La Crosse Tribune selects Catholic priest as finalist for person of the year

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Monsignor Bernard McGarty answered the call.

"Monsignor McGarty was one of the first to respond to our needs," said the Rev. Louis Lohan of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Long Beach, Miss. "I believe we were the first school to reopen after the storm."

That in large part was thanks to truckloads of supplies McGarty collected and delivered.

McGarty, who is the visiting scholar in ecumenical studies at Viterbo University, since has continued to raise money for their church, Lohan said. "He has made numerous trips to our Gulf Coast area to support us. Personally, I am glad that I have had the opportunity to cross paths with a man like Monsignor Bernard McGarty. He is a great man," he said.

"La Crosse is noted for its charitable spirit and Monsignor McGarty is second to none in marshaling the community for a worthy cause," said Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, former bishop of the La Crosse Diocese.

La Crosse Tribune