Priestly Zeal and Heroic Virtue

Servant of God, Father Joseph Walijewski – Father Joe, Padre Jose, or Joe the Pole, as Richard Cardinal Cushing dubbed him in the ‘60s – is a hero of faith for our generation. Ordained in 1950 in La Crosse, Father Joe served as a parish priest in the Polish-speaking parishes around Stevens Point. As a missionary for the Diocese of La Crosse, he fed the poor, sheltered the homeless, and ministered to the faithful who were among the most impoverished people of South America.

He passed into God’s hands days after Palm Sunday in 2006. His earthly remains rest on a hillside overlooking Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II,
the orphanage outside of Lima, Peru, which he founded with the blessings and support of Blessed John Paul II. During a visit to Father Joe’s tomb in 2011, Bishop William P. Callahan was impressed and inspired by the love and devotion of the people most touched by this humble priest’s dedication. It was this heroic virtue that led Bishop Callahan to take the steps necessary to open Father Joe’s Cause for Canonization.