Early life Edward O'Donnell was born on July 4, 1931, in
St, Louis, Missouri. He attended
Kenrick Seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri. O'Donnell was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis on April 6, 1956, by Cardinal
Joseph Ritter. In 1965, O'Donnell led a contingent from St. Louis to
Alabama to participate in the
Selma to Montgomery civil rights march. O'Donnell ran the Radio and Television Apostolate for the archdiocese. He moderated a television programs called “Quiz A Catholic” and appeared on radio in discussions with clergy from other faiths. He also instituted one of the first zero tolerance policies towards
child sexual abuse by clergy in the nation. ==Notes==