Michael Owen Jackels

Michael Owen Jackels (born April 13, 1954) is an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Dubuque from 2013 to 2023. He previously served as Bishop of Wichita from 2005 to 2013.

Early life and education Michael Jackels was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, on April 13, 1954. A child of a military family, he lived in Wyoming, Spain and California before finally settling in Nebraska to complete his secondary studies. Jackels says that as a young man, he became a Buddhist. However, after reading a Bible from a Protestant co-worker at a country club, he decided to return to Catholicism.

Jackels attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, then entered St. Pius X Seminary in Kentucky in 1975. He earned his Bachelor of Philosophy degree from St. Pius X in 1977. In 1981, Jackels completed his Master of Theology degree at Mt. Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Priesthood Jackels was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln by Bishop Glennon Flavin on May 30, 1981. His first assignment was as the associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Risen Christ Parish and as a teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln. From 1982 to 1985, Jackels was assigned as associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 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. Because of the size of the crowd in attendance and the small size of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Jackels' consecration took place at the larger Church of the Magdalen.

Jackels helped to establish the St. Katherine Drexel School Fund, which aids financially strapped Catholic schools within the diocese.

Archbishop of Dubuque On April 8, 2013, Pope Francis appointed Jackels as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. He was installed by Archbishop Carlo Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States, on May 30, 2013, at the Church of the Nativity in Dubuque.

Viewpoints Jackels 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 rights for women as well. He also opposes the death penalty and has written about the need for more just immigration laws. Jackels 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.