Today His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed The Most Reverend George J. Lucas, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, as Archbishop of Omaha. He will be the fifth Archbishop of Omaha and the tenth to lead the archdiocese when he is installed on July 22, 2009. The Most Reverend George J. Lucas comes to Omaha after serving nearly 10 years in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, where he was ordained a bishop on December 14, 1999.Archbishop-Designate Lucas, born June 12, 1949 in Saint Louis, Missouri, is the eldest son of George J. Lucas and Mary Catherine Kelly, now deceased. He has one sister and two brothers. He completed studies at Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis on May 24, 1975, by Cardinal John Joseph Carberry. As a priest, he served as associate pastor in parishes in Sunset Hills, Florissant, St. Louis, Normandy and Kirkwood, Missouri.
Archbishop-Designate Lucas took advanced studies at Saint Louis University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and Master of Arts degree in history.
In the years leading to his ordination as a bishop in Springfield, he served as on the faculty of St. Louis Preparatory Seminary-North and St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, the chancellor and vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. He was named Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1994.
He holds the following appointments of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, Subcommittee on the Catechism and Task Force for the 2010 Special Assembly.
Archbishop-Designate Lucas selected the phrase "Grace and Mercy" as his episcopal motto. This phrase, which is taken from the Book of Wisdom (3:9), is part of the passage that reads, "Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect." By the use of this phrase, therefore, His Excellency expresses the profound Christian belief that in and through Jesus Christ, God gives to all of his children and that we need to sustain us on our life’s journey, and to bring us to full life in heaven.
At St. Columbkille we welcome Archbishop Lucas to the diocese and look forward to serving with him.
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