William Patrick Callahan, OFM Conv. (born June 17, 1950) is an American Catholic prelate serving as Bishop of La Crosse from 2010 to May 2024. He is a member of the Conventual Franciscans.
William Patrick Callahan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Emeritus of La Crosse | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Diocese | La Crosse |
| Appointed | June 11, 2010 |
| Installed | August 11, 2010 |
| Retired | March 19, 2024 |
| Predecessor | Jerome Edward Listecki |
| Successor | Gerard William Battersby |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 30, 1977 by William Edward Cousins |
| Consecration | December 21, 2007 by Timothy M. Dolan, Richard J. Sklba, and John J. Myers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1950 |
| Motto | Adoramus te Christe (We adore you Christ) |
| Styles of William Patrick Callahan | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Callahan previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. After Archbishop Timothy Dolan was named Archbishop of New York, Callahan was elected the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, serving until November 14, 2009.
Biography
editEarly life and education
editCallahan was born in Chicago, Illinois, to William and Ellen Callahan. The youngest of four children, he has two sisters, Roberta and JoAnn, and one brother, Jerry. William Callahan attended St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church in Chicago as a child.[1]
Deciding that he wanted to become a priest, Callahan applied to the Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, but was rejected.[1] He instead entered the Franciscan-run St. Mary Minor Seminary in Crystal Lake, Illinois in 1964. He attended a junior college in Chicago in 1968 for one year.[2]
In 1969, Callahan was accepted at the novitiate of the Conventual Franciscans (Minorites) in Lake Forest, Illinois. He made his profession to the Minorites on August 11, 1970.[3] Callahan then attended Loyola University Chicago, obtaining a bachelor's degree in radio and television communications in 1973. He then moved to Toronto, Ontario, to study at St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto, where he received a Master of Divinity degree in 1976.[4]
Ordination and ministry
editCallahan was ordained to the priesthood in Milwaukee at the Basilica of St. Josaphat for the Minorites by Archbishop William Cousins on April 30, 1977.[3] After his 1977 ordination, the Minorites assigned Callahan as curate at St. Josaphat.[5]
He returned to Illinois in 1978 to serve as director of vocations for the Minorites for the next six years. He was named associate pastor in 1984 of Holy Family Parish in Peoria, Illinois; he was appointed pastor of that parish in 1987.[4]
The Minorites transferred Callahan back to Milwaukee in 1994 to become rector and pastor of St. Josaphat. He oversaw the basilica's $7.5 million restoration, earning himself a reputation as an able fundraiser. In 2005, Callahan went to Rome to serve as spiritual director of the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[5]
Ordination history of William P. Callahan | |||||||||
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Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee
edit
On October 30, 2007, Callahan was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee and titular bishop of Lares by Pope Benedict XVI. Callahan received his episcopal consecration on December 21, 2007, from Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. His co-consecrators were Bishop Richard J. Sklba and Archbishop John Myers.[3]
Callahan is the first Minorite to be appointed as a bishop in the United States, and was the first auxiliary bishop to be named to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee since 1979.[6] Following Dolan's appointment as archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York in February 2009, Callahan was elected as the diocesan administrator of Milwaukee on April 20, 2009. He oversaw the daily administration of the archdiocese until Benedict XVI named Bishop Jerome Listecki as the new archbishop in November 2009.[7]
Bishop of La Crosse
editOn June 11, 2010, Callahan was appointed bishop of La Crosse by Benedict XVI, succeeding Listecki.[8][9] On August 11, 2010, Callahan was installed as bishop.[3]
In August 2020, before the 2020 United States presidential election, Reverend James Altman, pastor of St. James the Less Parish in LaCrosse, stated in a YouTube video that “You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat”, due to the party's support of legal access to abortion. He encouraged Catholic Democrats to “repent of your support of that party and its platform or face the fires of hell.” In July 2021, Callahan removed Altman as pastor of St. James and banned him from public preaching.[10][11][12] The next day, in defiance of Callahan's order, Altman gave the benediction at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.[13] In November 2022, Callahan appointed the parochial administrator of St. James as its pastor.[14] [15]
Pope Francis accepted Callahan's resignation from office on March 19, 2024 for health reasons.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Roman, Maryangela Layman (December 20, 2007). "Living the Gospel as a Franciscan". The Catholic Herald.
- ^ "Bishop Callahan, auxiliary in Milwaukee, named bishop of La Crosse". Madison Catholic Herald. June 11, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Bishop William Patrick Callahan, O.F.M. Conv". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan". Diocese of La Crosse. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Milwaukee Auxiliary Bishop Callahan Named Bishop Of La Crosse". US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ Palmo, Rocco (October 30, 2007). "B16 Makes "Black" History; Conv. Franciscan Named Milwaukee Aux". Whispers in the Loggia.
- ^ Sorgi, Jay (April 21, 2009). "Callahan Hopes for 6–8 Month Tenure as Archdiocese Interim Administrator". 620 WTMJ.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.archmil.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Catholic News Agency: "Bishop William Callahan to be installed in La Crosse on Wednesday" August 9, 2011
- ^ "La Crosse bishop removes Father Altman from ministry". Catholic News Agency. July 9, 2021.
- ^ "La Crosse bishop removes Father Altman from ministry". Catholic News Agency. July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Statement Regarding Father James Altman" (PDF). Diocese of La Crosse. July 9, 2021.
- ^ Conklin, Melanie (July 16, 2021). "Booted from role in the Catholic Church straight to the CPAC stage". Wisconsin Examiner.
- ^ "Officials — November 15, 2022". Catholic Life. The Catholic Diocese of LaCrosse. November 15, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ Lewis, Mike (July 9, 2023). "Has Fr Altman excommunicated himself?". Where Peter is. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "Pope Francis appoints Detroit's Bishop Battersby to lead Diocese of La Crosse". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
