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.
Tag: history
The Oklahoma City Memorial through the eyes of a Catholic man
It’s a few minutes past sunset, and I’m writing this reflection from the lobby of an atrium-style hotel in Norman, Okla.
The 24th annual In the Father’s Footsteps Catholic Men’s Conference has drawn to a close.
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 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.
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.
History lessons of Our Lady of Fatima
This past week, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady to a group of shepherd children near the Portuguese town of Fatima. The series of Fatima appearances — lasting from May until October of 1917 — is one of the most extraordinary in the history of the Church.
It has also beguiled political and cultural commentators outside the ambit of the Church, and it is this wider implication that I would like to explore.
Called to be salt and light for all
This is the second in a two-part series on salvation history, with the goal of understanding the role we play in this history. In the first part, Bishop Barron discussed how the creation narrative in Genesis teaches us that our role as human beings is to “praise God on behalf of all creation” and that the Fall is man’s loss of this “priestly identity.” In this second part, he covers the three other acts in the “drama” of salvation history: The Formation of Israel, the Coming of the Messiah, and the Church.
Beginning with the covenant with Abraham, God shapes a nation according to his own mind and heart; he teaches a particular tribe to worship him aright, to be his priestly people. His ultimate intention is to use Israel for the instruction of all the nations of the world.
Vikings is religiously interesting show
At the prompting of some of my younger colleagues at Word on Fire, I spent time during a recent vacation getting caught up on the History Channel show Vikings.
My friends had told me that Vikings, curiously, is the most religious show on television. They were right.
Don’t get me wrong. There is enough violence, pillaging, plundering, sword-fighting, and political intrigue to satisfy the most macho viewers; but Vikings is also drenched with religion — and for that I applaud Michael Hirst, its sole writer and director.
Adaptation and renewal of Religious Life: Embracing the vow of obedience
Editor’s note: During the Year of Consecrated Life which ends on February 2, this is the last in a series based on the Second Vatican Council’s document, Perfectae Caritatis (Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life) written by Abbot Marcel Rooney, OSB, former abbot primate of the Benedictine order who now resides in Madison.
In this commentary on the Decree of the Second Vatican Council, On the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life (original = Perfectae Caritatis), we have been reflecting on how the Council Fathers envisioned a deep renewal of what the Church calls “the Consecrated Life.”
Number 14 of the decree speaks of one of the evangelical counsels, obedience. It is one of the most important ones, and gives a particular color to the entirety of Religious Life.