A Brief History of the SJEC
The Beginning
The St. Joseph Education Center was established by Bishop Maurice Dingman in 1972 in recognition of the need to place focus on adult faith formation. “The Center” soon became a valued resource on the catechetical landscape of the Des Moines Region (deanery) within the Diocese of Des Moines.
Undated photo of St. Joseph Academy (Des Moines, Iowa). St. Joseph Academy was an all-girls high school which merged with Dowling Catholic High School (for boys) in 1972. That same year the newly formed adult formation resource center, established by Bishop Dingman, honored the memory of St. Joseph Academy with the name “St. Joseph Educational Center”.
Continued Mission
Over the years, the St. Joseph Evangelization Center (SJEC) has delivered quality formational experiences to adult Catholics on a wide range of pastoral and theological topics while also contributing to ecumenical efforts in the Des Moines metro area.
Esteemed priests of the Diocese of Des Moines, a gifted woman religious, and impressive PhD academicians have served as director of SJEC. In 2019, Tom Quinlan was hired to carry on its proud legacy with latitude to meet the needs of an evolving Catholic landscape.
Tom Quinlan, Director of the SJEC.
Present and Future Mission
Parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish (Des Moines) with Advent Retreat leader and SJEC director, Tom Quinlan.
On the occasion of the St. Joseph Educational Center’s 50th anniversary (2022), the name was changed to the St. Joseph Evangelization Center to better align with the mission of the Church in a new apostolic time. SJEC’s mission statement upholds the primacy of evangelization and gives particular emphasis to the development of parish leaders and teams in service to Catholic pastoral renewal.
24 parishes are served by the St. Joseph Evangelization Center, which works closely with the Diocese of Des Moines to support diocesan efforts to evangelize in Southwest Iowa.