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WASHINGTON (April 10, 2007)—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph L. Charron, CPPS, of Des Moines, for reasons of health.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement.
Joseph Leo Charron was born December 30, 1939, in Redfield, South Dakota. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees at the University of Dayton. He studied at the Lateran University in Rome, where he earned an STL in Patristics in 1968, and at the Academia Alfonsiana where he earned an STD in Moral Theology in 1970.
He was ordained a priest, as a member of the Society of the Precious Blood, June 30, 1967, after six years at St. Charles Major Seminary, Carthagena, Ohio.
The then-Father Charron was Assistant Professor of Theology at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, from 1970 to 1976, and again from 1987 to 1989.
In 1972 he was appointed Director of Theology Students for the Precious Blood Fathers and was named Vice-Provincial of the society's Kansas City Province in 1975. He served as Provincial from 1979 to 1987. Father Charron was Assistant/Associate General Secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference (now United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) from 1976 to 1979.
Appointed Titular Bishop of Bencenna and Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis on November 6, 1989, Bishop Charron was ordained January 25, 1990. He was appointed Bishop of Des Moines, November 12, 1993, installed January 21, 1994.