About Diocese of Des Moines
The Diocese of Des Moines is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Church covering 23 counties in the southwestern quadrant of Iowa. Erected on August 12, 1911 by Pope Pius X with territory taken from the Diocese of Davenport, it is a suffragan see in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque. Its mother church is St. Ambrose Cathedral in downtown Des Moines, and it is led today by the tenth bishop, William Michael Joensen, who was installed by Pope Francis in 2019. The diocese serves roughly 106,000 registered Catholics through 80 parishes, 16 Catholic schools, 95 active and retired priests, and 102 permanent deacons, while Catholic Charities carries out the social mission founded by Bishop Thomas W. Drumm in 1924.
- Bishop
- William Michael Joensen
- Established
- 1911
- Cathedral
- St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
- Territory
- 23 counties in the southwestern quadrant of Iowa: Audubon, Adams, Cass, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Lucas, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor, Union, Warren, Wayne (per the 1911 erection), covering about 12,446 square miles
- Parishes
- 80
- Province
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
About the Diocese of Des Moines
The Diocese of Des Moines serves Catholics across 23 counties of central and southwest Iowa, an area of about 12,446 square miles that includes the Des Moines metro, Council Bluffs, Shenandoah, Creston, Marshalltown, Newton, and many smaller communities. According to the 2025 Annual Impact Report, 80 parishes, 16 Catholic schools, 95 active and retired priests, 102 permanent deacons, and 45 diocesan staff minister to roughly 106,000 registered Catholics—a figure that rises to an estimated 140,000 when unregistered Hispanic and other multinational Catholics are included. Bishop William Joensen, the tenth bishop, is assisted by Bishop Emeritus Richard Pates and Bishop Emeritus Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S., together with the staff of the Pastoral Center at 601 Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines.
- Established August 12, 1911 by Pope Pius X from the Diocese of Davenport
- Suffragan see in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
- St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines) is the mother church
- 80 parishes serve 106,000 registered Catholics in 23 counties
- Patrons: Mary, Queen of Heaven, and Pope Pius X
Diocesan History
Catholic missionary activity in what is now the Diocese of Des Moines began in the 1830s, when Jesuits from St. Louis evangelized Native American communities and Father Pierre-Jean De Smet attempted the Upper Missouri Valley's first Catholic church and school near Council Bluffs in 1838. Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Dubuque in 1837 to cover all of Iowa and the Wisconsin Territory, and the first Mass in Des Moines was offered in a log hut at Fort Des Moines in 1851 by Father Alexander Hattenberger. St. Ambrose Parish—the diocese's future cathedral—was built in 1856. After Bishop John Hennessy of Dubuque petitioned Rome for a southern Iowa see, Pope Pius X carved the 23 southwestern counties out of the Diocese of Davenport to erect the Diocese of Des Moines in 1911.
- 1837: Diocese of Dubuque erected by Pope Gregory XVI
- 1838: Fr. Pierre-Jean De Smet, S.J., opens first Catholic church/school near Council Bluffs (abandoned 1841)
- 1851: First Mass in Des Moines at Fort Des Moines
- 1856: St. Ambrose Parish founded—future cathedral
- 1881: Diocese of Davenport erected; Des Moines area included within it
- August 12, 1911: Diocese of Des Moines erected by Pope Pius X
- 1912: Bishop Austin Dowling installed as first bishop
- 1924: Catholic Charities founded by Bishop Thomas Drumm
- 1966: Bishop George Biskup purchases 55 acres for Dowling Catholic High School
- 1979: Pope John Paul II visits Des Moines during his American tour
- 1989: Basilica of St. John designated by the Vatican
- 2019: Bishop William Joensen installed as tenth bishop
Our Bishops
Ten bishops have shepherded the Diocese of Des Moines since 1911. Bishop William Michael Joensen, the current ordinary, was appointed by Pope Francis on July 18, 2019 and previously served in the Diocese of Dubuque. He is assisted by Bishop Emeritus Richard E. Pates (2008-2019) and Bishop Emeritus Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S. (1993-2007), both now residing in Des Moines. Earlier ordinaries include Bishop William H. Bullock (1987-1993), Bishop Maurice J. Dingman (1968-1986, host of Pope John Paul II in 1979), Bishop George J. Biskup (1965-1967, founder of Dowling Catholic), Bishop Edward Celestin Daly, O.P. (1948-1964), Bishop Gerald T. Bergan (1934-1948), Bishop Thomas W. Drumm (1919-1933, founder of Catholic Charities), and first bishop Austin Dowling (1912-1919, founder of Des Moines Catholic College and later Archbishop of St. Paul).
- Bishop William Joensen (2019-present) — current bishop
- Bishop Richard Pates (2008-2019) — bishop emeritus
- Bishop Joseph Charron, C.PP.S. (1993-2007) — bishop emeritus
- Bishop William Bullock (1987-1993)
- Bishop Maurice Dingman (1968-1986)
- Bishop George Biskup (1965-1967)
- Bishop Edward Daly, O.P. (1948-1964)
- Bishop Gerald Bergan (1934-1948)
- Bishop Thomas Drumm (1919-1933)
- Bishop Austin Dowling (1912-1919) — first bishop
St. Ambrose Cathedral
St. Ambrose Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Des Moines. Founded in 1856, it became the seat of the new diocese when Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Des Moines on August 12, 1911. Located in downtown Des Moines, the cathedral hosts the principal liturgies of the diocese—including the annual Chrism Mass during Holy Week, ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate, and the bishop's liturgical celebrations. It is also where Bishop Joensen celebrates his annual appeal events, Confirmation Masses, and other key diocesan gatherings.
- Founded 1856 as Des Moines's first Catholic parish
- Designated cathedral upon erection of the diocese on August 12, 1911
- Site of major diocesan liturgies (Chrism Mass, ordinations)
- Prairie Fire Ministries healing services were suspended here in 2024 by Bishop Joensen
Basilica of St. John
The Basilica of St. John in downtown Des Moines was originally dedicated in 1927 during the tenure of Bishop Thomas Drumm. In 1989, under Bishop William Bullock, the Vatican elevated St. John's to the status of a minor basilica, the only such designation within the Diocese of Des Moines. Minor basilicas hold special liturgical privileges and serve as pilgrimage churches within their dioceses.
- Dedicated 1927
- Elevated to minor basilica in 1989 by the Vatican
- One of only a handful of minor basilicas in Iowa
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Des Moines operates 16 Catholic schools serving 6,757 PS-12 students across central and southwest Iowa, with 6,836 students in the Des Moines metro alone during 2024-2025. The system includes Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines (the diocese's flagship secondary school founded on 55 acres purchased by Bishop Biskup in 1966) and Saint Albert Catholic School in Council Bluffs (the only K-12 system in the diocese). Tuition assistance comes from Catholic Tuition Organization (CTO) and Iowa's Education Savings Account (ESA) program, with 3,087 Des Moines-metro students using ESAs in 2024-2025 and 1,945 students receiving $2.29 million in CTO aid. Catholic school students across the diocese speak 29 home languages and are 31 percent racially/ethnically diverse; 84 percent are Catholic. All 12 Des Moines-area schools now share a centralized Des Moines Region Business Office housed at the Pastoral Center.
- Dowling Catholic High School (9-12), West Des Moines
- Saint Albert Catholic School (6 weeks-2YO through 12), Council Bluffs
- Holy Family, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph, St. Theresa, St. Anthony, Christ the King, Holy Trinity, St. Augustin, Sacred Heart, St. Pius X, St. Luke the Evangelist (Des Moines metro)
- Regional schools: St. Malachy (Creston), Shelby County Catholic (Harlan), St. Patrick (Perry), Our Lady's Little Learners (Ankeny)
- 6,757 PS-12 students diocesan-wide; 360 high school seniors in the class of 2025
- $11.6 million in college scholarships to the class of 2025
- 700+ school Masses celebrated each year
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines, founded in September 1924 by Bishop Thomas W. Drumm, is a 100-year-old social-services agency that now serves more than 35,000 neighbors each year through five cornerstone programs. From the Catholic Charities Food Pantry on Hubbell Avenue in Des Moines (which distributes about 35,000 pounds of rescued food every month) to the Emergency Family Shelter that keeps homeless families together, the agency embodies the diocese's commitment to Catholic Social Teaching. Its Refugee Services (working through the USCCB and U.S. State Department) helped resettle 452 refugees between July 2021 and June 2022, and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program in Council Bluffs serves nine southwest Iowa counties with a 24-hour crisis line (888-612-0266), emergency shelter, and counseling. Bilingual services, telehealth, and trauma-informed evidence-based practices are central to the counseling program.
- Founded September 1924 by Bishop Thomas W. Drumm
- Counseling (Des Moines and Council Bluffs, plus telehealth)
- Refugee Services (90 days of family resettlement support)
- Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Program serving nine southwest Iowa counties
- Catholic Charities Food Pantry, 1815 Hubbell Ave., Des Moines
- Emergency Family Shelter for up to 10 families at a time
Office of Worship
The diocesan Office of Worship supports Bishop Joensen in his role as chief liturgist of the diocese. It provides workshops for Holy Week planning, assists parishes in forming liturgy committees, and provides resources and support for the major diocesan liturgies including the annual Chrism Mass and ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate.
- Holy Week planning workshops for parishes
- Resources for liturgy committees
- Chrism Mass and ordination liturgies
Office of Evangelization and Mission
The Office of Evangelization and Mission coordinates the diocese's outreach into Catholic and non-Catholic communities, with particular emphasis on forming adults, youth, and families in the faith. Adult Evangelization and Leadership Formation oversees Becoming Catholic (RCIA) team formation and provides catechetical resources for parish and school formation with children and teen programming. Disability Ministry assists parishes in welcoming people with disabilities, advocates for accessibility, and facilitates ASL interpreting at diocesan events. Youth Evangelization creates comprehensive youth ministry based on the U.S. Bishops' framework and supports sacramental preparation and young-adult outreach, including pilgrimages. Campus Ministry develops comprehensive programming to evangelize students on the college campuses throughout the diocese and conducts leadership formation for Hispanic lay ministers.
- Adult Evangelization & Leadership Formation
- Becoming Catholic (RCIA) team formation
- Disability Ministry and ASL interpreting services
- Youth Evangelization and Confirmation preparation
- Campus Ministry and young-adult pilgrimages
- Hispanic lay ministry leadership development
Human Resources & Safe Environment
The diocese's human resources team supports parishes and schools in complying with employment law, provides training in the Just Practices of Compensation program, manages benefits for active and retired priests, and administers the benefits program for parish and school employees. The Safe Environment program conducts quarterly audits for Protecting God's Children compliance, performs background checks, and records Virtus training for more than 20,000 employees and volunteers across the diocese.
- Employment law support for parishes and schools
- Just Practices of Compensation training
- Benefits for active and retired priests
- Safe environment background checks and Virtus training (20,000+ people)
Clergy Vocations
According to the 2025 Annual Impact Report, 11 seminarians are currently studying in minor and major seminary for the Diocese of Des Moines. The diocese also numbers 102 active and retired permanent deacons serving in parishes, a vocational stream that grew from zero before Vatican II to one of the largest deacon communities in Iowa.
- 11 seminarians in formation (2024-2025)
- 102 active and retired permanent deacons
- 95 active and retired priests serving the diocese
Annual Diocesan Appeal
The Annual Diocesan Appeal funds ministries, schools, and outreach across the 23 counties of the diocese. In its 2024-2025 fiscal year the diocese processed 1,575 baptisms (1,316 infant, 145 children, 114 adult), 1,606 First Communions, 275 Catholic marriages (66 interfaith), and 672 Catholic funerals. The Synod Synthesis process in 2021-2022 produced the diocesan strategic vision 'Sowing God...in our midst,' now being implemented across the diocese's 80 parishes.
- 1,575 baptisms in fiscal year 2025
- 1,606 First Communions
- 275 Catholic marriages (66 interfaith)
- 672 Catholic funerals
- Strategic vision: 'Sowing God...in our midst' from the Synod Synthesis
Getting Involved
Catholics across the diocese serve through parish councils and ministries, Catholic Charities volunteering, the 16 diocesan Catholic schools, and the diocesan Pastoral Center itself—which in fiscal year 2025 was supported by 125 advisory-board and committee volunteers. The diocese also welcomes vocations to the priesthood and permanent diaconate (11 seminarians currently in formation) and supports lay ecclesial ministry formation. Bishop Joensen regularly invites the faithful to take part in prayer, formation, and outreach as the diocese implements its synodal vision.
- 125 advisory board and committee volunteers diocesan-wide
- Volunteer meal providers for the Emergency Family Shelter
- Refugee Services volunteer mentors
- School Advisory Boards for the 16 Catholic schools
- Vocations to the priesthood and permanent diaconate
