Maurice John Dingman (January 20, 1914 – February 1, 1992) was an American

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He served as Bishop of Des Moines from 1968 to 1986.

Biography

Early life and ministry

Maurice Dingman was born on January 20, 1914, on a farm near St. Paul, Iowa, to Theodore and Angela (née Witte) Dingman. He attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport before studying in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

. Dingman was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood for the

Diocese of Davenport The Diocese of Davenport ( la, Diœcesis Davenportensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Roman Catholicism in the United States, Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the United States, U.S. state of Iowa ...

on December 8, 1939, by Bishop Ralph Hayes in the Chapel of Our Lady of Humility at the North American College. Upon his return to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, he taught at

St. Ambrose Academy St. Ambrose Academy is a Roman Catholic elementary school and high school located on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2003, the school's stated purpose is to offer "a classical education rooted in the Catholic faith."chancellor of the diocese and Bishop

Henry Rohlman Henry Patrick Rohlman (March 17, 1876 – September 13, 1957) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in Iowa from 1927 to 1944 and as coadjutor archbishop and archbishop of the Archd ...

's secretary. Dingman earned a

Licentiate of Canon Law Licentiate of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Licentiatus; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiat ...

from the Catholic University of America at Washington, DC, in 1946. From 1946 to 1953 he served as principal of Bishop Hayes High School in

Muscatine, Iowa Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...

. He was later named superintendent of Catholic schools and chancellor of the diocese. Dingman also served as chaplain at Ottumwa Naval Air Station and the Congregation of the Humility of Mary Motherhouse in Ottumwa, Iowa. He was also chaplain at

Regina Coeli Monastery Regina Coeli Monastery is a historic building located in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1994. The building currently houses an addictions rehabilitation facility called The Abb ...

in Bettendorf, Iowa, and Mercy Hospital in Davenport, Iowa.

Bishop of Des Moines

On April 2, 1968, Dingman was appointed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

. He received his episcopal ordination on June 19, 1968, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport from Archbishop Luigi Raimondi. Bishops Ralph Hayes and Gerald O'Keefe were the co-consecrators. Dingman's episcopal ordination was one of the first celebrated in the

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

. He was installed at St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines on July 7, 1968. A Mass followed at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Dingman became known as a champion of

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

issues and ecumenism, and strengthened the laity, priests, and

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s of the diocese. He supported

nuclear disarmament Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space * Nuclea ...

and was open to discussion on the subject of

women's ordination The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...

. From 1976 to 1979, he served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. On October 4, 1979, Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visited the Diocese of Des Moines on the suggestion of Joe Hays, a farmer in

Truro, Iowa Truro is a city in southeast Madison County, Iowa, United States. The population was 509 at the time of the 2020 census. Truro is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Truro was laid out and platted ...

, and on the invitation of Dingman. After landing at the Des Moines Airport, the pope visited the rural parish of St. Patrick near Irish Settlement. He then celebrated a Mass at the Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa. In October 1983, Dingman was abducted by gunpoint by two juveniles, whose advocate in court the bishop later became.

Later life and death

On April 17, 1986, Dingman suffered a massive stroke in his kitchen. He recuperated at his family home in St. Paul. On October 14, 1986, Pope John Paul II accepted Dingman's resignation as bishop of Des Moines due to poor health. For his life work as an advocate for peace and justice issues, Dingman received the 1986

Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award The ''Pacem in Terris'' Peace and Freedom Award is a Catholic peace award which has been given annually since 1964, in commemoration of the 1963 encyclical letter '' Pacem in terris'' (Peace on Earth) of Pope John XXIII. It is awarded "to honor ...

, sponsored in part by the Diocese of Davenport, and St. Ambrose College. Maurice Dingman died on February 1, 1992, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. His funeral was celebrated at St. Ambrose Cathedral, and he was buried in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingman, Maurice John 1914 births 1992 deaths People from Lee County, Iowa St. Ambrose University alumni Pontifical North American College alumni Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Catholic University of America alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport Roman Catholic bishops of Des Moines American school principals