Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen

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

Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen is a christianity podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 322 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen, a christianity show with 322 episodes published.

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  Episode #327

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

  Aug 15, 202626 min

  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 Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos   Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want 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.

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  Episode #326

  From the New Age to the Sacred Heart: Michael Paul Hart's Conversion Story - 08/03/2026

  Aug 8, 202626 min

  Segment 1: Bishop's Opening Monologue Bishop Joensen shares diocesan news and reflections as August unfolds: Preparing to join the diocese's permanent deacons — both ordained and in formation — for their annual gathering at Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri Congratulations to Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB, elected the 11th Abbot of Conception Abbey on July 11, succeeding Abbot Benedict Neenan, OSB. Abbot Sheller will be formally installed by Bishop James Vann Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph on August 31 A reflection on Elise Ann Allen's new book, Pope Leo XIV: The Biography A rundown of August's feast days: St. John Vianney (patron of parish priests), St. Dominic (Aug. 8), St. Clare (Aug. 11), St. Maximilian Kolbe (Aug. 14), and the Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15) A preview of the annual convocation of Catholic educators in Des Moines and Council Bluffs ahead of the new school year Segment 2 & 3: Interview with Michael Paul Hart Bishop Joensen and Jean Thille welcome Michael Paul Heart, retired CNA and author of Could You Push Me in the Toilet? Stories from Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Personal Home Care . Heart shares how he mentored Fr. Stan Asjes, now at St. Patrick Parish in Council Bluffs, in the years before his seminary formation, including a formative conversation on the meaning and purpose of life A recommendation of Arthur C. Brooks' The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness Heart recounts his upbringing as a Protestant, his time in the New Age movement, and his eventual conversion — informed in part by Fr. Mitch Pacwa's Catholics and the New Age The turning point: a vivid, profound vision of the Sacred Heart of Jesus while bicycling home late one night, and the middle-of-the-night phone call to Fr. Gordon Gittins that followed Over 40 years of experience as a CNA, including his approach to physical strength training to safely lift and care for patients A reflection on the difference between evangelization and proselytization, illustrated through stories from his caregiving career The story behind the book's memorable title Learn more about Serra Vocations Ministry at JoinSerra.org, and find more episodes at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast #CatholicConversion #SacredHeartOfJesus #CatholicFaith #CNA #Caregiving #NursingHomeStories #CatholicMemoir #NewAgeToCatholicism #ConceptionAbbey #SerraVocations #CatholicAuthors #FaithStory #CatholicWitness #HealthCareMinistry #EvangelizationNotProselytization #CatholicBookClub 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 Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos   Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want 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.

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  Episode #325

  Encountering Our Lady of Guadalupe: Giovanna Redondo on the Story Behind the Pilgrim Mother – 08/01/2026

  Aug 1, 202626 min

  Segment 1 — Bishop's Reflections Bishop Joensen opens the show on the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, honoring the presence of Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ — member of the influential St. Louis Jesuits and resident at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold, Iowa — and looking ahead to the August 1 feast of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, patron of moral theologians. He reflects on St. Ignatius's own spiritual conversion and the founding of the Society of Jesus. Looking ahead, Bishop Joensen shares that he'll celebrate baptism and Eucharist at Saint Peter Vietnamese Church, and previews his upcoming trip to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Denver, hosted by Archbishop James Golka, August 3–6, 2026. Segment 2 — Interview with Giovanna Redondo Giovanna Redondo, general coordinator of the Pilgrim Mother pilgrimage, joins Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill to discuss the six-year journey of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue across the United States. Redondo traces the project's roots to a 2006 visit to Chicago and shares how the pilgrimage — now marking the 495th anniversary of the Guadalupe apparitions in 2026 en route to the 500th in 2031 — was born from the devotion of lay Catholics working in communion with the Church. She details the statue's creation by Mexican sculptor Jorge Ismael Rodríguez, including its prosthetic eyes and donated human hair, and describes the roughly 45-minute bilingual devotional experience — including a narrated retelling of the apparition, music, and a ribbon-petition tradition connecting parishes to a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. She also previews the pilgrimage's next stops in California, and its eventual conclusion at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois, under Rector Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez. Segment 3 — Wrap-Up and Local Schedule Bishop Joensen closes with the full schedule for the Pilgrim Mother statue's visit to the Diocese of Des Moines: Saint Ambrose Cathedral , Des Moines — through August 4 Immaculate Heart of Mary , Ankeny — August 6–13 Saint Boniface , Waukee — August 15–21 Saint Bernard , Osceola — August 23–September 2 Corpus Christi , Council Bluffs — September 4–11 Full schedule details: https://www.dmdiocese.org Bishop Joensen closes with reflections drawn from Archbishop Luis María Martínez's Am I Not Your Mother? Reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe , and shares thoughts on Mary's presence in the lives of the faithful. Support for Iowa Catholic Radio and Making It Personal is provided by Serra Vocations Ministry. Learn more at JoinSerra.org and IowaCatholicRadio.com . #OurLadyOfGuadalupe #PilgrimMother #CatholicPodcast #BishopJoensen #DioceseOfDesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio #MakingItPersonal #VirgenDeGuadalupe #CatholicFaith #SaintAmbroseCathedral #MadrePeregrina #CatholicVocations #FaithJourney #JuanDiego #CatholicNews 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 Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos   Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want 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.

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  Episode #324

  Faith, Science, and the Search for Truth: Dr. Laura Upenieks on Bridging the Divide – 07/21/2026

  Jul 25, 202625 min

  Segment 1: Meet Dr. Laura Upenieks Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill welcome Dr. Laura Upenieks, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director at Baylor University, whose research centers on religion and health, aging and the life course, and quantitative methods. She traces her path from a quantitative health sociology background at the University of Toronto to a faculty position at Baylor, where her Catholic faith and scholarly work intersect daily. The conversation was inspired by her recent presentation to U.S. bishops. Segment 2: The Sociology of Faith and Science Dr. Upenieks unpacks her February talk, delivered at a national conference at the University of Notre Dame titled "The Relation Between Science and Faith as a Pastoral Issue in an Age of Disaffiliation," co-sponsored by the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and the McGrath Institute for Church Life, held in collaboration with the Society of Catholic Scientists, running February 23–25. She discusses how the "conflict" between faith and science is a socially constructed boundary rather than an inherent one, referencing sociologist Christian Smith's critique of the discipline's secular assumptions. She also outlines three models of clergy engagement with science — critical, disengaged, and "engaged/hospitable" — and connects the conversation to Pope Leo XIV's May 2026 encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence. Segment 3: From the Classroom to the Culture The discussion turns to how Catholic schools can model integration between faith and science, with a nod to the work of Dr. Chris Baglow, who leads the Science & Religion Initiative at Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Heather Foucault-Camm, the initiative's program director. Dr. Upenieks also references her published research with Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan, a sociologist at the Catholic University of America, on awe, spirituality, and wellbeing among academic scientists. The episode closes with a cautiously hopeful look at recent conversion trends and what it will take to rebuild trust between the Church and the scientific community. This episode is brought to you by Serra Vocations Ministry. Learn more at JoinSerra.org . Listen to new episodes of Making It Personal with Bishop William Joensen every week at 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 Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos   Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want 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.

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  Episode #323

  The Doctor and the Eucharist: Dr. Diana Marar on Faith, Medicine, and Ministry in Council Bluffs – 07/18/2026

  Jul 18, 202625 min

  Segment 1: Diocesan News & Community Updates Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill open with news from around the diocese and beyond: The Archdiocese of St. Louis celebrates its bicentennial this weekend, with Bishop Joensen joining Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski and fellow Midwest bishops for vespers at the Old Cathedral and Mass at the New Cathedral. The National Biking for Babies ride passed through Des Moines this week, stopping at St. Francis of Assisi Parish for Mass with over 200 gathered. The ride, founded nearly two decades ago, has raised more than $2.5 million for pregnancy resource centers, including those in central Iowa. A special Mass for Our Lady of Mount Carmel marked the arrival of the Pilgrim Mother statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, touring the Diocese of Des Moines ahead of the 500th anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe's apparitions in 2031. The statue's diocesan tour stops include St. Ambrose Cathedral, Our Lady of the Americas, Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart, St. Boniface in Waukee, St. Bernard in Osceola, and Corpus Christi in Council Bluffs. A special Mass at Our Lady of the Americas featured Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez of Managua, Nicaragua, who has been living in exile due to political persecution in his home country and currently teaches at a seminary in Miami. Segment 2 & 3: Conversation with Dr. Diana Marar Dr. Diana Marar, an internal medicine physician practicing at West Broadway Clinic in Council Bluffs and a member of St. Patrick's Parish, joins Bishop Joensen and Jean Thill to share her story: Raised in a Melkite (Byzantine) Christian family in Jordan, Dr. Marar became Catholic after marrying her husband, also a physician. She and her husband came to the U.S. on a J-1 visa, serving an underserved community in Oakland, Iowa, before settling in Council Bluffs, where they've raised five children. Dr. Marar describes how she integrates faith into her medical practice, encouraging patients toward prayer and the sacraments alongside clinical care. She shares the story of how she overcame cultural hesitation about touching the Eucharist as a woman, describing a conversation with Bishop Joensen that helped affirm her call. After training with a fellow parishioner, Dr. Marar began a weekly ministry distributing Holy Communion to patients at Mercy Hospital and later Methodist Hospital in Council Bluffs. This episode is sponsored by Serra Vocations Ministry of Council Bluffs and Des Moines, supporting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Learn more at Serra Vocations Ministry . #MakingItPersonal #BishopJoensen #CatholicPodcast #IowaCatholicRadio #CouncilBluffs #DiocsseOfDesMoines #CatholicFaith #Eucharist #EucharisticMinister #CatholicDoctor #FaithAndMedicine #OurLadyOfGuadalupe #PilgrimMother #BikingForBabies #CatholicNews #SaintPatricksChurch #CatholicConversion #Evangelization #ProLife #SilvioBaez 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 Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos   Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want 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.

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