The Diocese of Madison () is a Roman Catholic diocese in the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It comprises Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Marquette, Rock, and Sauk counties. The area of the diocese is approximately . There are approximately 167,000 Catholics in the Diocese. The Bishop of the Diocese of Madison is Donald J. Hying. There are 102 parishes in the diocese, with 98 priests in active ministry. The cathedral was Saint Raphael's Cathedral in Madison, but was destroyed by fire in 2005. The diocese currently has no cathedral. Parishioners of the Cathedral currently congregate at St. Patrick's and Holy Redeemer Parishes in Downtown Madison. Camp Gray, a summer camp and retreat center, is one of the ministries of the Diocese of Madison. History Early years The Diocese of Madison was established on January 9, 1946, by Pope Pius XII, in a decree dated December 22, 1945. The diocese was created out of territory from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Diocese of La Crosse and the Diocese of Green Bay. Venerable Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli was actively involved in the southwestern part of Wisconsin during the mid 19th century. He established 25 parishes in Wisconsin, 11 of which are in the Madison Diocese. Fr. Mazzuchelli is buried in Benton, Wisconsin, which is in the diocese. Pope John Paul II declared him venerable in 1993. The case for Fr. Mazzuchelli's elevation to the Sainthood is still pending. Cathedral fire On March 14, 2005. St. Raphael's Cathedral was heavily damaged in a fire that caused extensive damage to the church. In the days following the fire, it was found out that William J. "Billy" Connell had started fire. Connell was charged with burglary, arson, and bail jumping, but was deemed incompetent to stand trial due to paranoid schizophrenia. He was committed to an institution on August 29, 2005, pending a change in his mental health status, and in June 2007, was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of close supervision. Following the fire, the options regarding the future of the Cathedral included: Rebuild the Cathedral at the current site. Those in favor of that plan cited the historical significance of the parish as a reason for rebuilding the structure. Build a new Cathedral at another location in Madison, such as on the city's west side. People in favor of that cited the fact that St.