Twenty-sixth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
After the Diocese of Madison closed Holy Name Seminary in Madison in 1995, a year of transition in 1996 was spent studying plans for use of the renamed Holy Name Catholic Center.
Year of transition
In an article in the Catholic Herald in 1996, Fr. Paul J. Swain, then moderator of the Curia for the diocese, said, “This has been a year of transition for Holy Name Catholic Center since the seminary program was discontinued last year and its use as a pastoral center begun. The professional manner in which the dedicated staff handled the change made the transition easier, and they deserve our gratitude.”
At that point, Holy Name Catholic Center housed the diocesan Offices of Worship, Vocations, and Peace and Justice. Several priests and Bishop William H. Bullock also resided there, the bishop in a small house on the property.
“The use of the Catholic Center by parish and other groups continues to grow and has far exceeded our expectations for the first year,” said Father Swain. “It is especially gratifying to see the large numbers of youth participating in spiritual retreats and using the athletic facilities.”
Renovation plans
In April of 1997, Bishop William H. Bullock announced that the Diocese of Madison was moving forward with plans to renovate Holy Name Catholic Center.
Bishop Bullock said he “welcomes this new step in our diocese, a renovated building. Coupled with the major strategic plan and a solid spiritual renewal program for our people, it is placed on a firm foundation in Christ. All three aspects meld into one.”
The $10 million renovation project included making the entire facility handicapped accessible by providing an elevator to all floors and providing adequate restrooms for both women and men and over 300 additional parking places around the building, all without damaging the special atmosphere of the Catholic Center.
Plans were made to renovate four wings of the facility to allow for the consolidation of most diocesan offices and agencies from seven other locations in Madison.
“This will allow greater coordination and efficiency and better service to pastors and parishes,” said Father Swain.
A portion of the building would be renovated as an educational and conference center for lay ministry training programs, additional religious education opportunities, especially for adults, and conferences in rooms equipped for these purposes.
Two wings of the building would also be renovated into eight apartments for retired priests.
There was the possibility of adding additional apartments should the need arise.
The chapel would be air-conditioned, the ceiling painted, and the speaker system improved.
The main lobby was also to be renovated to allow easier access and the addition of an elevator.
Project gets underway
Flad & Associates were architects of the project, while Tri-North Builders, Inc., was hired as the general contractor.
The project was expected to take about a year, with significant portions available for earlier use.
Construction was scheduled to allow for continued use of the center, including by the Wisconsin Badgers football team’s training camp held annually during August at the center.
In October of 1997, Bishop Bullock announced that the building was to be renamed the Bishop O’Connor Catholic
Pastoral Center (BOCPC), honoring the founding bishop of the diocese, Bishop William P. O’Connor.
He also announced that the chapel would be renamed the Bishop O’Donnell Holy Name Memorial Chapel in honor of the second bishop of the diocese, Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell.
In addition, Bishop Bullock said that stained glass windows would be commissioned for the chapel, the first being one in tribute to Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 after a life of service to the poor.
The second stained glass window entitled “Christ of the Handicapped” was donated by the diocesan Apostolate to the Handicapped.
Sale of chancery
In December of 1997, it was revealed that the Diocese of Madison had reached an agreement with the City of Madison to purchase the chancery building on Wilson St. in downtown Madison for $1.1 million. The sale closed on January 29, 1998.
The money from the sale would help fund the renovation of the BOCPC.
The chancery had been the headquarters of the diocese since 1946.
The offices moved to the BOCPC and the property was turned over to the City on March 20.
Dedication event
A dedication and open house were held at the BOCPC on Sunday, June 28, 1998.
Bishop Bullock presided at a Mass and blessed the new windows and renovated building.
Offices moving from other locations included the Catholic Herald, diocesan offices previously located at the Religious Education Center in downtown Madison, Catholic Charities, and Camp Gray administrative office.
Five retired priests were the first to move into the new apartments in the summer of 1998.
Source: Archives of the Catholic Herald newspaper.
Mary C. Uhler served on the staff of the Catholic Herald-Diocese of Madison for almost 47 years, the last 34 years as editor. She retired in July of 2020.