Michael Owen Jackels
Encyclopedia
The Most Reverend Michael Owen Jackels (born April 13, 1954) is the current and 10th bishop
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
, Kansas
. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II
on January 28, 2005, replacing Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
, the current bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona
. He was ordained to the episcopate at the Church of the Magdalen in Wichita on April 4, 2005.
, on April 13, 1954, Jackels frequently moved as a child of a military family from Wyoming
to Spain
to California
before settling in Nebraska
to complete his secondary studies. As young man he fell away from his faith becoming more of a Buddhist than anything else, but while working as dishwasher in a country club, a sincere Protestant gave him a copy of the New Testament, the reading of which reportedly brought him back to the Catholic faith. Prior to joining Kentucky
's St. Pius X Seminary
in 1975, Jackels attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jackels earned his B.A. in philosophy
from St. Pius X in 1977. In 1981, he completed his Master's in Theology
at Mt. Saint Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland.
by Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin
in 1981. His first assignment was serving as the associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, and he also served as a teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln. From 1982-1985, Jackels was assigned to be the associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish on the campus of the University of Nebraska, and in addition to his teaching duties at Pius X High School, he also served as the assistant vocations director for the diocese during this period.
In 1985, Jackels embarked on doctoral studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome
, earning his doctorate in Sacred Theology
in 1989. His dissertation was a study of St. Catherine of Siena.
Upon completion of his doctorate, Jackels returned to Lincoln and for the next eight years served as the Diocesan Director of Religious Education, the Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, the Co-Vicar for Religious, and the Chaplain for the School Sisters of Christ the King. In 1994, Pope John Paul II honored Jackels by naming him a Prelate of Honor, earning Jackels the title of Monsignor
.
Monsignor Jackels returned to Rome
in 1997 to work for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He remained in Rome until Cardinal Ratzinger informed him of his appointment to become the bishop of Wichita in January, 2005. Bishop Jackels was the second-to-last American bishop named by John Paul II to lead a diocese. Only Bishop Thomas Tobin
of Providence (on March 31) and Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville, Illinois
(on March 15) were appointed after Jackels by Pope John Paul II.
, consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann
of Kansas City, Kansas
. Fabian Bruskewitz
of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Thomas J. Olmsted
of Phoenix, Arizona
served as co-consecrators. Among other bishops in attendance were Bishop Paul Coakley
of Salina, Kansas
; Bishop Ronald Gilmore
of Dodge City, Kansas
; and Eugene Gerber
, bishop emeritus of Wichita. Because of the size of the crowd in attendance and because of the small size of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Jackels was ordained a bishop at the larger Church of the Magdalen.
Bishop Jackels most recently joined the other three Kansas bishops in approving a pastoral letter opposing embryonic stem cell research. He has spoken against same-sex marriage
and abortion
, as well. He also opposes the death penalty and has written in the diocesan newspaper, Advance, in favor of what he views as more just immigration laws. He also voted to approve language changes in the Mass to bring the English translation into a better accord with the original Latin at the June 2006 meetings of the USCCB in Los Angeles.
In areas outside of doctrine, he is active in promoting Catholic education, and helped to establish the Drexel Fund which calls for donations to help financially-strapped Catholic schools within the diocese. The diocese has 48 seminarians, one of the highest numbers of seminarians per capita of diocesan Catholics in the United States.
On May 30, 2008, Jackels served as a co-consecrator to Auxiliary Bishop James Douglas Conley of Denver, Colorado, who was a priest of the diocese of Wichita prior to his appointment on April 10, 2008. Bishop Jackels joins young Catholics in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kansas. It was founded on August 2, 1887, and covers Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Reno,...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on January 28, 2005, replacing Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas Olmsted is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Phoenix, having previously served as Bishop of Wichita from 2001 to 2003.-Early life:...
, the current bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He was ordained to the episcopate at the Church of the Magdalen in Wichita on April 4, 2005.
Early life and education
Born in Rapid City, South DakotaRapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, on April 13, 1954, Jackels frequently moved as a child of a military family from Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
before settling in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
to complete his secondary studies. As young man he fell away from his faith becoming more of a Buddhist than anything else, but while working as dishwasher in a country club, a sincere Protestant gave him a copy of the New Testament, the reading of which reportedly brought him back to the Catholic faith. Prior to joining Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's St. Pius X Seminary
St. Pius X Seminary
The Seminary of St. Pius X , or St. Pius X Seminary, is a Filipino Roman Catholic secondary school and seminary in the Lawaan hills, Roxas City, Capiz in the Philippines run by the Catholic priests of the Archdiocese of Capiz. The seminary and its surrounding areas comprise some three hectares of...
in 1975, Jackels attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jackels earned his B.A. in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from St. Pius X in 1977. In 1981, he completed his Master's in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Mt. Saint Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Priesthood
Upon completion of his Master's degree, Jackels was ordained a priest for the diocese of Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
by Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin
Glennon Patrick Flavin
Glennon Patrick Flavin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lincoln from 1967 to 1992.-Biography:...
in 1981. His first assignment was serving as the associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, and he also served as a teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln. From 1982-1985, Jackels was assigned to be the associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish on the campus of the University of Nebraska, and in addition to his teaching duties at Pius X High School, he also served as the assistant vocations director for the diocese during this period.
In 1985, Jackels embarked on doctoral studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, earning his doctorate in Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
in 1989. His dissertation was a study of St. Catherine of Siena.
Upon completion of his doctorate, Jackels returned to Lincoln and for the next eight years served as the Diocesan Director of Religious Education, the Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, the Co-Vicar for Religious, and the Chaplain for the School Sisters of Christ the King. In 1994, Pope John Paul II honored Jackels by naming him a Prelate of Honor, earning Jackels the title of Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
.
Monsignor Jackels returned to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1997 to work for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He remained in Rome until Cardinal Ratzinger informed him of his appointment to become the bishop of Wichita in January, 2005. Bishop Jackels was the second-to-last American bishop named by John Paul II to lead a diocese. Only Bishop Thomas Tobin
Thomas Tobin
Sir Thomas Tobin was a British merchant. He moved to Ballincollig in 1863 to become managing director of Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills...
of Providence (on March 31) and Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville, Illinois
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
(on March 15) were appointed after Jackels by Pope John Paul II.
Episcopacy
On April 4, 2005, Bishop Jackels was ordained as bishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, consecrated by Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann
Joseph Fred Naumann
Joseph Fred Naumann is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He serves as the fourth and current Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas.-Biography:...
of Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. Fabian Bruskewitz
Fabian Bruskewitz
Fabian Wendelin Bruskewitz is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska.-Early life and ministry:...
of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas Olmsted is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Phoenix, having previously served as Bishop of Wichita from 2001 to 2003.-Early life:...
of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
served as co-consecrators. Among other bishops in attendance were Bishop Paul Coakley
Paul Stagg Coakley
Paul Stagg Coakley is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.-Early life and education:...
of Salina, Kansas
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
; Bishop Ronald Gilmore
Ronald Michael Gilmore
Ronald Michael Gilmore is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Bishop of Dodge City.-Early life and education:...
of Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
; and Eugene Gerber
Eugene John Gerber
Eugene John Gerber is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dodge City from 1976 to 1982, and Bishop of Wichita from 1982 to 2001.-Early life and education:...
, bishop emeritus of Wichita. Because of the size of the crowd in attendance and because of the small size of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Jackels was ordained a bishop at the larger Church of the Magdalen.
Bishop Jackels most recently joined the other three Kansas bishops in approving a pastoral letter opposing embryonic stem cell research. He has spoken against same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, as well. He also opposes the death penalty and has written in the diocesan newspaper, Advance, in favor of what he views as more just immigration laws. He also voted to approve language changes in the Mass to bring the English translation into a better accord with the original Latin at the June 2006 meetings of the USCCB in Los Angeles.
In areas outside of doctrine, he is active in promoting Catholic education, and helped to establish the Drexel Fund which calls for donations to help financially-strapped Catholic schools within the diocese. The diocese has 48 seminarians, one of the highest numbers of seminarians per capita of diocesan Catholics in the United States.
On May 30, 2008, Jackels served as a co-consecrator to Auxiliary Bishop James Douglas Conley of Denver, Colorado, who was a priest of the diocese of Wichita prior to his appointment on April 10, 2008. Bishop Jackels joins young Catholics in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....