William Michael Joensen

William Michael Joensen (born July 8, 1960) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines in Iowa since 2019.

At Loras College in Dubuque, Joensen served as chaplain, associate professor of philosophy, and dean of campus spiritual life.

Joensen also served as a faculty member at the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Kraków, Poland.

His episcopal ordination took place on September 27, 2019, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Des Moines, Iowa.

[4] In January 2023, Joensen published a decree that required students in Catholic schools to dress according to their gender at birth and use bathrooms and locker rooms accordingly.