Province
of Milwaukee
Pope Pius IX created the Province of Milwaukee
I have seen all of the Milwaukee cathedrals at least from
the outside. I have visited both
basilicas and the shrine at Champion. I
felt privileged to be at the Marian shrine in Champion—the only approved Marian
apparition site in the United States.
Map of the Province
Catholic History of Wisconsin
Jean Nicolet, a French Canadian, was the first non-Native
American to see Wisconsin when he came to Green Bay Wisconsin Green Bay Mississippi River . It is not known how many of the Native
Americans were converted to the Faith during this time. Over the next century, frequent wars between France and Great Britain
Great Britain officially controlled the region from 1763 to
1783, but the British military stayed in the area until 1796 and British fur
traders dominated the area until after the War of 1812. The American government finally asserted
control by building three Army forts in 1816, Fort
Crawford at Prairie du Chien, Fort Howard
at Green Bay , and Fort
Winnebago at Portage Wisconsin had become part of the Northwest Territories in 1787 and at various times was
part of the Territories of Indiana, Illinois ,
and Michigan , before becoming the Territory of Wisconsin Wisconsin
Because of the British domination in the area, there were no
resident priests in Wisconsin from about 1780 until Trappist monks from St.
Louis reestablished the parish in Prairie du Chien in 1816 to serve the 700
Catholics there. Father Gabriel Richard
from Detroit rebuilt the church in Green Bay in 1825 to serve the 1,200
Catholics in that town. Over the next
two decades, many great missionary priests came to Wisconsin
Having gained Territorial status, Wisconsin Wisconsin Milwaukee was the largest town in Wisconsin Wisconsin ’s population was close to one million and Pope
Pius IX created the Dioceses of Green Bay and La Crosse
Pope Pius IX created the Province of Milwaukee in 1875,
making Milwaukee an archdiocese. By the
turn of the Century, Wisconsin Superior was a
growing Great Lakes port with a population of
over 30,000 at the time. Finally, with
the State’s population exceeding three million in 1940, including over 800,000
Catholics, Pope Pius XII created the Diocese of Madison in 1946—Madison had
been Wisconsin’s capital since 1838.
Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee consists of 10 counties in
southeastern Wisconsin. The archdiocese has 574,000 Catholics (25 percent of
the total population) in 199 parishes, as of 2015.
Archbishops of Milwaukee
John M. Henni (1805-1881)
·
Born in Switzerland and ordained a priest for
the Diocese of Cincinnati in 1829.
·
First and only Bishop of Milwaukee (1844-1875)
and the first Archbishop of Milwaukee (1875-1881).
Henni became the first Bishop of Milwaukee in 1844—four
years before Wisconsin became a State.
Bishop Henni’s Diocese, which then consisted of Wisconsin
and a portion of Minnesota Wisconsin Milwaukee
Michael Heiss (1818-1890)
- Born in Bavaria, ordained a priest in Europe in 1840, and came to Milwaukee in 1844.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1881-1890).
- Also served as first Bishop of La Crosse (1868-1880) and coadjutor archbishop of Milwaukee (1880-1881).
Ill health caused Archbishop Henni
to ask the Vatican to appoint a coadjutor Archbishop and he suggested Michael
Heiss. Some English-speaking Catholics
in the Archdiocese and some American bishops objected to another German
archbishop, but the Vatican appointed Heiss as coadjutor Archbishop in 1880 and
he became Archbishop in 1881 upon the death of Henni. Heiss was a noted theologian and as
Archbishop became a strong administrator.
He put the Archdiocese of a firm financial footing, paid off the
Archdiocese’s debts, and established a school board to administer Archdiocesan
schools. Like other Wisconsin bishops,
he successfully fought for the repeal of a Wisconsin law—favored by
anti-Catholic groups—that mandated the teaching of English in all Wisconsin
schools. Many American bishops at this
time favored a more “American” Catholic Church—one in which American Catholics
would be defined more by their assimilation into American society, and less by
their ethnic heritage. As the spiritual
leader of many German Catholics, Archbishop Heiss firmly opposed this
Americanization. Heiss died in 1890.
Frederick X. Katzer (1844-1903)
- Born in Austria and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Milwaukee in 1866.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1891-1903).
- Also served as Bishop of Green Bay (1886-1891).
Archbishop Katzer was Austrian and his appointment was
opposed by those bishops favoring a more American Church. Archbishop Katzer continued to protect the
heritage of German Catholics and also welcomed large numbers of Catholic
immigrants from Eastern Europe (especially Poland )
and Southern Europe and established separate
parishes for each nationality. He
supported Catholic education and strongly opposed the growing socialist
movement. The first Wisconsin council of
the Knights of Columbus was established in 1900. Katzer also wrote at least one play—in
German—The Combat of the Present Age.
Archbishop Katzer died in 1903.
Sebastian G. Messmer (1847-1930)
- Born in Switzerland and ordained a priest in Europe in 1871.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1903-1930).
- Also served as a Bishop of Green Bay (1892-1903).
There were over 200,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese when
Archbishop Messmer was appointed and ethnic diversity became more of a
problem. Messmer narrowly averted a schism
by a group of Polish Catholics through the appointment of a Polish auxiliary
bishop. Messmer centralized Archdiocesan
offices and established guidelines for the administration of parishes,
regardless of their ethnic makeup.
Messmer established many charitable institutions, built more than 40 new
schools (including Milwaukee
Samuel A. Stritch (1887-1958)
- Born in Nashville, Tennessee, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nashville in 1910.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1930-1939).
- Also served as Bishop of Toledo, Ohio (1921-1930), Archbishop of Chicago (1939-1958), and for three months in 1958 as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith at the Vatican. (He was the first American named to a high-level position at the Vatican.)
Stritch was the first Archbishop of Milwaukee to be born in
the United States. Stritch, who was only
43 at the time he was installed as Archbishop, served Milwaukee in the height
of the Great Depression. He expanded
charitable activities, but cut back on building plans—he refused to restore St.
John’s Cathedral after a major fire in 1935.
His concern for Catholic education led him to insist that parochial
school teachers meet the same standards as public school teachers. Stritch hosted the first National Catholic
Social Action Conference in 1938, which promoted the Catholic Action movement—a
movement that invited greater participation by the laity in the life of the
Church through organizations like the Holy Name Society, the Sodality, and the
Catholic Youth Organization. He did
insist on strict controls by bishops, however.
He was also a leader of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the
predecessor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He became Archbishop of Chicago in 1939 and
was named a Cardinal in 1946.
Moses E. Kiley (1876-1953)
- Born in Canada and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1911.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1940-1953).
- Also served as Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey (1934-1940).
Archbishop Kiley led the Archdiocese through World War II,
during which 30 Archdiocesan priests served as military chaplains. Kiley renovated the Cathedral of St. John the
Evangelist in time for the Archdiocese’s centennial in 1943, rebuilt an
orphanage, and made needed repairs to St. Francis Seminary. However, he was generally cautious about
spending money and left most of the construction needed to accommodate large
population shifts—something experienced by all U.S. Catholic dioceses in the
post-World War II time period—to his successor.
As Catholics became more interested in various devotions and novenas, he
established a Catholic Family Life Bureau.
Kiley died in 1953.
Albert Meyer (1903-1965)
- Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1926.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1953-1958).
- Also served as Bishop of Superior (1946-1953) and Archbishop of Chicago (1958-1965). Named a Cardinal in 1959.
Archbishop Meyer was the first Milwaukee native to become
Archbishop of Milwaukee. The Archdiocese
grew dramatically during the five years that Meyer served as Archbishop. Over 100,000 new Catholics led Meyer to
undertake a three million dollar construction program that resulted in over 20
new parishes and almost 40 new schools.
He began the process to eliminate parishes serving a single ethnic
group. He instituted a religious
information program that brought many converts to the Church and encouraged
greater lay participation in the Church.
He became Archbishop of Chicago in 1958 and was named a Cardinal in
1959.
William E. Cousins (1902-1988)
- Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1927.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1958-1977).
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1948-1952) and Bishop of Peoria, Illinois (1952-1958).
Cousins served as Archbishop during a period of great social
change at both the national level and within the Church. Cousins attended the Second Vatican Council
and implemented the changes resulting from the Council, such as the ordination
of permanent deacons and a greater role for the laity in Church
governance. He also successfully guided
the Archdiocese through difficult times related to the struggle of
African-Americans for civil rights and protests against the Vietnam War. He supported the right of African-Americans to
live wherever they wanted, which was a contentious issue in Milwaukee at that
time. Archbishop Cousins retired in
1977.
Rembert G. Weakland, O.S.B. (born 1927)
- Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a Benedictine priest in 1951.
- Archbishop of Milwaukee (1977-2002).
- Also served as abbot-primate of the Benedictine Confederation (1967-1977).
Archbishop Weakland closed a preparatory seminary and
converted it to offices and a retirement home for priests. His renovation plans for the Cathedral of St.
John the Evangelist were completed in 2002, despite much opposition. Archbishop Weakland established a parish for
Native Americans and started missions for Hmong and Lao refugees. Weakland
retired in 2002 shortly after it was revealed that he used $450,000 of
Archdiocesan funds to prevent a lawsuit by a former male lover. Court documents released in 2009 revealed
that Weakland shredded reports about sexual abuse by priests and allowed priests guilty of child sexual abuse to continue as priests without warning parishioners or alerting the police.
Timothy M. Dolan (born 1950)
- Born in St. Louis and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1976.
· Archbishop of Milwaukee (2002-2009).
- Also served as rector of the North American College in Rome (1994-2001), auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (2001-2002), and serves as Archbishop of New York (since 2009). He was named a Cardinal in 2012.
Archbishop Dolan increased the number of seminarians, wrote
two books, and hosted a television program on the Catholic Faith. He also had to deal with the clergy sexual
abuse scandal. In 2009, the Archdiocese paid
$27 million to settle lawsuits related to sexual abuse by Archdiocesan
employees. There were at least a few
hundred victims of as many as 60 priests.
The Archdiocese declared bankruptcy in 2011.
Current Archbishop
Jerome E. Listecki was appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee by
Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. He was born
in Chicago in 1949 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1975. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of
Chicago (2000-2004) and Bishop of La Crosse (2004-2009).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of St. John the
Evangelist
Great Saint, who was
present at the Agony of Jesus, in the Garden of Olives, and upon the Cross, be
present also at the agony of His members. Give this charitable assistance to
all the dying, for whom I intercede this day, especially to those who have been
recommended to our prayers. Intercede for them, and obtain for them, the grace
of a holy death. O beloved disciple of Jesus, ask the same favor for us, and
for all dear to us. At the hour of our agony, be near us and protect us.
Prepare us by a holy life, and by the imitation of your virtues, for that great
moment which shall decide our eternal destiny. Above all, obtain for us, a
tender and real devotion to the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, and to the
compassionate Heart of Mary, so that, having honored them on earth, we may love
and praise them eternally with you in Heaven. Amen.
The first celebration of the Mass in Milwaukee was in 1837
in the home of Solomon Juneau. St.
Peter’s church was built in 1839 and served as Bishop Henni’s first cathedral
starting in 1844. Construction of the
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist commenced in 1847 and was completed in
1852. The Cathedral is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
St. Peter’s was eventually relocated to the present site of St. Peter
and Paul’s Church. St. John’s Cathedral
was designed by Victor Schulte in the German Zopstil style using a light
colored Cream City brick. The baroque
bell tower was rebuilt in 1893. The
Cathedral was extensively damaged by a fire in 1935 (only the bell tower and
portions of the exterior walls survived).
Restoration was completed in 1943.
A major renovation was completed in 2001, which included painting the
Cathedral in the colors of terra cotta, gold, ivory, and taupe.
The first picture is from Wikipedia, the second from the Cathedral website and the last is mine.
The Cathedral’s altar is located
near the center of the nave. The
six-foot square altar is made of Italian marble and rests on a platform of
Tennessee marble. Over the altar is a
large crown of thrones designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro of Italy and a bronzed fiberglass
crucifix designed by Giuseppe Maraniello.
The cathedra, or Archbishop’s Chair, is made of collamendino rossa
marble taken from the old communion rail.
The Cathedral’s baptismal pool is in the shape of a tomb signifying our
journey from death to new life in Baptism.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel
contains the bronzed tabernacle resting on three pillars of Breccia Serravezza
marble. Within the Chapel is a shrine to
St. Pope John XXIII with a statue crafted by David Wanner, a local
sculptor. The Chapel of St. Joseph the
Worker is used for daily Mass and contains wooden statues of St. Joseph and St.
Therese, the Little Flower. The
Cathedral’s 13 stained-glass windows were made by the T.C. Esser Company of
Milwaukee. They portray the Twelve
Apostles and St. Paul. The French
Medieval-style windows are constructed of Norman slab glass and German and
English antique glass. Above the windows
are portraits of the Archbishops of Milwaukee.
The Stations of the Cross are made of Venetian mosaic inlay and are
replicas of those found in St. Ann’s Church in Munich, Germany. The Cathedral has two pipe organs—one located
in the apse and the other in the gallery.
The gallery organ, with 3,586 pipes, was built by Robert Noehren and
installed in 1966.
A detailed description of the
Cathedral, including explanations of the symbolism and the history of various
items can be found on the Cathedral’s website at www.stjohncathedral.org. Addition information can be obtained the Archdiocese’s
website at www.archmil.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Milwaukee and has three
weekend masses.
All pictures are from the Cathedral website, except the last which is from pinterest.
Also located
in the Archdiocese
There are two minor basilicas in the Archdiocese. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.
The Basilica of St. Josaphat is in Milwaukee. After a fire destroyed the first St. Josaphat Church in 1889, its pastor, Father William Grutza, made plans to build a much larger church to serve his large Polish parish. He hired Erhard Brielmaier as his architect and bought the remains of the recently demolished U.S. Post Office and Customs House in Chicago. The new Neo-Renaissance church was built in large part with the stone and other materials shipped from Chicago to Milwaukee on 500 flatcars. The new church was dedicated in 1901, although the interior decorations, primarily done by Conrad Scmitt and Gonippo Raggi, were not completed until 1928. The beautifully decorated church, which seats over 2,000, is administered by the Conventual Franciscan Friars. Pope Pius XI designated the church as a minor basilica in 1929—the third U.S. church to be so honored. The Basilica is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional information and pictures can be found on the Basilica’s website at www.thebasilica.org.
The first six pictures are from the basilica website and the rest a mine.
The Basilica of Holy Hill, National Shrine of Mary, Help
of Christians, is in Hubertus. Irish and German Catholics settled near Hubertus in the middle of the 19th
Century and in 1863 built a small log chapel on top of what became known as
Holy Hill. The Chapel was dedicated to
Our Lady, Help of Christians. A brick
chapel was built less than 20 years later and the current twin-spired
Neo-Romanesque church was completed in 1931.
The church was designed by Herman Gaul of Chicago and houses a life-size
statue of Our Lady of Holy Hill that was made in Germany for the 1876
Philadelphia World’s Fair and brought to Holy Hill in 1878. Above
the entrance to the upper church are 8-foot marble statues of St. Mary Help of
Christians and of St. Joseph. Inside the upper church, St. Teresa of Jesus and
St. John of the Cross, founders of the Discalced Carmelites, are depicted in
mosaics. The church has been administered by the
Discalced Carmelite Friars since 1906.
Many pilgrims have come to Holy Hill seeking a cure for their illnesses
and disabilities. Pope Benedict XVI designated the church as a minor basilica in 2006. The basilica website, www.holyhill.com, has a
tour of the basilica.
The first five pictures are from the basilica website and the rest are mine.
Diocese of Green Bay
The diocese consists of 16 counties in northeastern
Wisconsin. The diocese has 326,000
Catholics (33 percent of the total population) in 157 parishes as of 2015.
Bishops of Green Bay
Joseph Melcher (1806-1873)
- Born in Austria, ordained a priest in Europe in 1830, and later became a priest for the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri.
· First Bishop of Green Bay
(1868-1873).
- Declined an appointment as the first Bishop of Quincy, Illinois (now the Diocese of Springfield) in 1855.
In 1868, the newly created Diocese of Green Bay had 40,000
Catholics served by over 60 churches, a dozen parish schools, and 26
priests. The first Bishop, Joseph
Melcher, served for five years before his death in 1873.
Francis X. Krautbauer (1824-1885)
·
Born in Germany and ordained a priest in Germany
in 1850.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1875-1885).
Bishop Krautbauer’s Diocese included Catholics from many
different nationalities. He built almost
three dozen churches, including St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, and
increased the number of priests from 63 to 96.
Bishop Krautbauer focused on the development of parochial schools and at
the time of his death in 1885, there were 44 schools educating 5,300 students.
Frederick X. Katzer (1844-1903)
·
Born in Austria and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Milwaukee in 1866.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1886-1891).
·
Also served as Archbishop of Milwaukee
(1891-1903).
Katzer served only briefly before becoming Archbishop of
Milwaukee in 1891. While in Green Bay,
Katzer successfully fought for the repeal of a Wisconsin law that mandated the
teaching of English in all Wisconsin schools.
Sebastian G. Messmer (1847-1930)
·
Born in Switzerland and ordained a priest in Austria
in 1871.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1892-1903).
·
Also served as Archbishop of Milwaukee
(1903-1930).
The Swiss-born Messmer became known for his support for German
Catholics in an American Church dominated by the Irish. As Bishop, he built several schools,
including some for German children, and opened several charitable
organizations. He supported rural
settlements of Catholics and he championed the placement of Marquette’s statue
in the U.S. Capitol. Messmer invited a
Dutch priest to establish the Norbertine Order in the United States, which led
to the establishment of St. Norbert College in DePere. Messmer became Archbishop of Milwaukee in
1903.
Joseph J. Fox (1855-1915)
·
Born in Green Bay and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Green Bay in 1879.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1904-1914).
Fox was the first American-born Bishop of the Diocese. The Diocese had 135,000 Catholics at this
time served by over 100 churches. Fox
worked to strengthen Catholics schools in the Diocese. Bishop Fox resigned due to poor health in
1914.
Paul P. Rhode (1871-1945)
·
Born in Poland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of Chicago in 1894.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1915-1945).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago
(1908-1915).
Rhode became the first Polish-American to become a bishop
when he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 1908. He served as Bishop of Green Bay and served
for 30 years, the longest tenure of any Green Bay bishop. Rhode organized the Diocese’s schools and
appointed a superintendent. He also
strengthened Catholic Charities and child welfare programs. Rhode started 10 parishes and 19 schools and
encouraged lay organizations. Bishop Rhode
died in 1945.
Stanislaus V. Bona (1888-1967)
·
Born in Chicago and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of Chicago in 1912.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1945-1967).
·
Also served as Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska
(1932-1944) and coadjutor bishop of Green Bay (1944-1945).
As coadjutor bishop, Bona became Bishop upon the death of
Bishop Rhode. Bona built a minor
seminary, Holy Family College, four high schools, and 67 elementary
schools. He also established a Diocesan
newspaper and broadened the Diocesan Catholic Charities program so that it met
the needs of migrant workers. He
attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Bona died in 1967.
Aloysius J. Wycislo (1908-2005)
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Chicago in 1934.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1968-1983).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago
(1960-1968).
I have little information on Bishop Wycislo except that he
was an author of several publications. Bishop
Wycislo retired in 1983.
Adam J. Maida (born 1930)
·
Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for
the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1956.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1983-1990).
·
Also served as Archbishop of Detroit
(1990-2009). Pope John Paul II named him
a Cardinal in 1994.
Bishop Maida convened a Diocesan synod in 1988 and created
an educational endowment fund and a diocesan planning council. Maida appointed the first female chancellor
for the Diocese and the first female parish director. He also merged some parishes and
schools. Bishop Maida was appointed
Archbishop of Detroit in 1990.
Robert J. Banks (born 1928)
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of Boston in 1952.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (1990-2003).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Boston
(1985-1990).
Bishop Banks emphasized spiritual renewal for both priests
(Emmaus program) and the laity (Renew 2000).
He sought lay participation by frequent visits to each parish and
encouraged priests and laity to make each Sunday Mass a joyous and uplifting
celebration. Banks maintained ecumenical
relationships with Protestant leaders, encouraged vocations to the priesthood
and religious life, and strengthened ministry to the young, newcomers, and Hispanics.
He was a leader in Catholic education and served as chairman of the National
Catholic Education Association. Bishop Banks
retired in 2003.
David A. Zubik (born 1949)
·
Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for
the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1975.
·
Bishop of Green Bay (2003-2006).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh
(1997-2003) and serves as Bishop of Pittsburgh (since 2006).
Bishop Zubik increased the number of vocations to the
priesthood, worked to improve evangelization efforts, and put programs in place
to protect children from sexual abuse. Bishop
Zubik was named Bishop of Pittsburgh in 2006.
Current Bishop
David L. Ricken was appointed Bishop of Green Bay by Pope Benedict
XVI in 2008. He was born in Kansas Vatican ’s Congregation for the Clergy
(1996-1999), coadjutor bishop of Cheyenne ,
Wyoming
St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was one of the Church’s
greatest missionaries. Born in Spain , he studied at the University of Paris Venice
and Rome , before sailing for the East Indies in 1541.
After a several month stopover in Mozambique ,
he arrived in the Portuguese colony of Goa ,
India India ,
as well as to today’s Sri Lanka ,
Indonesia , Japan , and possibly the Philippines China island
of Sancian , just six miles off the
coast of China India and Japan
Almighty and
everlasting God, we thank you for your Servant Francis, whom you called to
preach the Gospel to the peoples of Asia. Raise up, we pray, in this and every
land heralds and evangelists of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the
unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Bishop Melcher came to Green Bay as its first Bishop in 1868
and selected the church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (known
as St. Mary’s) to be his cathedral. This
wood-framed church had been built in 1851 by German immigrants. The current cathedral was built between 1876
and 1881 and replaced St. Mary’s. The
new cathedral was rededicated to St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Bishop
Krautbauer, who was then bishop. The
Cathedral is built in the Romanesque style and is modeled after a church in
Munich, Germany. The bell towers were
added in 1904.
The first picture is from the Cathedral website and the second is from Wikipedia.
The most striking object in the Cathedral is a 40 foot by 25
foot mural of the Crucifixion painted in 1883 by Johann Schmitt, an immigrant
from Germany, and located on the rear wall of the sanctuary. Josef
Albrecht painted eight pictures in the early 20th Century depicting
the Beatitudes. There are also paintings
on the ceiling of the four evangelists.
The main altar is carved from white Carrara marble. A side altar dedicated to Our Mother of
Perpetual Help is the only altar remaining from 1881. In addition to Our Lady,
it honors those who have served in the armed services. A mosaic of Our Lady is above this altar.
The Cathedral’s stained glass windows were designed by the Tyrol Art
Glass Company of Austria and the Columbia Art Glass Company of Ohio. The Rose Window was installed in the 1950s
and is dedicated to the Mystical Body of Christ. The window is made from over 4,000 pieces of
glass and was made by the Columbia Art Glass Company. The pipe organ was installed by the
Wickes Organ Company of Illinois in 1982 and it has 56 ranks, 4 manuals and
3,282 pipes.
There
is an audio-visual tour of the Cathedral on its website, sfxcathedralgb.com.
The Diocese’s website is gbdioc.org. The
Cathedral is located in downtown Green Bay and celebrates two weekend masses.
All pictures are from the Cathedral website.
Also located
in the Diocese
I am making another exception to only talking about
cathedrals and basilicas. Given that
this next church is the site of the only approved Marian apparition in the
United States, I thought it worthy to be included.
In Robinsonville (now called
Champion), Wisconsin, a young Belgian immigrant woman named Adele Brise, who was 28 years old, was walking through a wooded area
on October 9, 1859, when she saw a beautiful woman standing between a maple and
a hemlock tree. She saw the lady again on her way to Mass, and walked past her
again. After Mass she told her priest about the apparition, and he told her to
ask the Lady "In God's name, who are you and what do you want of me?"
When Adele walked past the spot again on October 17, the Lady was there, and
Adele asked what she was told by the priest. The Lady replied, "I am the
Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners." Our Lady of Good
Help gave Adele the mission to teach the children of the area their Catechism, which Adele did faithfully. Soon after, Adele's father
built a small chapel between the trees, and later two more churches were built
on the spot before the present brick church was built in 1942.
On October 8, 1871, the greatest
fire disaster in the history of the United States—the Peshtigo Fire—killed
1,500 to 2,500 people and destroyed 1.5 million acres of land in Wisconsin. The only place left untouched near Champion was
the Chapel and Shrine property of Our Lady of Good Help where Adele and other
believers had gone to seek refuge and pray. It is reported that the fence
around the property was charred on the outer side but untouched on the inner
side. Many cures have been recorded at
the Shrine. In 2010, Bishop David Ricken
of Green Bay approved
the apparition as worthy of belief, as the first, and so far only, Marian
apparition approved in the United States at the local level.
All pictures are by me.
Diocese
of La Crosse
The diocese consists of 19 counties in western Wisconsin. The diocese has 166,000 Catholics (18 percent
of the total population) in 160 parishes as of 2015.
Bishops of La Crosse
Michael Heiss (1818-1890)
·
Born in Bavaria, ordained a priest in Europe in
1840, and came to Milwaukee in 1844.
·
First Bishop of La Crosse (1868-1880).
·
Also served as coadjutor archbishop of Milwaukee
(1880-1881) and Archbishop of Milwaukee (1881-1890).
Bishop
Heiss took charge of the new Diocese of La Crosse in 1868. The Diocese at that time covered all of Wisconsin northwest of the Wisconsin
River . There were about
30,000 Catholics, 47 churches, and 18 priests.
Heiss spent much of his time visiting these widespread parishes and
missions. He attended the First Vatican
Council (1869-1871) and built several new churches, including the first
Cathedral of St. Joseph. Heiss convened
the first Diocesan synod in 1871. He
built 22 schools and helped establish the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual
Adoration to teach in the schools. Heiss became coadjutor Archbishop of
Milwaukee in 1880 and became Archbishop in 1881. At that time, the Diocese had about 45,000
Catholics served by 59 priests.
Kilian C. Flasch (1831-1891)
·
Born in Germany and ordained a priest in 1859
for the Diocese of Milwaukee.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1881-1891).
Bishop Flasch continued to build new churches for the
Diocese. He was a strong advocate of
parish schools and was a member of the Committee on Schools at the Third
Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884.
Within the Diocese, he built 36 new schools and established the second
Catholic school board in the United States.
Flasch served on the Board of the Catholic University of America,
although he initially opposed its creation.
Flasch’s tenure as Bishop of cut short after he succumbed to a long
illness in 1891.
James Schwebach (1847-1921)
·
Born in Luxembourg and ordained a priest in 1870
for the Diocese of La Crosse.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1892-1921).
Bishop Schwebach continued to build churches, schools, and
hospitals for the increasing number of Catholics in the Diocese. He also built St. Michael’s Home for orphans. Bishop Schwebach died in 1921.
Alexander J. McGavick
(1863-1948)
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Chicago in 1887.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1921-1948).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago
(1899-1921).
Bishop McGavick, the first Bishop
of Lacrosse born in the United States, led the Diocese through the Great
Depression and the Second World War.
Despite these difficult times, Bishop McGavick was able to build several
new churches and schools and he encouraged parishes to pay off their
debts. He established the Confraternity
of Christian Doctrine, the Catholic Youth Organization, and the Council of
Catholic Women within the Diocese. McGavick
established a Diocesan newspaper and was noted for his ability to preach. He died in 1948.
John P. Treacy (1890-1964)
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest in
1918 for the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1948-1964).
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of La Crosse
(1945-1948).
As coadjutor bishop, Treacy became Bishop upon the death of
Bishop McGavick, although Treacy had served as administrator of the Diocese
since 1946. As Bishop during the
post-war years, Treacy built Holy Cross Seminary in 1951, the Cathedral of St.
Joseph the Workman, as well as many other churches, schools, and other
buildings. He called a Diocesan Synod
and attended the first two sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Treacy died in 1964 of a heart
condition.
Frederick W. Freking (1913-1998)
·
Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Winona, Minnesota, in 1938.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1964-1983).
·
Also served as Bishop of Salina, Kansas (1957-1964)
Bishop Freking implemented the changes from the Second
Vatican Council (including the creation of a priests’ senate and a lay ministry
training program) and also built or renovated many churches, schools, religious
education centers, and other buildings.
He ordained 59 priests during his time as Bishop. He established the Bethany-St. Joseph Care
Center for the elderly run jointly by the Diocese and the Lutheran church. Bishop Freking served a two-year term as
president of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and he reduced the
Diocesan debt. Bishop Freking retired in
1983.
John J. Paul (1918-2006)
·
Born in La Crosse and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1943.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1983-1994).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of La Crosse
(1977-1983).
Bishop Paul called the Fourth
Diocesan Synod in 1986 to implement the provisions of the 1983 Revised Code of
Canon Law. This called for a diocesan infrastructure of consultative bodies and
commissions which would be designed around the themes of sacred worship, family
life, justice and peace, and education.
Paul also greatly increased the number of Diocesan seminarians. Bishop Paul retired in 1994.
Raymond L. Burke (born 1948)
·
Born in Richland Center and ordained a priest in
1975 for the Diocese of La Crosse.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (1994-2003).
·
Also served as Archbishop of St. Louis (2003-2008),
the Vatican’s Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
(2008-2014), and serves as Patron
of Sovereign
Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.
·
He was named a Cardinal in 2010.
Bishop Burke built a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of
Guadalupe overlooking the Mississippi River near La Crosse. He also headed the National Catholic Rural
Life Conference for a term and convened the Fifth Diocesan Synod in association
with the Jubilee Year 2000. Burke
founded a group of Augustinian priests dedicated to traditional liturgies and
installed a shrine to the Sacred Heart in St. Joseph’s Cathedral to encourage
spiritual devotions. Bishop Burke was
appointed Archbishop of St. Louis in 2003.
Jerome E. Listecki (born 1949)
·
Born in Chicago and ordained a priest in 1975
for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
·
Bishop of La Crosse (2004-2009).
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (2000-2004)
and serves as Archbishop of Milwaukee (since 2009).
Bishop Listecki began a developmental campaign that raised
$50 million and he formulated a planning process to restructure parishes. He also raised money for Gulf Coast and local
flood relief. He completed the Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe. Listecki was
named Archbishop of Milwaukee in 2009.
Current Bishop
William P. Callahan, OFM, Conv., was appointed Bishop of La
Crosse by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He
was born in Chicago in 1950 and ordained a Franciscan priest in 1977. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee
(2007-2010).
The Cathedral
O Glorious St. Joseph,
model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the
spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously by
placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully and joyously deem it
an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I have received from God,
to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation and patience, without ever
shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty to work; above all, with
purity of intention and unselfishness, having unceasingly before my eyes death
and the account I have to render of time lost, talents unused, good not done,
and vain complacency in success, so baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate
thee, O Patriarch St. Joseph! This shall
be my motto for life and eternity.
Amen. [Pope St. Pius X]
St. Joseph parish was established in 1863—La Crosse’s second
parish—to serve the needs of German-speaking Catholics. Ground was broken for the church building in
1864 at the corner of Sixth and Main, but actual construction did not begin
until 1869. It was completed in 1870
with some urgency because it had been selected to be the Cathedral for the new
Diocese of La Crosse in 1868. (The first
parish, St. Mary’s, served St. Joseph’s parishioners until their own church was
completed.) The current Cathedral,
dedicated to St. Joseph the Workman, was completed in 1962 on the site of the
former Cathedral and was designed by Edward J. Schulte, a Cincinnati architect.
The top picture is from the Cathedral website and the bottom is from Wikipedia.
The Gothic Revival Cathedral is made of limestone and has a
steeple that rises 216 feet from the street to the top of its aluminum cross. The Cathedral is 61 feet high, 276 feet long,
and 120 feet wide. The roof is supported
by 22 Gothic arches made of Bedford stone and the Celtic ceiling design is made
from gold leaf and is inspired by the Irish Book of Kells. The main altar is made of Botticino marble
and stands on a Verte-Issore (green) marble platform with Aurisine (buff-gold)
marble accents. Carl Wyland, a German
artisan, designed and built the 1,500 pound bronze canopy over the altar.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel has black marble walls with
gold designs in the ceiling. The front
of the altar is made of gold-colored mosaic glass. The Chapel contains the burial vaults of Diocesan
bishops. Our Lady’s chapel has a gold
leaf ceiling and three stained glass windows depicting apparitions of Our
Blessed Mother. The Stations of the
Cross were made in Germany of Mosaic stone.
The Cathedral has two pipe organs built by the Noack Organ Company of
Massachusetts and installed in 2010. The
main organ has 58 stops and four manuals and the small organ has 14 shops and
two manuals.
The Cathedral website, cathedralsjworkman.org,
has an architectural tour and a video of the windows. The Diocesan website is dioceseoflacrosse.com. The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman is
located in downtown La Crosse and has four weekend masses. The Cathedral seats 1,100.
The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last from flickr.
Diocese of Superior
The diocese consists of 16 counties in northwestern
Wisconsin. The diocese has 69,000
Catholics (16 percent of the total population) in 103 parishes as of 2015.
Augustine F. Schinner (1863-1937)
- Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest in 1886 for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
- First Bishop of Superior (1905-1913).
- Also served as the first Bishop of Spokane, Washington (1914-1925).
Bishop Schinner’s new Diocese had 39,000 Catholics in the
Diocese served by 39 Diocesan and 17 religious order priests in 93 churches and
33 chapels. By the time he resigned in 1913, there were over 50,000 Catholics
served by more than 150 churches and chapels and about 80 priests. These Catholics consisted of Anglo-Americans,
Native Americans, and immigrants from Germany ,
Poland , and other countries
in Europe .
Bishop Schinner opened several parish schools to provide Catholic
children with a Catholic education and invited religious orders to administer
several of the schools. He met with
President Theodore Roosevelt to resolve an education issue involving Native American
children. Schinner traveled throughout
his rural Diocese, sometimes on a horse-drawn sleigh through deep snow. He resigned in 1913 because he thought the
lake air was making him less efficient. He
became Bishop of Spokane, Washington, in 1914.
Joseph M. Koudelka (1852-1921)
- Born in Austria and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1875.
- Bishop of Superior (1913-1921).
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Cleveland (1908-1911) and auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee (1911-1913).
Bishop Koudelka built 10 parish churches, 22 mission
churches, three hospitals, one orphanage, and several schools. He increased the number of priests from 86 to
98 during his 8 years as Bishop. One
ordained priest was a member of the Chippewa tribe, the second Native American
priest in the United States. Koudelka
also encouraged Catholics to emigrate to northern Wisconsin and he established
a diocesan Catholic Charities bureau.
Bishop Koudelka was investigated by the U.S. Justice Department during
the First World War for being sympathetic to Germany. He was exonerated when it became clear that
these false accusations were brought by disgruntled priests in the
Diocese. Bishop Koudelka died in 1921.
Joseph G. Pinten (1867-1945)
- Born in Michigan, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, in 1890.
- Bishop of Superior (1921-1926).
- Also served as Bishop of Grand Rapids, Michigan (1926-1940).
Bishop Pinten began construction of the Cathedral of Christ
the King. He also bought a home for
himself, but it gave it to a community of religious Sisters when he learned
their residence was overcrowded. Pinten
was named Bishop of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1926.
Theodore M. Reverman (1877-1941)
- Born in Kentucky and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Louisville, Kentucky, in 1901.
- Bishop of Superior (1926-1941).
Bishop Reverman dedicated the new Cathedral in 1927, but had
to deal with financial difficulties during the Great Depression. He was able to open 7 new schools as the
Diocese experienced modest growth. He
also established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in 1939 to serve those
not attending Catholic schools. Reverman
also invited the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross and the Sisters of St.
Joseph to open hospitals in the Diocese.
Bishop Reverman died in 1941.
William P.
O'Connor (1886-1973)
- Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1912.
- Bishop of Superior (1942-1946).
- Also served as the first Bishop of Madison (1946-1967).
Bishop O’Connor was known for his humor, which was helpful
as he led the Diocese during the Second World War—he had served as a military
chaplain during the First World War. He
urged Catholics to pray for peace and dispensed them from Lenten rules on fast
and abstinence during the War (as did many other U.S. bishops). He established three new parishes and
expanded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. He was named the first Bishop of Madison in
1946.
Albert Meyer (1903-1965)
- Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1926.
- Bishop of Superior (1946-1953).
- Also served as Archbishop of Milwaukee (1953-1958) and as Archbishop of Chicago (1958-1965). Named a Cardinal in 1959.
Bishop Meyer, coming from Milwaukee, initially set rules for
priests (i.e., that young priests should not own a car) that did not work well
in his Diocese and he rescinded them. He
built several new churches and schools and established a diocesan newspaper, the
Council of Catholic Women, and encouraged vocations to the priesthood—he
ordained 13 new priests. Meyer also
produced a set of sermon outlines that were used by priests statewide. He was named Archbishop of Milwaukee in 1953.
Joseph Annabring (1900-1959)
- Born in Hungary and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Superior in 1927.
- Bishop of Superior (1954-1959).
Bishop Annabring was the first
priest of the Diocese to become its bishop.
Annabring established the Family Life Bureau to promote Christian
practices in the home, a lay group for men, the St. Thomas More Institute for
adult education, and Our Lady of the Lake Retreat House. He also started a program to encourage
vocations to religious life and a commission to increase lay participation in
the Mass. He built 20 churches and 15
schools and led the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the
Diocese in 1955. He died of heart
failure in 1959.
George A. Hammes (1911-1993)
- Born in St. Joseph’s Ridge, Wisconsin, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 1937.
- Bishop of Superior (1960-1985).
Bishop Hammes attended all sessions of the Second Vatican
Council and instituted changes based especially in the areas of liturgy, role
of the laity, and ecumenism. He also
made efforts to explain these changes to Catholics. These changes included the ordination of
permanent deacons, the use of English at Mass, and the institution of
anticipatory Mass on Saturday evening, the establishment of lay advisory councils
at the Diocese and parish levels, and the establishment of an advisory council
of religious sisters. Hammes wrote
guidelines for ecumenism and participated in ecumenical events. He also decreed that non-Catholic Christians
could receive the Eucharist under certain conditions. Bishop Hammes ordained 78 priests, but he
also had to cluster some parishes due to a shortage of priests. One cluster was led by a religious
sister. Hammes was also forced to close
17 schools, including four high schools, due to declining enrollment. He opened religious education centers to counter
the loss of these schools. Bishop Hammes
retired in 1985.
Raphael M. Fliss (1930-2015)
·
Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1956.
·
Bishop of Superior (1985-2007).
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Superior
(1979-1985).
Fliss became Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Hammes. Although he ordained 21 priests, Bishop Fliss
had to contend with a shortage of priests.
He managed this through the appointment of lay people to Diocesan and
parish positions that would formerly have been held by priests. He nevertheless had to close more than three
dozen parishes. Fliss appointed a
Diocesan finance council for better accountability. Bishop Fliss began a lay catechist training
program, an office of religious education, and several evangelization programs,
including Renew, Teens Encounter Christ, and Cursillo. He also established a review board to handle
allegations of child abuse by any Diocesan priest, employee, or volunteer. In 2005, Bishop Fliss led the celebration of
the Diocese’s 100th anniversary and the 340th anniversary of the establishment
of Christianity in the Upper Midwest. He
retired in 2007.
Peter F. Christensen (born 1952)
·
Born in California and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1985.
·
Bishop of Superior (2007-2014).
·
Serves as Bishop of Boise, Idaho (since 2014).
Bishop Christensen stressed the importance of Catholic
schools and began a special collection to help fund existing Catholic
schools. He also began a capital
campaign in 2013 to help pay for the care of retired priests, the education of
seminarians, the needs of underfunded schools and parishes, and the care of the
poor and disadvantaged. Christensen
ordained 10 priests and 22 permanent deacons, but he also had to cut Diocesan
expenses resulting in staff layoffs. He
established the School of Servant Leadership in 2011 to help clergy and laity deepen
their commitment to the Gospel.
Bishop Christensen was named Bishop of Boise, Idaho, in
2014.
Current Bishop
James P. Powers was appointed Bishop of Superior by Pope Francis
in 2015. He was born in Baldwin,
Wisconsin, in 1953 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Superior in 1990. He previously served the Diocese as a pastor
and as vicar general. Prior to becoming
a priest, Powers worked on his family’s farm.
The Cathedral
Cathedral of Christ
the King
The cathedral’s name refers to Jesus Christ as king of all
creation. As King, all people owe him
honor, praise, and fidelity, in all aspects of our lives. The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated on
the last Sunday of the Church year.
O Lord our God, You
alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations. We pray to You, Lord, in
the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace,
justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the
land of our birth. Guard us we pray Most Faithful One. Protect us from our
enemies and from Your Just Judgment. Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins
against you. Jesus, You are a King of Mercy. We have deserved Your Just
Judgment. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray; May Your Reign, Your
Kingdom, be recognized on earth. Amen.
Sacred Heart parish was established in 1886 and became the
Cathedral parish in 1905 with the creation of the new Diocese. Sacred Heart Cathedral was a small frame
building. Christ the King Cathedral was
dedicated in 1927 and the parish was a merger of the former Sacred Heart and
St. Joseph parishes. The completion of
the new Cathedral’s interior would take another decade.
Picture is by me.
The Cathedral is of Italian Romanesque design and is built
primarily of limestone. The Cathedral
has a terrazzo floor and coffered ceiling.
The most dominant feature inside the Cathedral is a glass tessera tile mosaic
of Christ the Pantocrator (Lord of Creation) that is over the tabernacle. The tabernacle is covered with a wooden
canopy and is separated from the sanctuary by a wrought iron screen that
creates a separate chapel. Within the
sanctuary, the main altar, ambo, and cathedra (Bishop’s chair) are made of
Botticino marble.
The Cathedral has 95 stained-glass windows which were
installed in 1938. They feature various
subjects including Christ the King, the Mother of God, St. Augustine, Old
Testament figures, saints, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven
sacraments. The octagonal baptismal font
is made of Carnelian granite. A mosaic
of Mary as Mother of God is on the ceiling of the west transept and a mosaic of
St. Augustine of Hippo is on the east transept ceiling.
There are chapels dedicated to St. Joseph, St. Mother
Theresa of Calcutta, Blessed Solanus Casey, and St. Kateri Tikakwitha. A six-foot, 500 pound, bronze statue of St.
Kateri was made by Sister Margaret Beaudette, a Sister of Charity, of the DePaul
Studio in New York. Bronze Stations of
the Cross were designed by Wiktor Szostalo.
The Cathedral website,
www.superiorcathedral.org, offers a tour of the Cathedral and has
details about the renovation that began in 2001. The Diocesan website, www.catholicdos.org, has extensive biographies of the Bishops. The Cathedral is located near downtown
Superior and has three weekend masses.
The parish elementary school has 260 students.
Both pictures are from the Cathedral website.
Diocese of Madison
The diocese consists of 11 counties in south central
Wisconsin. The diocese has 284,000
Catholics (28 percent of the total population) in 110 parishes as of 2015.
Bishops of Madison
William P.
O'Connor (1886-1973)
- Born in Milwaukee and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1912.
- First Bishop of Madison (1946-1967).
- Also served as Bishop of Superior (1942-1946).
Bishop O’Connor built a seminary, enlarged the Cathedral of
St. Raphael, and convened a Diocesan synod.
He also invited religious orders to serve in the Diocese and organized a
priests’ senate (in response to the Second Vatican Council). Bishop O’Connor retired in 1967.
Cletus F.
O'Donnell (1917-1992)
- Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1941.
- Bishop of Madison (1967-1992).
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1960-1967).
Bishop O’Donnell implemented the decrees of the Second
Vatican Council, established an office of marriage and family life, and a
support group for divorced Catholics. Bishop O’Donnell died in 1992.
William H. Bullock (1927-2011)
- Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest in 1952 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul.
- Bishop of Madison (1993-2003).
- Also served as auxiliary bishop St. Paul and Minneapolis (1980-1987) and Bishop of Des Moines, Iowa (1987-1993).
Bishop Bullock closed the Diocesan seminary and converted it
to a diocesan center. He also wrote
pastoral letters concerning Church teaching on euthanasia, suicide, and the
right to life. He retired in 2003.
Current Bishop
Robert C. Morlino was appointed Bishop of Madison by Pope
John Paul II in 2003. He was born in Pennsylvania
The Cathedral
St. Raphael’s Cathedral
404 E. Main Street
Madison Wisconsin
St. Raphael is an archangel—“one of the seven angels who
enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”
He plays a prominent role in the Book of Tobit in the Old
Testament—curing Tobit’s blindness, protecting Tobiah on his journey, and
facilitating the marriage of Tobiah and Sarah.
He is the patron saint of travelers, the blind, those in love, and
health care workers, including physicians, nurses, and health inspectors. His feast day is celebrated on September
29—along with two other archangels, Michael and Gabriel.
St.
Raphael, archangel, you protected Tobias as he journeyed to a distant land. How
natural, therefore, for us to pray for your powerful help for safe travel and a
happy return. This is what we ask for ourselves, as well as for all loved ones
who are far from home. Please protect us and all travelers. Spread your loving
wings of protection over us and guide us as we journey both near and far from
home. Amen
St. Raphael’s parish began in the 1848—the first parish in
Madison—and served Irish immigrants who had settled in Madison. The parish met in private homes and in the State
Capitol building until the first small wooden church was completed in
1850. Construction of a larger
Romanesque-Revival building began in 1854 and was completed in 1862, at a cost
of $30,000. This church became the
Cathedral of the Diocese of Madison upon its creation in 1946. Sadly, the Cathedral was destroyed by arson
in 2005 and three years later, Bishop Robert Morlino combined St. Raphael’s
parish with two other downtown parishes—Holy Redeemer and St. Patrick—to form a
new Cathedral parish. Holy Redeemer was
established in 1857 to serve German speakers and St. Patrick’s was established
in 1888 to serve English speakers (mostly Irish). St. Patrick’s is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Bishop Morlino has announced that a new Cathedral will be
built on the site of the old St. Raphael’s, but no further action has been
taken. Until the completion of the new
Cathedral, the Cathedral parish meets in the two existing downtown
churches. St. Patrick’s has two weekend
masses and Holy Redeemer has five weekend masses—including three in
Spanish. The parish cathedral website is
isthmuscatholic.org and the Diocesan website is www.madisondiocese.org.
The first picture is of Holy Redeemer, the second is St. Patrick, and the last is the former St.Raphael Cathedral. All pictures are from the Cathedral website.
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