Deacon Richard Sage

Despite his recent retirement from Catholic Charities, Deacon Richard Sage remains a visible presence in the community as deacon at Mary, Mother of the Church in La Crosse, as a volunteer at Place of Grace Catholic Worker House, and a 
supporter of many initiatives he helped start such as the La Crosse Warming Shelter. Known for his collaborative 
leadership style, Richard has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in servant leadership. He has combined these skills to champion the causes of the poor and disenfranchised. He served as CFO of Family and Children’s Center for 13 years as well as the Diocese of La Crosse’s financial officer for 17 years. He was a member of the first class of permanent deacons for the Diocese of La Crosse and was ordained by Bishop John Paul in 1983. Richard also served as a founding board member of WAFER food pantry.

His nine-year tenure as executive director at Catholic 
Charities was transformational. Under his leadership, the organization marshaled relief support for the massive 2007 floods that swept through Southwest Wisconsin; initiated programs to support the well being of the immigrant 
and transient population, and assumed a critical management role at places such as the La Crosse Warming Shelter and Bridges of Belonging, a home for adults with disabilities. Doing the work of God is paramount, he believes. “If you experience faith, it requires you to do something!” 

He and his wife Mary are parents to three children: 
Jennifer, Tom, and David ,and three grandchildren.