Michael Owen Jackels

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.

Early life and education

Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, 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.

Priesthood

Upon completion of his Master's degree, Jackels was ordained a priest for the diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska 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...
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