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