The Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse ( la, Dioecesis Crossensis) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

(Roman Rite) of the Catholic Church encompassing the city of

La Crosse La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...

and 19 counties: Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa,

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

, Dunn, Eau Claire,

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the se ...

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

, Monroe, Pepin,

Pierce Pierce may refer to: Places Canada * Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia United States * Pierce, Colorado * Pierce, Idaho * Pierce, Illinois * Pierce, Kentucky * Pierce, Nebraska * Pierce, Texas * Pierce, We ...

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

, Richland, Trempealeau, Vernon, and

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

counties in west-central

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The Metropolitan for the diocese is the

Archdiocese of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, a ...

. The mother church is the

Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Workman The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman is the mother church of the Diocese of La Crosse. The cathedral, designed by architect Edward J. Schulte, was completed in 1962. Built of limestone, it has a tall clock tower which rises above the surroundi ...

History

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

erected the Diocese of La Crosse on March 3, 1868, with territory that was taken from the Diocese of Milwaukee. It included the part of Wisconsin lying north and west of the Wisconsin River.

Michael Heiss Michael Heiss (April 12, 1818 – March 26, 1890) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin (1868–1880) and the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwa ...

, then rector of St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, was named the first bishop of the new

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

. At that time, there were 22 priests who cared for 23 churches and about 50 stations. Along with the English and German congregations, provisions were also made for Poles and Italians. Franciscan sisters and lay teachers were in charge of six parish schools. During the twelve years of his administration in La Crosse, Bishop Michael Heiss built several churches, including the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

, and the episcopal residence. On March 14, 1880, he was appointed

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

with right of succession to the Archbishop of Milwaukee, and succeeded, September 7, 1881. He died at La Crosse, March 26, 1890. Kilian Flasch, second bishop, was born at Retzstadt, Bavaria, July 16, 1837, immigrated when he was ten years old, and settled near Milwaukee. He was selected as the successor of Bishop Heiss and consecrated Bishop of La Crosse, August 24, 1881. During his administration of ten years, he worked to increase the churches and the schools of the diocese, dying after a long illness on August 3, 1891. James Schwebach, his

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

, succeeded him as the third bishop, and was consecrated, February 25, 1892. On May 3, 1905, Pope Pius X erected the

Diocese of Superior The Diocese of Superior ( la, Dioecesis Superiorensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses the city of Superior and the counties of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, L ...

with territory taken from the Diocese of La Crosse and the

Diocese of Green Bay The Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay ( la, Diocesis Sinus Viridis) was established on March 3, 1868, by Pope Pius IX. It covers the city of Green Bay, as well as Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Mar ...

. This action reduced Diocese of La Crosse to the counties of Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Sauk, Trempealeau, Vernon, and Wood, an area of . Father

Solanus Casey Solanus Casey, OFM Cap. (November 25, 1870 – July 31, 1957), born Bernard Francis Casey, was a priest of the Catholic Church in the United States and was a professed member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He was known during his lifetim ...

, of the Capuchin religious order, was declared

venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cathol ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in 1995. He was born in

Pierce County, Wisconsin Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,212. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul– Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

, which is part of the Diocese of La Crosse. On January 9, 1946, territory from the Dioceses of La Crosse and Green Bay and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee was removed to form the Diocese of Madison.

Raymond Leo Burke Raymond Leo Burke (born June 30, 1948) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A bishop, cardinal, and the incumbent patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, he led the Archdiocese of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008 and the Diocese ...

succeeded Bishop John Joseph Paul in 1994. In 2006, Bishop Jerome Listecki succeeded Burke as La Crosse's bishop; Burke became the Archbishop of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

and later the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the

Apostolic Signatura The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura () is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the pope himself, who as supreme ecclesiastical judge is the final point of appeal for any ecclesiastical judgment). In additio ...

, the Vatican's highest court. On November 14, 2009, Bishop Listecki was appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee. He succeeded Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who was transferred to New York. Listecki was installed in Milwaukee on January 4, 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

appointed Auxiliary bishop William P. Callahan of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee as Bishop of La Crosse by on June 11, 2010. He was installed on August 11, 2010.

The diocese today

The diocese has 108 parishes with a resident pastor and 57 without a resident pastor. There are 177 diocesan priests incardinated in the diocese, while another 15 priests belong to various

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrate ...

s. In December 2012, 32 seminarians were studying to enter the priesthood of the diocese. There are also four

religious Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...

brothers, 31 permanent deacons, five hermits and three consecrated virgins. A total of 447 religious sisters belong mainly to two large religious institutes: the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis in

Stevens Point Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

and the

Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women whose motherhouse, St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, is in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of La Crosse. The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetua ...

in La Crosse. Other active religious are the

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate , image = Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.png , image_size = 150px , caption = , abbreviation = FFI / FI , motto = ''Ave Maria'' ( en, Hail Mary) , formation = , founde ...

in La Crosse
Capuchins
in Marathon, and the

Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

in Sparta. The Sisters of St Francis of the Martyr St George also have a convent in La Crosse.

Allegations of sexual abuse

In May 2019, Msgr. Bernard McGarty was arrested and charged with fourth degree sexual assault for allegedly groping a woman outside the La Crosse Public Library. The case was later dismissed, the District Attorney citing "McGarty’s age (95) and his current health problems indicate he is not likely to repeat this behavior and given the lengthy delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic the State feels it is not necessary to pursue this case". In June 2020, Fr. Charlie Richmond, who served as a high school chaplain in Chippewa Falls, was charged with sexually assaulting a female minor while serving at McDonell Area Catholic School between September 2016 and May 2017. Richmond was then suspended from active ministry.

Bishops

The following are lists of the Roman Catholic Bishops and Auxiliary Bishops of the Diocese of La Crosse and their years of service.

Bishops of La Crosse

(1868–1880), appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee # Kilian Caspar Flasch (1881–1891) # James Schwebach (1891–1921) # Alexander Joseph McGavick (1921–1948) #

John Patrick Treacy John Patrick Treacy (July 23, 1891 – October 11, 1964) was an Americans, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop (Catholic Church), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Diocese of La Crosse in Wiscons ...

(1948–1964) #

Frederick William Freking Frederick William Freking (August 11, 1913 – November 28, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Salina, in Kansas (1957–1964) and bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin ( ...

(1965–1983) # John Joseph Paul (1983–1994) #

(1995–2004), appointed Archbishop of St. Louis and later Prefect of the

and Patron of the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

(elevated to

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

in 2010) #

Jerome Edward Listecki Jerome Edward Listecki (born March 12, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 2010. Previously Listecki served as an auxiliary bishop of the Arc ...

(2004–2010), appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee #

William P. Callahan William Patrick Callahan (born June 17, 1950) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin since 2010. Callahan previously served a ...

OFM Conv
(2010–present)

Auxiliary bishops

William Richard Griffin William Richard Griffin (September 1, 1882 – March 18, 1944) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Biography Griffin born in Chicago, Illinois. He was or ...

(1935–1944) * John Joseph Paul (1977–1983), appointed Bishop of La Crosse

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Robert Herman Flock Robert Herman Flock (born November 4, 1956) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco, Bolivia. Biography Born in Sparta, Wisconsin, Flock was ordained to t ...

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cochabamba in 2012 and later Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco *

George Albert Hammes George Albert Hammes (September 11, 1911 – April 11, 1993) was an American bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Superior from 1960 to 1985. Biography Born in St. Joseph, Wisconsin, Hammes was ordained to the priesth ...

, appointed Bishop of Superior in 1960

Diocesan institutions

Among the institutions in the Diocese of La Crosse are 10 Catholic-affiliated hospitals;

Viterbo University Viterbo University is a private Catholic university in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Viterbo is home to three colleges with nine schools offering 48 academic programs at the associate, bac ...

, which enrolls 2,167 students; St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, the motherhouse of the

, and the

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic shrine located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The grounds include a visitors' center and outdoor devotional areas such a ...

in La Crosse. The first Mass was held at the Shrine on July 31, 2008.

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821. Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...

was home to the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

-run

Campion High School Campion Jesuit High School was a Jesuit boarding school for boys in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, named for the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion. The school operated from its founding in 1880 until closing in 1975, and educated several notable figure ...

until its closing in 1975.

High schools

* Aquinas High School, La Crosse * Assumption High School, Wisconsin Rapids * Columbus Catholic High School, Marshfield * McDonell Central Catholic High School, Chippewa Falls * Newman Catholic High School, Wausau * Pacelli High School, Stevens Point * Regis High School, Eau Claire

Elementary/middle schools

The diocese's 74 elementary schools enroll 8,717 students per year.

Pacelli Catholic Schools

''Pacelli Catholic Schools'' is a private, PreK-12 Catholic school system located in

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

. A consolidation of 6 parish schools, the includes one early childhood center (preschool), two elementary schools (grades K-4), one middle school (grades 5-8), and one high school (grades 9-12). Pacelli Catholic Schools is supported by seven local parishes: St. Bronislava; St. Joseph; St. Stanislaus Kostka; St. Stephens; St. Peters; Newman; St. Mary (Immaculate Conception) of Torun.

Former high schools

, Prairie du Chien, (closed in 1975) * Madonna High School, Mauston (closed in 1966)

Publications

The Diocese of La Crosse published a bi-weekly newspaper, '' The Catholic Times'', until 2015. The Diocese continues to publish the ''Catholic Life'' magazine in print and online.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse Official SiteShrine of Our Lady of GuadalupeThe Cathedral of St. Joseph the WorkmanThe Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George Alton, Illinois
{{authority control Religious organizations established in 1868