CHAMPION OF THE POOR
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EWTN TO FEATURE THE LIFE OF FATHER JOSEPH WALIJEWSKI
- This 60 minute tribute to Father Joseph Walijewski’s life and ministry
FATHER JOSEPH WALIJEWSKI LEGACY GUILD
The Cause
Promote the priestly zeal of Father Joseph Walijewski. Bring knowledge of his exemplary life to others. Collect and archive information about his life and work.
Prayer
We invite you to send us your special prayer intention asking for the intercession of Father Joseph Walijewski. Your prayers will be kept in the chapel of Casa Hogar in Peru.
His Life
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on March 15, 1924, to Frank and Mary Walijewski, Father Joseph Walijewski – or Father Joe, as he was mostly known – learned the hard lessons of poverty through his own experiences growing up during the Great Depression. ...
Latest News
Experience Lent like Father Walijewski
As Lent quickly approaches, many of us find ourselves weighing the options of what we will give up during Lent, a season to fast and sacrifice. Will it be chocolate, Starbucks or screen time? With those choices, one might wonder if that is really what Lent is all about. Are we really sacrifici Read More
Father Joseph Walijewski founded Casa Hogar 35 years ago.
His legacy, impact and mission spirit live on today. His Cause for Canonization is open in Rome and The Father Joseph Walijewski Legacy Guild works to continue to build missionary works around the world in his honor, increase awareness, prayer and work in parish life, evangelization and catholic Read More
Father Joe’s Call to Serve amidst a Global Pandemic
Tahira Cummings My first introduction to Father Joseph Walijewski came in middle school religion class at Sacred Heart School in Cashton, WI. We watched the inaugural Mass for the opening of his Cause for Beatification and Canonization. Little did I know that at that time, the more I learned about F Read More
Bienvenida Familia San Pablo
It is February 20th and the days of summer are winding down at Casa Hogar. Uniform sizes and school shoes are being measured, the almacen warehouse is stocking up with backpacks, pencils, notebooks and colored paper for the school year and the last summer field trip to the local pool is coming up. T Read More
Student By Day, Baker By Night – All In A Days Work
It’s 6:15am and the smell of freshly baked bread wafts outside the kitchen and floats into the chapel. The morning is beginning at Casa Hogar, the 72 children waking up to their daily routines and everyone preparing for Mass, breakfast, and then off to school. Though these days, school uniforms ar Read More
Because of Padre Jose
Father Joseph Walijewski’s heroic and priestly zeal impacted all he encountered. As a missionary within the Diocese of La Crosse, Bolivia and Peru, he established parish churches, soup kitchens and the Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II Orphanage. Today, his spirit lives on in the children who call Casa Hog Read More
Casa Hogar Graduates—What’s Next?
Since she was just 6 years old, Ena has called Casa Hogar home. Born in the jungle and moved to the Villa El Salvador Slum at 2 ½ to live with her Grandma, she came to live in a place where she could walk to school every day, a home with a playground outside, a… Read More
Going The Distance for Casa Hogar
For Laura Pavela Castillo, Casa Hogar has held a special place in her heart since 1996. The third of six girls, Laura and four of her sisters have all taken impactful trips to Lurin, Peru. Her older sisters, Sarah and Jennifer were on the first Mission Trip led by Msgr. Hirsch followed by Laura and& Read More
Celebrating the Feast day of St. Joseph and Father Joseph Walijewski’s legacy
On March 19th, friends and family from the Diocese of La Crosse gathered around the world to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph and Father Joseph Walijewski’s legacy. Twelve public St. Joseph’s Table’s events were held as various others came together in their homes to pay tribute to St. Joseph Read MoreFather Joseph Walijewski’s 6th Anniversary Mass
Join us for Mass marking the 6th anniversary of the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Joseph Walijewski. Mass will be celebrated from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m on Sunday, March 17 at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. If you are unable to attend the Mass, it will be availa Read MoreFather Joseph Walijewski’s 5th Anniversary Mass
Join us for Mass marking the 5th anniversary of the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Joseph Walijewski. Mass will be celebrated from 10:30a.m.-12p.m on Sunday, March 18 at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. If you are unable to attend the Mass, it will be available t Read MoreWhat Father Joe would want me to do
In 1955, Father Joe was the assistant pastor at St. Peter Parish in Stevens Point. He would soon return to his mission work in South America, but not before first touching a few lives here in the Diocese of La Crosse. Wilma Reis was in high school when she decided to become Catholic and it… Read More
Clearing the Path to First Communion
La Crosse parishioners made First Communion outfits for children in Bolivia May 3, 1958 was a big event for Father Joe and his parishioners in Bolivia. They were planning the dedication Mass for the church in Santa Cruz, built using the $20,000 Lenten donation from the Catholic Students in the Dioce Read MoreAssembling a Case for Father Joe’s Heroic Virtue
As the investigation of the Cause for Father Joseph Walijewski’s Beatification and Canonization comes to a close in May, the Tribunal will be presenting their report of the life and times of Father Joe. This report, called the Acta, will be taken to Rome to be part of the case. Monsignor Michael G Read MoreA Season of Holiness
We, in the Diocese of La Crosse, are very fortunate as we enter into a tremendous time of Grace and special blessings for our Sesquicentennial Anniversary celebration. In one hundred and fifty years our Diocese has seen an amazing growth of holiness and spiritual depth throughout western and north c Read MoreFather Joseph Walijewski’s 4th Anniversary Mass
Join us for Mass marking the 4th anniversary of the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Joseph Walijewski. Mass will be celebrated from 10:30a.m.-12p.m on Sunday, March 18 at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. If you are unable to attend the Mass, it will be available to Read MoreA Pencil in Our Lords Hand – 6th grade letters
Kathleen Caruso and her 6th grade class at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School in Lansing, MI, keep the legacy of Father Joe alive every year by watching “A Pencil in Our Lords Hand” and using rosaries from Casa Hogar. Then, after watching the documentary about Father Joe’s life, her 6 Read More
Casa Hogar Celebrates 30th Anniversary
By Jordan Zoroufy Father Joseph Walijewski found his inspiration after seeing how so many of Lima’s children lived, and still live, in desperate poverty. One day, while walking through the slums of Lima, he noticed what appeared to be a pile of old newspapers begin to move. Then, the heads of a li Read More
Pope Francis’ visit to Bolivia includes a stop at Santa Cruz
Pope Francis visited Holy Cross Parish in Santa Cruz, Bolivia during the summer of 2016 and walked in the footsteps of Father Joe as he processed by Holy Cross Parish, a church built by Father Joe. By Father Keith José Kitzhaber A very eventful time, indeed. I never would have expected Pope Francis Read More
Father Joe’s Vision of Christmas
By Bishop William Patrick Callahan 1971 could quite seriously be hailed as the start of the digital age with the invention of the microprocessor. The year also hailed the admission of China to the United Nations and the grand opening of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, along with other natural Read MoreA Pencil in Our Lord’s Hand
By Monica Organ A Pencil in Our Lord’s Hand brings to life the love, humanity, and deep divinity that are at the core of Father Joe’s charism. The rich history, powerful imagery, and personal reflections from people who actually knew him, all enhance your belief in Fr. Joe’s cause for sainthoo Read More
Reading from the “pencil in our lord’s hand:”
By Students from St. Joseph Academy in California In San Marcos, California, a class of High School Juniors is busy delving into the life and work of Father Joseph Walijewski. They were introduced to the mission of the inspirational priest from the Diocese of La Crosse by their writing instructor, H Read MoreA Great Witness of Mercy
By Bishop William Patrick Callahan I am often reminded of what a tremendous mystery and gift the Roman Catholic priesthood is for the Church and for those of us so blessed to have been called by Jesus into this sacred fraternity. I think often of my dear departed priests whose ministry and life has Read MoreMy Father Joe Pilgrimage Reflection
By Dan Foor Providence. That was the word that Jack Felsheim used to describe the chance meeting we had that eventually led to me joining nine other diocesan members on a pilgrimage to Peru to follow in the footsteps of Father Joseph Walijewski. Providence. Not a word one hears every day. It is defi Read More
EWTN to feature the life of Father Joseph Walijewski
Scene at one of the several soup kitchens established by Father Joseph Walijewski. People from the neighborhood are waiting for lunch. This kitchen is directly behind St. Joseph’s Chapel in Villa El Salvador, the church wished for as one of Father Joseph Walijewski’s mother’s three wishes. Exp Read MoreEarly Family Memories
By: Joan Isenbarger Great Niece of Father Joseph Walijewski As a child in the late 1960s, I remember visiting my great Aunt Alice and Uncle Charlie (brother of Fr. Joe) Walijewski’s home in Grand Rapids, Mich. Many family members would gather due to the fact that their siblings, Fr. Joe and Sister Read MoreFather Joe – An Orphan No More
As we ponder the life and works of the Servant of God, Father Joseph Walijewski, we may ask ourselves what would inspire someone to work so hard and for so long in a place so far from one’s homeland? What was it that fuelled his energy and gave him consolation for so many years? Clues… Read MoreSustaining his Legacy
The Father Joseph Walijewski Legacy Guild was established to sustain the legacy and promote the cause of the Servant of God, Father Joseph Walijewski. Since its inception in 2013, over 1,800 people have become members. These members have taken the time to learn more about Father Joe’s life, prayed Read MoreThe Mission of Fr. Joe’s Legacy Guild
Fr. Joe’s Legacy Guild is an association of people dedicated to furthering the cause of the Servant of God, Fr. Joseph Walijewski, and providing continued support for the legacy he left behind. Padre Jose’s spirituality is rooted in seeing Christ crucified in everyone he met; especially the orph Read MorePriestly 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 Ste Read MoreWisconsin priest’s legacy lives on at Peruvian orphanage
LURIN, Peru (CNS) — In 1975, Msgr. Joseph Hirsch spent a month living in Lima’s slums as he backpacked through South America. Now he’s back in Peru, working to prove a man he met that year is a saint. But proving a man is a saint is no easy job, and it will take years… Read MoreFather Joe’s Years in the Jungle
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God, Father Joseph Walijewski, we are pleased to update all Guild members on the work that has been started in South America. Part of that work involves interviewing those who bes Read MoreYour prayers and financial support advance the Father Joseph Walijewski Legacy Guild.
