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.
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| Bishop William P. O’Connor presides at the groundbreaking at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Beloit in 1955 for a church/school complex, above. Then Pastor Robert J. O’Hara throws a shovel of dirt at the ceremony. (Catholic Herald file photo) |
The CCD program included home visits, vacation Bible schools, parent education, and religious education of the mentally handicapped.
Emphasis on adult education
Marriage preparation classes were formed and religious discussion clubs were encouraged by Bishop O’Connor as an important way to grow in the faith. In 1952, there were 300 such clubs.
The CCD program was cited as one of the best in the country. In May of 1954, a large group representative of the CCD made a pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of Pope Pius X. A letter from Rome lauded the CCD program, praising Bishop O’Connor for his inspired leadership, particularly in the area of adult education.
“Religion on the Square,” begun in 1949, emphasized religious education of the adult laity. In 1957, the name of the program was changed to the St. Pius X Institute of Adult Education and offered courses on Vatican decrees, theology, Church history, liturgy, and Scripture.
Growth of Catholic schools
Bishop O’Connor was also a strong supporter of Catholic schools. In his first 10 years as Bishop of Madison, he dedicated 21 new schools or school additions. He always congratulated parents on their realization of the need for Catholic education.
The bishop wasn’t just satisfied with blessing the finished buildings. His interest in each construction project in the diocese was intense from the moment the pastor and building committee approached him with their plans. He went about laying cornerstones for four churches, seven schools, and six other institutions. Rain, snow, slippery roads — these didn’t mean a thing to him. He knew his people would be encouraged by the presence of their bishop.
The enrollment in Catholic elementary schools in the diocese grew more than 63 percent in the first 10 years of the diocese. The enrollment in 1956 was 14,138 compared with 8,975 students in 1946.
In 1956, there were six Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Madison enrolling 1,397 students.
Sources: Building Our Future in Faith: Commemorative History of the Catholic Diocese of Madison (1996); archives of the Catholic Herald newspaper.
Mary C. Uhler served on the staff of the Catholic Herald-Diocese of Madison for almost 47 years, the last 34 years as editor. She retired in July of 2020.