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| Fr. (later Msgr.) Andrew R. Breines moderates his weekly radio show which aired from 1948 to 1953. (Catholic Herald file photo) |
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.
Monsignor Breines served as its editor until 1986 when he retired, and Mary C. Uhler was named the editor by then-Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell. Uhler served as editor until her retirement in July of 2020.
In a special section in the Catholic Herald Citizen on the occasion of the diocese’s 10th anniversary, it was reported that the Madison paper has been: “The bearer of Catholic action news from the parish to the rest of the world, the extension of the pulpit in the home, the right arm of the Bishop publicity wise in the diocese, and the personal herald of the Holy Father to every last reader.”
Father Breines wrote a weekly column of comment, “From Where I Stand,” in the paper, starting in the issue of February 14, 1948. It was a regular feature on the front page of the paper for many years.
Promoting the paper
The paper promoted a parish coverage plan which accounted for 71.9 percent of homes in the diocese receiving the paper by 1956.
Diocesan Press Institutes for parish correspondents and parish organization publicity chairmen were held in 1954 and 1955. By 1956, some 75 correspondents were regular contributors to the paper. Many writers throughout the diocese continue to provide news to the paper to the present time.
Of his diocesan newspaper, Bishop O’Connor said, “It is an indispensable part of the apostolate of the Church in the Madison Diocese. Our paper needs more local news, for that contributes to the upbuilding of the Faith and the edification of our people.”
The bishops who succeeded Bishop O’Connor as publishers of the paper continued to support the diocesan newspaper. Bishop Donald J. Hying currently writes a weekly column in the paper.
In 2021, the Madison Catholic Herald has the highest circulation among diocesan newspapers in the state, and throughout the years, the paper has won numerous Catholic Press awards.
On the radio
A radio hour moderated by then-Father Breines was also begun in 1948. The program aired on WKOW (now WTSO), a station with wide coverage in Wisconsin and its border states. The weekly radio show ran from 1948 to 1953.
In more recent years, Relevant Radio has offered local radio programming on its affiliate in the Diocese of Madison (1240 AM and 97.3 FM).
Former Editor Uhler was a regular guest on the local Relevant Radio affiliate and current Editor Kevin Wondrash continues that tradition today on the weekly Diocese of Madison This Week program.
Communicating the faith continues to be an important part of the Diocese of Madison. Bishop Hying himself is a frequent guest on Relevant Radio and shares video messages called “A Moment with the Bishop” available on YouTube.
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.