The archbishop was hospitalized for a heart attack in early May 2019. He returned to ministry six weeks later with the permission of his cardiologist.
He thanked the people of his archdiocese for their prayers in a message published in the now-closed online publication The Witness.
“The doctor would have me follow a diet and exercise regimen, and learn how to deal appropriately with stress. I am going to need Divine Assistance to carry that out!” he said on June 14, 2019.
“I am humbled by the thoughtfulness and generosity that people have shown me. I will do my best to honor that by making your sacrifices count for something, and to pay it forward.”
Jackels was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, but spent part of his childhood in Wyoming, California, and Madrid, Spain.
He attended junior high and high school in Bellevue, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before attending seminary and being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln.
