Msgr. Mark Pierce of the Church of the Resurrection in Wausau, Wisconsin, recently clarified for his parishioners the current plans of policies of the five Wisconsin dioceses at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pierce noted that while the bishops appear to all agree that they want to see Wisconsin Catholics returning to regular Mass, the dispensation that was first extended in March to enable Catholics to stay home in the face of the coronavirus outbreak has not been completely tossed aside.

While the more liberal approach to moving toward a greater sense of normalcy presented by Archbishop Jerome Listecki in Milwaukee has caught the attention of the press, Bishop Patrick Callahan has navigated a more conservative approach for the Diocese of La Crosse, Pierce wrote to his congregation. 

“AB Listecki, who was our own ordinary from 2004-2009, grew up on the SE side of Chicago, where his father ran a tavern. He has double degrees in civil and Church civil law, served as a military chaplain, and taught moral issues in seminary before being tapped as an auxiliary bishop in Chicago,” Pierce wrote. “He is a bold fellow, both in speech and action. I suspect being the bishop of a community like Milwaukee demands that. Plunging ahead is his way.”

However, Wausau is following Callahan’s direction when it comes to reopening and dispensation, Pierce wrote. And even Listecki has let it be known that those who cannot come to Mass in person due to illness or risk factors related to the pandemic will continue to receive dispensation.

“We will get to where the archbishop is prodding us, but more gently, and (I trust) with less anxiety and risk. I do want you back at worship, but I want you safe first,” Pierce wrote. “Wait for Bishop Callahan to speak.”