 His dissertation was a study of St. Catherine of Siena.Upon completion of his doctorate, Jackels returned to Lincoln and for the next eight years served as the Diocesan Director of Religious Education, the Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, the Co-Vicar for Religious, and the Chaplain for the School Sisters of Christ the King.In 1994, Pope John Paul II honored Jackels by naming him a Prelate of Honor, earning Jackels the title of Monsignor.