From its beginnings as a tiny wood-frame church in 1848 to the rebuilding begun in 1854 to the new church’s completion in the early 1860s, St. Raphael Parish, Madison’s first Catholic church, stood just steps from the Wisconsin State Capitol, a sturdy and certain shelter for Catholics who called the isthmus home.
The Diocese of Madison was established on January 9, 1946, and St. Raphael was given the honor of being its cathedral. Bishop William P. O’Connor was installed as Madison’s first bishop on March 12, 1946, in the very church he named as the new diocese’s cathedral.
After nearly 60 years as Madison’s mother church, and just months after the celebration of its 150th anniversary, St. Raphael’s long and storied history came to an abrupt halt on March 14, 2005, when an arson fire destroyed much of the church. Bishop Robert C. Morlino expressed his desire a few years later to build a new cathedral at the same site, but those plans were put on hold indefinitely, and the “cathedral question” has remained open ever since. A green space with a Stations of the Cross path has since been built at the old cathedral site.
Since the loss of St. Raphael’s, other churches in the Madison area have hosted important diocesan events and celebrations such as the annual Chrism Mass and ordinations. But the Diocese and the City of Madison have felt the absence of a central spiritual home for area Catholics.
In 2022, the Diocese of Madison began its strategic planning process called “Into the Deep,” a plan designed to move the diocese from maintenance to mission by realigning its resources. The process presented a natural opportunity to revisit the cathedral question, and a few different options were considered. Bishop Donald J. Hying chose to petition the Holy See to name St. Bernard Church on Madison’s east side as the new cathedral. The proposal was accepted in late 2023; Madison would have a cathedral once again!