Hello!

I enjoyed our Donuts with the Diocese event this month! Thank you to the staff of Our Lady of Peace, Ironwood, for their help in setting up and promoting the event - especially for the fantastic signage (see photos above and below)! 

Thank you to all who came to share and facilitate communication to strengthen our diocesan community. I am working on the date and location of our next event and will keep you posted.

I have also been developing our diocesan Giving Tuesday event. This year, Giving Tuesday is on December 3, 2024. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity event that stands in contrast to the more widely known Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Our diocese has developed several areas in need of support. We are excited to share a few of them with you here today. Keep reading below for details.

We love hearing from you. You can respond to me (either publically or privately) by using the blue reply button found at the bottom of this email. 

Thank you!

Megan O'Connor-Vander Lugt
Director of Missionary Stewardship
moconnor@dioceseofmarquette.org
Direct 906-379-5057
1004 Harbor Hills Dr, Marquette, MI 49855

In October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. To support these annual observances, the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities provides materials to help Catholics understand and value the gift of human life and help build a culture that cherishes and protects it. The 2024 Respect Life poster features the Eucharist and Jesus’ message in John 10:10, “I came so that they might have life.”  The poster and prayer card are also available to download, along with many other digital resources, at www.respectlife.org/respect-life-month

From the Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) website:

In addition to selecting a presidential candidate, Michigan voters this year will fill one of the state’s two U.S. Senate seats. Other significant races include Michigan’s 14 congressional districts, all 110 seats in the state House of Representatives, and two justices of the Michigan Supreme Court. Voters should also remember the importance of local races and issues that impact counties, municipalities, and school districts.

Voting is sometimes described as a civic duty. Yet, Pope Francis has said that each person also has a "vocation as a citizen," and so voting also takes on a moral dimension for Catholics. From one end of the state to another, all are encouraged to consider St. Paul’s exhortation to "put on the mind of Christ" before voting. 

For more voting information, visit the Michigan Catholic Conference website by clicking here.

For Giving Tuesday this year (Dec.3), the diocese has developed a Fund-A-Need event that everyone can participate in! We are sharing areas within the diocese that would benefit greatly from your financial gifts. Today, we announce three of them here. For those that can't wait, you can view them all by clicking here.

Please remember our Catholic Church in your Giving Tuesday plans. Thank you!

Fund the priest health navigator to keep our beloved priests healthy and strong! Priest health navigators help priests navigate the healthcare system, including scheduling appointments, managing referrals, and coordinating with various healthcare providers. They help priests navigate the healthcare system, including scheduling appointments, managing referrals, and coordinating with various healthcare providers. $150 per month, $1,800 annually.

Students will join college-age missionaries from Spiritus Ministries for an inspiring one-day retreat to connect with Jesus and others who are preparing for Confirmation. The cost is $50 per student, or sponsor the retreat for $2,500.

All Catholic schools in the UP are transitioning to using Spirit in Truth by Sophia Press as their primary religious text. To support this change, The Offices of Evangelization and Catechesis and Education have developed and provided curriculum guides for all teachers. This update aims to foster a deeper relationship between students and Jesus Christ, helping them to not only understand but also to live out their faith in meaningful, practical ways. The cost for each school is $2,500, totaling $12,500 to cover all schools.