Province
of dubuque
I have seen all four cathedrals and both basilicas in
Iowa. As I recall, I was not able to get
into any of the cathedrals, but did visit both basilicas. The Basilica of St.
Francis Xavier in Dyersville is especially impressive. It rises above a small town in the middle of
Iowa farm country. Incidentally, it is near
the filming location of the movie “Field of Dreams.” Yes, the baseball field, the corn field, and
the house are still there and open to the public.
Pope Leo XIII created the Province of Dubuque in 1893. The Province consists of the Archdiocese of
Dubuque and three dioceses in Iowa
Map of the Province
Catholic History of Iowa
A party led by the French explorer, Louis Joliet, and the
French Jesuit, Father Jacques Marquette, were the first Catholics to visit what
is now Iowa Iowa Iowa Dubuque Iowa became
part of the United States as
part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Army operated Fort Madison
It was not until the conclusion of the Black Hawk War in
1832 that eastern Iowa was opened to settlers
and settlements were quickly made, including Dubuque
in 1833 and Davenport Iowa
became part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836, became the Iowa Territory
Catholic activity began quickly after the conclusion of the
Black Hawk War. A Jesuit priest, Father
Charles van Quickenborne, came to what is now Keokuk in 1832 and Dubuque Iowa
There were only about 40,000 people in Iowa when the Diocese
of Dubuque was established. By 1880, the
Diocese encompassed only the State of Iowa Iowa Iowa out of a total population of
2.2 million and in that year, Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Des Moines for
southwestern Iowa Des Moines had
become the state capital in 1857 and Iowa
Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Archdiocese of Dubuque consists of 30 counties in
northeastern Iowa. The archdiocese has 200,000 Catholics (20 percent of the
total population) in 166 parishes.
Bishops of Dubuque
Mathias Loras (1792-1858), first Bishop of Dubuque
(1837-1858).
- Born in France and ordained a priest in Europe in 1815.
Bishop Loras was a childhood friend of St. John
Vianney. Loras’ diocese consisted of
what are now Iowa, Minnesota, and the eastern halves of North and South
Dakota. When he arrived in Dubuque in 1839,
there were only three Catholic churches in the Diocese—one in Dubuque, one in
Davenport, and one in Lee County, Iowa—serving about 2,500 Catholics. He brought with him two priests and six
seminarians, including Lucien Galtier (who built the first church in St. Paul,
Minnesota), Joseph Cretin (later the first Bishop of St. Paul), and Augustine
Ravoux (missionary to the Native Americans in the Dakotas), who joined the one
priest—the Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli—already in Iowa. Loras established a seminary (now Loras College
Clement Smyth, O.C.S.O. (1810-1865), Bishop of Dubuque
(1858-1865).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a Cistercian (Trappist) priest in 1841.
- Also served as first Prior of the New Melleray Abbey (1849-1857) and as coadjutor bishop of Dubuque (1857-1858).
Bishop Smyth, as coadjutor bishop, became Bishop upon the
death of Bishop Loras. Bishop Smyth convened a diocesan synod which established
rules and procedures for the Diocese and he recruited priests from
Ireland. He built several churches and
started a school for boys. He also saw
the Diocese through the difficult days of the Civil War—made more difficult
because he was pro-Union and many people in Dubuque was pro-Confederate. His stance led to arsonists destroying his
coach house, carriage, and horses. Bishop
Smyth was known for his piety and charity.
There were 90,000 Catholics in Iowa at the time of Smyth’s death in
1865.
Archbishops of Dubuque
John Hennessy (1825-1900), Bishop of Dubuque (1866-1893)
and first Archbishop of Dubuque (1893-1900).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1850.
Hennessy promoted parochial schools in the Diocese and he
established several schools (and recruited nuns to operate them), as well as
dozens of parishes and several charitable institutions. He recruited priests from Germany and Ireland
John J. Keane (1839-1918), Archbishop of Dubuque
(1900-1911).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1866.
- Also served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia (1878-1888) and first rector of Catholic University in Washington, DC (1888-1897).
Archbishop Keane was a leader, along with Cardinal John
Gibbons of Baltimore and Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul, in the
Americanist movement, which held that the ideals of American democracy were
consistent with the Catholic Faith—a concept not universally held in the Church
at that time. As Archbishop, he convened
three Diocesan synods and held frequent meetings with his clergy and encouraged
their postgraduate education. He
encouraged each of his pastors to establish parochial schools if at all
possible and he formed a group of his priests to conduct parish missions and
retreats. He formed a temperance society
and successfully advocated enforcement of a law that required saloons to close
on Sundays. Archbishop Keane resigned
due to poor health in 1911.
James J. Keane (1856-1929), Archbishop of Dubuque
(1911-1929).
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1882.
·
Also served as Bishop of Cheyenne, Wyoming
(1902-1911).
Archbishop Keane, the first Dubuque bishop born in the
United States, was not related to his predecessor. He doubled the enrollment of what is now
Loras College and established an endowment fund for the College. He also worked to improve the quality of the
College faculty. He started a diocesan
newspaper and was a strong believer in temperance. Keane also was known for his work to bring
peace in Ireland. Archbishop Keane died
in 1929.
Francis J. Beckman (1875-1948), Archbishop of Dubuque
(1930-1946).
·
Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1902.
·
Also served as Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
(1924-1930).
Archbishop Beckman encouraged lay groups such as the Holy
Name Society and the Catholic Youth Organization. He also opened a mission church for
African-Americans in Waterloo. He became
heavily involved in the peace movements prior to World War II. Prior to Pearl Harbor ,
many prominent Americans sought to keep the nation out of what was then
considered a European War. Nevertheless,
he sent 40 priests to serve as military chaplains, a higher percentage than any
other U.S. diocese. Beckman’s involvement
in promoting peace led him to a financial arrangement with Phillip Suetter, a
mining agent. Unfortunately, Suetter’s
fund-raising concept was fraudulent, which led to financial difficulties for
the Archdiocese, which led in turn to Pope Pius XII’s appointment of Henry
Rohlman as coadjutor Archbishop and apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese
in 1944. Beckman resigned two years
later and was immediately succeeded by Rohlman.
Henry P. Rohlman (1876-1957), Archbishop of Dubuque
(1946-1954).
·
Born in Germany and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1901.
·
Also served as Bishop of Davenport (1927-1944)
and coadjutor archbishop of Dubuque and apostolic administrator (1944-1946).
Archbishop Rohlman increased the number of Archdiocesan priests
by 55 (20 percent). He also built Christ
the King Chapel for Loras College, a children’s home, several new parishes, and
reestablished a provincial seminary. He
retired in 1954.
Leo Binz (1900-1979), Archbishop of Dubuque (1954-1961).
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest in 1924
for the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois.
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Winona,
Minnesota (1942-1949), coadjutor archbishop of Dubuque (1949-1954), and
Archbishop of St. Paul—later St. Paul and Minneapolis (1961-1975).
Archbishop Binz almost doubled the enrollment of Catholic
high school students by building 11 new high schools. He also served as president of the National Catholic
Educational Association. He expanded
Catholic Charities to meet the needs of the poor and needy and he established
the American Martyrs Retreat House in Cedar Falls. He also started a committee to assist rural
parishes. Binz was named Archbishop of
St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961.
James J. Byrne (1908-1996), Archbishop of Dubuque
(1962-1983).
·
Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of St. Paul in 1933.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul,
Minnesota (1947-1956) and Bishop of Boise, Idaho (1956-1962).
Bishop Byrne attended the Second Vatican Council and made
changes based on the council. For
example, he established an advisory board of priests and gave priests greater
authority for assignment changes. He
also established a lay advisory board and sought greater interchanges between
Catholic and Protestant seminaries and colleges. He took the lead in liturgical changes, such
as celebrating the Mass in English. Byrne
established an Archdiocesan board of education and built a home for retired
priests. He led a televised recitation
of the Rosary each night and hosted Pope John Paul II during his 1979
visit. While he served as Archbishop,
the number of Catholics greatly increased, but the number of priests and religious
declined. Archbishop Byrne retired in
1983.
Daniel W.
Kucera, O.S.B. (1923- ), Archbishop
of Dubuque (1983-1995).
·
Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the
Benedictine Order in 1949.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Joliet,
Illinois (1977-1980) and Bishop of Salina, Kansas (1980-1983).
Archbishop Kucera
made several changes to the organizational structure of the Archdiocese,
appointed the first religious sister to be chancellor for the Archdiocese, and
put lay people in charge of some Archdiocesan positions. He renovated St. Raphael’s Cathedral and sold
the Archbishop’s residence and moved to a smaller home. He frequently celebrated Mass at local
parishes and met with parishioners. He
led celebrations for the Archdiocese’s 150th anniversary. Kucera retired in 1995.
Jerome Hanus, O.S.B. (1940- ), Archbishop
of Dubuque (1995-2013).
·
Born in Nebraska and ordained a priest for the
Benedictine Order in 1966.
·
Also served as abbot for the Conception Abbey in
Missouri and as president of the Swiss American Benedictine Congregation; as
Bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota (1987-1994); and as coadjutor Archbishop of
Dubuque (1994-1995).
[This is primarily from Wikipedia.] Archbishop Hanus implemented a strategic
planning process which sought input from Catholics in every parish. This led to a plan for the administration of
the Archdiocese which called for greater lay involvement. Hanus did this in part because a shortage of
priests led to the closure of some parishes.
Archbishop Hanus also dealt with the clergy sexual abuse scandal and
advocated for immigration reform, after a Federal raid of a meat processing
plant in Iowa. Archbishop Hanus retired
in 2013.
Current Archbishop
Michael O. Jackels was appointed Archbishop of Dubuque by
Pope Francis in 2013. His appointment
was the first of a U.S. bishop by Pope Francis.
Jackels was born in South Dakota in 1954 and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1981.
He previously worked for the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) and served as the
Bishop of Wichita, Kansas (2005-2013).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of St. Raphael
231 Bluff Street
231 Bluff Street
St. Raphael is an archangel—“one of the seven angels who
enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”
He plays a prominent role in the Book of Tobit in the Old
Testament—curing Tobit’s blindness, protecting Tobias on his journey, and
facilitating the marriage of Tobias and Sarah.
He is the patron saint of travelers, the blind, those in love, and
health care workers, including physicians, nurses, and health inspectors. His feast day is celebrated on September
29—along with two other archangels, Michael and Gabriel.
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly
court, you are known for your gifts of wisdom, healing, and
grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air;
and, you are consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you,
assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of life, as once you helped
the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the "medicine of
God" I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the
illnesses that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor of: (here
mention your special intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to
be a temple of God. Amen.
Dubuque was founded in 1833 and in that same year, St.
Raphael’s parish was established. The
first church building was completed by Father Samuel Mazzuchelli in 1836 and
was located near the present Cathedral.
This church became the Cathedral for the Diocese of Dubuque when it was
established in 1837. As Dubuque
From the Cathedral website.
The Cathedral was designed in Gothic Revival style by John
Mullany, a Dubuque architect, and is modeled on Magdalen College in Oxford,
England. The Cathedral is constructed of
brick and stone and has single tower over the main entrance. The interior of the Cathedral has a beautiful
vaulted ceiling. The stained-glass
windows were made in England and the Stations of the Cross were crafted in
Germany. Luigi Gregori, an Italian
artist, painted several frescos, including five large panels behind the
sanctuary and smaller images of saints throughout the Cathedral.
A wooden screen separates the sanctuary from the Blessed
Sacrament Chapel. The Corridor of the
Last Supper leads to the Cathedral Center on the north side of the
Cathedral. A Corridor of the Saints is
on the south side. The Cathedral’s pipe
organ has 46 ranks and a three keyboard console. Partially hidden by the organ is a large
lancet window over the main entrance.
St. Raphael’s is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. There is an audio tour and
additional pictures on the Cathedral website at cathedralstpats.org. Also see the Archdiocesan website at
dbqarch.org.
The Cathedral of St.
Raphael is located in downtown Dubuque and is paired with St. Patrick’s
Church. The combined parish has four
weekend masses—two at St. Raphael’s and two at St. Patrick’s. One of the St. Patrick’s masses is celebrated
in Spanish.
Also located in the Archdiocese is the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville. St. Francis Xavier parish was established in 1859 to serve German Catholics who had settled in the Dyersville area. The first church was built in 1862, two blocks from the current church. As the Catholic population grew, a new larger church was needed, resulting in the current Gothic church completed in 1888 and seating 1,200 people. The church’s 200-foot steeples topped with 14-foot crosses can be seen for miles. The Basilica has 64 stained glass windows installed in 1889 and several decorative paintings done by the Brielmaier family of Milwaukee in 1904-1905. The same family also was responsible for the baldachin and the side altars dedicated to the Blessed Mother and to St. Joseph. The main altar is made from Italian marble and Mexican onyx and above the altar is a walnut crucifix made in 1873 by a parishioner. The Basilica also has a wood-carved statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus dating from the 1850s. Pope Pius XII designated the church as a minor basilica in 1956 and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship. The Basilica website, xavierbasilica.com, has a tour and more pictures.
All pictures are from the Basilica website.
Diocese of Davenport
The diocese consists of 22 counties in southeastern
Iowa. The diocese has 93,000 Catholics
(12 percent of the total population) in 79 parishes.
Bishops of Davenport
John McMullen (1832-1883), first Bishop of Davenport
(1881-1883).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1858
for the Diocese of Chicago.
McMullen’s new Diocese had 45,000 Catholics served by 70
priests. Bishop McMullen was bishop for
only a short time, but he established St. Ambrose
University in 1882.
He also traveled throughout the Diocese—then consisting of southern
Iowa, confirming as many as 13,000. He
established a synod to organize the Diocese and was known for his simple
lifestyle. Bishop McMullen died of
stomach cancer in 1883.
Henry Cosgrove (1834-1906), Bishop of Davenport
(1884-1906).
- Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dubuque in 1857.
Cosgrove was the first U.S.-born bishop appointed to a
diocese west of the Mississippi River.
He was appointed only after an unsuccessful attempt to move the Diocesan
See to Des Moines. Bishop Cosgrove built
several new churches, including Sacred Heart Cathedral, and also built schools
and an orphan home. Cosgrove built St. Ambrose College at its
current location in 1885. He attended
the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884 and convened a Diocesan Synod in
1904. He was a strong supporter of the
temperance movement and he encouraged Catholic immigrants to settle in the
Midwest. He died in 1906. While he was Bishop, the Diocese grew from
45,000 Catholics with 79 priests to 70,000 Catholics with 135 priests.
James Davis (1852-1926), Bishop of Davenport (1906-1926).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport in 1878.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Davenport (1904-1906).
James Davis had served as coadjutor bishop and became Bishop
upon the death of Bishop Cosgrove.
Bishop Davis invited many religious orders to the Diocese and the
Discalced Carmelites opened a monastery and the Congregation of the Humility of Mary
opened a junior college for women. Davis
also instituted organizational standards to the parishes by requiring annual
reports from each pastor audited by lay people.
Davis also established an organization for Catholic women. He publically supported President Wilson’s
decision for the United States to fight the First World War. Bishop Davis died in 1926.
Henry P. Rohlman (1876-1957), Bishop of Davenport
(1927-1944).
·
Born in Germany and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1901.
·
Also served as coadjutor archbishop of Dubuque
and apostolic administrator (1944-1946), and Archbishop of Dubuque (1946-1954).
Bishop Rohlman convened a Diocesan Synod to set standards
for the Diocese (including standardizing priests’ salaries) in keeping with
Canon Law. He also created a Diocesan
Catholic Charities to meet the needs of the poor and bought an independent
Catholic newspaper and made it the Diocesan newspaper. Religious orders established two colleges for
women in the Diocese during his time as Bishop (neither or which exist today as
Catholic colleges). Rohlman was named
coadjutor archbishop of Dubuque in 1944.
Ralph L. Hayes (1884-1970), Bishop of Davenport
(1944-1966).
- Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1909.
- Also served as Bishop of Helena, Montana (1933-1935) and Rector of the North American College in Rome (1935-1944).
[Much of this comes from Wikipedia.] Bishop Hayes built many new high schools and
elementary schools in the Diocese during the building boom that followed the
Second World War. He emphasized the
Church’s social teachings and built homes for the aged and sent missionaries
from the Diocese to Latin America.
Bishop Hayes served as president of the National Catholic Rural Life
Conference from 1954 to 1956. He
attended the Second Vatican Council (and was the oldest U.S. bishop) and had
begun to make changes based on the Council at the time of his retirement in
1966. Bishop Hayes had already
experimented with changes in liturgical music prior to the Council. [People are interesting. Bishop Hayes was obviously progressive in
many ways, but he banned women from the Cathedral choir, a ban that was lifted
by his successor.]
Gerald F. O’Keefe (1918-2000), Bishop of Davenport
(1966-1993).
·
Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of St. Paul in 1944.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul,
Minnesota (1961-1966).
[Much of this comes from Wikipedia.] Bishop O’Keefe continued to implement the
reforms of the Second Vatican Council by establishing advisory committees of
priests, religious sisters, and lay people.
He established a Diocesan board of education and created a permanent
diaconate program. He established a
retirement home for priests and started a ministry to meet the needs of the
growing number of Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese (priests were required to
learn Spanish). O’Keefe also opened
offices for religious education and family life and convened Diocesan synods
for spiritual renewal and Diocesan reorganization. Demographic changes forced him to close some
parishes, schools, and hospitals. He retired
in 1993.
William E. Franklin (1930- ), Bishop of Davenport (1993-2006).
- Born in Parnell, Iowa, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1956.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Dubuque (1987-1993).
[Much of this comes from Wikipedia.] Bishop Franklin would give homilies while
walking the aisles of the church and speaking directly to the congregation,
oftentimes asking questions. Franklin
restructured Diocesan operations and merged or closed several parishes because
of changing demographics. Bishop Franklin appointed women as the first lay people
to serve as the diocesan chancellor
and as the superintendent of schools. Bishop
Franklin retired in 2006. The Diocese
declared bankruptcy later that year due to lawsuits related to clergy sexual
abuse.
Current Bishop
Martin J. Amos was appointed Bishop of Davenport by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2006. He was born in Cleveland , Ohio Cleveland
The Cathedral
Sacred Heart
Cathedral
422 E. 10th Street
Oh dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, I give You my whole heart. I
see Your Heart on fire for love of me. I want to be in this fiery furnace and
know the love of God. Take me, Jesus. Use me as Your little servant to spread
Your love to this world. I give myself entirely to You and I ask the Holy Spirit
to make me more like You. I want to be a little child of the Father. I give You
my heart, keep me in Your Heart and teach me Your way of love. Amen.
St. Marguerite’s parish was established in 1856—the third
parish in Davenport. Bishop John
McMullen selected St. Marguerite to be his Cathedral in 1881. Bishop Henry Cosgrove decided that a larger
Cathedral was needed and construction of the current Cathedral was completed in
1890—St. Marguerite’s was torn down in the process. The new Cathedral was dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus—the first U.S. cathedral so dedicated.
The Cathedral was designed by James Egan of Chicago, who
also designed St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines. The building is designed in a Gothic design
and made of Bedford stone from Indiana.
The Cathedral is 180 feet long and has a bell tower to the left of
entrance that rises 160 feet above the street.
From Wikipedia.
The Cathedral has an open interior without columns. The pre-Vatican II altar features Old
Testament themes as well as statues of Saints Peter and Paul. The Marian shrine to the left features statues
of St. Benedict and St. Thomas Aquinas and an altar relief of the Dormition of Mary. The St. Joseph shrine on the right of the
main altar has statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Anthony of Padua and
an altar relief of the death of St. Joseph.
The stained glass windows show the Twelve Apostles and the
rose window in the rear of the Cathedral shows several Christian images. The window over the altar depicts Jesus
appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque directing her to spread devotion to His
Sacred Heart. The Stations of the Cross
are bas reliefs in wooden frames. In
honor of the Diocese’s first Cathedral, this Cathedral has a chapel dedicated
to St. Margaret of Scotland and has an 1873 painting of St. Margaret that was
originally hung in the old Cathedral.
The Cathedral has a Noack Opus 119 pipe organ.
Sacred Heart is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. A video tour of the Cathedral is
found on its website at schdavenport.org.
The Diocesan website is davenportdiocese.org. The Cathedral is located less than a mile
northeast of downtown Davenport and celebrates three weekend masses—including
one in Vietnamese.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Diocese of Sioux City
The diocese consists of 24 counties in northwestern
Iowa. The diocese has 82,000 Catholics (18
percent of the total population) in 111 parishes.
Bishops of Sioux City
Philip J. Garrigan (1840-1919),
first Bishop of Sioux City (1902-1919).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1870.
- Also served as the first vice rector of the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. (1888-1902).
The new Diocese had 50,000 Catholics
and 116 parishes and Bishop Garrigan visited all of the parishes as
Bishop. Bishop Garrigan built many new
schools and about 75 percent of Catholic children were enrolled in Catholic
schools. He died in 1919.
Edmond Heelan (1868-1948), Bishop of Sioux City
(1919-1948).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in Ireland
in 1890.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Sioux City
(1919).
Bishop Heelan was able to continue building new churches and
schools, despite the Great Depression and the Second World War. He also helped establish Briar Cliff College
in 1929. He presided at three Diocesan
synods to help govern the Diocese. He
died in 1948.
Joseph M. Mueller (1894-1981), Bishop of Sioux City
(1948-1970).
- Born in Missouri and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, in 1919.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Sioux City (1947-1948).
Bishop Mueller, who had served as coadjutor bishop, became Bishop
upon the death of Bishop Heelan. Bishop
Mueller greatly expanded the number of churches and schools in the Diocese and
also successfully consolidated some Catholic high schools resulting in higher
quality education for more students. He
also began the Diocesan newspaper, The
Globe. He attended all sessions of
the Second Vatican Council. Bishop
Mueller retired in 1970.
Frank H. Greteman (1907-1987),
Bishop of Sioux City (1970-1983).
- Born in Willey, Iowa, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Sioux City in 1932.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Sioux City (1965-1970).
Bishop Greteman, the first priest
of the Diocese to become its bishop, placed a high priority on Catholic
education. He completed the
consolidation of Diocesan high schools and re-organized the parish school
system. Enrollment increased during his
time as Bishop. He retired in 1983.
Lawrence D. Soens (1926- ), Bishop of Sioux City (1983-1998).
·
Born in Iowa City and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Davenport in 1950.
Bishop Soens established and expanded many religious
programs, including the priest retirement fund and youth ministry
programs. He also ordered each parish to
have a pastoral council and finance committee.
Soens did close or consolidate some parishes. Bishop Soens retired in 1998. After he retired, Soens was accused of sexual
misconduct with more than a dozen former students of Regina Catholic High
School in Iowa City while he was principal there in the 1960s. He has denied the allegations.
Daniel N. DiNardo (1949- ), Bishop of Sioux City (1998-2004).
- Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1977.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Sioux City (1997-1998), coadjutor archbishop of Galveston-Houston (2004-2006), and serves as the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston (since 2006). Pope Benedict XVI named him a Cardinal in 2007.
DiNardo, as coadjutor bishop, became Bishop upon the
retirement of Bishop Soens. He was named
coadjutor archbishop of Galveston-Houston in 2004 and was named a Cardinal in
2007.
Current Bishop
R. Walker Nickless was appointed Bishop of Sioux Falls by
Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. He was born
in Colorado
The Cathedral
Cathedral of the Epiphany
1000 Douglas Street
The Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Wise Men to pay
homage to the Christ Child.
Traditionally celebrated on January 6, U.S. Catholics celebrate the
Feast of the Epiphany on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day.
Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance
of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
St. Mary’s parish—the first in Sioux City
The main altar is square and has a mahogany and walnut inlay
in the form of an “x,” a symbol of Christ.
The wooden crucifix above the altar is modeled after a medieval one and
shows the Blessed Mother and St. John in Christ’s arms. It contains a relic of the True Cross. The tabernacle was made in Spain and is
modeled upon a medieval chest. It has a
depiction of the Adoration of the Magi with the Archangels Michael and Raphael
on either side. The reredos behind the
altar is made from pine, oak, walnut, and mahogany.
The Cathedral’s stained-glass windows were made by the Mayer
Company Studios of Munich, Germany, at the turn of the last century. They depict the Twelve Apostles and themes
from the life of Christ (including the Epiphany). The Stations of the Cross date to 1905. The Orgelbau Wech pipe organ was installed in
2006 and has 37 ranks and a traditional style console. The baptismal font is made of marble with a
bronze cover and was designed by local architect, William Steele.
There are several other items to note in the Cathedral. A bronze contemporary Pieta was made in Italy. A hand-carved statue of the Blessed Mother holding
the Child Jesus was carved by Conrad Moroder in Italy. Mary offers the child a pomegranate, a symbol
of His coming passion and a foretelling of the mystical Body of Christ. Her garment
is adorned with snakes because the Lakota and Dakota word Sioux means snakes. Moroder also carved the statue of St. Joseph the
Worker. A hand-carved statue or St. Jude, the Apostle,
was made in the 1940s. The triptych depicts the crucifixion of Jesus
surrounded by the 117 Martyrs of Vietnam, who died for the Faith in the 19th
Century. The Guadalupe shrine commemorates the
apparitions of the Blessed Mother in Mexico in 1531.
The Cathedral website—sccathedral.org—has tour of the
Cathedral and provides more detail about the artworks. Also see the Diocesan website at
scdiocese.org. The
Cathedral of the Epiphany is located just north of downtown Sioux City. The Cathedral is clustered with St. Joseph
and St. Boniface churches and between the three churches, there are seven
weekend masses, including three in Spanish and one in Vietnamese.
All pictures are from the Cathedral website.
Diocese of Des Moines
The diocese consists of 23 counties in southwestern
Iowa. The diocese has 102,000 Catholics
(12 percent of the total population) in 80 parishes.
Bishops of Des Moines
Austin Dowling (1868-1930),
first Bishop of Des Moines (1912-1919).
- Born in New York City and ordained a priest in 1891 for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.
- Also served as Archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota (1919-1930).
At the time of Bishop Dowling’s
appointment, the new Diocese had 54 parishes and 68 priests. In 1918, Bishop Dowling established what is
now Dowling Catholic High School. He
built several parish schools, as well.
Bishop Dowling was appointed Archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1919.
Thomas W. Drumm (1871-1933), Bishop
of Des Moines (1919-1933).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1901.
Bishop Drumm used the new media of
radio to spread the Faith with monthly broadcasts on WHO—he was the first
bishop to regularly preach on the radio.
He established Catholic Charities within the Diocese and built a home
for needy children. He started programs
for rural Catholics, including a railroad car (paid for by the Catholic Church
Extension Society) that would travel to rural counties. A traveling priest would celebrate the
Eucharist and hear confessions—the onboard chapel could seat 70. Bishop Drumm died in 1933.
Gerald T. Bergan (1892-1972), Bishop
of Des Moines (1934-1948).
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest in 1915
for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois.
·
Also served as Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska
(1948-1969).
Bishop Bergan established a
Diocesan newspaper—The Messenger—and
built the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston. He also was advocate for the right of workers
to engage in collective bargaining and for senior workers have a share in
management decisions. He was
appointed Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1948.
Edward C. Daly, O.P.
(1894-1964), Bishop of Des Moines (1948-1964).
- Born in Massachusetts and ordained a Dominican priest in 1921.
Bishop Daly built several new
churches and schools to meet the needs of a changing Catholic population
following the Second World War. He also
greatly increased the number of Diocesan priests. He attended the first three sessions of the
Second Vatican Council, but died in a 1964 airplane crash returning from Rome.
George J. Biskup (1911-1979), Bishop of Des Moines
(1965-1967).
- Born in Cedar Rapids and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1937.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Dubuque (1957-1965), coadjutor bishop of Indianapolis (1967-1970), and Archbishop of Indianapolis (1970-1979).
Bishop Biskup built a new campus for Dowling Catholic High
School in West Des Moines. He was
appointed coadjutor bishop of Indianapolis in 1967.
Maurice J. Dingman (1914-1992),
Bishop of Des Moines (1968-1986).
·
Born in West Point, Iowa, and ordained a priest
in 1939 for the Diocese of Davenport.
Bishop Dingman was an advocate for
people living in rural areas and served as president of the National Catholic
Rural Life Conference. He supported
ecumenical outreach to non-Catholics and favored nuclear disarmament. He hosted Pope John Paul II during his 1979
visit to Iowa. Dingman also welcomed
refugees from war-torn nations, a practice continued by the Diocese today. He was car-jacked in 1983 at gun point by two
juveniles—at their trial, the Bishop asked for leniency. Bishop Dingman resigned in 1986 due to
poor health.
William H. Bullock (1927-2011),
Bishop of Des Moines (1987-1993).
·
Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest in 1952
for the Archdiocese of St. Paul.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop St. Paul and
Minneapolis (1980-1987), and Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin (1993-2003).
Bishop Bullock stressed importance of prayer, strongly
advocated for pro-life issues, and worked to maintain a strong Catholic
identity for the Diocese. Bullock was
named Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993.
Joseph L. Charron, C.PP.S.
(1939- ), Bishop of Des Moines
(1993-2007).
·
Born in South Dakota and ordained a priest for
the Society of Precious Blood in 1967.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and
Minneapolis (1990-1993).
Bishop Charron focused his attention on increasing vocations
and improving education for children and faith formation for adults. He also expanded Catholic Charities and set
up ministries for Hispanic Catholics.
Charron started a successful capital campaign and is a member of the
Catholic Theological Society of America.
Bishop Charron resigned in 2007 due to poor health.
Current
Bishop
Richard E. Pates was appointed Bishop of Des Moines by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2008. He was born in St. Paul , Minnesota , in
1943 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Washington , DC (1975-1981) and as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and
Minneapolis (2000-2008).
The Cathedral
St. Ambrose (339-397) came from a prominent family and in
370 was made a provincial governor—residing in Milan St.
Augustine
O Lord, teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me when
I seek you. For I cannot seek you unless you first teach me, nor find you
unless you first reveal yourself to me. Let me seek you in longing, and long for you in seeking. Let me find you in
love, and love you in finding. (Prayer by St. Ambrose)
The first Catholic worship space in Des Moines was a small
log hut built in Fort Des Moines in 1851—the same year that the town of Des
Moines was incorporated. The first St. Des Moines
became the state capital (replacing Iowa
City
The Cathedral was designed by James Egan of Chicago in a
Romanesque Revival style with Bedford stone.
Egan also designed Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. St. Ambrose Cathedral is 185 feet long and
102 feet wide. The main entrance is
topped by a round arch and a triangular pediment. A bell tower is to the right of the entrance.
The interior of the Cathedral is a large open space centered
on the main altar made of travertine marble.
The stained-glass windows were installed in the 1940s and are designed
to show the history of the Catholic Church in the United States as a whole and
in Iowa. Among the events depicted are
the landing of Columbus, the consecration of Bishop John Carroll (the first
U.S. bishop), and Father Pierre Jean De Smet, a Belgian Jesuit missionary to
Iowa in the 1830s. Our Lady’s Chapel was
also built in the 1940s. The chapel’s
altar, ambo, and chair were used by Pope John Paul II during his 1979 visit to
Iowa. Its rose window depicts the seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Additional
information can be found on the Cathedral website at saintambrosecathedral.org
and the Diocesan website at dmdiocese.org.
St. Ambrose Cathedral is located in downtown Des Moines and has
three weekend masses.
Also in Des Moines is the Basilica
of St. John the Apostle. The Basilica of
St. John was dedicated in 1927 and is built of Indiana limestone in the
Northern Italian or Lombardy Romanesque style.
The exterior features a 115-foot campanile that houses a 600 pound
bronze bell. The interior walls are made
from plaster cast and Travertine marble and the coffered ceiling is covered
with gold leaf. The old altar and the
baldachin are made from white Botticino marble.
The Basilica has 46 stained glass windows featuring biblical
themes. A large rose window over the
choir loft depicts Christ and the four Evangelists. A 38 rank Casavant pipe organ contains 1,966
pipes. Pope John Paul II designated the
church as a minor basilica in 1989 and it is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the
Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or
significance as a center of worship.
Additional information can be found on the Basilica’s website at
basilicaofstjohn.org.
All pictures are from the Basilica website.
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