MoiraHarr

On Sept. 15, the Marian community had the honor of welcoming the Archbishop of Omaha to celebrate the annual Servants of Mary Mass held on the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Archbishop Michael McGovern was appointed to the Archdiocese of Omaha in March of 2025 and began serving in early May that same year. 

Since being appointed, McGovern has been consistently active in the Omaha archdiocese, especially with young people This visit marks the second consecutive year he has visited Marian, proving his commitment to having a presence among Omaha’s youth.  

A small group including the Faith in Action Core Team, the campus ministers, President Michele Ernst, Dr. Susie Sullivan, Sr. Lisa Sheridan, Sr. Mary Chamberlain and Sr. Mary Gehringer attended a luncheon with the Archbishop following the Mass. 

McGovern shared with the group that being present and connecting with the Omaha community is of utmost importance to him. He put this philosophy into action by frequently asking for the group’s opinion on what should improve in the Archdiocese. “He was getting our feedback to reach out to the parishes more individually,” said junior FIAT core team member Marielle Kolterman. 

He also mentioned that he is in the process of improving and perfecting his Spanish so that he can be more involved in the many Hispanic parishes in northeast Nebraska. 

“He was very focused on getting feedback from different groups and seeing what he could do to include more people and welcome them into the faith community, so that Church and faith feel accessible to all people,” said senior FIAT core team member Maggie Arbataitis.

McGovern also discussed with the group the dangers of the current climate of polarization. In a culture increasingly divided by politics, competition and differing beliefs, McGovern calls for everyone to embrace each other in love and focus on what unites humanity.