Last month, I read "A Pilgrim In A Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop" by Rembert Weakland, OSB, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In it, Weakland mentions the strength of the Polish community in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The Polish community has a history of mistreatment in the Archdiocese. Archbishop Sebastian Messmer (1903-33) placed many Polish parishes, pastors and the Polish Catholic newpaper under eclessiastical penalties. He set up his own Polish Catholic newspaper. The papers feuded for many years. There seemed to be hope in 1911 when Messmer agreed to ask Rome to appoint a Polish auxiliary bishop in Milwaukee. However, he went on to officially request a non-Polish auxiliary. The Polish Catholic community in Milwaukee is still steaming. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel included a related article in today's edition.
Some of that steam will be let loose tomorrow when Archbishop Jerome Listecki takes the helm of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The Polish Catholic community in Milwaukee will now be led by one of their own.
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