WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Ralph O’Donnell, as Bishop of Jefferson City. Father O’Donnell is a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha and currently serves as pastor of Saint Margaret Mary parish in Omaha, Nebraska. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on August 19, 2025, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’ affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature, in the temporary absence of Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
The following biographical information for Bishop-elect O’Donnell was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Father O’Donnell was born August 31, 1969, in Omaha, Nebraska. Bishop-elect O’Donnell studied at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri (1989-1993) and Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois (1993-1997). He received a bachelor’s degree in religion from Conception Seminary College (1993), a master of divinity from University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein (1997), and a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska (2000). Father O’Donnell was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1997.
Bishop-elect O’Donnell’s assignments after ordination include: associate pastor, Mary Our Queen parish in Omaha (1997-2001); associate pastor, Saint Vincent de Paul parish in Omaha (2001-2003); director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Omaha (2003-2008); pastor, Saint Brigit parish and Saint Rose parish in Omaha (2008-2011); director of the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Omaha (2008-2009); vice rector and dean or 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). Since 2019, he has served as pastor of Saint Margaret Mary parish in Omaha.
The Diocese of Jefferson City is comprised of 22,127 square miles in the State of Missouri and has a total population of 926,905 of which 74,413 are Catholic.
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