Edward Joseph O'Donnell

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Edward Joseph O’Donnell (July 4, 1931 – February 1, 2009) was an American Catholic bishop. He served as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1994 to 2002, after previously serving as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis from 1983 to 1994.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, O’Donnell studied at Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained a priest on April 6, 1956, by Cardinal Joseph Ritter, and later he was consecrated a bishop on February 10, 1983, by Archbishop John L. May.

O’Donnell was active in civil rights during the 1960s. In 1965, he led a group from St. Louis to participate in the Selma to Montgomery march. He directed the archdiocese’s Radio and Television Apostolate, hosted a program called “Quiz A Catholic,” and spoke on radio with clergy from other faiths.

In 1993, he served as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese while Archbishop May was ill. He helped start the archdiocese’s Pro-Life Committee, one of the first Catholic groups in the nation to support women who chose not to have abortions.

He became bishop of Lafayette on November 8, 1994, and was installed December 16, 1994. During his tenure he worked to include more African-Americans in diocesan leadership and established a strong policy against child abuse by clergy.

O’Donnell resigned as bishop on November 8, 2002. He died on February 1, 2009, from Parkinson’s disease in Kirkwood, Missouri, at age 77.