Message from Bishop John
November 2025
CAROL BEAUCHAMP | COURTESY PHOTO
St. Joseph in Perkins is surrounded by fall colors and pumpkins decorating the parish sign in 2023.
Make Every Day Thanksgiving Day
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Later this month, we celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving, and before I reflect on the importance of giving thanks, allow me to digress and share my turkey recipe with you. It is really simple. I made it as an experiment one Thanksgiving, and now it is the only way I cook turkey.
Ingredients:
1 turkey
Enough lemons to stuff the turkey
Salt
Pepper
Thyme leaves
Directions: Rub the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper to taste and a GENEROUS amount of thyme leaves. Quarter the lemons and stuff the turkey full with the lemons. Put the turkey breast side down in a large roasting pan. The turkey is self-basting when cooked breast side down. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees when you put the turkey in the oven. Bake until done. Enjoy with family and friends.
Now that our thoughts are centered on the holiday, let us remember to thank God for the many blessings that he bestows upon us. In fact, we should really make every day a Thanksgiving Day. Our Lord suffered and died for us and rose again for the forgiveness of sins. He gives himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. Each day, he blesses us more than we can imagine.
Gratitude enlarges our heart. Complaining shrinks our heart. We all have “bad days” when our mood might turn sour due to difficulties and disappointments. By giving thanks, a sour mood can change into a sweet mood. It is hard to remain downcast if our hearts are filled with gratitude. God’s goodness to us is beyond measure. Let us make every day Thanksgiving Day.
Sincerely in Christ,
+Most Reverend John Doerfler
Bishop of Marquette
The Anchor of Hope podcast new episode:
"Hope and Happiness"
Do you want to be happy? Of course!
Find out how happiness is tied to meaning and purpose and hope in the third episode of The Anchor of Hope podcast, released on Nov. 6, 2025.
The show is available on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora and more. Be sure to follow or subscribe to the podcast feed on your app of choice to be notified of new episode releases. New episodes of the podcast will be released on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
The logo for Bishop John Doerfler’s podcast titled “The Anchor of Hope." Bishop Doerfler co-hosts the podcast with Hattie Hanold. The podcast is distributed to multiple websites and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.
