Pope Francis today announced that he has named Father Michael G. McGovern, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as the Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville. Pope Francis also announced that he had accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward K. Braxton, who was installed as the Bishop of Belleville in 2005. Bishop-elect McGovern, 55, is expected to begin his ministry in the Diocese of Belleville later this year. A date for his ordination and installation has not been set due to the coronavirus restrictions.  Chicago, Ill. (April 3, 2020) – Pope Francis today announced that he has named Father Michael G. McGovern, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. Pope Francis also announced that he had accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward K. Braxton, who was installed as the Bishop of Belleville in 2005. Bishop-elect McGovern, 55, is expected to begin his ministry in the Diocese of Belleville later this year.
 
     "We congratulate Bishop-elect Michael McGovern on his appointment to the diocese of Belleville,” said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago. “He has served the People of God and the Church with humility and distinction for more than 27 years. We are confident he will be a strong and compassionate leader for the Belleville diocese, and we look forward to working with him."
 
     Bishop-elect McGovern, a native of Evergreen Park, Illinois attended Christ the King Grammar School and St. Ignatius College Prep, both in Chicago. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1986, and from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill., earning an S.T.B in 1993 and a M.Div. in 1994. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1994 at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
 
   Bishop-elect McGovern has had several parish assignments including as Resident at Immaculate Conception Parish, Highland Park, and at St. Clement Parish and Holy Name Cathedral, both in Chicago. He was Associate Pastor at St. Juliana Parish and Queen of the Universe Parish, both in Chicago and at St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest and Pastor at St. Mary Parish, Lake Forest and St. Raphael the Archangel, Old Mill Creek. 
 
    Bishop-elect McGovern has served the archdiocese as Secretary of the Archdiocesan Incardination Committee, Associate and Vice Chancellor, Archbishop's Delegate for Lay Ecclesial Movements, Archbishop's Delegate for Extern and International Priests and as the Co-Chair of the Chicago Priest Convocation. He has been a member of the Archdiocese Presbyteral Council, a Dean in two Vicariate I Deaneries and a Member of the College of Consultors. He served on the Pastor Advisory Committee for the To Teach Who Christ Is Campaign and as member of the Priests' Placement Board. He has served as the Interim Episcopal Vicar for Vicariate I since the 2019 appointment of then-Auxiliary Bishop Alberto Rojas as the Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California.
 
         Bishop-elect McGovern served as a Member of the Board of Trustees of St. Ignatius College Prep and is a Member Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.