"The Answer to Our Prayers": A New Pastor at Sacred Heart Newton – Michelle Miller & Fr. Louis Hammond – 09/03/2026

Michelle Miller, business manager and stewardship coordinator at Sacred Heart Parish in Newton, joins Bo Bonner to reflect on a difficult and grace-filled few years for the parish. Michelle shares how she and the Sacred Heart community walked alongside pastor Father Martin "Marty" Goetz through his battle with bone cancer, leaning on parish volunteers, the Diocese of Davenport, and constant prayer, until his passing. Retired priest Father William "Bill" Reynolds then came out of retirement to serve as parish administrator, helping guide Sacred Heart and its sister parish, Immaculate Conception in Colfax, through the transition.Father Louis Hammond joins the conversation as Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception's newly installed pastor. Bishop Dennis Walsh installed Father Hammond on August 22, following his previous assignment as chaplain at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Born in Ghana, Father Hammond was ordained to the priesthood in 1992 and spent thirty years in priestly ministry there before arriving in the Diocese of Davenport in 2022. He shares his call to parish life in Newton and Colfax after years of hospital chaplaincy, and reflects on being welcomed by parishioners as an answer to their prayers for a new shepherd.Michelle and Father Hammond both look ahead to growing the parish's young adult and religious education programs as Sacred Heart begins its next chapter as a "family church" in Newton and Colfax.Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com.#SacredHeartNewton #FatherLouisHammond #DioceseOfDavenport #NewPastor #CatholicParishLife #Ghana #CatholicPodcast #IowaCatholicRadio Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.