Bishop Paul J. Swain, Bishop of Sioux Falls, and the Very Reverend Michel Mulloy, Diocesan Administrator of Rapid City. Pursuant to a Warrant of Execution, today the state of South Dakota intends to execute inmate Charles Rhines. On this occasion, as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux Read more…
Religious Freedom is the right to practice one’s faith without coercion or fear, without obstacle or opposition. Religious freedom is a right granted by God, to all human beings. It has its origin in human dignity: we’re all created for the transcendent, and by nature we’re attracted to it and Read more…
That all life is sacred and has dignity, from conception to natural death, is a truth we must never tire of speaking, especially in those circumstances where the lives of the voiceless and vulnerable are at stake. It is an unspeakable travesty that our country has permitted the legal abortion Read more…
Catholic Social Teaching, sometimes called the Church’s social doctrine, is that body of teaching and reflection that helps us to form a moral framework for how to approach and respond to society’s challenges of ordering and governing our life together in the world. The truths that social teaching proposes are Read more…
Following the issuance of a Warrant of Execution, the state of South Dakota intends to execute inmate Rodney Berget during the week of October 28, 2018. As the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, we recall once more our statements on the death penalty Read more…
The South Dakota Legislature will consider legislation during the 2016 Legislative Session to repeal the death penalty. In 2012 we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls issued a statement on the Death Penalty. We re-issue that statement for consideration of the legislative, executive, Read more…
We the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Dakota support House Bill 1008 because it protects the rights and respects the innate dignity of all persons in our schools. We begin by making clear that God’s love is present to every person including those who manifest themselves as Read more…
A deeply divided United States Supreme Court has issued a tragic ruling for our country and its future by redefining marriage – forcing all states to license and recognize marriages between two persons of the same sex. The Court has made a tragic error in its conclusion and this decision Read more…
It is expected that the South Dakota Legislature will consider legislation during the 2014 legislative session to repeal the death penalty. In 2012 we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Dioceses of Rapid City and Sioux Falls issued a statement on the Death Penalty. With slight modification to reflect the Read more…