Bishops use various methods to facilitate communication and administration between themselves and their priests and parishes. One way is to divide the diocese into parts, and to place someone at the head of each. In large dioceses, an auxiliary bishop fills this role. In smaller dioceses like Davenport, the diocese is divided into "deaneries," with a dean assigned to each one. These deans may have more or less responsibility, depending on the style of the bishop and the size of the diocese, "but at a minimum," as Thomas J. Reese writes, "they are the ... bishop's eyes and ears." Priests and parishioners can complain to the deans, who can act as ombudsmen on their behalf. Deans can also investigate complaints or convene meetings of pastors. In church law (c. 555), the dean "has the duty and right ... of seeing to it that the clerics of his district lead a life in keeping with their state and perform their duties diligently."

Below we list the deans who have worked in Davenport over the last 54 years (in an at-a-glance table and in lists with full names). In their deaneries, children were raped and abused, abusive priests were quietly transferred to unsuspecting parishes, pornography was produced and hoarded. How much did the deans know? Did they ever go to the bishop about these crimes? Did they ever go to the police? Five of their number have been publicly accused of abuse—Carl H. Meinberg, Joseph P. Hines, Francis E. Bass, and Lawrence D. Soens, and Drake Shafer. How many deans are guilty of abuse? How many participated in the cover-up?

At-A-Glance List of Davenport Bishops and Deans (1950-2004)