Archbishop George Lucas

<p>George Joseph Lucas<span>&nbsp;is an&nbsp;</span>American<span>&nbsp;</span>prelate<span>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;</span>Roman Catholic Church<span>. He is the fifth and current&nbsp;</span>Archbishop of Omaha<span>, having previously served as&nbsp;</span>Bishop of Springfield in Illinois<span>&nbsp;from 1999 to 2009.</span></p><p>Archbishop Lucas, born June 12, 1949 in Saint Louis, Missouri, is the eldest son of the late George J. Lucas and Mary Catherine Kelly. He has one sister and two brothers. He completed his studies at Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis on May 24, 1975, by Cardinal John Joseph Carberry. As a priest, Lucas served as associate pastor in parishes in Sunset Hills, Florissant, St. Louis, Normandy and Kirkwood, Missouri.</p><p>Archbishop Lucas took advanced studies at Saint Louis University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and Master of Arts degree in history.</p><p>In the years leading to his ordination as a bishop in Springfield, he served 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.</p><p>Archbishop Lucas is the Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education. In 2011 he was elected to the Catholic Relief Services board of directors.</p>