About Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Archdiocese of Dubuque (Latin: Archidioecesis Dubuquensis) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church covering the northeastern quarter of Iowa in the United States. Erected on July 28, 1837, by Pope Gregory XVI as the Diocese of Dubuque, it was elevated to an archdiocese on June 15, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII, becoming one of the earliest American archdioceses. It is the seat of the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Dubuque, currently led by Archbishop Thomas Robert Zinkula (since 2023), and serves as the metropolitan see for three suffragan dioceses. With about 160 parishes across roughly 39 counties, the archdiocese is stewarded by an estimated 130,000+ Catholics and traces its roots to French-Iroquois missionary Jacques Marquette's 1673 passage down the Mississippi.
- Archbishop
- Thomas Robert Zinkula
- Established
- 1837
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of St. Raphael, Dubuque
- Territory
- The northeastern quarter of Iowa, comprising approximately 39 counties (commonly referenced as 30 counties in active ministry planning) across 17,409 square miles (45,074 km²). It is bounded by Missouri to the south, the Mississippi River to the east, Minnesota to the north, and the archdiocesan boundary with the Diocese of Sioux City to the west.
- Parishes
- approximately 160 parishes (arranged into 8 deaneries)
- Province
- Itself a metropolitan see; not suffragan to another see. Its three (historically more) suffragan dioceses include the Diocese of Davenport, the Diocese of Sioux City, and formerly the Diocese of Des Moines, Diocese of Sioux Falls, and Diocese of Winona, depending on the era.
History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
From the 1673 Mississippi passage of Marquette and Jolliet through the 1837 erection of the diocese, the 1893 elevation to archdiocese, and the 2025 'Journey in Faith' restructuring, the archdiocese's history is one of vast territorial contraction paired with deep institutional growth. The full story — the 1850 separation of Minnesota, the 1881 division creating the Diocese of Davenport, the 1902 split that formed the Diocese of Sioux City, the wave of parish mergers reaching into Holy Spirit Parish in 2011 — is documented in detail above.
- Erected July 28, 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the Diocese of Dubuque
- Elevated to Archdiocese on June 15, 1893 by Pope Leo XIII
- First bishop: Mathias Loras (1837–1858), recruited from Diocese of Mobile
- First archbishop: John Hennessy (1893–1900)
- Current archbishop: Thomas Robert Zinkula (since 2023)
Cathedral of St. Raphael
The cathedral of the archdiocese is St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, with the present structure begun in 1858 by Bishop Mathias Loras shortly before his death and continued by his successor Bishop Clement Smyth. It is the traditional seat from which the Archbishop of Dubuque shepherds the faithful across northeastern Iowa.
- Original St. Raphael parish established in 1835 by Dominican Samuel Mazzuchelli
- St. Raphael designated cathedral parish in 1839 by First Bishop Loras
- Construction of the current cathedral begun in early 1858
- First Archbishop Hennessy buried in the mortuary vault beneath the cathedral
Bishops and Archbishops (Succession)
The archdiocese has been served by eleven archbishops (and three bishops before elevation). The full succession, including the apostolic administrator who served between Archbishop Jackels's retirement and Archbishop Zinkula's appointment, is recorded in the bishops_history list above.
- Mathias Loras (1837–1858)
- Clement Smyth, O.C.S.O. (1858–1865)
- John Hennessy (1866–1893; first archbishop 1893–1900)
- John J. Keane (1900–1911)
- James Keane (1911–1929)
- Francis J. Beckman (1930–1946)
- Henry Rohlman (1946–1954)
- Leo Binz (1954–1961)
- James Byrne (1962–1983)
- Daniel Kucera, O.S.B. (1983–1995)
- Jerome George Hanus, O.S.B. (1995–2013)
- Michael Owen Jackels (2013–2023)
- Richard Pates, Apostolic Administrator (2023)
- Thomas Robert Zinkula (2023–present)
Territory and Deaneries
The Archdiocese of Dubuque covers approximately the northeastern quarter of Iowa — about 39 counties and 17,409 square miles (45,074 km²) — bounded by Missouri to the south, the Mississippi River to the east, Minnesota to the north, and the Diocese of Sioux City to the west. For pastoral governance the territory is divided into eight deaneries, each led by a Very Reverend Dean who serves as the Archbishop's representative in the area.
- Cedar Rapids Deanery — Dean: Very Rev. Nicholas B. March
- Dubuque Deanery — Dean: Very Rev. Phillip G. Gibbs (includes Cathedral of St. Raphael, Church of the Nativity, Church of the Resurrection, Holy Spirit Parish, St. Anthony, St. Columbkille, St. Joseph the Worker, St. Patrick, and parishes in Key West and New Melleray)
- Six additional deaneries covering the rest of northeastern Iowa
- Deanery structure last updated July 8, 2025
Parish Finder and Mass Times
The official Parish Finder at dbqarch.org allows the faithful to locate the nearest parish by language preference (English, Spanish, French, Latin, Arabic, German, Italian, Konkani, Korean, Malayam, Mandarin, Marathi, Polish, Portuguese, Sign Language, Sinhala, Tagalog, Tamil, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Bilingual) and to find the next Mass. It also lists Natural Family Planning resources and provides directions and parish websites.
- Find Next Mass tool on dbqarch.org
- Multi-language parish search support
- Parishes across the eight deaneries of northeastern Iowa
Catholic Schools
Catholic education across the archdiocese is overseen by Superintendent of Schools Cathy Walz, Ed.S., supported by Lead Administrator Amy Conlon, Associate Directors Mindy Hart and Mary Smock, and Administrative Assistant Jenny Litterer. Holy Family Catholic Schools in Dubuque exemplifies the system: an Early Childhood through 12th-grade Catholic education network featuring Resurrection Elementary, St. Columbkille Elementary, Mazzuchelli Catholic Middle School, and Wahlert Catholic High School, plus the Our Lady of Guadalupe Spanish Immersion Program. As a Leader in Me school system, 94% of Wahlert Catholic graduates continue on to post-secondary education and it ranks as a top-ten Iowa AP Index high school.
- Cathy Walz, Ed.S. — Superintendent of Schools — (563) 556-2580 x289
- Amy Conlon, MEA — Lead Administrator of Catholic Schools
- Holy Family Catholic Schools system (Dubuque)
- Wahlert Catholic High School (top-ten Iowa AP Index)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Spanish Immersion Program
- Early Childhood through 12th-grade pathways
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, a member agency of Catholic Charities USA, is headquartered at the archdiocesan campus at 1229 Mt Loretta Ave, Dubuque, IA 52003 (phone 563-588-0558). It delivers twelve core service lines across northeastern Iowa, relying on volunteers and partner parishes.
- Addiction services
- Asset development services
- Case management services
- Counseling and behavioral health services
- Disaster response and recovery services
- Housing Services
- Information and referrals
- Migrant services
- Parish social ministry services
- Pregnancy and parenting services
- Services to those affected by incarceration
- Youth services
Journey in Faith Pastoral Restructuring
Launched in November 2025 by Archbishop Thomas Zinkula, the Journey in Faith initiative responds to demographic and vocational realities — Mass attendance is down 46% since 2006, marriages are down 57%, and 160 parishes across 30 counties must be served by too few priests. The initial phase centers on reducing the number of churches offering Sunday Mass, with further planning, parish clustering, and archdiocesan renewal under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and extensive lay consultation.
- Initiated by Archbishop Thomas Zinkula
- Detailed at dbqjourneyinfaith.org
- Driven by priest shortage, demographic shifts, and declining Mass participation
- Initial focus: reduction in churches offering Sunday Mass
- Includes vision, mission, and consultation with parishioners
Seminarians, Vocations, and Spiritual Direction
The archdiocese actively promotes vocations and lay spiritual leadership. In May 2026 the Archbishop commissioned twenty-six new spiritual directors across the archdiocese; four seminarians were ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Raphael, having completed a final period of Vocational Synthesis. Lindsay Leahy was appointed Director of Leadership Formation to direct the spiritual formation pipeline.
- May 2026 Chrism Mass
- Twenty-six new spiritual directors commissioned by Archbishop Zinkula
- Four seminarians ordained at the Cathedral of St. Raphael
- Lindsay Leahy — Director of Leadership Formation
- Vocational Synthesis program for final-stage seminarians
Religious Orders and Monasteries
A rich tradition of invited religious communities has shaped Catholic life in the archdiocese, beginning with Bishop Loras's recruitment of the Sisters of Charity of the BVM in 1843 and the Irish Cistercians in 1849, and continuing through the 1964 founding of the Trappist Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque under Archbishop James Byrne.
- Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1843) — founded St. Joseph's Academy / Clarke University
- Irish Cistercians of New Melleray Abbey, Peosta (1849)
- Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of the Holy Family (arrived 1878, staff St. Mary's Orphan)
- Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey (Trappist, founded 1964 in Dubuque)
Contact and Offices
The archdiocesan offices are at 1229 Mount Loretta Avenue, Dubuque, IA 52003. The main switchboard may be reached at (563) 556-2580 (fax 556-5464). Catholic Charities operates from the same campus at 563-588-0558.
- Mailing Address: 1229 Mount Loretta Ave., Dubuque, IA 52003, USA
- Telephone: (563) 556-2580
- Fax: (563) 556-5464
- Catholic Charities: 1229 Mt Loretta Ave, Dubuque, IA 52003 — (563) 588-0558
- Official website: https://www.dbqarch.org/
- Pastoral planning site: https://www.dbqjourneyinfaith.org/
