According to the Diocese of Marquette Vocations Office, the annual cost to educate a seminarian is about $350K - $450K over 6 to 8 years. This includes providing health insurance for the men, if needed, summer formation, the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF), and internships. 

The cost of educating a seminarian does not include the operating expenses of the vocations office.

The Diocese of Marquette currently has nine men in formation, with three ordinations, God-willing, occurring in the spring of 2026. These include Dcns. Mark Beukema, Drew Langton, and Tyler Rivard. Having nine men in formation costs roughly $450,000 per year. 

Fr. Ben Hasse, Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Marquette, says, “If you want to assist in the education of our seminarians, the first thing you should do is pray. The second thing you can do is give generously to UPCSA." 

"To meet the immediate needs of seminarians and help young men hear the call, a gift to YFS is necessary. And for those wishing to make a long-term impact, donations to the UPCF Seminarian Endowment are meaningful. A permanent endowment of $1M would pay for the education of one seminarian in perpetuity," explains Hasse.

Yoopers for Seminarians has had a most fruitful year. While final numbers had not been tabulated by press time, gifts to YFS will be around $300,000 in 2025, more than doubling the original $150,000 goal. This is made possible in part by two generous gifts: one from a living donor and the other a heartfelt bequest from a parishioner’s will.

Thank you for your continued support of our seminarians.

I'll see you at the Married Couples Retreat next month (see details below)!

Executive Director of Stewardship & Development and U.P. Catholic Foundation, Inc.

Direct line: (906) 379-5057
Email: moconnor@dioceseofmarquette.org

Monica Ashour, founder of the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, will present “Teaching the Theology of the Body to Tots, Tweens, and Teens” on Thursday, March 26, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m at St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette. The Chrism Mass begins at 3:30 p.m. Lunch is included.  All priests, deacons, religious, parish leaders, catechists, teachers, parents, and lay faithful are invited and encouraged to come to this enriching and educational afternoon.  Register at yoopercatholic.org/spring-study-day

Married couples are invited to connect with each other and with the Lord on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Immaculate Conception parish in Iron Mountain. The retreat will feature brief presentations, prayer and Eucharistic Adoration, a fun activity, Mass, a catered dinner, and an evening game competition. A block of hotel rooms is available at the Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn. There will be a Friday night social for those who can come early! Register at yoopercatholic.org/couples.

Support your parish by supporting The U.P. Catholic Newspaper collection on Feb. 14-15. Your donation supports your parish by helping cover its share 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 Marquette Diocesan Catholic Schools collection is on Feb. 18 (Ash Wednesday) or Feb. 21-22 (first Sunday of Lent). Funds from this collection support all 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 osvhub.com/dioceseofmarquette/giving/funds.  We thank you in advance for your generous support of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Marquette!

Legacy of Faith Grant Applications due April 1, 2026

Catholic Service Award Applications due May 1, 2026

You can respond to this email directly (either publicly or privately) by clicking the blue reply button below. We love hearing from you!

Megan O'Connor

Executive Director of Stewardship & Development and U.P. Catholic Foundation, Inc.

Direct line: (906) 379-5057
Email: moconnor@dioceseofmarquette.org

Admin. Asst. to Stewardship & Development and U.P. Catholic Foundation, Inc.
Direct line: (906) 227-9156

Email: wmullettdioceseofmarquette.org