William Michael Joensen
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend William Michael Joensen Ph.D. | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Des Moines | |
| Archdiocese | Dubuque |
| Diocese | Des Moines |
| Appointed | July 18, 2019 |
| Installed | September 27, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Richard Pates |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 24, 1989 by Daniel Kucera |
| Consecration | September 27, 2019 by Michael Owen Jackels, R. Walker Nickless, and Thomas Zinkula |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 8, 1960 Waterloo, Iowa, US |
| Education | Iowa State University University of Iowa Pontifical College Josephinum Catholic University of America |
| Motto | Exquirite faciem suam (Seek His face) |
William Michael Joensen (born July 8, 1960) is an American Catholic Prelate who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines in Iowa since 2019.
Biography
Early life and education
William Joensen was born on July 8, 1960, in Waterloo, Iowa to Alfred W. Joensen and Marilyn E. (née Simington) Joensen. He is the eldest of five children and grew up in Ames, Iowa.[1] Joensen received a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He was attending medical school at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, when he decided instead to study for the priesthood. Joensen's seminary education was at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.[2][3]
Priesthood
On June 24, 1989, Joensen was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dubuque by Archbishop Daniel Kucera in the Church of the Nativity in Dubuque.[4]
After his 1989 ordination, the archdiocese assigned him as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and faculty member of Columbus High School, both in Waterloo, Iowa. He left these two posts in 1992 to become associate pastor of the Church of the Resurrection Parish in Dubuque.[5] Joensen in 1995 went to Washington D.C. to attend the Catholic University of America, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2001.[6][3]
When Joensen returned to Iowa, he served as a chaplain at Clarke College in Dubuque from 2003 to 2010. At Loras College in Dubuque, Joensen served as chaplain, associate professor of philosophy, and dean of campus spiritual life. At Dubuque's St. Pius X Seminary, Joensen was the spiritual director. Joensen also served as a faculty member at the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Kraków, Poland.[6][2]
Bishop of Des Moines Diocese
Pope Francis appointed Joensen as the tenth bishop of Des Moines on July 18, 2019. His episcopal ordination took place on September 27, 2019, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.[7] Archbishop Michael Jackels was the consecrator, with Bishop R. Walker Nickless and Bishop Thomas Zinkula as the co-consecrators.[4]
In January 2023, Joensen published a decree that required students in Catholic schools to dress according to their gender at birth and use bathrooms and locker rooms accordingly.[8]
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- Back to citation "Joensen named 10th bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines". The Daily Nonpareil. Council Bluffs, Iowa. August 7, 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Moines, Diocese of Des. "Bishop Joensen". www.dmdiocese.org. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Fleig, Shelby. "Meet the next Des Moines bishop: a philosopher, advocate and self-described 'Iowa guy'". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 "Bishop William Michael Joensen [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
- Back to citation "Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Richard Pates, Appoints Rev. William Joensen as Bishop-Elect of Diocese of Des Moines". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
- Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 "University spiritual life dean appointed Des Moines bishop". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- Back to citation Shelby Fleig (September 27, 2019). "Diocese of Des Moines welcomes Bishop William Joensen at ordination". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
- Back to citation Tugade, F. Amanda (January 18, 2023). "Des Moines bishop explains why diocese has new gender identity policies at schools, churches". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2024-02-06.