A life formed by Franciscan joy and love for the Church
Father Sam Martin
Vicar for Clergy
On the morning of June 11, 2010, as the Universal Church celebrated the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Diocese of La Crosse welcomed its 10th bishop, William Patrick Callahan. One of the most memorable things said by our new bishop during the morning news conference was the quip that “We’ve gotta get St. Francis out of the bird bath!” Bishop Callahan, in his inimitable style, brought down the house with that quote. And while the road that led Bishop Callahan to La Crosse is impressive, it all began with how St. Francis ended up in the birdbath in the first place.
Because he is still one of the most popular saints of all time, most of us know the basic narrative of St. Francis’ life. Raised in a well-to-do family, he was a passionate man who loved the “good life.” Seeking to achieve valor and station, he became a soldier, was captured during a battle and spent a year as a prisoner of war.
The reality of solitude, silence and suffering began to lay groundwork for Francis’ later epiphany that life is more than ephemeral pleasures. As his conversion continued, he found himself drawn more to Jesus Christ and His love for the Church, especially for the poor. When Jesus spoke to Francis from the Crucifix in San Damiano Church, He told Francis to, “go and rebuild my Church, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.”
Because all roads lead to Rome, Francis found himself there, seeking approval for the radical way of life he had begun to live. Initially, Pope Innocent III was unimpressed. But he had a dream that changed the course of world history. In that dream, immortalized by Giotto’s fresco in the big church above Francis’ tomb in Assisi, Francis was holding up a collapsing church, which just so happened to be the Roman Cathedral of St. John Lateran. Upon waking, Pope Innocent III was so affected by the dream that he told the little poor man from Assisi that his new order was approved.
Thus began a chapter in Church history that seems to have no end. St. Francis’ spirit, his love for the Church, his joy in creation (including once preaching to the birds) and his solicitude for the poor robustly resonate with us even eight centuries after his death.
How that radical saint affected our Bishop Callahan all began when he was a little boy and he and his mother began making weekly visits to a Franciscan church in Chicago.
A Boy, a Candle and a Call
“Mom’s day off was on Tuesday, and we often visited St. Peter’s Church.” Franciscans ran the parish, and young Bill Callahan would light a candle and admire the Franciscan saints while his mom said her prayers and went to confession. Later, as his 8th-grade graduation loomed closer, he had to decide what to do next.
Because a friend of his had applied and been accepted to Quigley Seminary South, Bill decided to do the same. That door closed however, and he was informed that he did not have a priestly vocation. This happened in the summer of 1968, one of the most tumultuous times in the Church and in young Bill Callahan’s life.
Formed by St. Francis
But then something unexpected happened, as if those candles that he once lit and those prayers that he once said were answered after all. Through a friend’s invitation, Bill applied to St. Mary’s Preparatory Seminary, operated by the Franciscans in Crystal Lake. This time they said yes! And so began a journey of faith that would mold his heart, mind and soul, thus preparing him to serve at the altar of God for the next half century. He would do all of this as a member of one of the orders of St. Francis.
When Father William Patrick Callahan was ordained to the priesthood, his life was placed at the service of Christ and His Church. Reflecting on his journey without delving into every assignment, it becomes evident that the Holy Spirit was guiding him on a path that would ultimately lead him to La Crosse and to us. From St. Francis, Father Callahan was learning a sincere and undivided love for the Church. Of all the attributes we see in St. Francis, his love for the Church dwarfs his love for creation. This is because St. Francis realized that there was simply no comparison: while creation is God’s gift to us, the Church is Jesus’ Bride.
Like St. Teresa of Ávila three centuries later, St. Francis sought to die as a faithful son of the Church. To that end, he accepted humiliation and misunderstanding. Francis’ love for the Church, a towering achievement at any age, continues to manifest, time and time again, in his followers. This love continued to grow and expand Father Callahan’s heart throughout his years of priestly service.
A Priest for the Church
From his first parish, Holy Family in Peoria, to his years as rector of St. Josaphat Basilica in Milwaukee, Father Callahan’s Franciscan heart led him to deeper joy and greater service in the Church. Echoing the earlier sentiment that all roads lead to Rome, Father Callahan was invited to serve as a spiritual director at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Here, he experienced a sense of peace because he considered it to be ‘pure priestly work.’ And while being a Franciscan in a diocesan seminary certainly stretched him in ways that were not always easy, Father Callahan found the work taught him how to love priests—a gift that would serve him well in the years ahead.
Father Callahan, much like St. Francis, learned to see Christ in all his priests, even those struggling to uphold their vows. Wherever he went, Father Callahan carried the irrepressible spirit of St. Francis, and it served him well. Like Francis, he found strength in the communities that he served and sought to strengthen. And if there was a trademark for his ministry, people were quick to point out that with Father Callahan, there was, and is, always joy.
As a priest of the Church and a true son of St. Francis, it was perhaps inevitable that others would recognize Father Callahan’s heart and readiness for greater service. Many of us first became aware of him during his time as an auxiliary bishop in Milwaukee.
A Bishop for La Crosse
When Bishop Jerome Listecki was assigned to Milwaukee in 2009, leaving our diocese vacant, some even began praying explicitly for Bishop Callahan to be named our new bishop. In a diocese of impressive beauty, fidelity and potential, we needed a shepherd with a heart large enough to love the entire Church while also being personal enough to love us. So, God sent us Bishop William Patrick Callahan!
For 14 years, Bishop Callahan exercised his apostolic ministry, bringing Franciscan joy and peace to the 19 counties of our diocese. His love for the people of the diocese remains steadfast. As his health has declined, like Francis, he has accepted his limitations with grace. Reflecting on his life, Bishop Callahan recalls a young boy visiting a quiet church, learning how to speak to God and listen for His voice.
Because he faithfully performed those deeds, countless graces entered our world, providing hope and healing to those who needed it most. While there are still statues of St. Francis in various birdbaths throughout the diocese, it seems that, thanks to Bishop Callahan, he is also present in our minds, hearts and souls. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!