Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Ralph Bernard O’Donnell, a pastor in the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, as the Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri, on Aug. 19.
Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’ affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature, announced the appointment in Washington, DC, as Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, is temporarily absent.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website, Fr. O’Donnell is currently the pastor of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish in Omaha, Nebraska, where he has served since 2019. He was ordained on June 7, 1997, after receiving his bachelor’s degree in religion from Conception Seminary College in 1993 and master of divinity from University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein in 1997. He later received a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2000.
Fr. O’Donnell has served as associate pastor and pastor at several parishes in the archdiocese of Omaha. He also served as director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Omaha (2003-2008), director of the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Omaha (2008-2009), vice rector and dean of formation at Conception Seminary College in Conception (2011-2015), and executive director for the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2015-2019).
“I’m grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV for this appointment,” Bishop-elect O’Donnell stated, according to the Diocese of Jefferson’s website. “I look forward to coming to know and to serve the people of the Diocese of Jefferson City with joy. Let us pray for one another in the days ahead.”Bishop-elect O’Donnell will be ordained and installed Oct. 28 He succeeds Bishop W. Shawn McKnight, who Pope Francis appointed as archbishop of Kansas City April 8, upon the retirement of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.
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Author: Grace Porto
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