Read Archbishop-designate Michael McGovern’s introductory press conference remarks

As Archbishop Lucas said, I am Bishop Michael McGovern and I am humbled and honored to be here with you.

(As mentioned) Today our Holy Father Pope Francis has appointed me as the sixth Archbishop of Omaha.

I am humbled by this nomination and in obedience and love for the Lord and the Church, I accept it.

I am grateful to our Holy Father for the confidence Pope Francis has placed in me and I renew my promise of obedience and respect to him who is the successor of St. Peter the Apostle and the visible sign of unity of the Church as well as the College of Bishops. I invite everyone to continue to pray for Pope Francis and ask God to restore him to full health.

I am grateful as well to Cardinal Christopher Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States for his tireless service in support of the Holy Father and the Church. Cardinal Pierre, who was the one who called me and notified me of the Pope’s decision to appoint me to Omaha, has made a great impression upon me during the five years I have served as Bishop of Belleville.

I also thank Cardinal Blase Cupich, a native son of Omaha, who has been a great support to me during my years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago and while I have served as a bishop in southern Illinois. I look forward to welcoming Cardinal Pierre and Cardinal Cupich to the installation liturgy on May 7.

Archbishop George Lucas has been most gracious in welcoming me to Omaha since we both recently learned of his retirement and my appointment. Archbishop Lucas has been a good shepherd to the clergy and people of Omaha for almost 16 years and I invite everyone to take the time to thank him for his service and episcopal ministry. May God bless you, Archbishop Lucas and reward you for all the good you have done in service to the Lord and his people.

To the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Belleville, the past five years have been a blessing from the Lord. I appreciate the service of the clergy, the diocesan staff, staffs of our parishes, schools and religious education programs and the many, many volunteers who provide countless hours of support for the mission of the Church. Truly the people of the Belleville diocese are “servants on Christ’s mission” and I will miss them.

As news of today’s appointment is shared, some of you may be asking: What is our new Archbishop like? Who are you?

I would answer and describe myself as a pastor, a shepherd.

Within my 31 years I have been a Catholic priest, I spent 16 years as a parish pastor in Lake County Illinois. 12 years at St. Mary in Lake Forest and 4 years at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Old Mill Creek, a rural area near the Illinois Wisconsin border. While I also held administrative responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Chicago, I loved being a pastor most of all. Being a pastor has been a most rewarding experience and I considered being a parish pastor a privilege, in the best sense of the word.

As I prepare to move to Omaha, I look forward to meeting the clergy and faithful: Hearing your stories of how you have encountered Jesus in your lives and what the Lord has done for you. I ask for your prayers for me, that Christ help me in this transition and provide the gifts needed to be a good shepherd to all the people.

Permit me to offer a word to the priests who serve in northeast Nebraska.

First and foremost please accept my thanks from the bottom of my heart for saying yes to the Lord’s call to serve as a priest of Jesus Christ.

I pledge to you my constant support, beginning with my availability to spend time with you. Please know my brother priests that I am here for you and will do my best to be a shepherd for the shepherds.

And I look forward to getting to know one another better as we set out into the future, a future filled with hope.

I look forward to meeting all the people of the Archdiocese of Omaha: the clergy, the women and men in religious life, the deacons, the seminarians and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese. And I would like to meet those who, for whatever reason no longer participate in the life of the Church. You are also important to me and I will try to provide ways to meet you and listen to you.

I look forward to engaging with various leaders of the diocese as we get closer to my move to Omaha and my installation on May 7.

Please know that you are in my prayers and in my heart this Lent and in the years ahead. God bless you all.”