Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen

Bishop William Joensen, Jeanne Thill
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Bishop William Joensen of the Diocese of Des Moines gets personal with his guests discussing both their personal and spiritual life.

  1. 5d ago

    Faith That Cost Everything: Poland Pilgrimage Stories with Jon Leonetti - 09/30/2026

    What does it look like when a whole nation's faith has been tested by war, occupation, and communism, and still stands? Bishop William Joensen and co-host Jeanne Thill welcome Jon Leonetti, Catholic speaker, author, and longtime Iowa Catholic Radio voice. Jon and the Bishop just returned from leading a pilgrimage to Poland with 50 pilgrims from Iowa and around the country. Opening: Marriage, St. Faustina, and a thank-you Bishop Joensen thanks listeners for supporting the Iowa Catholic Radio fall fundraiser.He announces the return of diocesan anniversary Masses honoring married couples, whether they've been married 5, 10, 25, 50 years, or anywhere in between:Sunday, Oct. 4: St. Peter Church, Council BluffsSaturday, Oct. 10: 4 p.m. Mass, St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des MoinesFor details, visit the Diocese of Des Moines: https://www.dmdiocese.org/?utm_source=Iowa%20Catholic%20Radio&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=Making%20It%20PersonalAhead of St. Faustina Kowalska's memorial on Monday, Oct. 5, the Bishop reads from her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, on surrendering to God's will.Warsaw: Faith that cost everything The pilgrimage began at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church with Mass and a visit honoring Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, the Solidarity priest martyred under communism.The group toured the Warsaw Rising Museum.At Victory Square, they recalled St. John Paul II's 1979 homily that helped spark the fall of communism.St. Maximilian Kolbe before Auschwitz At Niepokalanów, the "City of the Immaculate," Jon reflects on meeting Kolbe as the tireless evangelist who used every available medium to spread the faith. His self-offering at Auschwitz was the fruit of a lifetime of preparation.Our Lady of Czestochowa at Jasna Góra Married couples in the group reaffirmed their marriage vows before the miraculous image of the Queen of Poland.Jon shares the story of the night the group was nearly locked in the shrine.From Auschwitz to Divine Mercy After a sobering, rain-soaked day at Auschwitz-Birkenau, including St. Maximilian Kolbe's starvation cell, the group went the next day to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Kraków-Łagiewniki.There, a sister of St. Faustina's own congregation led them in prayer at her tomb.Wadowice, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and a pilgrimage of saints The group visited St. John Paul II's hometown museum and climbed the passion shrines of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.The Bishop and Jon close by remembering St. Edith Stein, St. Hedwig, St. Stanislaus, and Blessed Stefan Wyszyński.Learn more about Jon Leonetti and upcoming pilgrimages at https://jonleonetti.com/ Hear Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen every week on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, and IowaCatholicRadio.com: https://iowacatholicradio.com/ SponsorSupport for Iowa Catholic Radio and Making It Personal is provided by Serra Vocations Ministry, which works to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Learn more at https://joinserra.org/ #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #JonLeonetti #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPilgrimage #Poland #MaximilianKolbe #DivineMercy #StFaustina #JohnPaulII #OurLadyOfCzestochowa #JasnaGora #Auschwitz #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMarriage #Catholic #CatholicFaith #DioceseOfDesMoines Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Sep 26

    Christ Our Life 2026: Iowa's Biggest Catholic Weekend with Ellen Miller & Marilyn Lane - 09/26/2026

    It's Christ Our Life weekend! Bishop William Joensen and co-host Jeanne Thill visit with Ellen Miller and Marilyn Lane, the co-founders and co-chairs of the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference. They talk on the morning the ninth biennial conference opens at Casey's Center in downtown Des Moines. Bishop's CalendarBishop Joensen previews a busy stretch. The priests of the Diocese of Des Moines hold their annual workshop in Iowa City, focused on evangelization and led by Very Rev. PJ McManus, Vicar of Evangelization and Mission. Diocese of Des Moines seminarian Connor Lynch will be ordained a deacon at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Thursday, October 1, the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The following weekend, the diocese hosts a regional gathering of diocesan attorneys. Bishop Joensen also reflects on his recent Poland pilgrimage, including the visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Mass with the Carmelite sisters nearby. Next week's show will look more closely at that pilgrimage. Two Years in the MakingEllen and Marilyn describe the two-year planning cycle behind each conference, from committee meetings to the final details. They also explain how speakers are chosen, with input from the committee and board, to reach every age and stage of faith. Since the first conference in 2010, Christ Our Life has grown into a gathering of thousands. 2026 Speakers Bishop Joseph Espaillat, auxiliary bishop of New York, known for his ministry to young people, who will also lead a meditation during Saturday adorationFr. Robert Spitzer, SJ, returning to speak on his research into near-death experiencesSister Medhin Tesfay of Ethiopia, who will speak on faith through war, hardship, and forgiveness, and on her work with Mary's MealsCharbel Raish of Australia, founder of Parousia Media and author of How Islam Led Me Back to ChristCrystalina Evert of Women Made New Ministries, who will address the main arena and a breakout for young womenGabriel Castillo, host of the "Children of Mary" podcast, who will speak to young menChris Stefanick, founder of Real Life CatholicBishop William Joensen, giving the homily at Saturday morning MassMusic and WorshipSteve Angrisano returns to lead praise and worship. Father David Michael Moses joins from Texas, and Father Max Carson serves as emcee. Emily Schmid directs a choir of about 30 voices for both conference Masses. Youth BreakoutIn its second year, the free high school and college breakout brings main-stage speakers back for more intimate sessions with young people. Free pizza is included. Sacraments at the CenterThe weekend includes Mass, confession available through the afternoon and evening, and Saturday evening Eucharistic adoration in the darkened arena. Before setup began, a team prayed the rosary around Casey's Center and blessed it with holy water and holy salt. About 66 vendors and exhibitors line the concourse. How to Join When: Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026Where: Casey's Center, 233 Center Street, Des Moines, IA 50309Tickets: $30 per adult for the two-day pass, in person or livestream. Ages 23 and under attend free, but registration is still required.Livestream: Visit the Christ Our Life website and select "Buy a ticket now" or "I already have a ticket." Past livestreams have reached viewers in as many as 14 countries.Sunday Mass: Open to all at no charge. Doors open around 12:15 p.m., and Mass begins about 12:30 p.m.Phone: 866-206-3303Learn more and get tickets at ChristOurLifeIowa.com View the full conference schedule: ChristOurLifeIowa.com/schedule Hear Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen every week on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network, the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, and IowaCatholicRadio.com #ChristOurLife #ChristOurLifeIowa #CatholicConference #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast #DesMoines #Iowa #CatholicIowa #Eucharist #EucharisticAdoration #Confession #CatholicYouth #MarysMeals #FrSpitzer #ChrisStefanick #BishopEspaillat #CrystalinaEvert #CatholicFaith #Evangelization Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Sep 19

    Unpacking "No Public Money for Private Schools" with Shane Vander Hart - 09/19/2026

    Segment 1 — Poland: Auschwitz, Divine Mercy and the Saints of the Darkest Night Bishop William Joensen opens from the road, reflecting on the Diocese of Des Moines pilgrimage to Poland with Catholic speaker and author Jon Leonetti. The group visited Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II–Birkenau, where the Bishop recalls St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) — the Jewish philosopher drawn to the Church through the writings of St. Teresa of Ávila, who entered Carmel and was deported to Birkenau. He shares her words on souls united to God, and quotes St. John Paul II kneeling at what the pontiff called the Golgotha of the modern world. The following day brought the group to the Divine Mercy Shrine of St. Faustina in Kraków-Łagiewniki and the neighboring "Have No Fear!" St. John Paul II Centre, where the cassock worn during the 1981 assassination attempt is displayed. He asks prayers for Pope Leo, and for all listeners across the Iowa Catholic Radio Network and Spirit Catholic Radio Network. Learn more about the pilgrimage at jonleonetti.com/poland Segment 2 — Shane Vander Hart: A Fool for Christ, and a Slogan Worth Questioning Shane Vander Hart is the founder of 4:15 Communications, a Des Moines marketing and PR firm named for Ephesians 4:15 — speaking the truth in love. He founded and edited Caffeinated Thoughts and The Iowa Torch, and his work has appeared in the Des Moines Register, POLITICO, The Hill, Daily Caller and Fox News. He tells Bishop Joensen about a childhood in a United Methodist church, drifting from faith, and a sophomore-year search at Drake University that ended in his dorm room in 1992 — on April Fool's Day. "I became a fool for Christ on April Fool's Day." The conversation turns to his article, "The Problem with 'No Public Money for Private Schools'" — a response to a slogan appearing in Iowa campaign messaging and, he notes, painted on barns. His argument: the principle is never applied consistently. Public dollars flow to private providers in health care, food assistance, housing and higher education — the GI Bill and Pell Grants among them. He points to Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020), in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that a state need not subsidize private education, but once it does, it cannot disqualify schools solely because they are religious — a ruling that Justice Alito tied to nineteenth-century Blaine amendments, which were often motivated by anti-Catholic bias. The First Amendment Encyclopedia His preferred framing: fund students, not systems. He is emphatic that school choice is not an attack on public education — most Iowa students will be educated in public schools, and he wants them to flourish. He also notes that open enrollment between public districts is used by a large share of families and rarely makes headlines. Read the article: iowaace.orgLearn more at ShaneVanderHart.com and 415communications.com Segment 3 — ESAs Explained: Not Vouchers, and the Accountability Question Vander Hart draws the distinction listeners most often get wrong: an education savings account is not a voucher. With a voucher, funding generally moves from the state directly to a school from an approved list. With an ESA, funds are deposited into an account the parent controls; in Iowa, nonpublic tuition is paid first, and remaining approved expenses — books, online courses, educational therapies, band equipment — must go through approved vendors in the ESA marketplace. Program facts, verified: Iowa's Students First Act was signed into law January 24, 2023; all Iowa resident K-12 students are eligible regardless of income beginning with the 2025-26 school year, and the 2026-27 award amount is $8,148 per student, held in an account for tuition, fees and other qualified expenses. Iowa Department of EducationPublic districts continue receiving state funding for students they educate, plus approximately $1,205 per pupil for students who live in the district but attend a private school. Iowa GovernorIowa nonpublic schools have two accreditation paths: general accreditation by the state through a comprehensive site visit, or independent accreditation through a state-approved accrediting agency, and the state board maintains a list of at least six approved regional or national nonprofit accrediting agencies. Iowa Department of EducationIowa LegislatureHe also disputes that ESAs caused tuition increases: nonpublic tuition was already rising under a funding model that capped enrollment growth, and demand now means more classrooms, more teachers and better pay. Bishop Joensen notes the Des Moines Catholic school region is currently undergoing an audit by a licensed public accounting agency — accountability, he says, is already built in. He also references the state's teacher pay law; under the 2024 law, salaries for new teachers must be at least $50,000 effective July 1, 2025, a benchmark diocesan schools can now compete with. Ahlerslaw Vander Hart, who homeschooled his three children in Indiana while serving as a youth pastor, says his advocacy predates his current roles with the Iowa Association of Christian Schools and the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education. He worships at Cottage Grove Church in Des Moines, which does not operate a school. Learn more at iowaace.org • iowachristianschools.org • cottagegrovedsm.comIowa ESA program details: educate.iowa.gov Also mentioned Christ Our Life Catholic Conference — Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at Casey's Center (formerly Wells Fargo Arena), 233 Center St., Des Moines. All-weekend in-person and livestream passes are $30 for adults; youth ages 23 and under are free. Learn more at ChristOurLifeIowa.com DioSCG Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Schools — 16 schools serving roughly 6,600 students. Learn more at dmdiocese.org/catholic-schools Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Sep 12

    Meet the Diocese's New Vocations Director with Fr. Nick Smith - 09/12/2026

    Segment 1 — Diocesan news and a Poland pilgrimage Bishop Joensen opens with an update on the water main break that flooded the Bishop's Celebration of Education just as keynote speaker Father Ross Caniglia was being introduced. Water poured into the downtown facility at depths of six to twelve inches. No one was injured, but the damage is considerable and repairs are expected to take six months or more. Father Caniglia has been invited to return next year. The Bishop then previews his departure for Warsaw, where he and Catholic speaker and broadcaster Jon Leonetti will lead a pilgrimage of about 55 people through Poland. The group's first stop is St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in the Żoliborz district, home to the tomb of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko — the Solidarity chaplain martyred in 1984 at age 37 for defending workers' rights under the Communist regime, and beatified in 2010. Bishop Joensen recounts Popiełuszko's defense of himself as "a simple witness of Jesus Christ," and notes the pilgrims will pray at his grave, where the surrounding stones are laid out in the form of a rosary. There's also a nod to the Cy-Hawk game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City that evening — Iowa favored by roughly 13.5 over Iowa State in Jimmy Rogers' first season as Cyclones head coach. Kickoff lands at 2:30 a.m. Warsaw time, so the Bishop is skipping it. Segment 2 — Fr. Nick Smith: family, dementia, and the dignity of life Fr. Nick Smith is pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Perry, where he's beginning his second year, and took on the role of Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Des Moines this July. Ordained four years ago, he has served at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart in Ankeny and Christ the King in Des Moines, and is bilingual in Spanish and English. St. Patrick also operates a parish school. The heart of the segment is his grandmother Virginia, who lived near the family through her decline from Alzheimer's and died three years ago on August 28, the feast of St. Augustine. Two days after that anniversary, his mother Sue's op-ed appeared in the Des Moines Sunday Register — a response to an earlier guest essay by a Des Moines man who chose to end his life abroad rather than live with Alzheimer's. Fr. Smith describes the caregiving years without romanticizing them: not glamorous, not mystical, often difficult. What he took from it was that a person's worth is not tied to what they can produce. "We are valued as human beings before we're valued for anything we can produce." He credits his grandmother's prayers, and her devotion to the Mass and the rosary, with his own vocation. Asked whether that experience shaped his ministry to the homebound and to care facilities, Fr. Smith names a fear many priests and pastoral ministers carry — that they have nothing to offer. His spiritual director's answer stayed with him: you bring them Christ. He frames the task not as removing another person's cross but as refusing to let them carry it in isolation. Bishop Joensen, drawing on his own years as a care-facility chaplain, calls that accompaniment precious. Segment 3 — Two brothers, two vocations Fr. Smith is the oldest of seven children, raised in a strong Catholic family with Catholic education throughout. He began seriously considering the priesthood in high school, drawn by the Eucharist, daily Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration — and by the realization that a priest stands in a unique relationship to that sacrament. His younger brother Noah went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, encountered the Jesuit community there, and was drawn to its communal life. Noah Smith, S.J., is now in his fourth year of Jesuit formation, professed, and studying philosophy at Fordham University in New York. Bishop Joensen notes his own graduate school classmate, Fr. Christopher Cullen, S.J., teaches philosophy at Fordham. Fr. Smith's observation: the path by which a man first comes to know the Lord deeply often shapes the form of priesthood he's drawn toward. Segment 4 — How discernment actually works, and how to start Fr. Smith leans on the wisdom of the rest of the vocations team — Father Ross Parker, Director of Seminarians and pastor of St. Augustin in Des Moines; Father Reed Flood; and Father Max Carson. He credits Cathy Jordan, the diocese's vocation specialist, as integral to the team. The Serra Clubs of Council Bluffs and Des Moines are thanked for their material and spiritual support of seminarians. The men with the deepest roots, he says, typically come from families where the Catholic faith is genuinely practiced, and arrive with an existing appreciation for the sacraments, the teaching of the Church, adoration, and the rosary. Typical first contact is a one-on-one meeting to hear a man's story and get a sense of where he is. How to reach the Vocations Office Email Fr. Nick Smith: nsmith@dmdiocese.orgCall the Vocations Office: 515-237-5050Learn more at https://www.dmdiocese.org/vocationsAndrew Dinner — Tuesday, October 6, 2026 5:30 p.m., Basilica of St. John, 1915 University Ave., Des MoinesPrayer followed by dinner hosted by the Knights of ColumbusOpen to men high school age and olderPriests and Bishop Joensen will speak about priestly life; Bishop Joensen confirms on air that he's "all in"Fr. Smith encourages even ambivalent men to come. If the thought of the priesthood occurs to a young man at all in this culture, he takes that as a sign of God's action — and the greater tragedy, he says, is spending a life wondering whether the Lord was opening a door. Asked about age, he names roughly 18 to 35 as typical, while noting the Lord can call a second vocation at any stage. Three men have newly entered formation for the diocese this year, ranging from age 19 to a 33-year-old trial attorney working in the Des Moines metro. Fr. Smith also hosts The Daily Gospel Reflection on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network. Learn more at https://www.dmdiocese.org/vocations and https://www.IowaCatholicRadio.com/ Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Sep 5

    How to become a Catholic Priest: Answering the Call with Connor Lynch - 09/05/2026

    Bishop William Joensen and co-host Jeanne Thill welcome Connor Lynch, seminarian for the Diocese of Des Moines and a son of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianola, who is studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Connor is set to be ordained a transitional deacon on October 1, and this conversation catches him on the cusp of it. Bishop's Opening — Labor Day Weekend and the Week Ahead Bishop Joensen opens with a Labor Day reflection on the dignity of work, giving thanks for tradesmen, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and linemen, along with teachers and students two weeks into the new school year. He notes several diocesan events on the calendar: Confirmation at Christ the King Parish on the south side of Des Moines Labor Day: a Mass marking 70 years of religious life for Sister Marilyn Jean Hagedorn, CHM (Congregation of the Humility of Mary) at St. Pius X Parish in Urbandale, honoring her witness to peace and justice and her call to poverty of spirit Tuesday, September 8 (the Nativity of Mary): the arrival of two missionary priests from Nigeria who will take up ministry in Shelby County and five other parishes, following an extended visa process An upcoming pilgrimage to Poland with 55 diocesan pilgrims The Bishop closes the segment on St. Teresa of Calcutta, reading from her private correspondence on the interior darkness she carried for decades — the hidden cross that became, as he puts it, the very spring of her sanctity. Segment Two — Cynicism, Wisdom, and the Turn Connor talks about returning to Rome as a senior brother to fellow Des Moines seminarians, including Michael Posegate, and about showing them the city's churches, shrines, and coffee bars. He names honestly the arc many seminarians travel: initial wonder, then a season of cynicism after his first year in Rome, then a turn toward wisdom. What made the turn possible, he says, was relationship — coming to know his formation faculty as people and building real friendships with his brother seminarians. Cynicism, in his framing, objectifies an institution; friendship restores the persons within it. Asked by the Bishop to define wisdom, Connor points to humility, a conscientious grasp of the human condition, and words that land as true because they are lived rather than abstract. Segment Two (cont.) — The Call Connor recounts a high school marked by soccer, his parents' hobby farm, and passing considerations of ag engineering, nursing, and the Air Force Academy. The first real jolt came when Father Chris Fontanini asked whether he had considered the priesthood — a question that, in Connor's words, rang through him like a bell. He ran from it spiritually for a couple of years. The turning point came on a mission trip to El Paso with STAT (St. Thomas Aquinas Teens), where the theme was God's Will for Your Life. Connor asked God for a sign and received an overwhelming experience of love at Mass the next day. When he spoke it aloud in his small group, the weight lifted. Over that week, ten to fifteen people independently asked him whether he'd thought about becoming a priest. Father Reed Flood was on the trip and coached him through making the phone call home. He also describes the value of manual labor — bagging groceries and working the bottle room at Hy-Vee, night stocking shelves, and a summer hauling concrete for a demolition crew in Ankeny alongside his cousin. Tangible work, tangible change. Segment Two (cont.) — Ordination Details The ordination will be an evening Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, celebrated at the Holy Spirit window, a newer custom for the North American College. Connor describes rounding the main altar afterward to find the basilica empty — an experience unlike any other. Eighteen men total will be ordained. Family, friends, and a diocesan pilgrimage group are expected to attend. Diocesan priests will be gathered for their annual workshop in Iowa City that day and will lift Connor up at Mass. Segment Three — Remembering Alex Connor speaks about his brother Alex Lynch, who battled cancer from age 16 and died May 8, 2026, at 23, at the family's farm home in Indianola. Alex graduated from Indianola High School, earned an Eagle Scout rank, and completed a finance degree from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas — receiving his diploma in a special ceremony less than a day before his death. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas in Indianola. Connor shares the family's conviction that God was working through Alex's illness: a cousin estranged from the family reached out to reconcile at the very hour Alex's first biopsy confirmed cancer. He describes a brotherhood that deepened through the disease — days spent beside Alex's hospital bed, shoulder massages Alex insisted on giving to relieve Connor's stress, and repeated occasions when Connor, in Rome or at seminary, felt an unaccountable weight on his heart, called home, and found Alex struggling. He calls the bond spiritual and Eucharistic. The Bishop notes there is more to the story — Connor's return home for Alex's final days and the support of the Benedictine College community under President Stephen Minnis — and invites him back to tell it another time. Connor begins studies in moral theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce) this fall. Learn more about vocations in the Diocese of Des Moines: dmdiocese.org/vocations Learn more about the Pontifical North American College: pnac.org Listen to Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen every week on the Iowa Catholic Radio Network and the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, or stream anytime at IowaCatholicRadio.com   #CatholicPodcast #Vocations #Seminarian #CatholicPriest #DioceseOfDesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #NorthAmericanCollege #CatholicRome #StPetersBasilica #DiaconateOrdination #CatholicFaith #CatholicVocations #Discernment #CatholicIowa #FaithAndSuffering #CatholicYouth #Priesthood #CatholicRadio Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Aug 29

    From Storm Chaser to Shepherd: Fr. Ross Caniglia on Weather, Music, and the Call to Priesthood - 08/29/2026

    Bishop Joensen and Jeanne Thill open with high school football underway across the diocese — Valley and Dowling played the night before — and September weather moving in. The Bishop previews the Bishop's Celebration of Education, held that evening at the Catholic Pastoral Center in downtown Des Moines, lifting up all 16 Catholic schools in the diocese alongside the Catholic Tuition Organization (CTO). Father Ross Caniglia is the evening's honored speaker. The Bishop also runs through his week: confirmations at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianola and Sacred Heart Parish in West Des Moines; a deanery gathering of priests at St. Edward Church in Afton, near Creston; another deanery meeting at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Atlantic; and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd programs underway there and at St. Mary Parish in Shenandoah, where Father Jason Lee is pastor. He shares a lunch conversation with Bishop Ambrose Puthenveettil of the Diocese of Kottapuram in Kerala, India, and notes the Dowling Catholic All-School Mass, where students recognized Father David Polich on his 50th anniversary of ordination — Father Polich was ordained for the Diocese of Des Moines in 1976. On the memorials of Saints Monica and Augustine, Bishop Joensen reflects on Monica's wisdom despite little formal education, and her consolation for parents whose children have wandered from the faith: those who are seeking and have not yet found are not without God. He closes the segment with Augustine on preaching — that the words of any preacher sound empty unless the inner Master, Christ himself, is teaching within the listener. Segment two: Council Bluffs, weather, and a chalkboard forecast Father Caniglia was born in 1988 and raised in Council Bluffs, one of four children, including an identical twin brother now living in the Omaha area. His mother worked as a nurse; his father practiced law in Council Bluffs. Both parents remain active in their parish and in Serra vocations work. His parents, Phil and Rena, are described by Bishop Joensen as pillars of the faith in the Council Bluffs community. His mother — a former All-State violinist who grew up in Boone — introduced him to the family piano, which had come from his grandmother's house. He sang in show choir and concert choir at St. Albert in Council Bluffs under a longtime Council Bluffs music teacher who had built the vocal program from the ground up, and he continued piano lessons through college. The weather obsession started in fifth grade, watching WOWT 6 News in Omaha. He kept a chalkboard in his bedroom, drew Iowa and Nebraska with fronts and high-pressure symbols, and delivered forecasts to his patient parents. Classmates asked him for snow-day predictions. After graduating from Creighton University in 2010, he went storm chasing with a graduate student and watched a large tornado pass roughly a quarter mile away. He worked as a television meteorologist in Sioux City from 2010 to 2013, hired into the weekend weather shift while also doing news reporting midweek and filling in on weekday shows. He explains the newsroom hierarchy — weekday evenings first, weekday mornings second, weekends last — and notes that weather has migrated to the top of newscasts because ratings show it is the number one reason people tune in. The voice injury and the turn toward God Late in his senior year of high school, after years of heavy singing, Father Caniglia developed voice issues affecting both speaking and singing. He describes it plainly as a season of suffering — physical and mental — that carried into college and left him unable to sing as he once could. He still deals with it to a degree today. The disruption cracked open the plan he thought he had: meteorology, settled and certain. In its place came questions about God's existence, the purpose of life, and what he was actually for. Segment three: Augustine at Creighton, Trinity Heights, and seminary The turn came in a philosophy class at Creighton, where he read Augustine's Confessions as a sophomore — a spiritual awakening he credits as the impetus for taking a possible priestly vocation seriously. Bishop Joensen shares his own connection: he once led a January-term course to Sicily and Rome, always stopping at Ostia to read aloud, from a window ledge, the passage where Monica and Augustine speak of ultimate things and Monica sets aside her fear of death. Living and working in Sioux City shaped which diocese was calling him. He points to the example of good preaching and evident love for the faith among the priests around him, including Father Gary Snyder, and to his parents' steady insistence on doing the small things and persevering. A turning point came at Trinity Heights in Sioux City, where a colleague from the television station — someone who had drifted from his faith — first brought him. The beauty of the place moved him, and he asked someone there for the name of a spiritual director. He entered seminary in 2013. Bishop Joensen offers a direct invitation to listeners: if that Augustinian restlessness is stirring in your own heart, it may be God inviting you toward priesthood, religious life, or another form of service to God's people. Composing the Mass of the Epiphany Father Caniglia composes as time and inspiration allow, usually beginning from a text — scriptural, or from the Church's own liturgical texts — and then finding chords and vocal lines at the piano. His Mass of the Epiphany, published by GIA Publications, began by accident while he was practicing for a Mass in seminary and a melody surfaced out of a music theory exercise. It took six years to complete, and was his first composition. Bishop Joensen praises the brass writing in the Great Doxology. Learn more about Father Caniglia's Mass setting at GIAmusic.com Diocese of Sioux City: scdiocese.org Diocese of Des Moines: dmdiocese.org Catholic Tuition Organization: ctoiowa.org Listen anytime at IowaCatholicRadio.com   Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen is made possible by Serra Vocations Ministry, and by the Serra Clubs of Central Iowa and Council Bluffs — whose prayers, witness, and encouragement continue to bear fruit in vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and the diaconate. Learn more at JoinSerra.org   #CatholicPodcast #Vocations #CatholicPriest #BishopJoensen #IowaCatholicRadio #MakingItPersonal #DioceseOfDesMoines #DioceseOfSiouxCity #CatholicMusic #SacredMusic #MassSetting #Meteorologist #StormChasing #SaintAugustine #SaintMonica #CatholicEducation #CatholicSchools #Discernment #CatholicConversion #Priesthood #CouncilBluffs #CreightonUniversity #IowaCatholic #SerraClub #CatholicRadio   Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Aug 22

    Freer Men: Duncan Kyhl and Parker Corwin on Silence, Sacrifice, and Saying Yes to the Call – 08/22/2026

    Segment 1: Iowa State Fair send-off, diocesan roundup, and welcoming the guests Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill send off the final weekend of the 2026 Iowa State Fair (Aug. 13–23), highlighting the Iowa Catholic Radio booth and the availability of confession from priests and deacons on-site. A look at the week's saints leading into this Aug. 22 broadcast: St. John Eudes (Aug. 19), St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Aug. 20), and St. Pius X (Aug. 21), followed by today's feast of the Queenship of Mary — secondary patroness of the Diocese of Des Moines. Bishop Joensen previews the formal installation of Father Rodrigo Mayorga Landeros as pastor of Christ the King Parish this Sunday, Aug. 23, plus confirmations at Sacred Heart Parish in West Des Moines, and next week's Bishop's Celebration of Catholic Schools, which will honor Father Ross Caniglia of the Diocese of Sioux City — a Council Bluffs native — as speaker. Duncan Kyhl and Parker Corwin join the show having just finished the Propaedeutic Year. Parker opens with his story: growing up in Des Moines, K–8 at St. Francis of Assisi, Dowling Catholic High School, and a period away from the faith at the University of Iowa before landing at St. Theresa Parish as an adult. Segment 2: Two paths to the seminary Duncan shares his roots: St. Pius X Parish in Urbandale, Dowling Catholic High School (where he ran cross country with Parker), a degree in accounting and computer science from Creighton University, and several years working in downtown Chicago before entering seminary. Both men discuss discerning their vocations out of serious relationships and the difficult, grace-filled process of letting go to answer God's call. Parker recounts four and a half years as a sales consultant at Wells Fargo in Des Moines, and how conversations with coworkers planted early seeds of his vocation. Duncan opens up about his family's faith, his three brothers, and his brother John, who works at the Hy-Vee in Urbandale and has been a joyful witness to him. The two describe the Propaedeutic Year itself: human formation, group therapy and counseling, a six-day "tech fast" cycle, and the house motto agere sequitur esse — do what you're doing. Bishop Joensen connects the theme of digital disconnection to Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, on preserving human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence. Wednesday morning silence and four- to five-day silent retreats round out a rule of life aimed at deeper prayer and fraternity. Segment 3: Serving the poor, in Phoenix and in Des Moines Duncan spent January and the first half of the summer at the Andre House of Hospitality in Phoenix, a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross named for St. André Bessette, serving hundreds of meals a night to people experiencing homelessness. Learn more at AndreHouse.org. Parker completed a summer internship with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Des Moines, working alongside CEO Steve Havemann and visiting parish "conferences" that provide direct home-visit assistance across the metro. Learn more at SVdPDSM.org. Duncan reflects on a 30-day retreat and the decision to begin with a new spiritual director as he moves into major theology studies at the University of St. Thomas. Bishop Joensen closes with a blessing over both seminarians as they continue toward the priesthood for the Diocese of Des Moines. Learn more at dmdiocese.org/vocations. #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #JeanThill #DioceseOfDesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPriesthood #Seminarian #PropaedeuticYear #CatholicVocations #DiscernmentStory #SaintPaulSeminary #CatholicPodcast #QueenshipOfMary #IowaStateFair #FaithJourney Episode Contributors Host: Bishop William Joensen, Jeanne  Thill, Duncan Kyhl, Parker Corwin       Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Aug 15

    From Dominican University to the Vatican: Dr. Donna Carroll on the Future of Catholic Colleges – 08/15/2026

    Segment 1 — A New School Year Begins Bishop William Joensen and co-host Jean Thill open the show marking the start of a new academic year, offering encouragement to students and families and reflecting on the importance of keeping faith life active from day one on campus. The Bishop shares reflections on the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe (Aug. 14) ahead of an upcoming diocesan pilgrimage to Poland with Jon Leonetti departing Sept. 13, 2026, which will include a visit to Auschwitz and Kolbe's cell. He also marks the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug. 15), a recent Eucharistic procession following 9 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church in Earling, an upcoming Confirmation Mass at St. Boniface Parish in Waukee, and a full slate of back-to-school convocations and opening Masses across the Diocese of Des Moines. Segment 2 — Meet Dr. Donna Carroll Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill welcome Dr. Donna Carroll, President of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and President Emerita of Dominican University, IL, where she served for 27 years — the university's first lay leader and one of the youngest college presidents in the country at the time. Dr. Carroll shares her journey from Brooklyn and Long Island, through Wellesley College, a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati, and roles at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Mount Vernon College, and Fordham University before arriving at what was then Rosary College — sponsored by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters — where she became president. The conversation covers how mission-driven language has been adopted across higher education, the co-patrons of Catholic education (St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Henry Newman), the legacy of women religious — including St. Katharine Drexel's founding of colleges for Black and Native American students — and the ongoing work of building trust between bishops and Catholic college presidents on today's most pressing issues, from immigration to institutional sponsorship transitions. Segment 3 — A Visit with Pope Leo XIV Dr. Carroll recounts ACCU's 2026 Rome Seminar, which brought roughly 20 Catholic college and university presidents to the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Leo XIV — during which the delegation presented the Holy Father with a gift of over 5,000 hours of service performed in his name. She reflects on the Pope's recent apostolic letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope, and his encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, both shaping conversation across Catholic campuses, and notes that the Land O'Lakes Statement will mark its 60th anniversary in 2027. The conversation touches on Pope Leo's ties to Villanova University — his alma mater, led by Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA — before closing out the show. Learn more about the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities at accunet.org. Read Pope Leo XIV's full apostolic letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope, at vatican.va. #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #CatholicPodcast #CatholicHigherEd #DonnaCarroll #ACCU #PopeLeoXIV #CatholicEducation #DominicanUniversity #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicLeadership #FaithAndEducation #CatholicCollege #DioceseOfDesMoines #AssumptionOfMary #SaintMaximilianKolbe #CatholicChurch #VaticanNews #JeanThill #CatholicFaith     Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website. If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

See All (329)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Bishop William Joensen of the Diocese of Des Moines gets personal with his guests discussing both their personal and spiritual life.

Information

You Might Also Like