On March 22, 1979, PopeJohn Paul II named Kenny the third bishop of the Diocese of Juneau. He was consecrated by the pope on May 27, 1979. His co-consecrators were Archbishops Duraisamy Lourdusamy and Eduardo Somalo.[2]
Michael Kenny died in Palestine of a brain aneurysm on February 19, 1995. He was later buried in Juneau.[2][3] In 2009, the Bishop Michael H. Kenny Memorial Peace Park was opened in Juneau.[3]
According to his successor, Bishop Edward J. Burns, Kenny traveled to every community in the diocese and met all the Catholics in these communities. [3] In describing Kenny, Burns said:
People still talk about his deep reserves of empathy and understanding, especially for those who were struggling with the challenges and the burdens of life. He was noted for his humility, taking his responsibilities seriously but not himself. And, his sense of humor never failed him.[3]