“It is with joy that I received the news that the Holy Father had named me the 11th bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse,” Battersby wrote. “When I was baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated a bishop, I received a call within a call, an invitation to follow. The Risen One has bid me to follow him to western Wisconsin, to the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. I leave with hope and anticipatory joy.”
Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit congratulated Battersby, saying: “The gift of bishop Battersby’s ministry now goes to the people of La Crosse. The priests, religious, and faithful of Detroit send him there with our heartfelt prayers of gratitude.”
The Archdiocese of Detroit has been blessed by the gift of Bishop Battersby’s ministry, nearly 26 years of dedicated service as priest, faculty member at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and auxiliary bishop. The gift of Bishop Battersby’s ministry now goes to the people of La… https://t.co/PDwZ98RMNf
— Archbishop Vigneron (@DetArchbishop) March 19, 2024
Battersby’s predecessor, Callahan, is retiring at age 73 after serving the Diocese of La Crosse since 2010. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Callahan is retiring for health reasons.
Callahan was the first conventional Franciscan to be named a bishop in the United States. He led the diocese through some turbulent periods. In 2021 he decided to remove Father James Altman from ministry for disobedience and for proclaiming that “Catholics can’t be Democrats.” Altman later went on to release more controversial videos, one notably making statements understood by some as calling for the death of Pope Francis.
The retiring bishop released a statement obtained by CNA on Tuesday in which he expressed his gratitude for his time as bishop of La Crosse.
