Bishop
Michael Jarrell was born on May 15, 1940, in Opelousas, LA, one
of four
children of the late William Jarrell SR., and the late Jessie
Rose Bamett Jarrell.
Following elementary and high school
studies in his home town, Bishop Jarrell spent two
years at Immaculata Minor Seminary in Lafayette before going to
Washington, D.C., to study at
Catholic University of America. There he earned a B.A. in philosophy
in 1962 and an M.A. in
philosophy in 1963.
He was ordained to the subdiaconate
and the diaconate in June of 1966 by now
predecessor and then Auxiliary Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux of Lafayette
on June 3, 1967.
Bishop Jarrell served as a member of the faculty of Landry High
School (now St. Louis
High School) in Lake Charles, LA, from 1967 to 1972. He was named
associate pastor at St.
Michael Church in Crowley, LA, where he was stationed from 1972-76.
He assumed his first
pastorate at Sacred Heart Church in Broussard, LA, serving there
from 1976 to 1984. He served
as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Ville Platte, LA, from 1984
to 1993.
In his native diocese, Bishop Jarrell
has served as regional vicar of three deaneries, as
diocesan consultor and as chairman of the Clergy Continuing Education
Committee.
Pope John Paul II named him a prelate
of honor with the title of monsignor in 1988. He is
a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Holy
Sepulcher.
Bishop Jarrell was ordained to the
episcopacy and installed as second bishop of Houma-
Thibodaux on March 4, 1993.
In the first few months after his
installation in Houma-Thibodaux, Bishop Jarrell visited
every parish, mission, school and institution in the diocese so
he could meet as many of his flock
as was humanly possible. He also took time to consult with Bishop
Boudreaux and to become
acquainted with all the diocesan offices, their directors and
staff.
It did not take him long to recognize
that his predecessor had left him a diocese with a
strong foundation and well-established, effective ministries.
Instead of changing the system, he
endeavored to enhance and perfect it.
A Second Vatican Council priest
and bishop, Bishop Jarrell has always consulted with his
priests, religious and laity. In June of 1993 he established the
Bishop's Cabinet to assist him in
the daily operations of the diocese. He also listened to, and
utilized, the Priests' Council fully in
order to enhance all ministerial and diocesan efforts. In 1998
he appointed the first woman
chancellor of the diocese, Sister Miriam Mitchell, S.H.Sp.
A quick overview of his accomplishments
would have to include some of the areas to
which he devoted great energy and enthusiasm. These are: Stewardship
and development,
especially the phasing out of games of chance, fairs and festivals
as a means of church support,
and the revitalization that office; evangelization; the strengthening
of parish staffs through
linkages: a regular television show entitled "Ordinary Thoughts,"
as well as consistent Catholic
programming throughout the diocese; the revitalization of the
diocesan newspaper, Bayou
Catholic, which now reaches every Catholic family in the diocese
and where he has offered
thoughts and commentary through a weekly column; the establishment
of a comprehensive
diocesan web site; his encouragement for the fostering of cultural
diversity; and, most recently,
the strengthening of Hispanic Ministry to reach out to the many
new Spanish-speaking Catholics
in the diocese.
Bishop Jarrell has a deep love for
Catholic education and formation. He has nurtured and
encouraged religious education, laity development and clergy continuing
education. He promoted
RENEW 2000 and recently established a Small Christian Communities
office. He is particularly
fond of Catholic schools and a great believer in the gifts they
provide to the community.
He has two great passions: Respect
for life and vocations. Bishop Jarrell is unabashedly
pro-life and has often participated in rallies and celebrations.
He has worked tirelessly to promote
vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Through his leadership the diocesan
Catholic Social Services has grown and prospered,
providing numerous services to thousands in the community. He
has championed the care and
protection of the environment.
The bishop actively works with the
Louisiana Interchurch Conference in fostering greater
understanding and cooperation among Christians. He served the
LIC as its president from 1999 to
2000. Additionally, he has participated in many ecumenical celebrations.
For the past few years he has used
the "Bishop's Parish Visitation Process" as a means
of
getting to know his parishes and people, as well as giving them
and opportunity to know him
better.
Upon his return from the 2002 Bishops'
Meeting in Dallas, Bishop Jarrell mobilized
diocesan leaders to begin implementing the new Charter for the
Protection of Children and
Young People. He has established an ad-hoc committee to present
him with a revised diocesan
policy and procedures.
In 2002, Bishop Jarrell promoted
and encouraged the celebration of the diocese's 25th
anniversary, including: The dedication of the Pastoral Center
to the memory of the late Bishop
Boudreaux; a Diocesan Leadership Conference; a liturgical celebration
and cultural festival
attended by 2,500; Vespers and a Silver Jubilee Mass; a and liturgical
music conference; and the
conferring of papal and diocesan awards.