Origins of the Superior Diocese: An early
history of Catholicism in northern Wisconsin
Editor's note: This is the last of a four-part series on the origins of the Superior Diocese. The series is an excerpt from the upcoming book, "Our Journey Through Faith: A History of the Diocese of Superior," written by former Catholic Herald editor Sam Lucero. The history book, written to commemorate the centennial of the diocese, will be available in parishes later this year.
Pope establishes La Crosse Diocese
The influx of new immigrants had a dramatic impact on the church's growth. While evangelization of American Indians continued in earnest, outreach to European settlers began to grow.
In response to the church's growth in Wisconsin, Pope Pius IX, on March 3, 1868, created two new dioceses headquartered in Green Bay and La Crosse. Catholics in northwestern Wisconsin became part of the Diocese of La Crosse and Bishop Michael Heiss, who was consecrated as the first bishop of La Crosse on Sept. 6, 1868, became their new shepherd.
When he arrived in his new diocese, Heiss found a jurisdiction that extended the entire length of the state, encompassing 2,800 square miles. Heiss was successful in continuing evangelization efforts among the native peoples, as well as promoting vocations and building new churches.
"He discovered that there were over a thousand Catholic Indians located in the northern part of the diocese needing the ministrations of priests familiar with the Chippewa dialect, and to this end a number of Franciscan fathers were called upon to attend missions in that section," wrote Heming. "During the 12 years in which Bishop Heiss administered the Diocese of La Crosse É the number of officiating priests in the diocese was increased from 15 to 59, churches from 47 to 101, and parish schools from 2 to 24."
Heiss was appointed archbishop of Milwaukee in 1881 and was succeeded by Bishop Kilian Caspar Flasch. He remained bishop of La Crosse until his death in 1891. Fr. James Schwebach, vicar general of the diocese, was appointed diocesan administrator upon Flasch's death, and the following year he was appointed bishop.
During Schwebach's episcopacy, a new diocese was carved out of the La Crosse and Green Bay dioceses. News of this important event was first reported in "The Catholic Citizen," newspaper of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, on April 22, 1905.
"The rapid increase in the population in the northwestern part of the state, made the Diocese of La Crosse, which had for years been territorially the largest in the state, too large for a single see," the newspaper reported. "Under the new division, the dioceses of the state will be arranged as follows: Milwaukee, the southeastern part of the state; Green Bay, northeastern; Superior, north and northwestern section; and La Crosse, the middle west and southwest. The Milwaukee Diocese will include 16 counties, Green Bay 16, Superior 16 and La Crosse 23."
Speculation was rampant as to who the first bishop of Superior would be. That announcement would not come from Rome until May 27, 1905.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2005