Bishop Michael McGovern/ Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Michael G. McGovern of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, as the next archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska, after accepting the resignation of Archbishop George Lucas, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reported March 31.
Bishop McGovern was born and raised in Illinois and ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1994, according to the Diocese of Belleville. He was ordained to the episcopate and installed as Bishop of Belleville on July 22, 2020. His installation as archbishop of Omaha is set for May 7.
Archbishop-designate McGovern said he accepts the appointment “with gratitude and humility,” the Archdiocese of Omaha reported.
“I am very grateful to the clergy and people of southern Illinois for their support and the many ways they have shared their faith with me over the past five years,” McGovern said in a statement. “I look forward to meeting the clergy and faithful in the Archdiocese of Omaha. The Church in Omaha has a great reputation for supporting Catholic education, including many parochial schools, high schools, and two Catholic universities. I look forward to learning more about the many ministries carried out and how I can support them.”
The archbishop-designate is a member of the USCCB Subcommittee for Healthcare Issues, and serves on the Board of Advisors for Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, and Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He is also a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Archbishop Lucas was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of St. Louis on May 24, 1975, the Archdiocese of Omaha states. He was ordained to the episcopate and installed as the bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, on December 14, 1999. He was installed as the archbishop of Omaha in 2009. In addition to ministering as archbishop of Omaha, Archbishop Lucas has served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Lincoln since 2019.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the resignation and appointment March 31 in Washington, D.C. Archbishop Lucas submitted his resignation from active ministry when he turned 75 in June 2024, as canon law requires.
“It has been my privilege to serve as the Archbishop of Omaha for almost sixteen years,” Archbishop Lucas said in a statement. “It gives me great joy to know that such a good shepherd has been sent to guide us on our pilgrim way in the coming years. Please join me in praying for Archbishop-designate McGovern as he prepares to leave the people in the Diocese of Belleville whom he has served with such dedication and to make his home here in the Archdiocese of Omaha.”
