Bishop William M. Joensen

The Most Rev. William M. Joensen, Ph.D., was ordained and installed in 2019 as bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines. He leads 79 parishes across 23 counties in central and southwest Iowa with a zeal for evangelization and a deep desire to lead people to a deeper friendship with Christ.

Born in 1960, Bishop Joensen received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University, a master's degree in moral theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and a doctorate in philosophy from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1989.

He has served in parishes, as spiritual director at St. Pius X Seminary in Dubuque and in a variety of roles at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Locally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Mercy College of Health Sciences. Statewide, he chairs the Iowa Catholic Conference. Nationally, he serves the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops through his participation on the Committee for Doctrine and the Committee on Catholic Education.

Bishop Joensen in the Media

Bishop Joensen writes a regular column for The Catholic Mirror and hosts a weekly radio show on Iowa Catholic Radio.

Committees and Boards

Chair, Higher Education Working Group, USCCB Committee on Catholic Education
Member, USCCB Committee on Doctrine
Member, Board of Directors, Mercy College of Health Sciences
Chair, Iowa Catholic Conference

Organizations

Knights of Columbus, 4^th Degree
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Knight Commander with Star