Dear Friends,

I received so many responses to my "Shot in the Arm" evangelization moment last month and I am so grateful. Thank you! A few of you shared your own evangelization stories and I have included one below. Keep them coming!

Over the past several weeks, my co-worker, Denise Foye, Director of Catechesis and Adult Faith Formation, and I decided to take a course from the Word on Fire Institute called “The 5 S’s of Evangelization.” One of the lessons focused on the saints. Getting to know the saints can help us to be more effective evangelizers. They are a vast resource of spiritual geniuses that impact our present day. We probably all know someone who routinely calls on St. Anthony to help find a lost item or echoes the words of Saint Pio, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!”

The Saints were natural evangelists, even the ones who kept themselves in the background or rarely engaged with large groups of people. My favorite, St. Therese of Lisieux, “The Little Flower,” never left her cloister and yet is considered one of the greatest missionaries of modern times.

All of our saints have been delivering, essentially, the exact same message, from one century to another, no matter their personalities. It’s the message that God is trustworthy, God is faithful. God has a plan, and therefore life is not as haphazard or devoid of meaning as we sometimes fear.

I'd love to hear who your favorite saint is! Please take our poll at the bottom of this page or reply with a comment.

Gratefully,

"I was going to wait to go to the bank later, but something made me turn into the parking lot as I returned home from daily Mass. As I waited for my turn to see the assistant, I was asked what my name was by a bank clerk. When I told her, a lady sitting next to me said, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, I hear you do the Marian consecration program, I so want to do that!” Of course, we set up a time and after Easter, I will be helping four women make their consecration to Mother Mary! A chance meeting? I don’t think so!"

Reverend Paul Nomellini, a retired priest of the Diocese of Marquette, died peacefully at the age of 83 on December 10, 2020. During his years as an active and retired priest, he joyfully gave witness to his personal goals for charitable giving, both during life and in his passing, saying, “God loves a cheerful giver!" Read his full story in our latest issue of Faithful Giving here.

Thank you to everyone who helped to support the Yoopers for Seminarians 2020 fundraising goal of $100,000! We surpassed that goal with gifts from 444 donors who donated a total of $106,598. By reaching this goal, a $25,000 matching donation was also earned that has gone directly into the Seminarian Endowment. The matching donation was made possible by Fr. Joseph Gouin, Pastor of American Martyrs, and long-time supporter of priestly vocations in the diocese.

Fr. Joe has renewed his challenge! He will make another $25,000 match if we raise $100,000 by the end of 2021! Read all the details in the latest newsletter of Yoopers for Seminarians!

The Covid crisis changed a lot about our lives including the way we communicate with our family, friends, neighbors, and parish. Yooper Catholic communication experts John Fee and Sarah Williams are sharing their tips and tricks at this month's Development Roundtable on 4/29. All are welcome to Zoom in, especially those interested in fundraising as ministry. See the details on the invite here.

In an age of credit card debt and zero-down purchases, the debt-free Fatzinger family might appear as a cultural phenomenon. “I think that we forget that it’s our financial responsibility as Christians to remember to tithe and to be good stewards of our money,” Sam Fatzinger shares. “And we need to remember, ‘Thy will be done.’ Whatever the Lord wants you to do, you can do that when you have financial freedom.” Read their full story on the Catholic News Agency website here.

Despite the hardships many of us have faced the past year, many people still want to make a difference where they can. But balancing your family’s needs with your desire to help can be difficult.

Luckily, there is a solution: consider making a gift for the future. Many of these gifts don’t require you to part with assets today, ensuring your family has what they need now while also allowing you to make an impact on the future of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette. See our planned giving website for a few simple ways you can support the Church without parting with assets today.

Have you read something in the Bible that left you with a question? Here’s your chance to get an answer. Register and submit questions here for the Zoom event on May 9, from 7 to 8 p.m. (Eastern). Questions must be submitted by March 7 and the number of questions answered will depend on available time. All are welcome.