Fifth Bishop of Madison

The youngest of six sons, Bishop Donald J. Hying was born in West Allis, Wisconsin, to parents Albert and Catherine Hying on August 18, 1963. He attended St. Aloysius and Immaculate Heart of Mary grade schools, and Brookfield Central High School. Bishop Hying received his bachelor's degree from Marquette University and his master's degree from St. Francis Seminary.

On May 20, 1989, Bishop Hying was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  His first priestly assignment was as a parochial vicar for St. Anthony Parish, Menomonee Falls, from 1989 to 1994. Fr. Hying served as a Team Member for La Sagrada Familia Parroquia in the Dominican Republic from 1994 to 1997. He returned to the United States and served as the parochial administrator of St. Peter Parish (1998), then as the parochial vicar of St. Anthony Parish, Milwaukee, from 1998 to 1999. He was then appointed the pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Milwaukee from 1999 to 2005. In 2006, Fr. Hying served as the parochial administrator of St. Augustine Parish, Milwaukee.  He served as the Dean of Formation at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary from 2005 to 2007, and was appointed the rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary by Most Reverend Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of Milwaukee, and served in that capacity from 2007 until 2011.

On May 26, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. Donald Hying the Titular Bishop of Regiae and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He was consecrated a bishop on July 20, 2011 by Most Reverend Jerome Edward Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee.

On November 24, 2014, His Holiness, Pope Francis, appointed Bishop Hying as the Fourth Bishop of Gary (Indiana). Bishop Hying's installation in the Diocese of Gary took place on January 6, 2015. On April 25, 2019, His Holiness, Pope Francis, appointed Most Reverend Donald J. Hying the Fifth Bishop of Madison (Wisconsin). Bishop Hying’s installation in the Diocese of Madison took place on June 25, 2019.

Bishop Hying is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities; the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, & Youth; and the Committee on Catholic Education. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Catholic Relief Services and Relevant Radio and is the Chair of the Board for the Institute on Religious Life as well as the St. Paul Evangelization Society.

By heraldic tradition, the arms of the bishop of a diocese, called the “Ordinary,” are joined to the arms of his jurisdiction, seen in the dexter impalement (left side) of the shield. In this case, these are arms of the Diocese of Madison.

The arms of the diocese are composed of a field that is wavy bars of silver (white) and blue. This is the traditional heraldic representation for water which is divided by a red cross into four sections to remind us of the lakes of the region around Madison. On the red cross is a fish and this conjunction of symbols is a classic symbolic representation for Saint Raphael, the titular of the Cathedral Church of Madison. Raphael means “healer of God” and his ministrations to men make interesting reading in the Book of Tobit in the Old Testament. Parts of the fish were later used by Tobias to drive out the devil, who had slain seven of the previous husbands of Sara, his wife, while the gall was used to restore sight to his blind father.

Bishop Hying’s arms are drawn from four principle aspects and devotions of his life. In the first quarter on a red field is the displayed silver (white) eagle of St. John the Evangelist, patron of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and in quarter IV is the pattern heraldically called “gyronny,” that is the background of the arms of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where the bishop served during his priestly ministry. In the second quarter, on a silver (white) field is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and in the third quarter, also on a silver (white) field, is a red rose, to honor both the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Therese, “The Little Flower,” to whom the bishop has such deep devotion. For his motto, Bishop Hying has selected the Latin phrase “CARITAS NUMQUAM EXCIDIT.” This phrase, taken from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 13:8) that expresses the profound Christian doctrine that in all that we do, we should do it with love, because “LOVE NEVER FAILS.”

The achievement is completed by the external ornamentation which are a gold (yellow) processional cross, that is placed in back of the shield and which extends above and below the shield, and the pontifical hat, called a “galero,” with its six tassels in three rows on either side of the shield, all in green.

• The normal schedule for mission nights is: 
  • 6:00pm - Holy Hour with Confessions
  • 7:00pm - Talk
  • 8:00pm - Q+A

• Bishop Hying likes to be able to celebrate the Confirmation Mass for your parish (and any neighboring parishes) on the Sunday afternoon leading into the Parish Mission. In light of that, please select dates that line up with when you may have Confirmandi ready for the celebration of that sacrament.

• Bishop Hying strives to make time for visits with the parish staff, school children, Go Make Disciples teams, and the like during these mission days in your parish. Bishop's assistant will clarify his availability as the parish mission dates are assigned.

• Reach out to Nate Simmons, Bishop's Executive Assistant for more help or other questions.