PARISH INCORPORATION ANNUAL MEETING AND CORPORATE REPORTING REMINDERBishop Doerfler has directed all parish corporations to submit copies of the minutes from parish third annual board meeting(s) and conflict of interest disclosure forms 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. Instructions and additional information about filing this report were provided in early July and have been included in
Addendum #1. If you have any questions about annual corporate reporting filings, please contact Irene McCauley.
2025 PARISH ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (PAFR)PAFR submissions were due to the Diocese by Aug. 31, 2025 and late forms should be submitted as soon as possible. Access to the PAFR form is available on the diocesan website at
Parish Annual Financial Report (PAFR) - Diocese of Marquette - Marquette, MI (dioceseofmarquette.org/parish-annual-financial-report). Please note that submissions must include prior-year Statements of Financial Position/Balance Sheets, Statements of Revenue & Expense/Income Statements, and current-year budget attachments using the recommended statement format. Please contact Irene McCauley with questions on PAFR submission requirements or for general form assistance.
2025 PARISH GOVERNANCE REPORTThe Parish Governance Report is due Sept. 30, 2025 and has been included in
Addendum #2. This annual requirement provides parish and diocesan leadership with a record of its finance council members and meeting dates and ensures that year-end financial statements are made available to parishioners. 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.
2025 ANNUAL CATHOLIC ENDOWMENT FUND FINANCIAL REPORTParishes with endowment funds outside the Upper Peninsula Catholic Foundation must complete the Annual Catholic Endowment Fund Financial Report by Sept. 30, 2025. As with the Parish Annual Financial Report, Annual Catholic Endowment Fund Financial Reports will cover fund activities for the parish fiscal year starting July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025. Parishes must also include copies of financial statements and meeting minutes with each report submission. For questions concerning this report, please contact Tim Thomas.
SECRETARY AND BOOKKEEPERS’ WORKSHOP – OCT. 7, 2025Please 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. The workshop will cover a range of topics including UPCSA campaigning, parish incorporation project updates, financial reporting guidance, common human resources issues, tips and support for eCatholic, PDS, Sage Conversions, Audits, Paycor, FACTS and MCC Platforms. To register for this event, please use the following link:
More information about this year’s event as well as materials from last year’s workshop can be found at
Secretary and Bookkeepers Workshop - Diocese of Marquette - Marquette, MI. We hope to see you there! Thanks for all you do.
REMINDER: INFLATABLES NOT COVERED BY RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAMWith many parish festivals and fundraisers approaching, parishes and schools may be considering a variety of entertainment options. While bounce houses, moon walks, etc. can be a lot of fun, Michigan Catholic Conference's Risk Management Program does not provide insurance coverage should an incident arise from an inflatable. This exclusion also applies to trampolines, dunk tanks, and any other piece of "rebounding equipment." If your parish or school still wants to have one of these items at your event, please be sure to get a certificate of insurance from the third party you're hiring. The requirements for third-party certificates of insurance and use agreement/contract are as follows:
- Minimum $1,000,000 in Liability Coverage
- The certificate explicitly lists the following three entities as Additional Insureds for Liability: the Diocese of Marquette, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, and your parish or school (e.g., All Saints Parish, Gladstone)
- The use agreement/contract does not contain a hold harmless agreement.
SAFETY RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC CHURCHES FROM GALLAGHER BASSETT
Keeping churches safe from dangers such as arson, vandalism, assault, breaking and entering, and theft has never been more important. Gallagher National Risk Control offers practical tips, advice for securing your church site, and security self-inspection checklists in its annual safety bulletin (provided as Addendum #4). Please also find an emergency operations plan and sample emergency action plan included as Addendum #5 and Addendum #6 to this Communicator.
CONTACT DIOCESAN OFFICE TO CONVERT TO SAGE INTACCT ACCOUNTING PLATFORM
Are you interested in improving your bookkeeping processes? Parishes and schools looking to move from PDS to Sage Intacct are encouraged to contact the diocesan office to learn more about the conversion process. Sage Intacct offers powerful features including cloud accessibility, automated processes, enhanced financial efficiency, and at a low cost to parishes and schools. While all parishes and schools will transition to Sage in the coming years, those who want to benefit from the new system early are encouraged to reach out to Karli Lancour to be added to the priority conversion list.