The Very Rev. Owen Thompson

The Very Rev. Owen C. Thompson grew up in the Episcopal Church.  He was ordained to the priesthood in 2003 at Christ Church Cathedral and spent 22 years in parish ministry in the Diocese of Long Island, New York, In 2021, he was called to serve in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown Cincinnati.  

Dean Thompson attributes much of his passion for ministry and his understanding of the role of the Church in the world to his time as a seminarian-intern at Trinity Wall Street during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2002, where he pastored to first responders and volunteers at ground zero at St. Paul’s Chapel. 

He received his Master of Divinity degree from The General Theological Seminary, New York, NY, holds a Masters in Educational Communications and Technology from New York University’s School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Minor in Performing Arts from Hobart College, Geneva, NY.

Dean Thompson is the son of the late Rt. Reverend Herbert Thompson Jr., Bishop of Southern Ohio (ret.), whose ministry motto, “To reconcile. To heal. To Liberate. To Serve,” he has adopted as his own, and the late Russelle Cross Thompson, a former professional operatic soprano and an amazing mother.  Dean Thompson is married to his wife of 23 years, Jonna Morales-Thompson, who is a Holistic Nutritionist; together, they have two sons, Ridley (16) and Carter (13), and two rescue dogs, Gabby and Leia.  He is the middle child.  His older brother, Herbert Thompson III, is a Captain in the United States Navy, and his younger sister, Kyrie Thompson, is a Registered Nurse at the Veteran’s Hospital in New City, NY.

In addition to his life and work in the Church, Dean Owen is also a community activist who is dedicated to works/causes that focus on reconciliation, peace, justice, equality, equity, food insecurity, homelessness, undoing racism, gun violence prevention, and creation care. When enjoying time off, he enjoys reading, riding, playing the djembe drum, hiking, “Netflixing,” and spending time with his family.