Aug. 4, 2026

Contact Anthony Slaby at 608-796-3042 or aaslaby@viterbo.edu

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Bill and Cindy Berg, Msgr. Joe Hirsch, Chris Sanger, and Mary Jo Werner, all of whom have made a tremendous difference in the community and in the lives of others, are the 2026 recipients of the Viterbo University Saint John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service. The awards will be presented at a banquet and ceremony on campus Thursday, Sept. 3.

These honorees have quietly and consistently made our community stronger,” said Bob Van Wicklin, Viterbo University vice president for advancement, marketing and communications. “Their lives are marked by service to others, and they embody the compassion, kindness, and concern for humanity that Saint John XXIII demonstrated throughout his life.”

Established in 1975, the Saint John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service is the highest non-academic award bestowed by Viterbo University. Recipients are chosen based on contributions in one or several of the following categories: education, business, philanthropy, peace and justice, and religious life.

Recognized within the Roman Catholic church as a leader who initiated reforms at many levels, Saint John XXIII successfully orchestrated the Second Vatican Council. Although he died four and one-half years after his election as Pope in 1958, his love for humanity earned him the respect and admiration of people around the world. He was made a Saint in 2013.

The 2026 recipients of the Saint John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service:

 

Bill and Cindy Berg

For more than 40 years, fighting hunger has been the cause most dear to Bill and Cindy Berg. The couple serve as delivery drivers for Mobile Meals of La Crosse and are longtime supporters of WAFER Food Pantry and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s World Hunger Program.

The Bergs’ history of service and support includes many other community organizations as well. Cindy is active with the League of Women Voters and has served as a board member for Bethany Lutheran Homes, WAFER Food Pantry, and on ELCA La Crosse Area Synod committees. Bill is currently the chair of the La Crosse’s Lutheran Campus Ministries Common Ground Building Board, and an AARP Tax-Aide program volunteer. He was a long-time board member for New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Center, Aptiv, Inc. and the Viterbo University Board of Advisors. He served terms as board chair and president for the latter two organizations, respectively. Both Cindy and Bill serve at a local community garden. The Bergs also provide financial support to many charitable and educational organizations including Viterbo and the University of Wisconsin.

Very involved at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in La Crosse, the Bergs have each been members and the president of the church council, served on various committees and working groups, and taught Sunday School for more than 35 years combined. Cindy was a longtime member of the choir and is the current chair of the Outreach and Social Ministry Committee. The couple was honored with the Iverson Freking Ecumenical Recognition Award in 2019.

Bill is the retired President and CEO of Dairyland Power. Cindy worked as a social worker before leaving the field to raise her family and serve as a school and community volunteer.

There are so many wonderful people in La Crosse and we feel so blessed to live here,” Cindy said. “We love giving back to the community that has given so much to us.”

Msgr. Joe Hirsch

Since being ordained in 1986, Msgr. Joe Hirsch has served in a variety of important roles for the Diocese of La Crosse including parish priest, Assumption Catholic Schools Chaplain, Director of Vocations, and Vicar for Clergy. In recognition of his dedicated service, Pope Benedict XVI named him a Chaplain to His Holiness in 2012, granting him the title of Monsignor.

Msgr. Hirsch began his international mission work with a six-month post in Bolivia in 2013. He has served for the past 13 years as the executive director of Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II in Lurín, Peru. Started by Fr. Joseph Walijewski in 1986, Casa Hogar is home to more than 60 orphans and other children in need. Fr. Walijewski, or Padre José as he was affectionally known in Peru, is now a candidate for Sainthood and Msgr. Hirsch served as the Promoter for Justice during the diocesan phase of the process.

I’m just walking in the steps of Padre José,” Msgr. Hirsch said of his ministry at Casa Hogar. “We all need to have a missionary spirit and be open to the bigger world around us.”

Msgr. Hirsch has been breaking barriers to the greater world his entire priesthood. In addition to speaking fluent Spanish and having a great understanding of Hispanic and South American culture, Msgr. Hirsch has a gift for music that helps him reach and connect with young people and others from all walks of life.

Casa Hogar hosts groups of students for service trips each year, which participants describe as a “phenomenal experience.” Before departing, Msgr. Hirsch asks each to “go back home and ask yourselves, ‘what does God want of me?’

In accepting this honor, Msgr. Hirsch hopes to increase awareness of Casa Hogar and the Fr. Joseph Walijewski canonization efforts.

 

Chris Sanger

No one has been a more beloved member of the Viterbo community over the past 45 years than Chris Sanger. Since beginning as a secretary (well before the days of administrative assistants) in the financial aid office in the summer of 1981, Sanger has given her all to the university and touched the lives of countless students and colleagues.

Sanger moved to the Viterbo advancement office early in her career and will retire in September as the director of donor relations and advancement services. Relationships, and the tremendous good that comes from them, are her legacy.

I get to learn the meaning behind why someone creates a scholarship and be a part of people’s kindness and generosity every day,” said Sanger. “It is very rewarding.”

In addition to her work with benefactors and scholarships, Sanger has contributed to the university in numerous other ways. While President of the Staff Assembly, Sanger was instrumental in the establishment of the group’s endowed scholarship. She has supported that fund and numerous other university initiatives and entities through her philanthropy, including campus ministry, San Damiano Chapel, the FSPA Prayer Garden, the chapel Creche, athletics, the alumni plaza, the nursing center, and the Viterbo fund.

Sanger currently serves as a lector, eucharistic minister, and “helps with whatever is needed” at San Damiano Chapel. Previous service includes nine years as the women’s soccer team chaplain and posts on numerous major planning committees. In the greater community, Sanger was a longtime active volunteer with the Shelby Youth Baseball Program and served on the Chileda Women’s Board.

Honored several times by her peers, Sanger has been the recipient of the Viterbo St. Francis Mission Award, the Sr. Helen Elsbernd Distinguished Service Award, and the Servant Leadership Award.

 

Mary Jo Werner

Passionate about kids, education, and healthcare, Mary Jo Werner’s lifetime of community service and support reflects those causes. She is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Advisors, the FSPA Stewardship Finance Council, the Diocese of La Crosse St. Ambrose Financial Services Board of Directors, Friends of the Village of French Island, an Aquinas Catholic Schools grant committee, the Kiwanis, and serves in various roles at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

Past service includes being a board member for the Gundersen Medical Foundation, the Family and Children’s Center, the Golden Key Society, the Aquinas Catholic Schools Foundation and finance committee, the Greater La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Wisconsin State Bar Association Board of Directors-Tax Section and the Boy Scouts. Her support of Loras College and Creighton University (her alma maters), Aquinas, and Viterbo University reflects her deep Catholic faith.

The importance of giving back to the community was instilled in me by my folks,” Werner said. “I enjoy it, and I get more out of serving than I have ever put into it.”

Werner has received the St. Thomas Aquinas Award from Aquinas Catholic Schools, the President of the United States Award for Volunteer Service Gold Level, and the Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators Public Service Award. She has also been honored by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, and has been inducted into the Wisconsin Bar Association Law Foundation.

When asked if she was retired from her long career as an attorney, forensic accountant, and partner at Wipfli, Werner laughed, “that’s a trick question.” While technically no longer working, she is always busy serving or just helping neighbors or other individuals in the community.

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