On March 31, Pope Francis appointed Belleville Bishop Michael McGovern as the sixth archbishop of Omaha succeeding Archbishop George Lucas, who has served the archdiocese since 2009. Archbishop-designate McGovern will be installed on May .7 Archbishop-designate McGovern was born in Evergreen Park and attended Christ the King School and St. Ignatius College Prep. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1986, and from Mundelein Seminary/University of St. Mary of the Lake, earning a bachelors in sacred theology in 1993 and a master’s degree in divinity in 1994. He was ordained in 1994. His parish assignments included being a resident at Immaculate Conception Parish, Highland Park; St. Clement Parish; and Holy Name Cathedral. He was associate pastor of St. Juliana; Queen of the Universe; and St. Mary, Lake Forest. He served as pastor of St. Mary, Lake Forest, before being named pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Lake Villa. Archbishop-designate McGovern served the archdiocese as secretary of the Archdiocesan Incardination Committee, associate and vice chancellor, archbishop’s delegate for lay ecclesial movements, archbishop’s delegate for extern and international priests and as the co-chair of the Chicago Priest Convocation. He was a member of the Archdiocese Presbyteral Council, a dean in two Vicariate I deaneries and a member of the College of Consultors. He served on the Pastor Advisory Committee for the To Teach Who Christ Is campaign and as a member of the Priest Placement Board. He served as the interim episcopal vicar for Vicariate I before being named bishop of Belleville. Archbishop-designate McGovern is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and serves on the Board of Advisors for Mundelein Seminary and Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He is a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee for Healthcare Issues. Cardinal Cupich expressed his joy at the news in a statement released March 31. “Today, we received the joyful news that Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop-designate Michael G. McGovern the Metropolitan Archbishop of Omaha,” Cardinal Cupich said. “As a priest ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago three decades ago and as the Bishop of Belleville for the past five years, Archbishop McGovern has served the People of God with compassion, dedication, and pastoral leadership. “We are delighted that the Holy Father has recognized Archbishop McGovern’s exceptional qualities in appointing him the sixth Archbishop of Omaha. As a native of Omaha, I know the great faith and good hearts of the people he will serve. I pray that their journey together will give glory to Jesus and to be a beacon of hope for our Church in this Jubilee Year and beyond.” The Archdiocese of Omaha comprises 14,051 square miles in Nebraska and has a total population of 1,035,885, of whom 241,011 are Catholic.
Archbishop Grob installed in Milwaukee archdiocese For a few hours on a sunny, frigid January afternoon, the spotlight shone brightly on Archbishop Jeffrey Grob.
Archbishop-designate Jeffrey Grob headed to Milwaukee archdiocese When Archbishop-designate Jeffrey Grob is installed as Archbishop of Milwaukee on Jan. 14, 2025, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the Wisconsin farm boy.
Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Goedert dies at 96 Retired Auxiliary Bishop Raymond E. Goedert, 96, died Dec. 9. “As we grieve the death of Bishop Emeritus Raymond Goedert, we thank God for giving his servant to us and the Church for 71 years,” said Cardinal Cupich.