View source for Archdiocese of Dubuque

{{Short description|Latin Catholic jurisdiction in the US}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction   = Archdiocese<!-- Type of jurisdiction: i.e. Diocese or Archdiocese -->
| name       = Dubuque
| latin       = Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis
| local       = <!-- Name in the native language -->
| image       = St Raphael Dubuque 4855a.jpg
| image_size    = 250px
| image_alt     = 
| caption      = St. Raphael's Cathedral
| coat       = Coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.svg
| coat_size     = 175px
| coat_alt     = 
<!---- Locations ---->
| country      = United States
| territory     = 30 counties in Northeastern Iowa
| province     = [[List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States#Ecclesiastical province of Dubuque|Dubuque]]
| deaneries     = 
| headquarters   = 
| coordinates    = {{coord|42|29|06|N|90|40|31|W|type:landmark_region:US-IA_source:kolossus-plwiki|display=inline,title}}
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_sqmi     = 17,400<!-- Area in square miles, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes  = 
| population    = 1,010,471
| population_as_of = 2018<ref name="GC">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/dubu0.htm|title=Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque|work=GCatholic|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>
| catholics     = 193,360<!-- Number of Catholics in the diocese -->
| catholics_percent = 19.1
| parishes     = 166<!-- Number of parishes in the diocese -->
| churches     = <!-- Number of churches in the diocese -->
| congregations   = <!-- Number of congregations in the diocese -->
| schools      = <!-- Number of church supported schools in the diocese -->
| members      = <!-- Number of members in the diocese -->
<!---- Information ---->
| denomination   = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| sui_iuris_church = [[Latin Church]]
| rite       = [[Roman Rite]]
| established    = July 28, 1837 ({{age|1837|7|28}} years ago)
| cathedral     = [[St. Raphael's Cathedral (Dubuque)|St. Raphael's Cathedral]]
| cocathedral    = 
| patron      = [[Raphael (archangel)|St. Raphael]]<br>[[St. John Vianney]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dbqarch.org/november-day-by-day|title=November Day by Day}}</ref>
| priests      = <!-- Number of priests in the diocese -->
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| pope       = {{Incumbent pope}}
|metro_archbishop  = [[Thomas Robert Zinkula]]
| bishop      = [[Thomas Robert Zinkula]]
| bishop_title   = Archbishop
| coadjutor     = 
| suffragans    = 
| auxiliary_bishops = 
| apostolic_admin  = 
| vicar_general   = Rev. Msgr. Thomas E. Toale, Ph.D.
| episcopal_vicar  = 
| judicial_vicar  = 
| emeritus_bishops = [[Jerome Hanus]], [[Order of Saint Benedict|O.S.B.]]<br>[[Michael Owen Jackels]]
<!---- Map ---->
| map        = Archdiocese of Dubuque.jpg
| map_size     = 
| map_alt      = 
| map_caption    = 
<!---- Website ---->
| website      = {{Official website|https://dbqarch.org/|dbqarch.org}}
| footnotes     = 
}}

The '''Archdiocese of Dubuque''' ({{langx|la|Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis}}) is a [[Latin Church]] ecclesiastical territory, or [[archdiocese]], of the [[Catholic Church]] in the northeastern quarter of the state of [[Iowa]] in the United States.

The Diocese of Dubuque was erected in 1837 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1893. It is a [[metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|metropolitan archdiocese]] with three [[suffragan diocese]]s:

* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport|Diocese of Davenport]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines|Diocese of Des Moines]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City|Diocese of Sioux City]]

==Territory and personnel==
The seat of the archdiocese is [[St. Raphael's Cathedral (Dubuque)|St. Raphael's Cathedral]] in Dubuque, named in honor of the Archangel [[Raphael (archangel)|Raphael]]. As of 2024, the archbishop is [[Thomas Robert Zinkula|Thomas Zinkula]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noguchi |first=Chieko |date=2023-07-26 |title=Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Thomas Zinkula as Archbishop of Dubuque |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-francis-appoints-bishop-thomas-zinkula-archbishop-dubuque |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |language=en}}</ref>

The archdiocese is one of a few American [[List of Catholic archdioceses#Current Latin in North America|archdioceses]] that is not based in a major metropolitan area. It includes all the Iowa counties north of [[Polk County, Iowa|Polk]], [[Jasper County, Iowa|Jasper]], [[Poweshiek County, Iowa|Poweshiek]], [[Iowa County, Iowa|Iowa]], [[Johnson County, Iowa|Johnson]], [[Cedar County, Iowa|Cedar]], and [[Clinton County, Iowa|Clinton]] counties, and east of [[Kossuth County, Iowa|Kossuth]], [[Humboldt County, Iowa|Humboldt]], [[Webster County, Iowa|Webster]] and [[Boone County, Iowa|Boone]] counties. It has an area of approximately {{convert|17,400|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name=":2" />

As of 2023, the archdiocese had 173 priests and 143 permanent deacons serving 163 parishes divided into eight [[deaneries]]. The archdiocese had a Catholic population of approximately 183,700.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Statistics |url=https://dbqarch.org/statistics |access-date=October 13, 2024 |website=Archdiocese of Dubuque}}</ref>

==History==
===1673 to 1837===
The first Catholic presence in present-day Iowa was that of the French [[Jesuits|Jesuit]] missionary, [[Jacques Marquette]]. He traveled down the [[Mississippi River]] with the French explorer [[Louis Jolliet]] in 1673, stopping briefly at what is now [[Montrose, Iowa|Montrose]] in southern Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Iowa |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08093b.htm |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref> The region would be under French and Spanish control for the next 131 years.

After the [[Louisiana Purchase]] of 1803, the Iowa region passed from French to American control. The few Catholics in the area were originally under the jurisdiction of the [[Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas]]. In 1826, the Vatican transferred the Iowa region to the new [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis|Diocese of St. Louis]]. It would remain under this jurisdiction for the next 11 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Louis (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dstlo.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

The earliest Catholic settlers in the Iowa region were French-Canadian, German, and Irish. With the growth of the Catholic population, Bishop [[Joseph Rosati]] of St. Louis sent the Belgian Jesuit [[Charles Felix Van Quickenborne|Charles Van Quickenborne]] to the newly founded Dubuque in 1833, where he organized the first parish.<ref name="cathedral">{{cite web|url=https://cathedralstpats.org/about-us/st-raphael-cathedral-history/|title=St. Raphael Cathedral History|publisher=St. Raphael's Cathedral|access-date=2015-05-19}}</ref> He was followed in 1834 by Charles Fitzmaurice, who began amassing funds to construct a church. When Fitzmaurice died of [[cholera]] in early 1835, Rosatis sent the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] friar [[Samuel Mazzuchelli]] to replace him.<ref name="Stuart" />

Mazzuchelli ministered to a scattered Catholic population of under 3,000.<ref name="Stuart">{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Dubuque |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05179b.htm |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref> In 1835, he dedicated the first church in the present day archdiocese, which he named St. Raphael.<ref name="cathedral" />

=== 1837 to 1850 ===
[[File:Mathias Loras portrait-1.jpg|thumb|296x296px|Bishop Loras]]
[[Pope Gregory XVI]] erected the Diocese of Dubuque on July 28, 1837,<ref>Pope Gregory XVI, [https://www.vatican.va/content/gregorius-xvi/it/documents/breve-universi-dominici-28-luglio-1837.html ''Universi Domenici''], in Italian, published on 28 July 1837, accessed on 8 July 2025</ref> and named [[Bishop Mathias Loras|Mathias Loras]] from the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile|Diocese of Mobile]] as its first bishop.<ref name="Stuart" /> This vast diocese covered the entire [[Iowa Territory]] along with what became the [[Minnesota Territory]] (including the [[The Dakotas|Dakotas]]).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Dubuque (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/ddubu.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

Gathering funds and personnel in [[Alabama]], Loras arrived in Dubuque in 1839. He designated St. Raphael as the cathedral parish later that year. That same year, he establish St. Raphael Seminary in Dubuque, which in later years would become [[Loras College]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loras College {{!}} private, liberal arts, Catholic {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Loras-College |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Loras encouraged immigration to the area, especially German and Irish settlers.<ref name="Stuart" />

Loras invited several [[religious order]]s to the diocese. In 1843, while visiting [[Baltimore]], Loras met with several [[Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary]]. He convinced them to come to Dubuque, where they founded St. Joseph's Academy for girls. It became Clarke University in 1881.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Mary Frances Clarke |url=https://www.clarke.edu/about-clarke/mission-history/about-mary-frances-clarke/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Clarke University |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1849, with Ireland ravaged by the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]], Irish [[Cistercians]] came to Iowa and built the [[New Melleray Abbey]] in Peosta.<ref name="melleray">{{Cite web |title=History – New Melleray |url=https://newmelleray.org/history/ |access-date=2023-09-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== 1850 to 1865 ===
[[File:ClementSmyth.jpg|thumb|228x228px|Bishop Smyth]]
In 1850, [[Pope Pius IX]] separated the Minnesota Territory from the Diocese of Dubuque to form the new [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis|Diocese of St. Paul]].<ref name=":3" /> On January 9, 1857, at Loras's request, Pius IX appointed [[Clement Smyth]], a Trappist priest, to assist Loras as a [[coadjutor bishop]]. In early 1858, Loras started the construction of the current St. Raphael's Cathedral. When Loras died on February 19, 1958, Smyth automatically succeeded him as the second bishop of Dubuque.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bishop Timothy Clement Smyth [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsmyth.html |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

As the diocese expanded, Smyth successfully recruited Irish priests to the diocese, primarily from [[All Hallows College]] in [[Dublin]]. This caused discontent among the French-born priests in Dubuque, with many of them transferring to other dioceses.<ref name="Luby2">Luby, S.D. ''Dubuque, Archdiocese of (Dubuquensis)'' New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. IV (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967) 1084</ref> In 1863, Smyth consecrated Ephraim McDonnell as the first [[abbot]] for New Melleray after the Vatican elevated to an [[abbey]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Shea |first=John Gilmary |url=https://archive.org/details/cihm_50284 |title=A history of the Catholic church within the limits of the United States |publisher=John G. Shea |year=1892 |isbn=9780665502842 |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/cihm_50284/page/n688 645]}}</ref> During his episcopacy the German Catholics in Dubuque began construction of a new St. Mary's church to replace the Church of the Holy Trinity.

In 1863, during the [[American Civil War]], Smyth learned about a branch of the [[Knights of the Golden Circle]] (KCG) in Dubuque, a secret paramilitary society with sympathies for the Confederate South. Smyth told Catholic members of KCG to either quit the organization or be excommunicated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Knights of the Golden Circle|url=http://knightofthegoldencircle.wordpress.com|date=June 13, 2014|first=Rudi|last=Keller}}</ref> Smyth preached a stinging sermon after the assassination of President [[Abraham Lincoln]] on April 15, 1865. That evening, an [[arson]]ist set fire to Smyth's carriage house, killing his horses and destroying his carriage and the structure.<ref name="Luby2"/>

=== 1865 to 1893 ===
[[File:ArchbishopHennessy.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Hennessy]]
Smyth died in 1865. On April 24, 1866, Pius IX appointed [[John Hennessy (bishop)|John Hennessey]] of Saint Louis as the third bishop of Dubuque.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=History of Bishops |url=https://dbqarch.org/history-of-bishops |access-date=October 14, 2024 |website=Archdiocese of Dubuque}}</ref> When he arrived in Dubuque, there were 27 priests, 30 churches, two schools and seven sisters.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

During Hennessy's tenure, the population of Dubuque exploded as the [[Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District|Milwaukee Railroad]] opened a maintenance center in the city. Hennessey erected Sacred Heart, Holy Ghost, St. Anthony's, and Holy Trinity Parishes in Dubuque to deal with this population increase. In 1871, Nicholas E. Gonner, a Catholic immigrant from [[Luxembourg]], founded the Catholic Printing Company in Dubuque, That same year, he started publishing the German language ''Luxemburger Gazette''.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8uxfTF4Lm-kC&pg=PA458 |title=Germany and the Americas |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2005 |isbn=978-1851096282 |editor-last=Adam |editor-first=Thomas |volume=2 |page=458}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC PRINTING COMPANY - Encyclopedia Dubuque |url=https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php/CATHOLIC_PRINTING_COMPANY |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.encyclopediadubuque.org}}</ref> In 1878, the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of the Holy Family relocated from [[Iowa City, Iowa|Iowa City]] to Dubuque to staff St. Mary's Orphan Home.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sisters of St. Francis: history & leadership |url=https://osfdbq.org/history/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Sisters of St. Francis |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ST. MARY'S ORPHAN HOME - Encyclopedia Dubuque |url=https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php/ST._MARY'S_ORPHAN_HOME |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.encyclopediadubuque.org}}</ref>

Hennessy was a strong proponent of Catholic education, terming public schools as "dens of iniquity" and "gates of hell".<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last=Coogan |first=M. Jane |date=1981 |title=Dubuque's First Archbishop: The Image and the Man |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44210937?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents |journal=Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia |volume=92 |issue=1/4 |pages=59–90 |issn=0002-7790}}</ref>

Both Smyth and Hennessy believed that the diocese was becoming too big and should be split up. He proposed that the Vatican erect a new diocese in southern Iowa based in Des Moines. However, in 1881, [[Pope Leo XIII]] instead erected the [[Diocese of Davenport]] in southern Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Davenport (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/ddave.html |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

By 1891, the diocese had 203 priests, 319 churches, 615 sisters, and over 135 parochial schools with 16,257 students.<ref name="encyclopediadubuque">{{Cite web |title=HENNESSY, John - Encyclopedia Dubuque |url=https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=HENNESSY,_John |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=www.encyclopediadubuque.org}}</ref>

=== 1893 to 1944 ===
[[File:Francis Beckman.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Beckman]]
On June 15, 1893, Pope Leo XIII elevated the Diocese of Dubuque to the Archdiocese of Dubuque and Hennessey became the first archbishop.<ref name=":3" /> Hennessey died in 1900 and was buried in the mortuary vault that he had constructed under the cathedral.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History Part 2: February 1858 – March 1900 |url=https://cathedralstpats.org/part-2-february-1858-march-1900 |access-date=October 14, 2024 |website=Cathedral of St. Raphael & St. Patrick Church}}</ref> When Hennessey will was read, he had an estate of property and bank accounts exceeding $1,000,000. Since he was poor when assuming office, it was widely assumed that Hennessy had been taking money from the archdiocese.<ref name=":10" />

After the death of Hennessey, Pope Pius X on July 24, 1900, appointed [[John Joseph Keane|John J. Keane]], titular archbishop of [[Damascus]], as the second archbishop of Dubuque.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Archbishop John Joseph Keane [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkeanej.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

On January 15, 1902, Pius X erected the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City|Diocese of Sioux City]] from the western half of the archdiocese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sioux City (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsiou.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> During his tenure as archbishop, John Keane encouraged postgraduate courses and ongoing education for priests, and doubled the faculty and buildings of St. Joseph's College. He established 12 academies for girls and two for boys in the archdiocese. Due to poor health, Keene resigned as archbishop of Dubuque in 1911.<ref name=":5" />

To succeed John Keene, on August 11, 1911, Pius X appointed Bishop [[James Keane (Archbishop)|James Keane]] from the [[Diocese of Cheyenne]] as the next archbishop of Dubuque.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop James John Keane [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkeane.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> One of James Keane's interests as archbishop was [[Loras College|Columbia College]], later called Loras College. When he came to Dubuque, Columbia had an enrollment of 330 students and a faculty of 20. By the time he died, Columbia had 700 students and 48 faculty members.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Keane, James J. |url=https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=KEANE,_James_J. |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Encyclopedia Dubuque}}</ref>

A strong believer in Catholic education, James Keane encouraged all Catholics in the archdiocese tp support the parochial schools, even if they did not have children attending them.<ref name=":02" /> He also started the diocesan newspaper, the ''Witness''. In 1928, the [[Sisters of Mercy]] opened Mount Mercy Junior College in Cedar Rapids. It was a two-year college for women that in 1960 became Mount Mercy University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catholic Tradition |url=https://www.mtmercy.edu/about/mission-identity/catholic-tradition |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.mtmercy.edu}}</ref> Keene died on August 2, 1929.<ref name=":4" />

On January 17, 1930, [[Pope Pius XI]] named Bishop [[Francis Beckman|Francis J. Beckman]] from the [[Diocese of Lincoln]] as archbishop of Dubuque. Impressed with the Catholic culture he had seen in Europe, Beckman began to collect [[fine art]] pieces. The Beckman collection includes works of [[Winslow Homer]], Rembrandt, [[Peter Paul Rubens|Rubens]], and Van Dyck.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=BECKMAN, Francis J.L. - Encyclopedia Dubuque |url=https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php/BECKMAN,_Francis_J.L. |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=www.encyclopediadubuque.org}}</ref>

In 1936, promoter Phillip Suetter convinced Beckman to invest in a gold mine in Oregon. Beckman borrowed money on [[promissory note]]s to fund the project. It soon became clear that the project was a scam. In 1941, the Vatican ordered the creation of a Special Commission on Administration, composed of three American archbishops, to take control of the archdiocese's finances. In 1942, Suetter was convicted of violating the [[Securities Exchange Act of 1934|Securities and Exchange Act]]. With the diocese $600,000 in debt, the archbishops recommended to Pius XII that he appoint a coadjutor archbishop to run the archdiocese.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

=== 1944 to 1984 ===
On June 15, 1944, Pope Pius XII appointed Bishop [[Henry Rohlman]] from Davenport as coadjutor archbishop of Dubuque. When Beckman retired in 1947, Rohlman automatically succeeded him as bishop of Dubuque.

While Rohlman was archbishop, Christ the King Chapel was constructed at Loras College, St. Mary's Home for Children was built in Dubuque, and the number of priests in the archdiocese rose from 290 to 345. Rohlman, along with the other bishops in Iowa, re-established the Mount St. Bernard Seminary for the education of new priests in the province. The archdiocese built a $2.5 million home for the seminary in Dubuque.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ROHLMAN, Henry P. - Encyclopedia Dubuque |url=http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=ROHLMAN,_Henry_P. |access-date=2018-08-06 |website=www.encyclopediadubuque.org |language=en}}</ref>

On October 15, 1949, Pius XII named Bishop [[Leo Binz]] from the Diocese of Winona as coadjutor archbishop in Dubuque. When Rohlman retired on December 2, 1954, Binz replaced him.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Leo Binz [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbinz.html |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> During his seven years as archbishop, Binz helped develop Catholic high schools in the archdiocese.<ref name="curtis">{{cite book |last=Curtis |first=Georgina Pell |title=The American Catholic Who's Who |publisher=Walter Romig |year=1961 |volume=XIV |location=Grosse Pointe, Michigan}}</ref> He also established the North American Martyrs Retreat House in [[Cedar Falls, Iowa|Cedar Falls]], and expanded the archdiocesan branch of [[Catholic Charities]]. On December 16, 1961, [[Pope John XXIII]] named Binz as archbishop of Saint Paul.<ref name=":7" />

John XXIII nominated Bishop [[James Byrne (archbishop of Dubuque)|James Byrne]] from the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise|Diocese of Boise]] to be the next archbishop of Dubuque on March 7, 1962.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Archbishop James Joseph Byrne [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbyrne.html |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> After the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1962 to 1965), Byrne implemented many of its reforms in the archdiocese, including a priests senate, a clergy advisory board, and an advisory board for the assignment of priests to parishes. In 1964, the Trappist sisters founded Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History – mississippiabbey |url=https://mississippiabbey.org/home-page/our-history/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===1983 to present===
[[File:Michael O. Jackels.jpg|thumb|Archbishop Jackels]]
Byrne retired from office on August 23, 1983.<ref name=":8" /> On December 20, 1983, [[Pope John Paul II]] appointed Bishop [[Daniel Kucera]] of the Diocese of Salina as the eighth archbishop of Dubuque.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Daniel William Kucera [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkucera.html |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>

In 1987, Kucera launched a plan that divided the archdiocese into three regions with a resident bishop in each. The [[Dubuque, Iowa|Dubuque]] Region was served by retired Archbishop James Byrne and Archbishop Kucera; the [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids]] Region by Bishop Francis Dunn, and [[Waterloo, Iowa|Waterloo]] Region by William Franklin who was consecrated as a bishop in April 1987. However, Bishop Kucera eventually dropped the plan after the death of Bishop Dunn in 1989 and Bishop Franklin's nomination as the head of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport|Diocese of Davenport]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In 1986 the archdiocese celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding. John Paul II named Bishop [[Jerome Hanus]] from the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud|Diocese of St. Cloud]] as coadjutor archbishop in Dubuque on August 23, 1994. When retired on October 16, 1995, Hanus became archbishop.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Emeritus Hanus |url=https://dbqarch.org/archbishop-emeritus |access-date=October 20, 2024 |website=Archdiocese of Dubuque}}</ref>

As archbishop, Hanus implemented a [[strategic planning]] process throughout the archdiocese. He sent videotaped messages to all the parishes to be played at mass. Parishioners were given opportunities to respond and express their own views. Hanus then issued a [[vision statement]], which spelled out his plans for the archdiocese. These plans included an increased role for the [[laity]] in leadership roles,<ref>{{cite book |title=New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition |publisher=The Catholic University of America |year=2003 |volume=4 |location=Washington, DC |page=925}}</ref> necessitated by the [[priest shortage]] and the changing demographics of the archdiocese. These conditions also forced Hanus to combine and close a number of parishes.<ref>{{cite web |date=2002 |title=Newsmakers - Most Rev. Jerome Hanus |url=http://www.thonline.com/thseries/newsmakers/hanus/133459.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030922090208/http://www.thonline.com/thseries/newsmakers/hanus/133459.htm |archive-date=2003-09-22 |access-date=2010-02-18 |website=Telegraph Herald}}</ref>

After Hanus retired in 2013, Pope Francis on April 8, 2013, appointed Bishop [[Michael Owen Jackels|Michael Jackels]] from the Diocese of Wichita as the next archbishop of Dubuque.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Emeritus Jackels |url=https://dbqarch.org/archbishop-jackels |access-date=October 20, 2024 |website=Archdiocese of Dubuque}}</ref> On April 24, 2023, a cardiac condition forced Jackels to immediately retire as archbishop. Francis appointed Bishop Emeritus [[Richard Pates]] from Des Moines to serve as the [[Apostolic administration|apostolic administrator]], running the archdiocese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop Michael Jackels retires for health reasons |url=https://www.thegazette.com/religion-belief/iowa-archbishop-michael-jackels-retires-for-health-reasons/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=www.thegazette.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

On July 26, 2023, Francis appointed [[Thomas Zinkula]] from Davenport as the eleventh archbishop of Dubuque.<ref name="Brockhaus">{{cite web |author1=Hannah Brockhaus |author2=Jonathan Liedl |date=July 26, 2023 |title=Pope Francis names Davenport, Iowa's Bishop Zinkula to lead Archdiocese of Dubuque |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254900/pope-francis-names-davenport-iowa-s-bishop-zinkula-to-lead-archdiocese-of-dubuque |access-date=July 28, 2023 |publisher=[[Catholic News Agency]]}}</ref> As of October 2024, he is the current archbishop of Dubuque

== Early parishes ==

=== St. John the Baptist ===
Founded in 1874, St. John the Baptist parish is now part of the St. Elizabeth Pastorate, a cluster of parishes in northern [[Dubuque County, Iowa]].<ref name="peosta" /> In July 1874, Bishop Hennessy granted Catholic residents of Centralia permission to build St. John the Baptist Church. They laid the cornerstone in the fall of 1874 and George W. Heer became the first pastor in 1875. When the railroad came through neighboring Peosta, Archbishop John Keane decided in 1923 to move St. John there. During the winter, parishioners would travel to services by horse-drawn bobsled.<ref name="peosta">{{Cite web |title=St. John the Baptist {{!}} St. Elizabeth Pastorate |url=https://stelizabethpastorate.com/st-john-the-baptist/ |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=stelizabethpastorate.com}}</ref> In 1989, the parish dedicated a new church building.

=== St. Francis ===
Founded in 1891, St. Francis Parish in [[Balltown, Iowa|Balltown]] is now part of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate. The parish traces its history to 1858 when area Catholics petitioned Bishop Loras to establish a parish for them. Loras visited Balltown and offered mass in a [[log cabin]].<ref name="balltown">{{Cite web |title=St. Francis {{!}} home |url=https://www.lasallepastorate.com/balltown |access-date=2023-09-07 |website=www.lasallepastorate.com}}</ref> In 1891, parishioners built a brick building to house a school and a convent. and established a cemetery. The school opened in September 1891 with 45 children. The priest celebrated mass in a small sanctuary adjoining the schoolroom.<ref name="balltown" />

In 1892, the parish laid the cornerstone for the St. Francis Church building. On August 27, 1976, the church was destroyed by fire. The parish built a new church, demolishing the old convent building to make room for it.<ref name="balltown" />

=== Ss. Peter and Paul ===
[[File:SsPeterPaulIADec03.JPG|thumbnail|250px|Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Sherrill, Iowa]]
Founded in 1852, Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in [[Sherrill, Iowa]], is now part of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ss. Peter and Paul Church |url=https://lasallepastorate.com/ss-peter-paul-church |access-date=October 13, 2024 |website=St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate}}</ref>

Before the parish was founded, its Catholics had to travel 15 miles by ox-team to Dubuque to attend mass. With the influx of German Catholic immigrants to the area, Bishop Loras established the St. William Parish in Sherrill. It was renamed Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in 1860.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Klinkenberg |first=Dean |date=2009-10-03 |title=Sherrill |url=https://mississippivalleytraveler.com/sherrill/#:~:text=Local%20Catholics%20built%20a%20log,Peter%20and%20Paul%20Catholic%20Church. |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Mississippi Valley Traveler |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In 1889, the parish replaced its original wood church with the current brick and stone [[Romanesque Revival]] structure.<ref name=":1" /> During the 1970s, the parish removed the original carved wood [[altar]]s from the church and painted over its 19th-century wood trim.<ref name=":0" /> [[File:Geschenk.jpg|thumbnail|252x252px|Stained glass panel at Ss Peter and Paul Church. ''Geschenk von'' means "gift of". Catharina Gansemer was the donor.]]

For over 100 years, the [[Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration]] (FSPA) of [[La Crosse, Wisconsin]], operated the parish school. The school is now consolidated in Sherrill with the parish school from Balltown.<ref name=":0" />

====Others====
Other early parishes in the diocese include [[Saint Mary's Catholic Church (Dubuque, Iowa)|St. Mary's]], [[Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Dubuque, Iowa)|Sacred Heart]], and [[Holy Ghost Catholic Church (Dubuque, Iowa)|Holy Ghost]].

==Bishops==
===Bishops of Dubuque===
# [[Mathias Loras]] (1837–1858)
# [[Clement Smyth]], OCSO (1858–1865)
# [[John Hennessy (Archbishop)|John Hennessy]] (1866–1893), elevated to [[Archbishop]]

===Archbishops of Dubuque===
# John Hennessy (1893–1900)
# [[John J. Keane (bishop)|John Keane]] (1900–1911)
# [[James Keane (bishop)|James Keane]] (1911–1929)
# [[Francis Beckman]] (1930–1946)
# [[Henry Rohlman]] (1946–1954; Coadjutor 1944–1946)
# [[Leo Binz]] (1954–1961), appointed [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis|Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis]]
# [[James Byrne (Archbishop)|James Byrne]] (1962–1983)
# [[Daniel Kucera]], OSB (1983–1995)
# [[Jerome Hanus]], OSB (1995–2013; Coadjutor 1994–1995)
# [[Michael Owen Jackels]] (2013–2023)
# [[Thomas Robert Zinkula]] (2023–present)

===Auxiliary bishops===
* [[Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald]] (1946–1949), appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona|Bishop of Winona]]
* [[Loras Thomas Lane]] (1951–1956), appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford|Bishop of Rockford]]
* [[George Biskup]] (1957–1965), appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines|Bishop of Des Moines]] and later [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis|Archbishop of Indianapolis]]
* [[Loras Joseph Watters]] (1965–1969), appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona|Bishop of Winona]]
* [[Francis John Dunn]] (1969–1989)
* [[William Edwin Franklin]] (1987–1993), appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport|Bishop of Davenport]]

===Other diocesan priests who became bishops===
*[[Joseph Crétin]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis|Bishop of Saint Paul]] in 1850
* [[J. A. M. Pelamourgues|Jean-Antoine-Marie Pelamourgues]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis|Bishop of Saint Paul]] in 1858; did not take effect
*[[Thomas Mathias Lenihan]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne|Bishop of Cheyenne]] in 1896
*[[Mathias Clement Lenihan]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls|Bishop of Great Falls]] in 1904
*[[John Patrick Carroll]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena|Bishop of Helena]] in 1904 (he was born in Dubuque, but was a priest of Cleveland before he became a bishop)
*[[Daniel Mary Gorman]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise|Bishop of Boise]] in 1918
*[[Thomas William Drumm]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines|Bishop of Des Moines]] in 1919
*[[Edward Howard (bishop)|Edward Howard]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne|Auxiliary Bishop of Davenport]] in 1923 and later [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon|Archbishop of Oregon City]]
*[[Louis Benedict Kucera]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln|Bishop of Lincoln]] in 1930
*[[Joseph Clement Willging]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo|Bishop of Pueblo]] in 1941
*[[James Vincent Casey]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln|Auxiliary Bishop of Lincoln]] in 1957
*[[Raymond Philip Etteldorf]], appointed [[Apostolic Delegate]] to New Zealand in 1968 and later an official of the (Vatican) Secretariat of State
*[[Justin Albert Driscoll]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo|Bishop of Fargo]] in 1970
*[[Thomas Robert Zinkula]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport|Bishop of Davenport]] in 2017 and later Archbishop of Dubuque.
*[[William Michael Joensen]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines|Bishop of Des Moines]] in 2019
*[[Scott E. Bullock]], appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City|Bishop of Rapid City]] in 2024

== Notable priests ==
* [[William Menster]] served as chaplain on US Navy Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]]'s fourth expedition to [[Antarctica]] in 1946. Menster became the first priest to set foot on the continent.
* US Navy Chaplain [[Father Aloysius Schmitt|Aloysius Schmitt]] posthumously received the [[Navy and Marine Corps Medal]] and the [[Silver Star]] for his heroic service in [[Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]], during the December 7, 1941 attack. With only a small porthole available for escape, Schmitt insisted on staying behind to help other sailors escape. He was the first American chaplain to die in [[World War III|World War II]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-12-07 |title=Pearl Harbor Priest Identified 75 Years Later |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/pearl-harbor-priest-identified-75-years-later |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=NCR |language=en}}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|List of schools of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque}}
In the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the Catholic schools are all part of the Holy Family system. The archdiocese has three Catholic colleges: [[Loras College]] and [[Clarke University]] in Dubuque and [[Mount Mercy University]] in Cedar Rapids.

==Sexual abuse crisis==
{{Main|Sexual abuse scandal in Dubuque archdiocese}}The Archdiocese of Dubuque, as with many other archdioceses and dioceses in the US, has been affected by the [[Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States|Catholic Church sexual abuse crisis in the United States]]. Although a large settlement was paid to victims by Archbishop Jerome Hanus in 2006, cases continue to surface and be litigated.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Catholic|wstitle=Dubuque}}

==Sources==
* Hoffman, Mathias M., ''Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque'', Columbia College Press, Dubuque, Iowa, 1938.

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.dbqarch.org/}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us/|title=Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque Schools}}
{{Geographic Location
|Centre  = Archdiocese of Dubuque 
|North   = [[Diocese of Winona-Rochester]]
|Northeast = [[Diocese of La Crosse]]
|East   = [[Diocese of Madison]]
|Southeast = [[Diocese of Rockford]]
|South   = [[Diocese of Davenport]]
|Southwest = [[Diocese of Des Moines]]
|West   = [[Diocese of Sioux City]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Roman Catholic Bishops of Dubuque}}
{{Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Dubuque}}
{{R-C provinces in the United States}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Dubuque}}
[[Category:Archdiocese of Dubuque| ]]
[[Category:Dubuque, Iowa]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States|Dubuque]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1837]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century|Dubuque]]
[[Category:1837 establishments in Wisconsin Territory]]
[[Category:Religion in Dubuque, Iowa]]