MADISON — After serving the Diocese of Madison in numerous and ever-evolving roles since 2007, William Yallaly, Chancellor of the Diocese of Madison, will be moving on to take the position of vice president and senior advisor for strategic initiatives for the Knights of Columbus, starting December 1.
Yallaly came to the Diocese of Madison in 2007, when he was appointed assistant to the bishop and associate director of communications.
He then went on to serve as executive advisor to the bishop, before being named chancellor in 2015.While serving the Diocese of Madison he earned a master of science degree in church management from Villanova School of Business.
Pope Francis named Yallaly a Knight of Pope St. Sylvester in 2015.
Yallaly and his wife, Bridget, have six children and are presently members of St. Peter Parish in Ashton.
Bishop’s comments
Bishop Donald J. Hying, who has worked very closely with William for the past 16 months, offered the following comments on Yallaly’s departure:
“William’s combination of deep faith, keen intellect, and love for the Church has made him a remarkable servant of the Lord. I am both grateful for his years of service here in Madison, but also excited for him as he begins a new chapter with the Knights of Columbus. He will always have my prayers and gratitude.”
In an email earlier this week, Yallaly made the following announcement about his decision to the priests and staff of the diocese:
Dear Friends,
Fourteen years ago this month, at a fall meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, a meeting I was covering as editor of the Catholic News Agency, Bishop Robert Morlino approached me about the possibility of coming to assist him in Madison.
The circumstances of my life at the time and the opportunity to get back home to the Midwest as I started a family all pointed to the possibility that this was part of His plan for my life.
Now, 14 years later, a new part of the Plan seems apparent. On December 1, I will begin serving the Church in a different way — as vice president and senior advisor for strategic initiatives for the Knights of Columbus.
In this role, I will work directly with the Supreme Knight and Deputy Supreme Knight and their team at the Supreme Council in forwarding the work of the Knights around the world.
This decision is hard and one reached only after a great deal of prayer and discernment.
My family and I love the Diocese of Madison. We love our parish and our school.
We love Bishop Hying and are so grateful to God for his deep faith, his joyful and generous spirit, and his ability to inspire others to greater love of the Lord.
There is so much reason for hope and for gratitude here in the Diocese of Madison.
I love our staff at the Chancery and am so grateful for the faith and joy that underlies all that we try to do in service to Jesus Christ.
To love is to want, will, and work for the good of the other.
I have done my best to love the Church here and all the people in these 11 counties of Wisconsin.
Though I have served now for five years as Chancellor and over eight years before that in the bishop’s office and in communications, I presume (and even hope) that most people in the Diocese of Madison do not know who I am.
It has been my goal to remain as small as possible, quietly trying to lighten the load of the bishops (and diocesan administrator) I’ve served so that they can be, as much as humanly possible, the servants Christ calls them to be.
Thank you to all who have been friends and co-workers through the years.
While the job begins in a month, we’ll not be leaving Madison until late this spring, so we’ll have plenty of time for farewells and the like.
I’m grateful to God for His goodness to me and my family — particularly through you all.
God love you and praised be Jesus Christ!
Mr. William D. Yallaly
Chancellor, Diocese of Madison