About Diocese of Marquette
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette (Latin: Diœcesis Marquettensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church covering Michigan's entire Upper Peninsula — all 15 counties above the Mackinac Bridge — an area of roughly 16,281 square miles. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Detroit, with its mother church being St. Peter Cathedral in the city of Marquette. Founded by Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga, the 'Snowshoe Priest,' the diocese traces its origins to the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan erected by Pope Pius IX on July 29, 1853, and today is led by its 13th bishop, John F. Doerfler (installed 2014).
- Bishop
- John F. Doerfler
- Established
- 1853
- Cathedral
- St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette, Michigan
- Territory
- All 15 counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft — roughly 16,281 square miles.
- Parishes
- 74 parishes and 23 missions (as of 2000)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Ecclesiastical Province of Detroit)
History of the Diocese of Marquette
The Catholic faith arrived in the Upper Peninsula with 17th-century Jesuit missionaries — St. Isaac Jogues offered the first known Mass at Sault Ste. Marie in 1641, and Fr. Jacques Marquette became the first resident pastor in 1668. Nearly two centuries later, Pope Pius IX erected the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan on July 29, 1853, naming the Slovenian-born missionary Fr. Frederic Baraga as vicar apostolic. The vicariate was raised to the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie on January 9, 1857, with Baraga as its first bishop. The see was renamed the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette in 1865 and finally, on January 3, 1937, the Diocese of Marquette, with the episcopal see permanently fixed in Marquette. Through industrial boom, immigration waves, and steady contraction of the Upper Peninsula's population, the diocese has retained its full 15-county territory without ever spawning a daughter see.
- Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan erected July 29, 1853
- Elevated to Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie, January 9, 1857
- Renamed Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette, October 23, 1865
- Renamed Diocese of Marquette, January 3, 1937
- Metropolitan province moved to Detroit, May 22, 1937
Bishop Frederic Baraga — Founder and Venerable
Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (1797–1868) was a Slovenian-born missionary who arrived in North America in 1830 and spent nearly four decades evangelizing the Great Lakes region. He founded a mission at L'Anse in 1843 and earned the nickname 'the Snowshoe Priest' for traveling hundreds of miles each winter on snowshoes. He was consecrated bishop on November 1, 1853, in Cincinnati's St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, and served until his death on January 19, 1868, in Marquette. Pope Benedict XVI declared him Venerable on May 10, 2012; his cause for canonization is now before the Holy See. Baraga is buried in a chapel at St. Peter Cathedral. A county, a town, and a statue overlooking Keweenaw Bay near L'Anse all bear his name.
- Author of an Ojibwe dictionary, grammar, and approximately 100 Catholic hymns in Ojibwe
- Declared Venerable May 10, 2012
- Built St. Peter's Church in Marquette (cornerstone 1864)
- Founded mission at L'Anse (1843) and orphanage at Assinins (1860)
St. Peter Cathedral — Mother Church
St. Peter Cathedral, located at 311 W. Baraga Avenue in Marquette, is the mother church of the diocese. Bishop Baraga laid its cornerstone in 1864; the original structure was destroyed by arson shortly after Bishop Vertin's consecration in 1879. Vertin rebuilt the cathedral, laying the cornerstone in 1881 and consecrating the new building in 1890. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 and contains Bishop Baraga's burial chapel. The cathedral offers daily Mass, three weekend Masses (Saturday 4:00 pm, Sunday 8:00 am, and Sunday 10:30 am), guided tours, and special devotions throughout the year.
- Address: 311 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855
- Phone: (906) 226-6548
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 pm
- Sunday Masses: 8:00 am and 10:30 am
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012
Parishes and Pastoral Ministry
The diocese organizes its 74 parishes and 23 missions through a Parish Finder on the diocesan website, each parish administered by a pastor/administrator. Catholic life in the Upper Peninsula is shaped by vast distances and small scattered communities — a character inherited from Baraga's missionary frontier. The diocese emphasizes the Eucharist as the source and summit of all parish life and encourages lay involvement and family faith formation.
- 74 parishes and 23 missions (as of 2000)
- Parish Finder available at dioceseofmarquette.org/parishfinder
- Diocesan mission: 'witness to and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ for all people in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan'
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Marquette operates a network of parish schools across the Upper Peninsula using a Catholic, classical approach to education. In 2014 Bishop Doerfler approved the Foundations Document for the Catholic School Curriculum of the diocese. Schools emphasize critical thinking, moral formation, virtue programs, and the development of the whole person — mind, body, and spirit. The Office of Catholic Schools, directed by Dr. Jessica Betz, supports administrators, teachers, and staff in continual growth in classical liberal arts education.
- Catholic, classical curriculum model
- Foundations Document approved by Bishop Doerfler in 2014
- Director of Catholic Schools: Dr. Jessica Betz
Catholic Social Services of the Upper Peninsula
Catholic Social Services of the U.P. (CSSUP), founded in 1915, is the charitable arm of the diocese, providing mental health and addiction counseling, child welfare and adoption services, foster care placement, and residential recovery homes for individuals recovering from chemical and alcohol dependence. The agency operates from offices at 347 Rock Street in Marquette and at additional sites in Iron Mountain and Caspian, and is led by Executive Director Terry Bailey.
- Address: 347 Rock St., Marquette, MI 49855
- Phone: (906) 227-9119
- Website: cssup.org
- Services: mental health counseling, addiction counseling, foster care, adoption, residential recovery
- Executive Director: Terry Bailey
Youth, Family, and Evangelization — Yooper Catholic
Yooper Catholic is the diocesan hub for youth ministry, family evangelization, and young adult outreach. Signature programs include Give Serve Love, a local mission week for students entering 7th through 12th grade that sends teams into the Marquette area for service projects at homes, the Catholic cemetery, the Baraga house, the Jacobetti Home for Veterans, and the Care Clinic pregnancy center. The Foster Experiences initiative designs parish life around four dimensions of discipleship: Prayer, Community, God's Word, and Evangelization.
- Give Serve Love: annual mission week for teens, $30 per student
- Foster Experiences: four dimensions of family discipleship
- Office of Youth Ministry and Office of Evangelization
Diocesan Cemeteries — Holy Cross Cemeteries
The diocesan cemetery system, Holy Cross Cemeteries, is directed by a Diocesan Cemeteries Director and Manager based at the diocesan offices in Marquette. Catholic cemeteries are served across the Upper Peninsula as part of the diocese's pastoral mission to the dead and to grieving families.
- Holy Cross Cemeteries — Diocesan Cemeteries
- Located at diocesan offices, 1004 Harbor Hills Dr., Marquette
Hospital, Elder Care, and Prison Ministry
A diocesan chaplain, currently Neil Newcomb, ministers to the sick in hospitals, residents of elder-care facilities, and inmates in prisons across the Upper Peninsula. This sacramental and pastoral outreach continues the historic mission begun by Bishop Baraga, who himself traversed the region to bring the sacraments to scattered Catholic communities.
- Chaplain of Hospitals, Elder Care and Prison Ministry: Neil Newcomb
- Phone: (906) 360-9178
Diocesan Staff and Offices
The diocesan offices are located at 1004 Harbor Hills Drive, Marquette, MI 49855-8851 (Phone 906-225-1141, Fax 906-225-0437). Bishop John F. Doerfler leads the diocese; the Very Rev. Timothy Thomas serves as Vicar General. Other key offices include Executive Director of Administration & Finance / Human Resources, Vice-Chancellor / Human Resources, the Bishop Baraga Association Executive Director, the Archives Coordinator, and the Bishop Emeritus Garland's administrative assistant. A full staff listing with direct dial extensions is published at dioceseofmarquette.org/staff.
- Bishop: Most Rev. John F. Doerfler
- Vicar General: Very Rev. Timothy Thomas
- Bishop Baraga Association Executive Director: on staff
- Archives Coordinator and Admin. Asst. to Bishop Emeritus Garland
Baraga Association and the Cause for Canonization
The Bishop Baraga Association promotes devotion to Venerable Frederic Baraga and supports his cause for canonization. Baraga was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI on May 10, 2012. The diocese continues to gather testimony and promote his legacy through the association's executive director, who is based at the diocesan offices in Marquette.
- Venerable Frederic Baraga declared May 10, 2012
- Cause for canonization under consideration in Rome
Contact and Visit
The diocesan offices welcome visitors and inquiries. Visitors to the Upper Peninsula are also encouraged to tour St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette, which offers guided tours alongside its regular Mass schedule. Parish contact information, including individual pastor/administrator listings, is available through the Parish Finder at dioceseofmarquette.org/parishfinder.
- Diocese: 1004 Harbor Hills Dr., Marquette, MI 49855-8851 | (906) 225-1141
- St. Peter Cathedral: 311 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855 | (906) 226-6548
- Website: dioceseofmarquette.org
