Holy Spirit Catholic School students Pemene K., Ryleigh T, Kinsley P, and Everlee S. explored the Imagination Factory Children’s Museum in Iron Mountain as part of their Catholic Schools Week activities.

Going hand-in-hand with the new diocesan website is a new Diocesan Communicator being delivered through Flocknote. We plan to continue publishing the Communicator on the second Wednesday of each month. However, as you can see, rather than clicking through to the website to read it, you will now be able to read it right in the message. Just like the website, we expect to tweak the Communicator as we see how things work.

If you are looking for past issues, please visit https://dioceseofmarquette.org/communicator.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions to share concerning the new format, please email Sara at sshusta@dioceseofmarquette.org and John at jfee@dioceseofmarquette.org.

Feb. 12, 2023     U.P. Catholic Newspaper Collection (Administration & Finance)

Feb. 22, 2023     Diocesan Catholic Schools Collection (Administration & Finance)

Feb. 26, 2023     Diocesan Catholic Schools Collection (Administration & Finance)

Feb. 28, 2023     Mission Collection Remittance Deadline (Administration & Finance)

March 1, 2023    Employee Retention Credit Filing Deadline (Administration & Finance)

March 15, 2023  Bibianne Bessette Scholarship Submission Deadline (Administration & Finance)

April 29, 2023    St. Joseph Association/Good Shepherd Sunday Collection (Administration & Finance)

April 30, 2023    Diocesan Catholic Schools Collection (Administration & Finance)

April 30, 2023    Diocesan Catholic Schools Collection Remittance Deadline (Administration & Finance)

Mark your calendars for Spring Study Day, Thursday, March 30, 2023.  Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn more about the national Eucharistic Congress and Venerable Bishop Baraga.  Our presenters this year are Fr. Maurice Henry Sands, Executive Director for the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington DC and a priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Lenora McKeen, Executive Director of the Bishop Baraga Association.  Space is limited, so reserve your spot now!  The cost to attend is $15 which includes morning refreshments, lunch, and materials.  For more information and/or to register, go to https://form.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/spring-study-day-2023.

Direct any questions to Mark Salisbury, 906-227-9127 or msalisbury@dioceseofmarquette.org.

The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 at St. Peter Cathedral at 3:30 pm ET. Registration for this event is now open.  Please fill out this form even if your parish will NOT be attending. You can register at https://form.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/rite-of-election-2023. 

Inform any catechumens or candidates in your parish to put this date on their calendars and plan on attending.

Please direct any questions to Mark Salisbury at 906-227-9127 or email him at msalisbury@dioceseofmarquette.org.

Registration for the Spring Confirmations is now open.  Register  at https://form.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/confirmation-spring-2023.

The Masses are scheduled as follows:

Diocesan Confirmation

St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette                              3:30pm ET           April 23, 2023

St. Peter Cathedral Vicariate Confirmations

St. Michael Catholic Church, Marquette                1:30 pm ET          April 22, 2023

Holy Name of Mary Vicariate Confirmations

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Sault Ste. Marie        2:00 pm ET         April 30, 2023

St. Mary Norway Vicariate Confirmations

St. Mary & St. Joseph, Iron Mountain                     3:00 pm CT          May 7, 2023

The Diocesan Confirmation is open to all adults, youth younger than grade 11 who have permission from the bishop to be confirmed, and youth from vicariates other than St. Peter Cathedral Vicariate, St. Mary Norway Vicariate, and Holy Name of Mary Vicariate. 

If you have any questions please contact Mark Salisbury, 906-227-9127 or msalisbury@dioceseofmarquette.org

The Diocesan Eucharistic Congress is being held at the Superior Dome in Marquette June 9-10, 2023.  Speaker information, schedule, exhibitor and promotional materials are available at https://yoopercatholic.org/revival.  Registration is now open https://yoopercatholic.org/register.

The Diocese office has a variety of faith formation materials available at no charge to any parish that might need them.  There is only one set of each so this is a “first-come, first-serve” opportunity.  Materials may either be picked up at the Diocese office or we are happy to give them to your parish priest or representative attending the Chrism Mass on March 30.  Publications are from RCL Faith First, Sadlier We Believe, and Ignatius Press Faith and Life Revised edition.  Teachers manuals for each grade and one student copy per grade are what is available.  If you are interested, please contact Sara Shusta at sshusta@dioceseofmarquette.org.

The U.P. Catholic is planning to publish Easter Mass Times in the April 7 issue of the paper. Please submit Mass times using the form below no later than Friday, March 17.  

Form: https://form.jotform.com/230325949275159

SACRAMENTS AND RCIA PHOTOS
Please send photos of First Communion, Confirmation, and RCIA groups for publication in The U.P. Catholic’s annual Sacraments and RCIA issue.  Be sure to list names (left to right) front row, second row, third row, back row, etc.  Photos may be sent by e-mail to news@dioceseofmarquette.org or mailed to The U.P. Catholic, 1004 Harbor Hills Dr., Marquette, MI 49855.

A parishioner change of address should be submitted to the Diocese office to ensure delivery of The U.P. Catholic Newspaper and other important mailings.  Please use this form https://form.jotform.com/213185397002149 to submit address changes. Thank you!

A major change with the new diocesan website is that the diocesan communications staff has to make any/all edits to pages, including those for parishes hosted on the diocesan website.  Usernames and passwords for the old website are no longer active.

Due to short staffing and other issues, we are behind on making the pastor changes that came with the new year.  Please be patient as we try to get these completed as soon as possible.

If you need changes made such as Mass times, mailing addresses, etc., please send them to jfee@dioceseofmarquette.org at this time.  We will update you as we add any new contacts that will assist with these changes.

For changes to parishioner information, you may also complete the Parish Contact Change Form found here:  https://form.jotform.com/213185397002149

The Diocese encourages parish and school bookkeepers who have not already applied for ERC funding to do so as soon as possible before the March 2023 IRS deadline. Parishes and schools interested in receiving ERC funding who have not already applied should plan to do so as soon as possible. Bookkeepers should consult with their pastors and Parish Finance Councils to make sure this is the way they want the funds represented on the Income Statement. To start the filing process, please contact Brian Locker at Paycor blocker@paycor.com. For any other ERC questions, please contact Casey Banks at 906-227-9105 or cbanks@dioceseofmarquette.org.

Parishes and schools are encouraged to contact the Administration & Finance department for hiring assistance. Diocesan staff will be available to assist pastors, pastoral coordinators, and school principals with hiring procedures and provide advertising services for open positions. 

Please remember that we are not to ask about the following during the hiring/interview process:

Those interested in hiring assistance should contact Tim Thomas at tthomas@dioceseofmarquette.org or 906-225-1141, ext. 114.

Parishes may take the optional U.P. Catholic Newspaper collection on Feb. 11-12, 2023.  Parishes should retain the proceeds of this collection to offset the expense of providing the newspaper to their parishioners.  Please do not mail a check to the diocesan office for funds collected. Please find a bulletin insert for this collection in the Bulletin Announcement section of this Communicator. 

Parishioners can also donate to this collection online by visiting

Parishes may hold the Marquette Diocesan Catholic Schools collection on Feb. 22 (Ash Wednesday) or Feb. 26 (first Sunday of Lent). Please find a bulletin insert for this collection in the Bulletin Announcement section of this Communicator. Parishioners can also donate to this collection online by visiting

While not a diocesan collection, parishes are also encouraged to participate in the CRS Rice Bowl Lenten initiative in 2023. Materials and information can be found at crsricebowl.org. 

Make plans now to promote the annual Good Shepherd Collection scheduled to be taken up on April 29-30 in all parishes. Materials to promote the collection will be emailed to all pastors, associate pastors, and pastoral coordinators on March 16, 2023. 

Several diocesan collections are held in the early part of the new year. Please be sure to mark collection remittance deadlines on your calendar to ensure parishioner donations are transferred to individual organizations promptly for maximum impact. Please contact Irene McCauley with questions regarding parish remittance deadlines.  

Parishes held the Mission Collection on Jan. 15, 2023, to support the Black & Indian Mission, Catholic Home Mission, Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa, and the Propagation of the Faith. Please remit collection funds to the Diocese no later than Feb. 28, 2023. 

On Feb. 12, parishes will hold the optional U.P. Catholic Newspaper collection. Parishes should retain the proceeds of this collection to offset the expense of providing the newspaper to their parishioners.  Please do not mail a check to the diocesan office for funds collected. 

The Marquette Diocesan Catholic Schools Collection 2023 will be held on February 22 (Ash Wednesday) or February 26 (first Sunday of Lent). Please remit funds to the Diocese by April 30, 2023. 

Please see the Diocesan Collection Schedule for 2024 included in Addendum #1. This schedule and corresponding sample envelopes have been mailed to parish-identified envelope companies. If you have any questions about the 2024 Collection Schedule, please contact Irene McCauley.

 

The Standardized Personnel Policy requires parishes and diocesan entities to conduct annual evaluations with all employees. Completed evaluation forms should be saved in each employee’s personnel file and noted in future parish audits. Please find Diocese of Marquette Performance Evaluation forms for supervisors and employees at http://dioceseofmarquette.org/forms. These forms have also been included as Addendum #2 and Addendum #3 of this Communicator. 

We wanted to remind everyone of two useful pages on the Michigan Catholic Conference website with information related to benefits and general liability, special events insurance, and much more. We recommend bookmarking the locations below as helpful administrative resources. 

Benefits - https://www.micatholic.org/benefits/bookkeepers-toolkit/

Risk Management - https://www.micatholic.org/risk-management/information-and-forms/

As a reminder, clergy, religious, and lay employees (and any dependents) scheduled to work 20 or more hours a week can access MCC’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), called Lifeworks. LifeWorks provides resources to eligible staff on a range of well-being issues. Employees can access resources, including a continually updated COVID-19 toolbox, through The LifeWorks website, available from within Employee Self-Serve. 

Lifeworks is also able to assist with traumatic events. Please see Addendum #4 with helpful tips for coping after a traumatic event and how to support those impacted by trauma. 

We encourage employees to take advantage of the LifeWorks EAP program; it is a valuable resource for professional and personal well-being. Should you have questions or want additional information, please click here, contact LifeWorks at 888-456-1324, or reach out to the MCC Benefits Team at 800-395-5565. 

Looking for financial assistance with your college education? Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 Bibianne Bessette Scholarship Fund. The scholarships aid graduating high school seniors pursuing a college or vocational education at an accredited degree-granting institution. Consideration is based on academic achievement. Applicants must complete the online application found at https://dioceseofmarquette.org/awards-scholarships and mail an Official Transcript and ACT/SAT scores (via postal mail) to the Bessette Scholarship Fund, Diocese of Marquette, 1004 Harbor Hills Drive, Marquette, MI  49855 or email transcripts to Irene McCauley at imccauley@dioceseofmarquette.org. Applications must be received no later than March 15, 2023. Please contact Irene McCauley with any questions on Bessette Scholarship requirements at 906-227-9135.

The Legacy of Faith Board of Directors invites all Diocese of Marquette parishes, missions, and ministries to apply for grant funding for faith formation programs taking place during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.  The funding focus for this year’s faith formation grants is on proposals that promote a deepened understanding and a reinvigorated belief in the Eucharist, in furtherance of the Eucharistic Revival called for by our U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Be sure to visit our website at https://upcatholicfoundation.org/grant-information/ for resources relating to this year’s grant cycle and to access the grant application.  The application deadline is April 1, 2023 for programs to be implemented between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

STEWARDSHIP E-NEWS
Click here to see the latest issue. Invite your parishioners to subscribe, use this link: https://dioceseofmarquette.flocknote.com/Stewardship/notes. We do not share subscriber emails outside of our organization.

PARISH ENDOWMENTS
Parish endowments enhance ministry and provide opportunity for parishioners to support the parish forever.

YOUR GIFT MATTERS
Link the diocesan Planned Giving website on your own parish website.  New content is provided quarterly. Here is the latest:

Mark your calendars for Baraga Days 2023 which will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. More details will be coming soon. 

We have a new feature on our website....www.bishopbaraga.org.  You can show your support for Bishop Baraga's Canonization by praying the Prayer for Canonization which can be found on the home page of our website.  

Select the image that says Prayer for Canonization.  Once you are finished praying, select the blue pray button. Your prayer will be added to the count below the Amen. This is a great way to demonstrate to Rome the support for Bishop Baraga's Cause for Sainthood.   Thank you!

Support your parish by supporting The U.P. Catholic Newspaper collection on February 11-12, 2023. Your donation goes to your parish to help pay its portion of the subscription cost for the diocesan newspaper, which is mailed to all registered Catholic households. If your parish does not take up this collection, you can still contribute by placing your donation in an envelope marked “The U.P. Catholic Newspaper” and dropping it in your parish collection basket or at your parish office. You can also donate to this collection online by visiting osvhub.com/dioceseofmarquette/giving/funds/the-u-p-catholic-newspaper-collection. 

The Marquette Diocesan Catholic Schools collection is February 22 (Ash Wednesday) or February 26 (first Sunday of Lent). Funds from this collection support all nine of our Catholic Schools in their mission to teach our Catholic Liberal Arts curriculum, which forms our children both spiritually and academically. Your support provides critical tuition assistance for families who might not otherwise be able to send their children to a Catholic school. An envelope has been provided for registered parishioners to participate in this year’s collection. You can also donate to this collection online by visiting osvhub.com/dioceseofmarquette/giving/funds/marquette-diocesan-catholic-schools-ash-wednesday

We thank you in advance for your generous support of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Marquette!