Lawrence Donald Soens

Styles of Lawrence Donald Soens
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	not applicable

Lawrence Donald Soens (born August 26, 1926) is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as Bishop of Sioux City in the state of Iowa from 1983 to 1998.

Biography

Early life & Ministry

Lawrence Soens was born in Iowa City, Iowa on August 26, 1926. He was educated at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, Saint Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa and studied for the priesthood at Kenrick Seminary near Saint Louis, Missouri. He also completed graduate studies at the University of Iowa.^[1]

He was ordained a priest on May 6, 1950 for the Diocese of Davenport. He was engaged in both academic and pastoral work in the diocese as a priest. Soens' first assignment was as an assistant pastor at St. Paul's Church in Burlington. He then joined the faculty of St. Ambrose Academy in Davenport and then became the assistant pastor at St. Bridget's Church in Victor. Soen's next assignment was as director of Regina High School in Iowa City. He went on to become the rector of St. Ambrose Seminary and served on the faculty of St. Ambrose College in Davenport. His next assignment was as pastor at Assumption Church in Charlotte and St. Patrick in Villa Nova. He was pastor at St. Mary's Church in Clinton when Blessed John Paul II named him a Prelate of Honor, with the title of Monsignor on December 18, 1981.^[2]

Bishop of Sioux City

On June 15, 1983 Pope John Paul II named Msgr. Soens as the fifth bishop of Sioux City. He was ordained a bishop and installed on August 17, 1983 at the Cathedral of the Ephiphany by Archbishop James Joseph Byrne. Bishops Gerald Francis O'Keefe of Davenport and Frank Henry Greteman Bishop Emeritus of Sioux City were the principal co-consecrators.^[3] While he was bishop of the diocese many programs were established or expanded including: Ministry 2000, the Priests Retirement Fund, youth ministry programs and the diocese mandated parish pastoral and finance commissions.^[4]

In 1997 Soens requested a coadjutor bishop be named and on August 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II named Msgr. Daniel DiNardo from the Diocese of Piitsburgh.^[5] Bishop Soens resignation as Bishop of Sioux City was accepted by the Holy See on November 28, 1998, and he was named Bishop Emeritus of Sioux City. Under his reign several ethnic churches were closed, displacing hundreds of parishioners.^{[citation needed]}

Abuse Scandal

After his resignation as bishop of Sioux City he was accused of fondling as many as 15 students during his tenure as principal at Regina Catholic High School in Iowa City during the 1960s. Soens denies the allegations. However, numerous allegations continue and the actual number of students who say he abused them has risen.^[6]

Footnotes

External links

• The Diocese of Sioux City

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City Bishops Philip Garrigan Edmond Heelan Joseph M. Mueller Frank H. Greteman Lawrence D. Soens Daniel N. Dinardo R. Walker Nickless Parishes Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City Corpus Christi, Fort Dodge St. Boniface, Sioux City Schools Briar Cliff University Bishop Garrigan High School, Algona Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, Sioux City Gehlen Catholic High School, Le Mars Kuemper Catholic High School, Carroll St. Edmond High School, Fort Dodge St. Mary's High School, Remsen St. Mary's High School, Storm Lake Spalding Catholic High School, Granville Former Parishes St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Cedar Saints Peter and Paul, Pocahontas Catholicism Portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport Bishops John McMullen Henry Cosgrove James J. Davis Henry P. Rohlman Ralph L. Hayes Gerald F. O’Keefe William E. Franklin Martin J. Amos Parishes Sacred Heart Cathedral All Saints, Keokuk Holy Family, Fort Madison St. Anthony’s, Davenport Saints John and Paul, Burlington St. Mary’s, Davenport St. Mary’s, Iowa City St. Mary of the Visitation, Ottumwa St. Mary's, Riverside St. Patrick's, Georgetown St. Patrick's, Iowa City Schools St. Ambrose University Assumption High School, Davenport Holy Trinity High School, Fort Madison Notre Dame High School, Burlington Prince of Peace Preparatory, Clinton Regina High School, Iowa City Priests William Lawrence Adrian John George Alleman Ambrose Burke Edward Catich William J. Collins Martin Cone Maurice John Dingman John Flannagan Robert Dwayne Gruss William Hannon Ulrich Hauber Cletus Madsen Carl Meinberg Sebastian Menke Marvin Mottet J.A.M. Pelamourgues Aloysius Schulte William Shannahan Lawrence Donald Soens Former Parishes St. Boniface, Clinton St. Irenaeus, Clinton St. Joseph's, Davenport St. Joseph's, Bauer St. Michael's, Holbrook Saints Peter and Paul, Clear Creek Saints Peter and Paul, Solon Other Ambrose Hall Henry Kahl House Immaculate Conception Academy, Davenport Antoine LeClaire House F.H. Miller House Regina Coeli Monastery Marycrest College Historic District Mercy Hospital, Iowa, City Mount Calvary Cemetery, Davenport St. Mary’s Academy Old St. Mary's Rectory, Iowa City Pacem in Terris Award Catholicism Portal

v t e Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Dubuque Dioceses Archdiocese of Dubuque Diocese of Davenport Diocese of Des Moines Diocese of Sioux City Cathedrals St. Raphael’s Cathedral, Dubuque Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City Basilicas Basilica of St. John, Des Moines Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville Colleges Briar Cliff University Clarke University Loras College Mount Mercy University St. Ambrose University St. Pius X Seminary Catholicism Portal