The Second Vatican Council had a profound impact on Madison’s second bishop, Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell. Bishop O’Donnell attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
Tag: diocese
St Joseph’s 15th annual men’s retreat on May 15
REEDSBURG — On Saturday, May 15, men from throughout the Diocese of Madison are invited to an outdoor retreat at Camp Gray in Reedsburg.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison and Fr. Jared Holzhuter, pastor of St Olaf Parish in DeForest, will be the featured speakers for this event.
This year’s theme is, “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled,” based on the scripture passage John 14:2.
Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell becomes the second Bishop of Madison
In February of 1967, Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell was appointed by Pope Paul VI as the second Bishop of Madison succeeding Bishop William P. O’Connor.
A look back: Diocese of Madison experiences growth under Bishop O’Connor
When the Diocese of Madison was established in 1946, there were 122 diocesan priests and 13 Religious Order priests serving 82,000 Catholics in the 11 counties of the diocese.
By the time Bishop William P. O’Connor retired in 1967, the diocese had a total of 290 priests, including 63 belonging to Religious Orders, serving a Catholic population of 180,640.
Bishop Jerome Hastrich known for his work with the poor and minorities
Thirteenth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
As a priest and bishop, Bishop Jerome J. Hastrich will be remembered especially for his service to the poor and minorities.
He was asked in an interview for the Catholic Herald Citizen when he first became interested in helping the poor and minority groups. The native of Milwaukee answered, “About 1929 when I was in high school.” He added that it was during the Depression and his own family was poor.
Before he entered the seminary, he taught religion to the poor at Holy Cross summer school in Milwaukee and taught Sunday school at St. Benedict the Moor and St. Gabriel Parishes.
Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation continues to grow efforts, help others
MADISON — The Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation (CDMF) is happy to share some great news from our fundholders over the past few months.
Endowment fund
In 2014, St. Dennis Parish in Madison established the St. Dennis Catholic Education Endowment Fund to support both their grade school and religious education programs.
Over the past seven years, the fund has seen significant growth, made possible by the faithful support of the parish and strong investment returns.Diocese of Madison meets needs through a variety of ministries and services
Sixth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
Since the Diocese of Madison was established in 1946, it has strived to meet the needs of members of the Church as well as all those in society through a variety of ministries.
As times have changed, programs and services have been added, dropped, or adapted to make the best use of time, faith, and resources.
Charitable programs
One of the most important programs begun by the new Diocese of Madison in 1946 was its charitable efforts conducted by the Catholic Welfare Bureau, later known as Catholic Social Service and then as Catholic Charities.
A timeline of key events in the Diocese of Madison’s 75-year history
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.
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.
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.