Why I Lead
Bishop Richard E. Pates served as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines for 11 years. Throughout his tenure as Bishop, he connected his work with the mission of Catholic Charities and helped grow the services and programs offered through the organization.
Bishop Pates came to Des Moines from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to succeed Bishop Joseph Charron. He was excited to join the Des Moines community and shepherd the people of the diocese. He was introduced to Catholic Charities on his first day as Bishop on April 10, 2008. It was arranged for him to have dinner with the residents at the Catholic Charities’ Emergency Family Shelter.
“When I walked through the door of the shelter, an excited woman pounced on me and said ‘I’ve been waiting for you! I’m from St. Paul too and being a member of this community, I couldn’t wait to welcome you,’” said Bishop Pates. “The evening grew to be a very beautiful introduction to the marvelous work of the shelter.”
Shortly after, Bishop Pates became acquainted with the other Catholic Charities’ programs through his involvement on the Catholic Charities’ Board of Directors and interacting with the executive director at the time, Nancy Galeazzi. He expressed his enjoyment in attending board meetings and interacting with the dedicated board and team members who were passionate about the ministry and work being done at Catholic Charities.
Reflecting on his time as Bishop, he still feels privileged to have been able to serve the vibrant 23 counties that make up the Diocese of Des Moines. As a Bishop, he is most grateful to be a part of the apostolic succession to be able to further spread the message and love of Jesus to the people he shepherds. He also noted the vital work of Catholic Charities in the diocese and its connection to the work of a Bishop, citing Pope Benedict’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est, that “Charity cannot be effective unless it is organized.”
“Faith requires works, thus this dimension of faith is carried forward at the level of the diocese through Catholic Charities,” said Bishop Pates. “I wish to refer to Catholic Charities as like the Bishop’s right arm.”
“Catholic Charities is an integral part of the Diocese of Des Moines and lends authenticity to the faith we profess, that we not just profess the faith but also express it in our works,” said Bishop Pates.
Bishop Pates helped Catholic Charities’ grow and expand many of its programs and services during his time as Bishop. During his time, through the generosity of a dedicated donor, the Catholic Charities’ Emergency Family Shelter was able to double its capacity to better serve families experiencing homelessness. The Catholic Charities’ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program built a new emergency shelter and expanded their outreach with the support of the Iowa government. Catholic Charities’ Refugee Services began independently resettling refugees when other dioceses and local agencies dropped the service. The Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry received a needed renovation to better serve clients in need and the Catholic Charities’ Counseling program continued to recognize the value of mental health and counseling treatment, especially for those without the means to afford it.
Catholic Charities is dedicated to Empowering Individuals and Strengthening Families, by serving all people with dignity and respect.
“Catholic Charities upholds a central belief of our faith that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore is entitled to respect and love,” said Bishop Pates. “Catholic Charities has a universal outreach and recognition of the dignity of every human person. We don’t serve people because they are Catholic, but because we are Catholics.”
Bishop Pates also mentioned how impressed he was by the parishioner support of the organization. He hopes parishioners across the diocese continue to support the mission of Catholic Charities and learn more about the broad scope of services and programs offered to those in need. He encourages parishioners, especially families, to get involved with the organization through volunteering to see firsthand the valuable ministry to serve our neighbors.
As Catholic Charities celebrates 100 years of providing help and hope to the Diocese of Des Moines, Bishop Pates hopes the organization continues to grow to support those in need with compassion and respect. He also hopes the organization has strong, passionate leaders to guide the organization into the future.
“During my time as Bishop, Catholic Charities was blessed with two “homegrown” leaders in Nancy Galeazzi and Barbara Decker,” said Bishop Pates. “They certainly stood out as professionals and exercised the responsibilities yet each developed a team around them characterized by compassion and heartfelt feeling for those they served.”
Bishop Pates also commends current Bishop of Des Moines, William M. Joensen, for helping expand the mission of Catholic Charities by inserting a branch dedicated to social justice, strongly connecting the service and justice components of the organization.
“I look forward to further celebrating the centennial year,” said Bishop Pates. “As Bishop, I am very proud of Catholic Charities and the enormous example of the ministry and services the organization renders.”
For more information on how you can get involved and support the mission at Catholic Charities, contact Director of Development, Bobbi Jo Smith at 515-237-5064 or bsmith@catholiccharitiesdm.org.
