Most Rev. William M. Joensen, Ph.D.

Most Rev. William M. Joensen, Ph.D., has served as the tenth Bishop of Des Moines since 2019, shepherding the diocese’s parishes across twenty-three counties in southwest Iowa. Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1989, he earned a doctorate in philosophy from The Catholic University of America. Before becoming bishop, he served in parish ministry and at Loras College as a chaplain, professor, and academic dean. His pilgrimage leadership brings together pastoral care, Catholic intellectual life, prayer, and the witness of the saints.