Edward Joseph O'Donnell

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Edward Joseph O'Donnell
Bishop of Lafayette
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Lafayette
In office	November 8, 1994 to November 8, 2002
Predecessor	Harry Joseph Flynn
Successor	Charles Michael Jarrell
Other post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis 1982 to 1994
Orders
Ordination	April 6, 1956 by Joseph Ritter
Consecration	February 10, 1983 by John L. May
Personal details
Born	(1931-07-04)July 4, 1931 St Louis, Missouri, US
Died	February 1, 2009(2009-02-01) (aged 77) Kirkwood, Missouri, US

Edward Joseph O'Donnell (July 4, 1931 – February 1, 2009) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1994 to 2002. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in Missouri from 1983 to 1994,^[1]

O'Donnell built a reputation as a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1960's.

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Biography

Early life

Edward O'Donnell was born on July 4, 1931, Saint Louis, Missouri. He attended Kenrick Seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri.^[2]

O'Donnell was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis on April 6, 1956, by Cardinal Joseph Ritter.^[3] In 1965, O'Donnell led a contingent from St. Louis to Alabama to participate in the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march.

O'Donnell ran the Radio and Television Apostolate for the archdiocese. He moderated a television programs called “Quiz A Catholic” and appeared on radio in discussions with clergy from other faiths. ^[2]

Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis

On December 6, 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed O'Donnell as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis; he was consecrated by Archbishop John Lawrence May on February 10, 1983. ^[3] He also served as vicar general of the archdiocese and edited its newspaper.^[2]

In 1993, O'Donnell was appointed as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese while Archbishop May was fighting brain cancer. He served in this role for 15 months.^[2] He founded the Pro-Life Committee for the archdiocese as part of his opposition to abortion rights for women. It was one of the first Catholic groups in the nation to provide support to women who chose not to have abortions.^[2]

Bishop of Lafayette

On November 8, 1994, John Paul II appointed O'Donnell as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette. He was installed on December 16, 1994.^[3] One of O'Donnell's initiatives was to increase the number of African-Americans in diocesan affairs.^[4] He also instituted one of the first zero tolerance policies towards child sexual abuse by clergy in the nation.^[2]

On November 8, 2002, John Paul II accepted O'Donnell's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette. Edward O'Donnell died from Parkinson's disease on February 1, 2009, at St. Agnes Home in Kirkwood, Missouri, at age 77.^[3]^[2]

Notes

^ "Community mourns: O'Donnell served as bishop of Lafayette Diocese until 2002 | theadvertiser.com | the Advertiser". Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Obituary of Bishop Edward O'Donnell: Civil rights leader, beloved pastor". STLPR. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bishop Edward Joseph O'Donnell". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.^{[self-published source]}
^ "Bishop Edward O'Donnell". Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana. Retrieved 2022-07-31.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Harry Joseph Flynn	Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana 1994–2002	Succeeded by Charles Michael Jarrell
Preceded by –	Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis 1983–1994	Succeeded by –

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana
Ordinaries	Bishops Jules Benjamin Jeanmard Maurice Schexnayder Gerard Louis Frey Harry Joseph Flynn Edward Joseph O'Donnell Charles Michael Jarrell J. Douglas Deshotel Priests who became bishops Glen Provost
Churches	Cathedral St. John's Cathedral, Lafayette Parish churches: Monastery Monastery of Mary, Mother of Grace, Lafayette
Education	High schools Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau Catholic High School, New Iberia Hanson Memorial High School, Franklin Notre Dame High School, Crowley Opelousas Catholic School, Opelousas Sacred Heart High School, Ville Platte St. Edmund High School, Eunice Holy Rosary Institute, Lafayette St. Thomas More Catholic High School, Lafayette Teurlings Catholic High School, Lafayette Vermilion Catholic High School, Abbeville Independent school John Paul The Great Academy Former St. Charles College, Grand Coteau
Catholicism portal

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis

v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
Bishop	Joseph Rosati
Archbishops	Peter Richard Kenrick John Kain John J. Glennon Joseph Ritter John Carberry John L. May Justin Rigali Raymond Leo Burke Robert James Carlson Mitchell T. Rozanski
Coadjutor Archbishop	Patrick John Ryan
Catholicism portal

v t e Churches in the Archdiocese of St. Louis
List	List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis
Cathedral	Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
Basilica	Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
Parishes	St. Joseph Church, Apple Creek St. Maurus Church, Biehle St. James Church, Crosstown Ste. Genevieve Church, Ste. Genevieve Sacred Heart Church, Ozora St. Mary's of the Barrens Church, Perryville St. Vincent de Paul Church, Perryville St. Alphonsus Liguori "Rock" Church, St. Louis St. Francis Xavier College Church, St. Louis St. Mary of Victories Church, St. Louis St. Rose of Lima Church, Silver Lake
Former parishes	Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Belgique St. Mary's Church, Bridgeton St. John the Evangelist Church, Lithium St. Boniface Church, Perryville Immaculate Conception Church, St. Louis St. John Nepomuk Church, St. Louis St. Liborius Church, St. Louis St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, St. Louis
Abbey	Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis
Oratory	St. Francis de Sales Oratory, St. Louis
Shrines	St. Ferdinand's Shrine, Florissant Shrine of St. Joseph, St. Louis

v t e Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis
Higher education	Fontbonne University Maryville University Saint Louis University
Seminaries	Aquinas Institute of Theology Kenrick–Glennon Seminary
High schools	Barat Academy, O'Fallon Bishop DuBourg High School, St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, St. Louis Chaminade College Preparatory School, Creve Coeur Christian Brothers College High School, Town and Country Cor Jesu Academy, St. Louis De Smet Jesuit High School, Creve Coeur Duchesne High School, St. Charles Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Manchester Nerinx Hall High School, Webster Groves Notre Dame High School, Lemay Rosati-Kain High School, St. Louis St. Dominic High School, O'Fallon St. Francis Borgia Regional High School, Washington St. John Vianney High School, Kirkwood St. Joseph's Academy, Frontenac Saint Louis Priory School, St. Louis St. Louis University High School, St. Louis St. Mary's High School, St. Louis St. Pius X High School, Festus St. Vincent High School, Perryville Ursuline Academy, Oakland Valle Catholic High School, Sainte Genevieve Villa Duchesne, St. Louis Visitation Academy of St. Louis, Town and Country
Former	Higher education Marillac College High school St. Elizabeth Academy, St. Louis Trinity Catholic High School, North St. Louis County

v t e Clergy of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
Auxiliary bishops	Christian Herman Winkelmann George Joseph Donnelly John Cody Charles Herman Helmsing Leo Christopher Byrne Glennon Patrick Flavin George Joseph Gottwald Joseph Alphonse McNicholas Charles Roman Koester Edward Thomas O'Meara John Nicholas Wurm Edward Joseph O'Donnell J. Terry Steib Paul Albert Zipfel Edward Braxton Michael John Sheridan Joseph Fred Naumann Timothy M. Dolan Robert Joseph Hermann Edward M. Rice Mark S. Rivituso
Priests	Christopher Edward Byrne Mark Kenny Carroll Luis Morgan Casey Patrick Feehan Robert Finn Marion Francis Forst John R. Gaydos John Hennessy John Joseph Hogan John Joseph Leibrecht George Joseph Lucas Antoni Klawiter Joseph Melcher Michael Portier Andrea Bernardo Schierhoff Leo John Steck Richard Stika John Henry Tihen