New Milwaukee archbishop celebrates 1st Easter

MILWAUKEE - For those who celebrate, it was the first Easter for Milwaukee's new archbishop on Sunday, April 20.

What we know:

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob was installed in January. He shared a message of hope to the parish on Sunday.

"It's not just a matter of filling pews, it's what we are doing with people’s hearts," Grob said. "The season of spring is what Easter is about. It’s about new birth, it's about the seeds that are poking their heads through the ground to become plants. Just the renewal of life."

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Grob leads more than 500,000 Catholics in southeastern Wisconsin, and Easter Sunday at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist had a full house. 

"Hopefully this season of Easter will bless them at least to renew their faith in a happier time and with more jubilant and faithful time," he said.

Grob said Thursday will be 100 days he's served as the new church leader. He said it has been a busy start.

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"Trying to find enough sleep is probably my greatest challenge," he said.

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The backstory:

He grew up on a dairy farm just west of Madison and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1992. He has since been reacquainted with Milwaukee.

"For me, it is wanting to get to know life in Milwaukee – the challenges, the struggles," he said. "Given the challenges of life and our current time, people are looking for different places for hope."

Grob said he hopes to get to all 184 parishes in southeastern Wisconsin to learn where people are at, faith-wise.