We report four odd-parity Rydberg series in the spectrum of europium atoms in the energy region 45 000-45 735 cm^-1. These four series belong to total angular momentum quantum numbers J = 5/2,7/2,9/2 and 11/2 and converge to the first ionization limit ⁹S₄. The studies were carried out employing the multistep resonance ionization spectroscopy technique using two pulsed dye lasers. For some of the Rydberg series we could observe the members up to n = 67. Different stepwise excitation-ionization schemes helped us to assign a unique J quantum number up to n = 39 and enabled us to separate the series with different values of J. The Rydberg series belonging to J = 5/2 was found to be quite unperturbed and was therefore used to evaluate the first ionization limit of the europium atom.