New Bishop Appointed to LA Crosse Diocese, by Kristen Elicerio, WKBT, June 11, 2010

New Bishop Appointed to LA Crosse Diocese

By Kristen Elicerio
WKBT
June 11, 2010

http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12637497

The Diocese of La Crosse has a new leader today. Early Friday morning Pope Benedict XVI appointed William Patrick Callahan as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse.

Bishop-Designate Callahan comes to La Crosse from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee where he has been serving as auxiliary bishop since October of 2007.

The La Crosse Diocese says it's pleased with the Pope's new appointment, but some are not as enthusiastic.

Ordained in 1977, Bishop Callahan has spent more than 33 years of his life in the priesthood.

He says he looks forward to taking on more of a pastoral mission in his role as bishop and hopes to energize the Diocese of La Crosse.

"The spiritual and corporal works of mercy are very important to me. So they are going to be part of the stewardship that I look forward to and that I will try to image by my own example, but that I will certainly try to call forth in the gifts of this local church," said Bishop Callahan.

During the past five and a half months that the Diocese of La Crosse has gone without a bishop, Diocesan Administrator Richard Gilles has filled in where necessary.

Gilles says he has good feelings about the new appointment.

"We have a very warm, loving people and I can see Bishop Callahan with his personality and his warmth blending in a fitting in very well," said Gilles.

But, not everyone is as optimistic about Bishop Callahan's appointment.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says Bishop Callahan comes from Milwaukee and Peoria, each with a particularly troubling history regarding children's safety.

"The best predictor of future behavior is, of course, always past behavior. And if you ignore or conceal child sex crimes and get promoted, you have no intent to change course," said SNAP Executive Director, David Clohessy.

But, Bishop Callahan says he'll make it a priority, "As bishop I will continue to strive to do my best. To learn more about the issue, about which I am not quite as well versed as a diocesan bishop, yet. But, it will certainly be a priority in terms of the work that I will do here in the diocese."

Gilles will continue to fill in the bishop duties for the Diocese of La Crosse until Bishop-Designate Callahan is formally installed on August 11th.