 On June 3, 2024, the South Dakota Secretary of State certified for the November general election ballot an initiated measure that would legalize the use, possession, and distribution of marijuana (cannabis) for so-called “recreational” purposes. The proposal has been designated as Initiated Measure 29. As Christians we must carefully consider how “recreational” marijuana legalization will affect the welfare of individuals and the common good. As spiritual leaders, desiring that every person in our state experience well-being in mind, body and spirit, we share this resource with the hope that it may shed light on how we can support human flourishing, and avoid that which brings harm to others and the common good. There is a widespread perception in society today that marijuana is a harmless drug. This…

May 21, 2024 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, On May 16, 2024, the South Dakota Secretary of State certified for the November 5, 2024 election ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. The Secretary has designated the proposal as Amendment G. This amendment would overturn dozens of pro-life laws in South Dakota that protect preborn children and their mothers from the dangers of abortion. The certification decision may be challenged in court due to irregularities in the petition circulation process, some of which were previously identified by the state attorney general. If a legal challenge ensues, we should pray that it results in the removal of this extreme measure from the ballot, given the threat it poses to South Dakota’s most…

December 22, 2023 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We have received a number of inquiries from the faithful concerning Fiducia Supplicans, a Vatican document published Monday on the topic of blessings. It specifically discusses the offering of a blessing by a priest to persons living in situations of unrepentant serious sin, such as same-sex sexual relationships, fornication, or adultery. Blessings can have a liturgical or ritual expression (e.g., the blessing of the sick or the blessing of an altar), while others remain less formal (e.g., the prayer before meals or a parent’s blessing of their children at bedtime). Blessings can be used to seek God’s protection against evil, to set things aside for the worship of God (e.g., the blessing of a chalice), or to ask God’s favor or…

June 24, 2023 “For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:44) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: On this occasion of the first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, we write to exhort the Catholic faithful and all persons of good will to reflect on our shared responsibility to protect all vulnerable human life, most especially our preborn brothers and sisters. The Dobbs decision, as we stated one year ago, represents a “giant leap forward toward the ultimate goal of protecting each and every life from the beginning of its existence.” The Supreme Court, by overturning the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, has finally allowed South Dakota…

June 21, 2023 Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Dear Friends in Christ, I am pleased to announce movements within our diocese that will allow us to continue to grow in missionary discipleship and holiness. First, in 2021 God blessed us by sending members of the religious community of Pro Ecclesia Sancta (PES), whose name means “for the holiness of the Church.” With two PES priests serving in Mitchell, and PES sisters and a men’s formation house with a PES priest and PES brothers in the Sioux Falls area great things have been happening. While the PES sisters will remain in Sioux Falls, the PES leaders have discerned that the PES priest and brothers in the formation house should move to Mitchell to be closer to the PES priests and…