Missouri’s governor and hundreds of others are expected to pack the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City for Tuesday morning’s installation and ordination mass for the new Bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City.
This morning’s ceremony begins at 11. Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr. Ralph O’Donnell to the position in August. The 55-year-old Bishop-Elect O’Donnell was ordained a priest in 1997 in the Archdiocese of Omaha. He has been serving as the pastor of St. Margaret Mary parish in Omaha.
Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton and Moberly are just some of the cities in his new Diocese.
The Diocese of Jefferson City says attendance at this morning’s installation and mass for Bishop-Elect O’Donnell is by invitation only, due to limited seating at the Cathedral. Bishop-Elect O’Donnell will replace Shawn McKnight, who has been installed as the new Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas.