DES MOINES, DIOCESE of. — Diocese and capital city of the State of Iowa, United States of America, suffragan of Dubuque.
It comprises a territory of approximately 32,260 sq. km in the southwestern part of the same State. In 1949 it had 111 diocesan priests and 22 religious priests, in 66 parishes, 8 chapels, and 31 missions; 14 high schools and 26 parish schools; the Benedictines, the Passionists, and 8 women’s religious communities are found in the diocese. The Cathedral is dedicated to s. Ambrogio. The diocese was erected by division of the Diocese of Davenport on 12 August 1911 and united as a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
BIBL.: AAS, 3 (1911), p. 479; anon., s. V. in Cath. Enc., XVII, p. 256; J. H. O'Donnell, The catholic hierarchy of the United States 1790-1922, Washington 1922 (v. indice); The official catholic directory, 1947, New York 1947, part 2, pp. 423–25. Corrado Morin