Most Reverend Michael McGovern was born on July 1, 1964, in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

He is the youngest child of the late Joseph and Eleanor McGovern. Bishop McGovern grew up in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago where many of his family members continue living.

The McGovern family was active in Christ the King Parish and all of the children attended Christ the King Grammar School. Activities   during grammar school included being an altar server at Christ the King.

Bishop McGovern then attended St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. During high school, he served as a Lector both at St. Ignatius and at his home parish, Christ the King.

Bishop McGovern attended Loyola University in Chicago (1982-86). At Loyola University he was invited to participate in the Honors Program and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1986.

After graduating from Loyola University, Bishop McGovern worked for four years before applying for admission as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Chicago at Mundelein Seminary. He was awarded a Baccalaureate degree in Theology in 1993 and a Master of Divinity in 1994.

On May 21, 1994, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin ordained Father Michael McGovern to the priesthood in Holy Name Cathedral. He served as an Associate Pastor at Queen of the Universe Parish, St. Mary in Lake Forest and St. Juliana in Chicago.

On December 15, 2004, Cardinal Francis George appointed Father McGovern Pastor of St. Mary in Lake Forest.

On July 1, 2016, Cardinal Blase Cupich appointed Father McGovern Pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Old Mill Creek, Illinois.

On July 22, 2020, Cardinal Blase Cupich ordained and installed Bishop McGovern as the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville in the Cathedral of St. Peter

Bishop McGovern has also served in administrative roles in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Vice-Chancellor, Archbishop’s Delegate for Extern & International Priests, Vicar Forane, and Interim Vicar of Vicariate I. Bishop McGovern has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Ignatius College Prep (2013-2019). He is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.  Since 2021, Bishop McGovern serves as the State Chaplain for the Illinois Knights of Columbus.

He presently serves on the Board of Advisors for Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois and Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He is a member of the USCCB Subcommittee for Healthcare issues.

Bishop McGovern resides at the Rectory of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Belleville, Illinois. 

On March 31, 2025, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend George Lucas and appointed Archbishop-designate Michael McGovern the sixth Archbishop of Omaha. He will be installed as Archbishop of Omaha on May 7, 2025, at the Cathedral of St. Cecilia, Omaha, Nebraska.

BLAZON:  Arms impaled. In the dexter: Azure a fess enarched Argent; in base on a mound issuant in base Vert a castle with two towers and a wall embattled surmounted by a Latin cross fleuretty all Or; in chief two keys in saltire the wards upwards Or (Diocese of Belleville). In the sinister: Gules a Pelican in its Piety Argent, beaked Or and enhaloed Or with a cross Gules between in chief two fleurs-de-lis and in base a crescent all Or (Bishop McGovern). Shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: “ Vos Autem Dixi Amicos”.

EXPLANATION: Belleville is symbolized by a blue field with a green mount or hill rising from the base of the design. This hill has a dual significance. It refers to Compton Hill, the name of Belleville until 1814, and to Cahokia Mounds near which Bishop Laval of Quebec established the first mission serving the Cahokia Native Americans in 1699. On the top of the hill is a castle which is the traditional symbol for a city (“ville”). It is rendered in the precious color of gold for beauty (“belle”) which identifies the See City, Belleville. Rising above the castle is a gold cross with arms that end in fleur-de-lis to honor the French missionaries who served the Native Americans of Southern Illinois. Above the castle is an arched bar which is taken from the Coat of Arms of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII who erected Belleville as a Diocese in 1887. Just above this bar are the symbolic “keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” given by Christ to Simon Peter, the rock on which He built the Church. This is in recognition of the diocese’s Cathedral Church of Saint Peter.

The personal coat of arms assumed by Bishop McGovern combines symbols that are meaningful to him reflecting his spiritual life and priestly ministry. The field is red, a color associated with the Holy Spirit as well as with the Passion of the Lord. The life and ministry of a priest and bishop are rooted in the Paschal sacrifice of Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit. The main charge, a silver (white) pelican in its piety, symbolizes the discipleship to Christ to which all Christians are called. It depicts a pelican vulning its breast, or picking at its own flesh to feed its young with its blood. This is clearly an image of Christ and the Eucharist who calls us all together as His brothers and feeds us with His Body & Blood.

Below the pelican is a gold (yellow) crescent which is a symbol of Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the United States of America. Above the pelican are two gold fleurs-de-lis which, while also being a symbol associated with Our Lady, are included here because they are taken from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Chicago where Bishop McGovern served as a priest prior to becoming a bishop. 

The motto below the shield is, “Vos Autem Dixi Amicos”, taken from John 15:15. Jesus says to His disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” This, too, is an allusion to the fellowship of discipleship which Jesus gives to all people.

The shield is also ensigned with those external ornaments that indicate the bearer is a bishop. The gold (yellow) cross is placed vertically behind and extending above and below the shield. This is often mistakenly thought to be a processional cross like those used in liturgical processions which is not entirely correct. In former times archbishops, and later all bishops, had a cross mounted on a staff carried immediately in front of them while in procession or on solemn occasions. This cross was a symbol of their rank as bishop. While such an episcopal cross is no longer used practically it has been retained heraldically. In fact, there are other clerics who make use of the ecclesiastical hat with its many tassels but the one true heraldic emblem of a bishop, and the only essential one, is the episcopal cross placed behind the shield.

Above the shield is the ecclesiastical hat, called a galero which, in heraldry, replaces the martial helmet, mantling and crest. “The hat with six pendant tassels (green, purple or black) on each side is universally considered in heraldry as the sign of prelacy. It, therefore, pertains to all who are actually prelates.” (Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church 1978, page 114) The galero is green with green cords pendant from it and twelve green tassels arranged in a pyramid shape on either side of the shield. At one time in history bishops and archbishops wore green before adopting the more Roman purple we see today. In heraldry the green hat and tassels was retained for prelates with the rank of bishop according to the Instruction of the Secretariat of State, “Ut Sive” of March, 1969.

The armorial bearings of Bishop McGovern were designed, blazoned and rendered by the Rev. Guy Selvester a priest of the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey.

June, 2020