Thomas William Drumm

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Thomas William Drumm
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Thomas William Drumm
Bishop of Des Moines
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Des Moines
In office	March 28, 1919 – October 24, 1933
Predecessor	Austin Dowling
Successor	Gerald Thomas Bergan
Orders
Ordination	December 21, 1901; by Paul Bruchési
Consecration	May 21, 1919; by John Joseph Keane
Personal details
Born	July 12, 1871; Fore, County Westmeath, Ireland
Died	October 24, 1933 (aged 62); Des Moines, Iowa, US
Education	St. Joseph's College; Grand Seminary of Montreal; Catholic University of America
Motto	Stet et pascat; (Stand and feed)

Thomas William Drumm (July 12, 1871 – October 24, 1933) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Des Moines in Iowa from 1919 until his death in 1933.

Biography

Early life

Thomas Drumm was born on July 12, 1871, in Fore, County Westmeath in Ireland to Thomas and Mary (née Cullen) Drumm.^[1] He came to the United States in 1888, and began his studies at St. Joseph's College in Dubuque, Iowa.^[1] Drumm then entered the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec.

Priesthood

Drumm was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Montreal by Archbishop Paul Bruchési on December 21, 1901.^[2] He then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.^[1] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Drumm to pastoral positions in several missions. He was named pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1915.^[1]

Bishop of Des Moines

On March 28, 1919, Drumm was appointed the second bishop of Des Moines by Pope Benedict XV.^[3] He received his episcopal consecration at the Cathedral of Saint Raphael in Dubuque, Iowa, on May 21, 1919, from Archbishop John Joseph Keane, with Bishops James J. Davis and Edmond Heelan serving as co-consecrators.^[2] In 1924 he became the first Catholic bishop to preach regularly on the radio, offering monthly broadcasts on WHO-AM in Des Moines.

Drumm died in Des Moines on October 24, 1933 at age 62.^[2]

References

1 2 3 4 O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). "The Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, 1790-1922". The Catholic University of America Studies in American Church History. IV. Washington, D.C. hdl:2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t5r786c77.
1 2 3 "Bishop Thomas William Drumm [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
↑ "BISHOP DRUMM, 62, DIES IN DES MOINES; Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Iowa for More Than 14 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-24.

[odonnell-1] 1 2 3 4 O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). "The Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, 1790-1922". The Catholic University of America Studies in American Church History. IV. Washington, D.C. hdl:2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t5r786c77.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 "Bishop Thomas William Drumm [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-11-04.

[3] "BISHOP DRUMM, 62, DIES IN DES MOINES; Head of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Iowa for More Than 14 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-24.

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v t e Archdiocese of Dubuque
Ordinaries	Bishops Mathias Loras Clement Smyth Archbishops John Hennessy John Keane James Keane Francis Beckman Henry Rohlman Leo Binz James Byrne Daniel Kucera Jerome Hanus Michael Jackels Thomas Robert Zinkula
Auxiliary bishops	Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald Loras Thomas Lane George Biskup Loras Joseph Watters Francis John Dunn William Edwin Franklin
Churches	Cathedral St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque Parishes Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville St. John XXIII, Cedar Rapids Holy Ghost, Dubuque Holy Trinity, Luxemburg Sacred Heart, Dubuque Sacred Heart, Fillmore St. Boniface, New Vienna St. Donatus, St. Donatus St. Joseph, Elkader St. Joseph, Key West Saint Joseph the Worker, Dubuque St. Martin, Cascade St. Mary, Guttenberg St. Patrick, Dubuque St. Patrick, Garryowen St. Lawrence, Otter Creek St. Paul, Worthington Saints Peter and Paul, Petersburg Former parishes Saint Joseph's Prairie Church St. Mary, Dubuque St. Joseph, Stone City
Education	Higher education Clarke University Divine Word College Loras College Mount Mercy University St. Pius X Seminary, Dubuque High schools Beckman High School, Dyersville Columbus High School, Waterloo Don Bosco High School, Gilbertville Marquette High School, Bellevue Newman Catholic High School, Mason City Wahlert High School, Dubuque Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids Primary schools Mazzuchelli Middle School, Dubuque Holy Family Catholic Schools, Dubuque St. Mary's School, Guttenberg Former schools Sacred Heart School, Dubuque St. Luke's School, St. Lucas
Religious orders	New Melleray Abbey Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Priests	John George Alleman John Patrick Carroll James Vincent Casey Joseph Crétin Justin Albert Driscoll Thomas William Drumm Raymond Philip Etteldorf Daniel Mary Gorman Edward Howard William Michael Joensen Louis Benedict Kucera Mathias Clement Lenihan Thomas Mathias Lenihan William Menster J. A. M. Pelamourgues Aloysius Schmitt Joseph Clement Willging Thomas Zinkula
Miscellany	Mount Saint Bernard Seminary and Barn Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District
Catholicism portal

v t e Diocese of Des Moines
Bishops	Austin Dowling Thomas W. Drumm Gerald T. Bergan Edward C. Daly, OP George Biskup Maurice J. Dingman William H. Bullock Joseph L. Charron, CPpS Richard E. Pates William Michael Joensen
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines Cathedral St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines Parishes St. Peter's, Council Bluffs St. Patrick's, Cumming Basilica of St. John, Des Moines St. Anthony, Des Moines St. Augustin, Des Moines St. Patrick Church, Imogene St. Patrick's, Perry All Saints, Stuart St. Boniface, Waukee St. Boniface, Westphalia
Education	Mercy Health Sciences University Dowling Catholic High School, West Des Moines Saint Albert Catholic Schools, Council Bluffs
Priest	John Joseph Boylan
Miscellany	Catholic Pastoral Center
Iowa portal Catholicism portal

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
National	United States