Staff at the Catholic Pastoral Center

Senior Advisor to the Bishop

Sister Jude Fitzpatrick is the Senior Advisor to the Bishop. She assists the Bishop on a variety of projects, including the Diocesan Building Commission and settling our international priests.

Executive Assistant, Bishop’s Office

Angie Hemmingsen is the Executive Assistant for the Bishop’s Office. She coordinates the Bishop's schedule, including setting appointments and scheduling Masses, and manages Letters of Suitability.

Chancellor

Jason Kurth is the Chancellor for the Diocese. He assists the bishop and vicar general in the administration of the diocesan staff to promote professional and faithful service to God's people.

Vice Chancellor of Canonical Affairs

Adam Storey is the Vice Chancellor of Canonical Affairs. He works in the Tribunal, ensuring that parish or diocesan policies are in conformity with canon law and manages cases handled by the Tribunal.

Coordinator of the Tribunal Office

Cathy Gearhart is the Coordinator of the Tribunal Office. She assists with answering general questions related to the Tribunal Office.

Director of Communications

Anne Marie Cox is the Director of Communications. She is the editor of The Catholic Mirror, assists with the Bishop's weekly radio show, and manages communication for the Diocese.

Administrative Assistant, Communications

Sandy Riesberg is the Comms Administrative Assistant. She assists the Director of Communications, handles advertising for The Catholic Mirror, and can answer questions related to the Worship Office.

Vicar General

Fr. David Fleming serves as a vicar general. He is responsible for assisting the Bishop in the general administration of the diocese.

Judicial Vicar

Fr. Christopher Pisut, pastor of St. Augustin in Des Moines, is the judicial vicar. He is responsible for overseeing the Tribunal and advising the Bishop on issues related to Church law.

Episcopal Vicar for Divine Worship

Fr. Trevor Chicoine, pastor in Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, and Reno/Cumberland, serves as the Vicar for Worship.

Director for Newly Ordained & Intl Priests

Rev. Daniel Kirby, pastor at St.John the Apostle in Norwalk, is the Director for Newly Ordained & International Priests.

Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Ministry

Fr. PJ McManus, pastor Christ the King in Des Moines, serves as the Vicar for Hispanic Ministry.

Episcopal Vicar for Priests

Fr. Michael Amadeo, pastor of St. Anthony's in Des Moines, serves as the episcopal Vicar for Priests.

Director of Vocations

Father Parker serves as Vocations Director for the Diocese and as Pastor for St. Mary - Holy Cross Parish in Elkhart.

Assistant Director of Vocations

Father Carson serves as the Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick Parish, Chaplain at St. Albert School in Council Bluffs, and as the Assistant Director of Vocations.

Assistant Director of Vocations

Father Flood serves as the Chaplain at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines and as the Assistant Directior of Vocations.

Coordinator of Vocations

Cathy Jordan is the Coordinator of Vocations. She supports the Vocations Office and can assistwith questions about vocations, financially supporting seminarians, and upcoming vocation events.

Director of Permanent Diaconate

Rev. James Houston is the Director of Permanent Diaconate. He works to promote and grow the Permanent Diaconate in our Diocese.

Director of Diaconate Formation

Rev. Matthew Halbach is the Director of Diaconate Formation.

Chief Administrative and Finance Officer

Robert (Bob) Larson is the Chief Administrative and Finance Officer. He oversees the diocese, parish, & school finances including large building projects, insurance, banking, and human resources.

Administrative & Accounting Assistant

Jessica Holcomb is the Administrative & Accounting Assistant. She supports the day-to-day work of the both the Finance & HR teams.

Controller

Laura Hofstrand is the Controller. She oversees parish accounting, including ParishSOFT, ADA calculations & reports, and accounting for Catholic Charities, CTO, & the Pastoral Center.

Accountant

Lisa Triplett is an Accountant in the Finance department.

Accounting Clerk

Fatima Zirak is an Accounting Clerk in the Finance department.

Accounting Clerk

Prem Pokhrel is an Accounting Clerk in the Finance department.

Internal Controls Specialist

Jane Gaffney is the Internal Controls Specialist. She handles internal controls & reviews, taxes, and annual financial reports.

Information Technology Manager

Greg Miller is the Information Technology Manager. He maintains IT infrastructure (including network, switches, and firewalls) and provides IT consultation services to all diocesan entities.

Facility Manager

Mark Gisler is the Facility Manager. He oversees maintenance of the Catholic Pastoral Center.

Receptionist

Kris Beltrame is the Receptionist at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

Director of Human Resources & Safe Environment

Eileen Valdez is the Director of Human Resources & Safe Environment. She oversees all human resources activities, employee benefits administration, and the Safe Environment protocols.

HR Coordinator

Sierra Freeman is the HR Coordinator. She assists in the day-to-day tasks for the HR & Safe Environment procedures.

Director of Property Management & Security

Norm Bormann, Director of Property Management, Safety, & Security, is responsible for the ongoing operation of the pastoral center building & assists parishes with construction & renovation projects.

Director of Development

Laura Holms is the Director of Development. She is responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive diocesan fundraising program.

Annual Giving Coordinator

Renny Crawford is the Annual Giving Coordinator. She supports the Stewardship office in all their fundraising efforts and communicates with future and current donors.

Director of Evangelization and Mission

John Gaffney is the Director of Evangelization and Mission. He leads the E&M team, including adult faith formation, marriage & family life, disability ministry, and youth & young adult evangelization.

Administrative Assistant

Sherri Simmer is the Administrative Assistant for the Evangelization & Mission team. She assists with all E&M programs and the day-to-day tasks of the office.

Campus Ministry

Megan Schultz is the Campus Minister at the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center. She oversees campus ministry in the greater Des Moines area.

Digital Evangelization

Alexis Nicholson is the Digital Evangelization Specialist. She manages online evangelization efforts for the Diocese including social media, YouTube, and the Diocese website.

Marriage & Family Life

Justin White is the Director of Marriage & Family Life.

Youth Evangelization

Jessica Pancho is the Director of Youth Evangelization. She supports parish youth ministry and confirmation preparation and assists in leading Diocesan-wide youth ministry retreats including NCYC.

Deaf & Disability Ministry

Patty Origer is the Persons with Disability Ministry Coordinator. She helps parishes accompany persons or families with children with disabilities and oversees the Parish Advocate program.

Hispanic Ministry

Mayra C. Moriel de Banuelos is the Hispanic Ministry Coordinator. She supports the Hispanic Community within the Diocese and assists parishes in establishing Hispanic Ministry.

Social Justice

John Huynh, D.Min. is the Director of Social Justice for the Diocese of Des Moines & Catholic Charities. He works to engage parishes in social justice activities & foster a community of care & action.

Superintendent of Schools

Donna Bishop is the Superintendent of Schools and assists the Bishop in all matters that pertain to his educational/formational ministry in Catholic schools.

Director of Teaching & Learning

Denise Mulcahy is the Director of Teaching & Learning. She leads all efforts at K-12 school improvement, including overseeing the implementation of all required federal- and state-mandated programs.

Director of Marketing & Enrollment

Jake Shama is the Director of Marketing & Enrollment. He works with the superintendent on enrollment management, marketing, communications and community engagement priorities.

Director of Professional Development

Dr. Anne Franklin is the Director of Professional Development. She coordinates efforts across the diocese to build highly effective school administrators and classroom teachers.

Bilingual Community Outreach Coordinator

Nicole Castillo Waller is the Bilingual Community Outreach Coordinator. She serves as advocate for multicultural students and parents and manages the English Language Learner program.