On January 24, Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison hosted a press conference at St. Bernard Church in Madison to officially make public the Holy See’s approval of the church’s elevation to cathedral status.
Various local news outlets gathered in the church, currently under renovation, to hear the bishop’s thoughts about this special occasion.
Bishop Hying said, “It’s with great joy that I share the exciting news that the Holy See has decreed the church of St. Bernard [in Madison] to be the new cathedral for the Diocese of Madison. This decision is a blessing for all of us Catholics throughout our 11 counties, where we have not had a cathedral for 19 years. . . St. Bernard, in all of its restored beauty, will be that cathedral home for us. . . [If you] go to any city or village in Europe that goes back to the Middle Ages, the building at the center of the community is always the cathedral, always the church as a symbol of God, at the center of the human community. This cathedral of St. Bernard will always stand as a symbol and a beacon of the church’s place of service and hope within the earthly city.”
After his statement, Bishop Hying fielded questions from reporters and shared that renovating St. Bernard Church was a decision made with thoughtful stewardship of resources in mind. In particular, it was shared that the cost of renovation is significantly less than the cost of building a new cathedral. Renovating St. Bernard Church will cost around 15 million dollars by the time of completion and nearly half that amount has already been raised.
Funds for the cathedral will not include Annual Catholic Appeal contributions, but instead will come from willing individual donors.
Renovations to St. Bernard Church will be complete by mid-2025, celebrated with the cathedral’s consecration.