New Leadership for Omaha Archdiocese as Bishop McGovern Steps In
In a significant transition for the Omaha Archdiocese, Pope Francis has officially accepted the resignation of Archbishop George Lucas and appointed Bishop Michael McGovern as his successor. This change marks the end of Lucas’s 16-year tenure as he steps down following the mandatory retirement age for archbishops in the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Lucas, who submitted his resignation upon turning 75 in June 2024, expressed a warm welcome to Bishop McGovern during a livestream event. Highlighting the theme of McGovern’s service, Lucas quoted the words of Jesus to his disciples: “I have called you friends,” and assured McGovern, “Archbishop, I can assure you that Jesus has many friends here in Northeast Nebraska, and they’re going to be anxious in the coming days to welcome you.”
Bishop McGovern conveyed his enthusiasm about joining the Omaha community, emphasizing the region’s rich cultural diversity. “I would say Omaha is a very rich tradition of family life,” McGovern noted. “It’s really a melting pot with all the different groups that have come here over the years, immigrants arriving in every generation. So, there’s always new people and opportunities to meet people, to learn about their stories, their customs, and to be able to understand their faith.”
