LACROSSE, Wis. –Catholics in western Wisconsin woke up to two announcements about their ecclesiastic leadership.
> In LaCrosse the Bishop William Patrick Callahan announced his retirement for health reasons at age 73 after 14 years.
> At the Vatican in Rome Pope Francis announced that Gerard William Battersby, age 63, currently an auxiliary bishop of Detroit, would succeed Callahan.
Battersby’s installation will be May 20 at the diocesan mother church, Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, in LaCrosse. The diocese lists 135,000 faithful in 19 secular counties – about one-sixth of the population. This includes the cities of Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, LaCrosse, Marshfield, Mauston, Menomonie, Prairie du Chien and Wausau.
Battersby. He holds a divinity degree from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Was a parish pastor 10 years. In 2011 he was named dean at the seminary. Since 2017 has been auxiliary bishop of the Detroit Diocese.
Callahan. He holds a degree from Loyola University in Chicago. He was ordained in Milwaukee. In 2005 he went to Rome as spiritual adviser for the Pontiffical North American College. In 2010 he became La Crosse bishop.