Bishop William Joensen visits with Father Raphael Assamah, pastor at St. Theresa Parish in Des Moines. Father Raphael was recently recognized by the House of Representatives at the Iowa State Capitol with a resolution honoring him for his dedication and service to the residents of Hamburg, Iowa, during the floods of 2019, followed by the challenges of planning to rebuild during the COVID-19 pandemic. Father Raphael is from the Diocese of Accra, Ghana, but they gave him the title of “honorary Iowan” for bringing faith, hope and pray to the community when they needed it most.