Medland Honored with Bishop’s Award

Viterbo chancellor and former president Bill Medland received a nice surprise during Mass at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral April 13.

Medland learned he was the first recipient of The Most Reverend Michael Heiss Founder’s Award. He was presented with the honor by The Most Reverend Jerome Listecki, Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse. This is the first year the diocese presented the award.

The award honors Medland for his “outstanding dedication to the mission of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of La Crosse.” For his promotion of Catholic identity, the diocese made a contribution of $1,000 to the Bill and Donna Medland Scholarship Endowment Fund.

“It’s a humbling experience to be selected for this award considering all the potential worthy recipients,” Medland said. “It reflects in part on the Catholic and Franciscan values of Viterbo University.”

The award is named for The Most Rev. Michael Heiss, the first Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, who served in that post from 1868–80 until being appointed Archbishop of the Archdiocese of ­Milwaukee.