Most ReverendJohn F. Doerfler, STD, JCL

Bishop of Marquette

Thank you for supporting the Upper Peninsula Cath-olic Services Appeal (UPCSA)! This newsletter tells a few stories of how your past generosity to UPCSA was transformed into direct ministry to people in our diocese. Transforming Fire is taken from my pastoral plan for evangelization for our diocese. The first part of the plan focuses on personal encounter and prayer. The foundation for the formation of a Spirit-filled evange-lizer is our personal encounter with Jesus Christ. UPCSA funds life-changing Catholic ministries that nurture personal encounter. It is in our personal encounter with Jesus Christ that we discover a personal relationship with him is the true source of our happiness. Please pray and ask God how he would like you to give generously.

“We encountered Jesus through foster care by sharing in the joys and sufferings of the children each day,” said Breanna Jurkovich. Breanna and her husband, Jay, recently adopted two foster children. “We truly are able to see and experience the Corporal Works of Mercy through this process. We see Jesus’ face in each of the children, who are in need of love, mercy and healing.There is a growing demand for adoption and foster care services in the U.P. Some of the demand is relat-ed to the increase in substance abuse and addiction. Like the rest of the country, the U.P. has experienced a significant surge in addiction and drug-related overdoses and deaths since 2015. Correspondingly, the cases of child abuse and neglect have also risen.  Catholic Social Services of the UP (CSSUP) is serving more children impacted by addiction. CSSUP works with the courts to advocate for the rights of these children. The agency restores hope and attempts to rebuild families impacted by addiction. The agency is committed to respond to the needs of the poor and the poor in spirit with the love of God through Jesus Christ. “We specifically had a few children who came to our home experiencing difficult family situations and with us being foster parents, it gives us the opportunity to bring these children to Jesus, to show them they are valued, wanted, and worthy of Christ’s love,” said Breanna. “Children who come to our home are able to experience daily prayer together as a family.”When you give to UPCSA, you support adoption and foster care services of CSSUP. You make it possi-ble for families like the Jurkovich’s to bring great hope and healing into the lives of foster children.

EvangelizationThe Growing Impact of Diocesan Social Media On the Faithful

While the diocesan communications department may be best known for The U.P. Catholic newspa-per (www.upcatholic.org), it also is front and center in the important realm of social media. Regu-lar updates are posted through Facebook (www.facebook.com/theupcatholic), Twitter (@TheUP-Catholic) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/theupcatholic). The YouTube channel, featuring video of speakers, diocesan events, select homilies and more, has recently reached a milestone. Since 2012, more than one million minutes of video have been viewed through the channel. In the days around the Triduum this year, about 40,000 minutes of video were viewed – mostly previous years’ homilies, Masses and liturgies.Videos include a range of subjects such as the ordination of Father Dustin Larson, the 350th anni-versary of Holy Name of Mary Parish in Sault Ste. Marie, talks by Mother M. Assumpta Long OP and John Martignoni. To watch the videos, visit www.youtube.com/theupcatholic. You may also subscribe to receive notifications when new video is uploaded.

Catholic Social ServicesAdoptive Family Encounters Jesus in Foster Care

/theupcatholic /theupcatholic @theupcatholic

Your UPCSA Gifts at Work

Breanna and Jay Jurkovich of All Saints Parish, Gladstone with their adopted children Brody (age 3) and Lucas (age 6).

Bishop John’s vision for evangelization is to allow the Holy Spirit to form each of us into a Spirit-filled evangelizer. There are many steps in pursuit of this lofty vision.

The diocesan Department of Evangelization & Education, which receives funding from UPCSA, assists parishes with the development of their parish evangelization plans. Rele-vant resources, workshops, sharing of parish best practices and hands-on assistance is available.

St. Michael parish in Marquette is one of many parishes that has enthusiastically embraced the process. The diocesan Department of Evangelization & Education facilitated workshops in all vicariates to support pastors and parish teams in the early stages of formation of their parish evangelization plans.

The St. Michael leadership team had some groundwork to do before their plan began to take shape. The team meets every other week. “Our meetings changed from ‘all business’ to getting to know one another more personally. We needed to build trust and a better rela-

tionship with our pastor,” said team member, Rob Noel. The team sought input during several parish-wide meetings. Small group work helped a broader parishioner base to buy into the process by generating ideas and developing consensus on which ideas to put into action.

Now the parish has a clear plan to improve personal encounter and prayer. The leadership team looks forward to doing some things a bit different to achieve this outcome. “We will discontinue our parish Thanksgiving dinner, which has been a lot of work

and angst, and put our energy into the men’s and women’s days of reflection, which have been easy to plan and well received by parishioners,” said team member Cindy Ampe.

Education & FormationHow Our Bishop’s Vision for Evangelization

Is Energizing One ParishJim and Michelle Rivard of Cornell have always prayed for their children’s vocations. “As the children grew, we saw blessings of them embracing their Catholic faith. To what-ever God called them, we supported and encouraged them to follow Him,” said Michelle. By the grace of God, two of the Rivard children, Ben and Tyler are currently seminarians for the Diocese of Marquette.  

The cost of a seminary education, like many private colleges, is steep.  While Ben and Tyler are required to pay a significant portion of the cost of college, the diocese, through UPCSA and other donations, covers close to half of their costs.

Once seminarians complete a bachelor’s degree, the diocese pays the total seminarian education expenses for the extended degree required. As seminarians, these men give their time and talent to serving. They are committed full time to formation, and as such, really cannot work for an income, as many college students do. “Without gener-ous support, this would not be easy or possible.  As a family, we are extremely thankful,” said Michelle.

Vocations & Pastoral OutreachHow UPCSA Helps the Rivard Family

Support Two Sons in Seminary

your parish and volunteer tohelp with your parish appeal

CALL

us if you have questions about supporting the Diocese of Marquette

today or in the future. Phone 1/800/562-9745 #108

or 906/227-9108.

CONTACT

www.dioceseofmarquette.org/upcsato learn more

VISIT

using the enclosed pledge card.It’ll give your parish a jump start

on its UPCSA goal! Or,

GIVE EARLY

when you receive UPCSA informationfrom your parish.

GIVE LATER

Safe & Secure online giving. Make a one-time gift or set up

recurring monthly gifts.

ONLINE GIVING

The Amazing Parish Leadership teamat St. Michael, Marquette

Two of the 10 Rivard children are seminariansfor the Diocese of Marquette.

CounselingFoster Care Adoption

Alpha Omega House I and II

Seminarian EducationCatholic Campus Ministry

Permanent DiaconateMarriage Tribunal

Evangelization Pastoral Outreach

Education & Formation Catholic Social Services

Bishop’s MinistryDivine Worship

Communications MinistryDonations to world Catholic causes

Catechetical Formation Youth & Young Adult Ministry

Marriage & Family LifeCatholic Schools

21%

30% 16%

33%