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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque

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The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque (Latin: Archidiœcesis Metropolitae 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.

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque

Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Dubuquensis
St. Raphael's Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
CountryUnited States
Territory30 counties in Northeastern Iowa
Ecclesiastical provinceDubuque
Coordinates42°29′06″N 90°40′31″W / 42.48500°N 90.67528°W / 42.48500; -90.67528
Statistics
Area17,400 sq mi (45,000 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2018[1])
1,010,471
193,360 (19.1%)
Parishes166
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJuly 28, 1837 (187 years ago)
CathedralSt. Raphael's Cathedral
Patron saintSt. Raphael
St. John Vianney[2]
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopThomas Robert Zinkula
Metropolitan ArchbishopThomas Robert Zinkula
Bishops emeritusJerome Hanus, O.S.B.
Michael Owen Jackels
Map
Website
dbqarch.org

The Diocese of Dubuque was erected in 1837 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1893. It is a metropolitan archdiocese with three suffragan dioceses:

Territory and personnel

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The seat of the archdiocese is St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, named in honor of the Archangel Raphael. As of 2024, the archbishop is Thomas Zinkula.[3]

The archdiocese is one of a few American archdioceses that is not based in a major metropolitan area. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties, and east of Kossuth, Humboldt, Webster and Boone counties. It has an area of approximately 17,400 square miles (45,000 km2).[4]

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.[4]

History

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1673 to 1837

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The first Catholic presence in present-day Iowa was that of the French Jesuit missionary, Reverend Jacques Marquette. He traveled down the Mississippi River with the French explorer Louis Jolliet in 1673, stopping briefly at what is now Montrose in southern Iowa.[5] 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 Diocese of St. Louis. It would remain under this jurisdiction for the next 11 years.[6]

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 Reverend Charles Van Quickenborne to the newly-founded Dubuque in 1833, where he organized the first parish.[7] He was followed in 1834 by Reverend Charles Fitzmaurice, who began amassing funds to construct a church. When Fitzmaurice died of cholera in early 1835, Rosatis sent the Dominican Reverend Samuel Mazzuchelli to replace him.[8]

Mazzuchelli ministered to a scattered Catholic population of under 3,000.[8] In 1835, he dedicated the first church in the present day archdiocese, which he named St. Raphael.[7]

1837 to 1850

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Bishop Loras

Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Dubuque on July 28, 1837, and named Monsignor Mathias Loras from the Diocese of Mobile as its first bishop.[8] This vast diocese covered the entire Iowa Territory along with what became the Minnesota Territory (including the Dakotas).[9]

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.[10] Loras encouraged immigration to the area, especially German and Irish settlers.[8]

Loras invited several religious orders 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.[11] In 1849, with Ireland ravaged by the Great Famine, several Irish Cistercians immigrated to Iowa to build the New Melleray Abbey in Peosta.[12]

1850 to 1865

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Bishop Smyth

In 1850, Pope Pius IX separated the Minnesota Territory from the Diocese of Dubuque to form the new Diocese of St. Paul.[9] On January 9, 1857, at Loras's request, Pius IX appointed Reverend 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.[13]

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.[14] In 1863, Smyth consecrated Ephraim McDonnell as the first abbot for New Melleray after the Vatican elevated to an abbey.[15] 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.[16] Smyth preached a stinging sermon after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865. That evening, an arsonist set fire to Smyth's carriage house, killing his horses and destroying his carriage and the structure.[17]

1865 to 1893

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Archbishop Hennessy

Smyth died in 1865. On April 24, 1866, Pius IX appointed Reverend John Hennessey of Saint Louis as the third bishop of Dubuque.[18] When he arrived in Dubuque, there were 27 priests, 30 churches, two schools and seven sisters.[citation needed]

During Hennessy's tenure, the population of Dubuque exploded as the 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. [19][20] In 1878, the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of the Holy Family relocated from Iowa City to Dubuque to staff St. Mary's Orphan Home.[21][22]

Hennessy was a strong proponent of Catholic education, terming public schools as "dens of iniquity" and "gates of hell".[23]

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.[24]

By 1891, the diocese had 203 priests, 319 churches, 615 sisters, and over 135 parochial schools with 16,257 students.[25]

1893 to 1944

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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.[9] Hennessey died in 1900 and was buried in the mortuary vault that he had constructed under the cathedral.[26] 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.[23]

After the death of Hennessey, Pope Pius X on July 24, 1900, appointed John J. Keane, titular archbishop of Damascus, as the second archbishop of Dubuque.[27]

On January 15, 1902, Pius X erected the Diocese of Sioux City from the western half of the archdiocese.[28] 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.[27]

To succeed John Keene, on August 11, 1911, Pius X appointed Bishop James Keane from the Diocese of Cheyenne as the next archbishop of Dubuque.[29] One of James Keane's interests as archbishop was 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.[30]

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.[30] 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.[31] Keene died on August 2, 1929.[18]

On January 17, 1930, Pope Pius XI named Bishop 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, Rubens, and Van Dyck.[32]

In 1936, promoter Phillip Suetter convinced Beckman to invest in a gold mine in Oregon. Beckman borrowed money on promissory notes 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 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]

1944 to 1984

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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.[33]

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.[34] During his seven years as archbishop, Binz helped develop Catholic high schools in the archdiocese.[35] He also established the North American Martyrs Retreat House in Cedar Falls, and expanded the archdiocesan branch of Catholic Charities. On December 16, 1961, Pope John XXIII named Binz as archbishop of Saint Paul.[34]

John XXIII nominated Bishop James Byrne from the Diocese of Boise to be the next archbishop of Dubuque on March 7, 1962.[36] 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.[37]

1983 to present

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Archbishop Jackels

Byrne retired from office on August 23, 1983.[36] On December 20, 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Daniel Kucera of the Diocese of Salina as the eighth archbishop of Dubuque.[38]

In 1987, Kucera launched a plan that divided the archdiocese into three regions with a resident bishop in each. The Dubuque Region was served by retired Archbishop James Byrne and Archbishop Kucera; the Cedar Rapids Region by Bishop Francis Dunn, and 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 Diocese of Davenport.[citation needed]

In 1986 the archdiocese celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding. John Paul II named Bishop Jerome Hanus from the Diocese of St. Cloud as coadjutor archbishop in Dubuque on August 23, 1994. When retired on October 16, 1995, Hanus became archbishop.[38][39]

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,[40] 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.[41]

After Hanus retired in 2013, Pope Francis on April 8, 2013 appointed Bishop Michael Jackels from the Diocese of Wichita as the next archbishop of Dubuque. [42]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 administrator, running the archdiocese.[43]

On July 26, 2023, Francis appointed Thomas Zinkula from Davenport as the eleventh archbishop of Dubuque.[44] As of October 2024, he is the current archbishop of Dubuque

Early parishes

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St. John the Baptist

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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.[45] 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 Reverend 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.[45] In 1989, the parish dedicated a new church building.

St. Francis

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Founded in 1891, St. Francis Parish in 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.[46] 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.[46]

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.[46]

Ss. Peter and Paul

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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.[47]

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.[48][47] In 1889, the parish replaced its original wood church with the current brick and stone Romanesque Revival structure.[48] During the 1970s, the parish removed the original carved wood altars from the church and painted over its 19th-century wood trim.[47]

 
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.[47]

Others

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Other early parishes in the diocese include St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, and Holy Ghost.

Bishops

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Bishops of Dubuque

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  1. Mathias Loras (1837–1858)
  2. Clement Smyth, OCSO (1858–1865)
  3. John Hennessy (1866–1893), elevated to Archbishop

Archbishops of Dubuque

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  1. John Hennessy (1893–1900)
  2. John Keane (1900–1911)
  3. James Keane (1911–1929)
  4. Francis Beckman (1930–1946)
  5. Henry Rohlman (1946–1954; Coadjutor 1944–1946)
  6. Leo Binz (1954–1961), appointed Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
  7. James Byrne (1962–1983)
  8. Daniel Kucera, OSB (1983–1995)
  9. Jerome Hanus, OSB (1995–2013; Coadjutor 1994–1995)
  10. Michael Owen Jackels (2013–2023)
  11. Thomas Robert Zinkula (2023-present)

Auxiliary bishops

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Other diocesan priests who became bishops

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Notable priests

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Education

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Main article: 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

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Main article: 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 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

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  1. ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque". GCatholic. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  2. ^ "November Day by Day".
  3. ^ Noguchi, Chieko (2023-07-26). "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Thomas Zinkula as Archbishop of Dubuque". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  4. ^ a b "Statistics". Archdiocese of Dubuque. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  5. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Iowa". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  6. ^ "Saint Louis (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  7. ^ a b "St. Raphael Cathedral History". St. Raphael's Cathedral. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
  8. ^ a b c d "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Dubuque". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  9. ^ a b c "Dubuque (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  10. ^ "Loras College | private, liberal arts, Catholic | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  11. ^ "About Mary Frances Clarke". Clarke University. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  12. ^ "History – New Melleray". Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  13. ^ "Bishop Timothy Clement Smyth [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  14. ^ Luby, S.D. Dubuque, Archdiocese of (Dubuquensis) New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. IV (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967) 1084
  15. ^ Shea, John Gilmary (1892). A history of the Catholic church within the limits of the United States. New York: John G. Shea. p. 645. ISBN 9780665502842.
  16. ^ Keller, Rudi (June 13, 2014). "Knights of the Golden Circle".
  17. ^ Luby, S.D. Dubuque, Archdiocese of (Dubuquensis) New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. IV (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967) 1084
  18. ^ a b "History of Bishops". Archdiocese of Dubuque. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  19. ^ Adam, Thomas, ed. (2005). Germany and the Americas. Vol. 2. ABC-CLIO. p. 458. ISBN 978-1851096282.
  20. ^ "CATHOLIC PRINTING COMPANY - Encyclopedia Dubuque". www.encyclopediadubuque.org. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  21. ^ "Sisters of St. Francis: history & leadership". Sisters of St. Francis. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  22. ^ "ST. MARY'S ORPHAN HOME - Encyclopedia Dubuque". www.encyclopediadubuque.org. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  23. ^ a b Coogan, M. Jane (1981). "Dubuque's First Archbishop: The Image and the Man". Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. 92 (1/4): 59–90. ISSN 0002-7790.
  24. ^ "Davenport (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  25. ^ "HENNESSY, John - Encyclopedia Dubuque". www.encyclopediadubuque.org. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  26. ^ "History Part 2: February 1858 – March 1900". Cathedral of St. Raphael & St. Patrick Church. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Archbishop John Joseph Keane [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  28. ^ "Sioux City (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  29. ^ "Archbishop James John Keane [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  30. ^ a b "Keane, James J." Encyclopedia Dubuque. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  31. ^ "Catholic Tradition". www.mtmercy.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  32. ^ "BECKMAN, Francis J.L. - Encyclopedia Dubuque". www.encyclopediadubuque.org. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  33. ^ "ROHLMAN, Henry P. - Encyclopedia Dubuque". www.encyclopediadubuque.org. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  34. ^ a b "Archbishop Leo Binz [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  35. ^ Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  36. ^ a b "Archbishop James Joseph Byrne [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  37. ^ "Our History – mississippiabbey". Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  38. ^ a b "Archbishop Daniel William Kucera [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  39. ^ "Archbishop Emeritus Hanus". Archdiocese of Dubuque. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  40. ^ New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition. Vol. 4. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America. 2003. p. 925.
  41. ^ "Newsmakers - Most Rev. Jerome Hanus". Telegraph Herald. 2002. Archived from the original on 2003-09-22. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  42. ^ "Archbishop Emeritus Jackels". Archdiocese of Dubuque. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  43. ^ "Archbishop Michael Jackels retires for health reasons". www.thegazette.com. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  44. ^ Hannah Brockhaus; Jonathan Liedl (July 26, 2023). "Pope Francis names Davenport, Iowa's Bishop Zinkula to lead Archdiocese of Dubuque". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  45. ^ a b "St. John the Baptist | St. Elizabeth Pastorate". stelizabethpastorate.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  46. ^ a b c "St. Francis | home". www.lasallepastorate.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  47. ^ a b c d "Ss. Peter and Paul Church". St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Klinkenberg, Dean (2009-10-03). "Sherrill". Mississippi Valley Traveler. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  49. ^ "Pearl Harbor Priest Identified 75 Years Later". NCR. 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2024-10-13.

  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Dubuque". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

Sources

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  • Hoffman, Mathias M., Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Columbia College Press, Dubuque, Iowa, 1938.
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