Fifth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
Following is a timeline of key events in the 75-year history of the Diocese of Madison under each of the diocese’s bishops.
Category: Diocese of Madison’s 75th anniversary
Diocese of Madison’s 75th anniversary (1946-2021)
A look back: Bishop O’Connor chooses leaders to help run new Diocese of Madison
Fourth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
The Diocese of Madison grew rapidly after its founding in 1946.
To help Bishop William P. O’Connor run the new diocese, Msgr. Jerome J. Hastrich was named vicar general, chancellor, and director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Bishop Hastrich became auxiliary bishop of the diocese in 1963.
In 1969, he was named the bishop of Gallup, N.M.
Communication initiatives in new diocese
Third in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
The Milwaukee Catholic Herald Citizen had been published for many years and often included news from southwestern Wisconsin and the Madison area.
However, Bishop William P. O’Connor wanted a diocesan newspaper for the new Diocese of Madison. In the fall of 1947, the Madison edition of the Catholic Herald Citizen made its debut.
Priest named editor
Bishop O’Connor asked Fr. Andrew R. Breines (later Msgr.), a diocesan priest, to take journalism courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He then became editor of the Madison paper in 1948. The paper’s name was changed to the Catholic Herald in 1982.
Education was a priority for Bishop O’Connor in new Diocese of Madison
Second in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
It was not surprising that as a former seminary professor of philosophy, Bishop William P. O’Connor made education a priority in the newly established Diocese of Madison.
Established CCD in every parish
He established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) in every parish as a goal of great importance in the new diocese. CCD initially provided religious instruction for those Catholic children not enrolled in Catholic schools.
A diocesan-wide CCD Congress was held September 17-18, 1949. Those attending included lay people, Sisters, and priests.
Under the direction of the CCD, a Diocesan Information Center for Catholics and non-Catholics was established in a storefront on State St. in Madison between the Capitol Square and the University of Wisconsin campus. It attracted close to 30,000 visitors in its years of operation from 1954 to 1963.
Growth of Catholic population led to new Diocese of Madison in 1946
First in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
MADISON — In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Catholic population had been expanding in the southwestern region of Wisconsin, leading to the formation of the Diocese of Madison in 1946.
Work of missionary priests
The faith had grown thanks to the work of missionary priests, including Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, who built 25 churches and established nine schools in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois in the 1800s.
He also founded the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Sinsinawa. Their work has kept his legacy alive to this day.