Pope Leo appoints new bishop for Diocese of Jefferson City
Gabrielle Teiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Pope Leo XIV has chosen Father Ralph O'Donnell as the Bishop-Elect for the Diocese of Jefferson City, according to a press release.
The Diocese will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on W. Main St. in Jefferson City.
O'Donnell was born in Omaha, Nebraska and was ordained as a priest there in 1997. He is currently the pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Omaha.
"I’m grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for this appointment. 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," says a statement from O'Donnell.
O'Donnell was chosen as the fifth bishop to lead the diocese after Most Reverend Shawn McKnight was installed as Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, back in May. McKnight was chosen to lead the diocese by the late Pope Francis in April.
