Fifth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
Following is a timeline of key events in the 75-year history of the Diocese of Madison under each of the diocese’s bishops.
Tag: 75
Growth of Catholic population led to new Diocese of Madison in 1946
First in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
MADISON — In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Catholic population had been expanding in the southwestern region of Wisconsin, leading to the formation of the Diocese of Madison in 1946.
Work of missionary priests
The faith had grown thanks to the work of missionary priests, including Venerable Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, who built 25 churches and established nine schools in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois in the 1800s.
He also founded the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Sinsinawa. Their work has kept his legacy alive to this day.
Celebrating 75 years of the Diocese of Madison
On January 9, 1946, Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Madison, taking territory from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of La Crosse.
Created right at the end of World War II, our diocese was poised to grow dramatically in the ensuing decades of population boom and economic ascendancy.
Bishop William P. O’Connor, a priest from Milwaukee, became Madison’s first bishop and was immediately faced with the many challenges of shaping a brand new diocese.