Dear Friends, 

I am happy to introduce Rob Taylor, the new Executive Director of Stewardship & Development for the Diocese of Marquette.

Rob comes to us from a small cowboy town called Red Bluff, located in Northern California. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the University of California Santa Barbara, and his law degree from Creighton University, Rob has served as an attorney and educator in Red Bluff for the past ten years. His law practice encompassed civil litigation, real estate and business transactions, governmental agency issues, and trust and estate matters. 

As an educator, Rob has experience teaching at a variety of colleges, including Simpson University, CSU Chico, and UC Davis; but his greatest joy in teaching occurred during his tenure at his town’s local Catholic high school, Mercy High School.  When Rob decided he was ready for something new in life, he traveled the entire country in discernment of a place that called to his heart. That discernment led him here to the U.P., a place he had never been before but that he immediately fell in love with for its natural beauty, rural aesthetic, and warm-hearted but independent culture that reminded him so much of the cowboy culture from his hometown. 

Rob is excited for the opportunity to trade his attorney background for one of ministry in service to Yoopers. He looks forward to utilizing his talents through Stewardship & Development for the continuation of our Diocese's Catholic mission, strengthening and growing our Catholic schools and institutions, and evangelization throughout our beloved peninsula.

Welcome, Rob!

And now, as I approach my last day of work for the Diocese, I share these final thoughts with you from my interview with The U.P. Catholic newspaper - Your church needs you! Muster every ounce of energy and enthusiasm you have to discover and answer your personal call to discipleship - whatever it may be and no matter your age - with courage and foresight. Trust in God's plan for you - if you follow him, he will take care of the rest.  

Gratefully,

Terri Gadzinski

Rob Taylor can now be reached at:

rtaylor@dioceseofmarquette.org

Executive Director

Stewardship & Development, Diocese of Marquette
Upper Peninsula Catholic Foundation

Ella Lukasik joins the Stewardship & Development team as Administrative Assistant. She shared the following with us:

 "I am so excited to work for the Diocese and to serve the church in this new way. I moved to Marquette to study mathematics at Northern Michigan University and met my husband, Nolan Lukasik, at Catholic Campus Ministry. My parents, as well as my sister and her family, all live here in Marquette, too, so my next mission is to get my two brothers up here for the summer! When I’m not working, you can probably find Nolan and I at McCarty’s Cove either parked in our beach chairs soaking up the sun or looking for beach glass. I look forward to working with all of you!"

The US Catholic Church’s three-year Eucharistic Revival kicks off on June 19, 2022, The Feast of Corpus Christi. The Revival reminds us that Christ is indeed alive and can be encountered in the Eucharist. We share above one of the many known Eucharistic Miracles. For more information on the national revival plans, see the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's page by clicking here.

John "Jack" Feira (fare-ah) of Green Bay, WI became a Bishop's Ambassador to the Diocese of Marquette this past summer. Jack was searching for a way to help the Church continue its mission, especially in the rural and remote areas of his childhood where Mass-goers often have to drive many miles to get to Church. Jack has made a an endowed gift to the U.P. Catholic Foundation that will pass on his beloved Catholic faith to another generation. To read Jack's full story, click here.

The annual Priest Appreciation Mass and dinner was hosted May 5, 2022 at St. Peter Cathedral In Marquette. Mass was followed by dinner and celebration in the parish hall. It was wonderful for everyone to be together!

Before Fr. Mike Chenier, (St. Joseph, Sault Ste. Marie) begins his sabbatical to study music and sacred art, he found time to formalize a new fund in the U.P. Catholic Foundation. The fund benefits the parish's food pantry which is one of the only food pantries supporting the whole community of Sault Ste. Marie. God bless you Fr. Mike! To make a contribution to the new fund, please click here.