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Hundreds gather to celebrate the Sesquicentennial Anniversary in La Crosse

This article was posted on: October 16, 2018

Go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel

Bishop Callahan at the sesquicentennial closing Mass on Oct. 7, at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. Excerpts follow.

We’ve spent the greater part of a whole year reflecting on everything that has been happening in our diocese for the past 150 years. We witnessed many great events. We gathered to pray in an effort to understand what we are doing together. All gatherings have brought us to a deeper and greater understanding of the urgency of the Gospel.

Guided by our diocesan patron St. Francis, we are seeing in our own times what St. Francis was brought to his knees to discover and to understand on his own. He saw, understood and responded to the grace of God, which is given freely and unconditionally, lavishly and abundantly. So that all may understand the absolute and positively wondrous incomprehensible love of God.

As we look back, we see how many of our ancestors have struggled with understanding the love of God. They looked to see how faith would bring about the kingdom of God in this portion of God’s vineyard that is ours. Now, more than ever, we need to see and to understand that the great gift of God’s grace continually speaks to the mind and the heart of the individual. Each and every individual must respond, himself or herself, to the Gospel challenge of going out into the world and spreading the good news.

What’s most important is coming to understand that God loves you. When you come to understand that, it makes all the difference in the world. The relevance of the Gospel and the need for the Church becomes a fire that can burn within you and bring you out into the world to announce — I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am loved by Him and, therefore, I love Him in return. I encourage you to read Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, documents from the Second Vatican Council, that speak to the very nature of how the Gospel is to be proclaimed by the people of God.

We are here, in the western and north central part of Wisconsin, celebrating 150 years of the Gospel. The beauty and the wonder of the life of the Church is the fact that Jesus founded it. We share the same fascination our ancestors had: to fully experience life in Christ. Remember, it is not only bishops, priests, or religious who should go out into the world and tell the good news — rather all people of God are called to live Gospel lives. God loves you and invented every bit of love you feel for Him and He rejoices in the relationship He has with you.

Click to view Oct 7th Sesquicentennial Closing Mass for the People of the Diocese of La Crosse

Bishop Richard Sklba [left], bishop emeritus of Milwaukee; Bishop James Powers of Superior; Archbishop Jerome Listecki, ninth bishop of La Crosse and now archbishop of Milwaukee; Bishop William Patrick Callahan; Archbishop Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis; and Bishop John Quinn of Winona-Rochester.

2018 – 2019 Seminarians: Deacon Brandon Guenther, Deacon Ethan Hokamp, Joseph Richards, Eric Mashak, Timothy Reither, Steven Weller, Matthew Bowe, Levi Schmitt, Arturo Vigueras, Bradley Haas, Daniel Smyth, David Nowicki, Isaac Pecha, Joseph Culligan, Andrew Dushek, Andrew Dushek, Jared Clements, Philip Grygleski, John Zweber, John Duranso, Daniel Buchal, Daniel Buchal, Isaac Wolfe, John Regnier, John Regnier, Joseph Glatczak, Inset: Daniel Williams and Sam McCarty

Left: Seminarians processing into Mass. Right: Seminarians: Matthew Bowe, Joseph Richards, Steven Weller, Daniel Williams, Samuel McCarty

Bishop Callahan with representatives from the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard.

Bishop Callahan and Father Al Burkhardt with members of the newly established Mary, Mother of Good Help Parish in Wausau.

Bishop Callahan with members of the Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Click to view Oct 4th Cathedral Sesquicentennial Mass for Neighboring State and Regional Clergy

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