CATHOLIC HERALD

Business hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Since 1948, the Madison edition of the Catholic Herald has served as the official newspaper of the Diocese of Madison.

The Diocese of Madison was established in 1946. Bishop William P. O'Connor decided that Madison, which had been previously served by the Catholic papers from La Crosse and Milwaukee, needed a paper of its own and appointed Msgr. Andrew R. Breines as the first editor. From 1948 until his retirement in 1986, Monsignor Breines worked both as a parish priest and as editor, covering the many changes the church experienced during that period. A highlight was the historic Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Monsignor Breines attended and reported on all sessions of that council for the Madison-area readership.

Currently, Bishop Robert C. Morlino is the publisher of the Catholic Herald and Mary C. Uhler, who has been on the paper's staff since 1973, is the editor. Uhler continues to ensure that the Catholic community remains "informed and updated on their faith and its impact on their lives and our society." The Catholic Herald includes news and commentary on all levels from local to international and publishes pages devoted to spirituality, youth, families, the elderly, entertainment, and reader input.

The Catholic Herald has a circulation of approximately 28, 000 -- higher than most of the paid local daily and weekly newspapers in southcentral Wisconsin. The paper is printed in Madison and mailed directly to the homes of subscribers through the U.S. Postal Service.

In recent years, the Catholic Herald has won numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association, particularly for editorial and news writing, content, front page design, photography, and advertising design. Its editorial page was named best in the country.