Diocesan Communicator
June 2025
Publishes monthly on the second Wednesday
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
Summer is a great time to plan a spiritual road trip. How about visiting one (or all) of the designated pilgrimage churches for the Jubilee 2025 Year in the Diocese of Marquette? Learn more: Jubilee Year 2025 - Diocese of Marquette - Marquette, MI
Welcome to the
Diocesan Communicator
The Diocesan Communicator is delivered through Flocknote. You are now able to read the information right in your email message!
If you have any thoughts or suggestions to share, please email Sara at sshusta@dioceseofmarquette.org and John at jfee@dioceseofmarquette.org.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions to share, please email Sara at sshusta@dioceseofmarquette.org and John at jfee@dioceseofmarquette.org.
The current Communicator, as well as past issues, are available on the Diocesan website at https://dioceseofmarquette.org/communicator.
Important Dates and Deadlines
July 31, 2025 World Church Collection Remittance Deadline (Stewardship & Development)
Aug. 9, 2025 National Church Collection (Stewardship & Development)
Aug. 10, 2025 National Church Collection (Stewardship & Development)
Aug. 31, 2025 Parish Annual Financial Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
Sept. 30, 2025 Annual Catholic Endowment Fund Financial Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
Sept. 30, 2025 Parish Governance Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
Sept. 30, 2025 Parish Governance Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
Sept. 30, 2025 Deadline to Send Minutes from Annual Corporate Board Meetings (Administration & Finance)
Sept. 30, 2025 Parish Annual Administrative Report Deadline (Administration)
Office of the Bishop
Bishop John F. Doerfler
ACTION ALERTS-SIGN UP TO KEEP INFORMED ON PERTINENT ISSUES
To help keep Catholics informed of pertinent issues on both the State and National level, I encourage Catholics to sign up for notices from the Michigan Catholic Conference and the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. These vehicles issue timely notices and information on issues pertinent to the Catholic Church.
If you have not already signed up for these action alerts, I encourage you to do so. I would also ask you to help me spread the word about these valuable resources that help to keep Catholics informed and enable them to take timely action on important issues.
You may sign up for alerts from the Michigan Catholic Conference by following this link: http://www.micatholic.org/advocacy/catholic-advocacy-network/
If you have not already signed up for these action alerts, I encourage you to do so. I would also ask you to help me spread the word about these valuable resources that help to keep Catholics informed and enable them to take timely action on important issues.
You may sign up for alerts from the Michigan Catholic Conference by following this link: http://www.micatholic.org/advocacy/catholic-advocacy-network/
You may sign up for alerts from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by following this link: https://www.votervoice.net/USCCB/home
PRAYER INTENTION CARD MAILING FROM THE BISHOP
Coming up in mid-June, the annual “Prayer Intention Card” mailing from the Bishop’s Office will be direct mailed to all registered households. Helping to fulfill one of his primary obligations; to pray for the people of the Diocese of Marquette.
To do this, Bishop John Doerfler invites parishioners to send personal prayer requests utilizing the mailing you will receive. Returned prayer cards are kept in his private chapel, where he will pray for the intentions over the next year. Please encourage your parishioners to respond. I ask that you include correspondence regarding this matter in your bulletins.
Department of Ministry Personnel
Very Rev. Timothy Ekaitis
2025 PRIEST CONVOCATION
- Sept. 15-18, 2025
- Comfort Suites – Green Bay, Wis.
- Speaker: Cardinal Thomas Collin
- Topic: Praying the Psalms of the Liturgy of the Hours
Please RSVP by Friday, July 18, 2025
2025 DEACON CONVOCATION
- Oct. 19-21, 2025
- Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor, Wis.
- Speaker: Deacon Steven DeMartino
Please RSVP by Friday, Sept. 19, 2025
Department of Evangelization
and Education
Rev. Ryan Ford
UPDATED CONFIRMATION PREPARATION POLICY
The updated Confirmation Preparation Policy is posted on the Confirmation page: dioceseofmarquette.org/diocesanconfirmation. Please note Bishop John will visit every vicariate next Spring 2026 to celebrate Confirmation. The remaining Fall 2025 Confirmation Masses are for those who will be high-school seniors in the Fall (and any adults needing Confirmation). High-school juniors next school year should be prepared for Confirmation in Spring 2026. No further Confirmation Masses will be celebrated in the Fall after 2025 (unless requested by pastors for special cases).
FALL 2025 CONFIRMATIONS
Registration opens July 1 for Fall 2025 Confirmations. You can find more information about Confirmation requirements on the Diocesan website at https://dioceseofmarquette.org/diocesanconfirmation.
SUMMER FORMATION DAYS FOR CATECHETICAL LEADERS
Pastors, faith formation coordinators, youth ministers, OCIA leaders, deacons and religious are invited to attend one of the summer formation days for catechetical leaders. There are five opportunities scheduled at locations around the U.P. For more information and to register, visit yoopercatholic.org/pclformation.
GRIEVING THE END OF A MARRIAGE
The Beginning Experience is a Christian peer-led ministry serving those who are grieving the end of a spousal relationship due to death, divorce, or separation. Men and women of all ages are invited to attend their upcoming one-day retreat via Zoom: In the Beginning…Coping with Life Alone. This will take place Saturday, June 28, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. For information or to register call Jim at (845) 220-7883 or Denise at (845) 325-3147.
CATHOLIC CAMPING RETREATS
A couple Baraga Youth Fraternity camping retreats for boys ages 12-16 are happening in late July and August (yoopercatholic.org/camping). The annual Catholic Summer Camp is also taking place July 21-24 at Clear Lake (yoopercatholic.org/camp).
2025 PARISH ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT (PAAR)
The 2025 Parish Annual Administrative Report will be available online on the Diocesan website on June 30, 2025. An email will also be sent to all parishes with the link to the report. PAAR submissions will be due to the Diocese by Sept. 30, 2025. Please contact Sara Shusta with questions on PAAR submission requirements or for general form assistance. The PAAR is a completely separate report from the PAFR (Parish Annual Financial Report).
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
TEACHER CONTRACTS
All teacher contracts for the 2025-26 school year should be turned into the Catholic Schools Office, attention Sara Shusta by July 20, 2025. Please send the originals to: 1004 Harbor Hills Dr., Marquette, MI 49855. The originals will be signed by the Director of Schools, scanned, and returned to the school.
EVALUATIONS AND SEPARATION FORMS
Teacher evaluations are due to the Catholic Schools Office, attention Jessica Betz as soon as possible. Any staff members leaving at the end of the school year must also have a separation form completed and sent to the Catholic Schools Office.
Communication Services
John Fee
NEW WEBPAGE TO WATCH LIVESTREAMS AND VIDEOS
Watch livestreams and archived videos of the recent ordinations, Masses and other events from St. Peter Cathedral on the new diocesan webpage, https://www.dioceseofmarquette.org/livestream. Generally, livestreams are archived within 30 minutes of ending. That will be the most reliable place to see the ordinations, which we will keep archived for at least three months.
CORPUS CHRISTI EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION PHOTOS
Parishes: If your parish is holding a Corpus Christi procession, you may send photos to news@dioceseofmarquette.org for potential publication in The U.P. Catholic or in other diocesan media including social media.
THE U.P. CATHOLIC CENTENARIAN CORNER
Attention Parishes: Do you have a parishioner who recently celebrated their 100th birthday? Send their name and a photo of their celebration to news@dioceseofmarquette.org for possible publication in a future issue of The U.P. Catholic’s Centenarian Corner and in other diocesan media including social media.
PARISHIONER ADDRESS CHANGES
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 Parish Member Change Form to submit address changes. Thank you!
NEWS TO SHARE
Please remember to contact the Diocesan Communications Staff at news@dioceseofmarquette.org if your parish/school is celebrating any major milestones, events, missions or outreach in 2025.
Financial Services
Timothy Thomas
DIOCESAN OFFICE SUMMER HOURS
The diocesan offices will be changing business hours for the months of June, July, and August. The Diocese will be open for summer hours Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with offices closed on Fridays. Summer hours will continue through Labor Day and regular diocesan office hours will resume Sept. 2, 2025.
2025 PARISH ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (PAFR)
The 2025 Parish Annual Financial Report will be available online on the Diocesan website at dioceseofmarquette.org/parish-annual-financial-report on June 15, 2025. Please be sure to include prior-year Statements of Financial Position/Balance Sheets, Statements of Revenue & Expense/Income Statements, and current-year budget attachments with each parish submission using the recommended statement format. PAFR submissions will be due to the Diocese by Aug. 31, 2025. Please contact Irene McCauley with questions on PAFR submission requirements or for general form assistance.
2025-2026 PROTECTED LOSS ACTIVITIES FUND (PLAF) PREMIUMS AND ANNUAL PAYMENT REMINDERS
As a reminder, the diocese will bill parishes and schools for annual 2025-2026 Protected Loss Activities Fund (PLAF) services premiums in September 2025. PLAF risk reduction activities cover the costs of parish and school audits, legal expenses, and other risk-mitigating services provided by the Diocese and are separate from Risk Management services invoiced by Michigan Catholic Conference. Please refer to Addendum #1 for background on insurance billing changes as well as a detailed list of PLAF costs to parish units in fiscal year 2025-2026. If you have any questions concerning this change, please contact Tim Thomas.
PARISH INCORPORATION ANNUAL MEETING AND CORPORATE REPORTING REMINDER
Parish corporations are required to hold an annual meeting of the Board of Directors. We recommend that pastors hold these meetings between July 1 and Sept. 15, 2025. Diocesan staff will provide meeting agenda and minutes templates and other relevant meeting materials to pastors and parish staff later this month to assist in preparations for annual board meetings. Please send copies of the final minutes from your second annual board meeting(s) to the diocesan office by Sept. 30, 2025. If you have any questions concerning the annual Board meetings, please contact Tim Thomas or Irene McCauley for additional assistance.
Parish corporations must also file an annual report to the State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) before Oct. 1, 2025. This brief report must be completed online using LARA’s Corporations Online Filing System platform and must be filed with a $20 fee payable to the State of Michigan. Please look out for detailed instructions from diocesan staff later this month. If you have any questions about annual corporate reporting filings, please contact Irene McCauley.
2025 ANNUAL CATHOLIC ENDOWMENT FUND FINANCIAL REPORT
Parishes and schools with endowment funds outside the Upper Peninsula Catholic Foundation must complete the Annual Catholic Endowment Fund Financial Report by Sept. 30, 2025. Annual Catholic Endowment Fund Financial Reports are intended to summarize fund activities for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025. Parishes and schools must also include copies of financial statements and meeting minutes with each report submission. For questions concerning this report, please contact Tim Thomas.
2025 PARISH GOVERNANCE REPORT
The Parish Governance Report is due Sept. 30, 2025 and has been included in Addendum #2. Please also see Addendum #3 for an optional financial report to parishioners, provided as a template for parish use. Completed Governance Reports or questions should be sent directly to Irene McCauley.
SECRETARY AND BOOKKEEPERS WORKSHOP – OCT. 7, 2025
Please plan to join us this coming fall for the Annual Secretary & Bookkeepers Workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 for a day of education and fellowship. This year it is being held at St. Peter Cathedral, 311 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette. More information will be sent out soon. You can check out the website at any time for last year’s workshop information and for this year’s upcoming details. We hope to see you there! Thanks for all you do.
DIOCESAN DIRECTORY CHANGES
There have been several changes in diocesan staff in the last year. Please refer to the Diocesan Directory for updated contact information. This can be found on the diocesan website at https://dioceseofmarquette.org/contactus.
Department of
Stewardship & Development
Megan O'Connor
ASK BISHOP JOHN DOERFLER TO PRAY FOR YOU
A direct mailing from Bishop John Doerfler will be sent to all registered households in mid-June. In fulfilling one of his primary duties—praying for the people of the Diocese of Marquette—Bishop Doerfler invites parishioners to share their personal prayer intentions.
Returned prayer cards will be kept in his private chapel, where he will pray for your intentions throughout the coming year. You may also submit your prayer requests online here: Prayer Intention Card Link
LEGACY OF FAITH NEWS & DEADLINES
- Due June 30, 2025: Faith Formation 2024-2025 Grant Evaluations. If you received an LOF grant last year, please submit your evaluations. Click here to complete your grant evaluation. If you could not use all or part of your grant, please contact Megan for further instructions.
- Due June 15, 2025: Catholic School 2024-2025 Grant Report. Click here to complete your report.
- New Grant Awards: Thank you to everyone who submitted applications for the Faith Formation grants. Award notification emails have now been sent. If you haven't received a notification, please reach out to us.
Grant payments will be disbursed in July, and an updated list of recipients will be posted on the UPCF/LOF website later this month.
SHARE YOUR PHOTOS WITH THE STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT!
The Stewardship and Development Department is seeking high-quality photos for use in various publications. If you have photos from your parish that you’d like to share, we’d love to include them in future materials such as UPCSA, annual reports, social media graphics, and more. Please submit your photos here:
https://www.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/parish-photo-share
https://www.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/parish-photo-share
COLLECTION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please see the Diocesan Collection Schedule for 2026 here:
dioceseofmarquette.org/administration-finance. If you have any questions about the 2025 or 2026 Collection Schedule, please contact Megan O’Connor at (906) 379-5057 or moconnor@dioceseofmarquette.org.
National Church Combined Collection – Aug. 9-10, 2025
All parishes in the Diocese of Marquette will take up the 2025 National Church Collection on Aug. 9-10, 2025. The National Church Collection supports the following outreach ministries: the National Retirement Fund for Religious, the Archdiocese of Military Services, and the Catholic University Collection. Parish bookkeepers are advised to divide unspecified National Church fund donations evenly between the three individual collections using the Collection Counting Sheet. Bookkeepers may then complete their Combined Collection Transmittal forms to include with their payment to the Diocese. These collection resources can be found at dioceseofmarquette.org/forms. Please make out checks to “Diocese of Marquette-National Church Collection.”
Please see the Bulletin Announcements section for an announcement that can be placed in your parish bulletins to promote this collection. We appreciate your attention to this important matter.
COLLECTION REMITTANCE DEADLINES
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 Megan O’Connor at (906) 379-5057 or moconnor@dioceseofmarquette.org with questions regarding parish remittance deadlines.
The Marquette Diocesan Priest Retirement (Good Shepherd Sunday) Collection was held on May 11. Please remit funds to the Diocese by June 15, 2025. We thank you for your generous support of the retired priests of the Diocese of Marquette!
The World Church Collection was held on June 8. Please remit funds to the Diocese by July 31, 2025. We thank you for your generous support of the Catholic Relief Services Overseas Fund, Holy Land & National Communications Collections, Peter’s Pence Collection, and Diocesan Missionary Collection.
STEWARDSHIP E-NEWS
Check out the latest issue of the Stewardship E-News here. Don’t forget to invite your parishioners to subscribe using this link: Stewardship E-News Subscription. We respect your privacy and will not share subscriber emails outside our organization.
Bishop Baraga Association
Lenora McKeen
95TH ANNIVERSARY
The Bishop Baraga Association is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year, and we invite you to join us! To commemorate this special occasion, we are offering a limited-time brick special for just $95. These bricks will be placed in the Prayer Gardens at the Baraga Educational Center and Museum in the spring of 2026.
You can inscribe words of wisdom, honor someone special, memorialize a loved one, or show your support for Bishop Frederic Baraga with your brick purchase. Each brick measures 4×8 inches and includes three lines with a maximum of 14 characters per line, plus the option to include symbols.
Purchases can be made online at https://bishopbaraga.org/bba-brick-program/ or using the printed form below. If you have any questions, please call the Bishop Baraga Association at (906) 227-9117. *Please note that this offer is valid until Sept. 30, 2025.
We also invite you to visit the Baraga Educational Center and Museum, located at 615 S. Fourth Street, Marquette, just two blocks from St. Peter Cathedral. Take a tour of Bishop Baraga's historic home, explore the museum, and stroll through our Prayer Gardens. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome!
ANNUAL BARAGA DAYS EVENT
Save the date for the Annual Baraga Days event on Aug. 29-30, 2025, in the Copper Country Area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (L’Anse, Assinins, Houghton/Hancock & Eagle Harbor). This two-day event will include Evening Vespers, Native American drumming, a tour of the Assinins Cemetery, annual banquet and more! Find the full schedule of events at https://bishopbaraga.org/baraga-days-2025/ and in the upcoming edition of the Baraga Bulletin. Please note that reservations are required for the Saturday banquet.
Bulletin Announcements
This collection supports three vital ministries:
- National Retirement Fund for Religious
The National Retirement Fund for Religious supports elderly and infirm Catholic religious brothers, sisters, and priests in the United States. The funds help provide for their retirement, healthcare, and daily needs, ensuring they can live in comfort after years of service to the Church and society. To learn more, visit retiredreligious.org.
- Catholic University Collection
The Catholic University Collection supports The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. The funds help provide scholarships, financial aid, and support for the university's mission to provide a strong academic foundation rooted in Catholic values, serving students and the Church's future leaders. To learn more, visit collection.catholic.edu.
- Archdiocese for the Military Services
The Archdiocese for the Military Services Collection supports the pastoral care and spiritual needs of Catholics serving in the U.S. military, as well as veterans and their families. Funds help provide Mass, sacraments, and religious support for military personnel, both at home and abroad, ensuring they receive spiritual care while serving. To learn more, visit milarch.org.
Your generous support helps sustain these important missions of the Church. Thank you!
Addenda
Addendum #1 - MEMO 2025-2026 Unit Billing Amounts for Protected Loss Activities Fund
Addendum #2 - Governance Report
Addendum #3 - Parish Annual Financial Report Summary for Parishioners
