Lawrence Donald Soens

Most Reverend Lawrence Donald Soens DD
Bishop Emeritus of Sioux City
Church	Catholic Church
Appointed	June 15, 1983
Installed	August 17, 1983
Term ended	November 28, 1998
Predecessor	Frank Henry Greteman
Successor	Daniel DiNardo
Orders
Ordination	May 6, 1950
Consecration	August 17, 1983 by James Joseph Byrne, Gerald Francis O'Keefe, and Frank Henry Greteman
Personal details
Born	(1926-08-26) August 26, 1926 Iowa City, Iowa

Styles of Lawrence Donald Soens
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Ordination history of Lawrence Donald Soens
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecrator	James Joseph Byrne
Date of consecration	August 17, 1983
Bishops consecrated by Lawrence Donald Soens as principal consecrator
Daniel DiNardo	October 7, 1997

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

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.

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 Pope John Paul II named him a Prelate of Honor, with the title of Monsignor on December 18, 1981.

Bishop of Sioux City

On June 15, 1983 Pope John Paul II named 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. 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.

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. 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.

Abuse Scandal

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Davenport diocese

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. Numerous allegations continue, however, and the actual number of students who say he abused them has risen.

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City Official Site

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Frank Henry Greteman	Bishop of Sioux City 1983-1998	Succeeded by Daniel DiNardo