About Us
The Diocese of Des Moines, created in 1911, serves people over a 12,446 square mile area in the southwestern quadrant of Iowa, including 23 counties.
The Diocese of Des Moines is comprised of:
- 108,581 estimated Catholics with a total population of 876,785, according to the 2017 Kenedy report. We estimate we serve 130,000 when including unregistered Hispanic families.
- 80 parishes
- 17 schools
- 60 active diocesan priests, and
- 3 Catholic hospitals
Bishop-elect William Joensen will be ordained and installed as the 10th bishop of our diocese on Sept. 27.
Bishop Richard Pates, who has served us since 2008, will retire.
Our diocesan priorities are:
- Meeting the needs of newcomers, particularly Hispanic Catholics
- Growing vocations, particularly to the priesthood
- Encouraging people to understand and support evangelization
- Serving youth and young adults, particularly millennials
- Marriage and family life