Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette

During the 17th century, present-day Michigan was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec had jurisdiction over the region. The first Catholic Mass in the Upper Peninsula was celebrated in 1641 by French missionary Isaac Jogues, in the area that would later become Sault Sainte Marie.[3]

The first resident pastor in the Upper Peninsula was the French missionary Jacques Marquette, who arrived in 1668.[3] Marquette founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Saite Marie, and later founded St. Ignace, Michigan. Other Jesuits would follow, and maintain a presence throughout the years.

In 1763, the Michigan area became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists. After the American Revolution, the Michigan region became part of the new United States. For Catholics, Michigan was now under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which then comprised the entire country.

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky, with jurisdiction over the new Michigan Territory. In 1821, the pope erected the Diocese of Cincinnati, taking the Michigan Territory from the Diocese of Bardstown.[4]Pope Gregory XVI formed the Diocese of Detroit in 1833, covering the entire Michigan Territory. Reverend Frederic Baraga settled at L'Anse in 1843, after forming Catholic missions in Wisconsin. During this time, he earned the nickname "the Snowshoe Priest" because he would travel hundreds of miles each year on snowshoes during the harsh winters. He would devote the rest of his life to evangelizing in the Upper Peninsula.

In 1853, Pope Pius IX created the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan, removing its territory from the Diocese of Detroit. Four years later, in 1857, the pope converted the Vicarate into to the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and named Baraga as its first bishop.[3]

During this time, the area experienced a population explosion, as European immigrants were attracted to work in the copper and iron mines developed near Houghton, Ontonagon, and Marquette. Baraga had few priests to minister to his diocese, which included Native American inhabitants, French-Canadian settlers, and the new German and Irish immigrant miners.[5] Difficulties in recruiting staff arose because of the many languages used in the diocese; while Baraga spoke eight languages fluently, he had trouble recruiting priests with equal skills.

In 1865, recognizing the population growth in Marquette, the Vatican renamed the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie as the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette. Baraga died in 1868.

In 1868, Reverend Ignatius Mrak was named as bishop of Sault Saint Marie and Marquette by Pope Pius IX.[6] Over the course of his tenure as bishop, the diocese saw slow development. Mrak increased the number of churches from 21 to 27 and the number of priests from 15 to 20.[7] At the same time, a depression in the Copper Country industry lead to a significant decline in the Catholic population. Two prominent schools, one in Sault Ste. Marie and the other in Hancock, Michigan, closed during his first year as bishop.[8] In 1874, Mrak placed a church in Hancock under interdict after the congregation refused to accept their new pastor.[8] Mrak resigned as bishop in 1879.

To replace Mrak, Pope Leo XIII appointed Reverend John Vertin.[9] A few weeks after his consecration, St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette was destroyed by fire. The fire was allegedly an act of arson by some parishioners angry over the removal of the cathedral's pastor, Reverend John Kenny.[10] Vertin rebuilt the cathedral, laying the cornerstone in 1881 and consecrating the new building in 1890. The main altar was a gift from Vertin's father and a side altar was donated by Vertin's brother-in-law.[10] In 1889, Vertin convoked a conference with the diocese's priests, which created an infirm priests' fund and required all Catholic children to attend Catholic school.[8] Over the course of his 20 years as bishop, Vertin oversaw an increase in the diocese's Catholic population from 20,000 to 60,000, the number of churches from 27 to 56, and the number of priests from 20 to 62.[11] After 20 years as bishop, Vertin died in 1899.

In 1899, Reverend Frederick Eis was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette by Pope Leo XIII.[12] During Eis' 23-year tenure as bishop, he led the diocese through the nationalist controversies within the American Catholic community, and founded several charitable institutions and hospitals.[13] He was known for helping prospective seminarians and women wanting to join religious orders.[14] Els retired in 1922 and Bishop Paul Nussbaum of the Diocese of Corpus Christi was appointed as his successor by Pope Pius XI that same year. Nussbaum died in 1935.

Pius IX named Auxiliary Bishop Joseph C. Plagens from the Archdiocese of Detroit to replace Nussbaum in 1935. In 1937, the pope suppressed the title of Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette, erecting the Diocese of Marquette in it's place.[2] In 1938, a transfer of a priest broke into violence. Plagens had ordered the transfer of Reverend Simon Borkowski, pastor of St. Barbara's Parish in Vulcan, Michigan, to a seminary in Wisconsin. However, Borkowski had refused to go, instead remaining inside his church with 20 supporters picketing outside. One day, a group of sixty men arrived at St. Barbara's, pushed past the picketers, and brought Borkowski out of the building. The newly appointed pastor, Reverend Erasmus Dooley, was allowed to enter. However, a group of 100 Borkowski supporters soon arrived and a full-scale brawl erupted. In the end, Dooley left the church and Borkowski re-entered it.[15]

In 1940, Pope Pius XII named Plagens as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and replace him in Marquette with Reverend Francis Joseph Magner from the Archdiocese of Chicago. During his six-year tenure, Magner provided attention to the mission parishes of the diocese, established the diocesan newspaper and created seven catechetical schools.[16] Manger died in 1947. To replace Manger, Pius XII appointed Coadjutor Bishop Thomas Lawrence Noa of the Diocese of Sioux City later in 1947. Noa in 1952 opened the cause, or initiative, for the canonization of Baraga. In 1953, on the 100th anniversary of the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan, a centennial mass was held in Marquette.[3] In 1958, Noa issued a directive that Catholics in his diocese should not attend meetings of Moral Re-armament, an international spiritual association, citing its dangers to Catholic faith. Noa resigned as bishop of Marquette in 1968.

In 1968, Pope Paul VI appointed Auxiliary Bishop Charles Salatka of the Diocese of Grand Rapids as bishop of Marquette .[17] Facing a large financial deficit, Salaka was forced to closed two thirds of the diocesan schools.[18] In 1972, Salatka established a tribunal as a start of the canonization process for Bishop Baraga. Salatka was named by Paul VI as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 1977. To replace Salatka, the pope named Auxiliary Bishop Mark Schmitt of the Diocese of Green Bay as the new bishop of Marquette. As bishop, Schmitt founded the Lay Ministries Leadership School to prepare lay parishioners for leadership roles in parishes. He also create bachelor's and master's degree programs in pastoral studies.[19]

After Schmitt retired in 1992, Pope John Paul II named Auxiliary Bishop James Garland from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the next bishop of Marquette. During this time, the diocese celebrated the Jubilee Year 2000. Events included a diocesan-wide celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Superior Dome in Marquette. At that ceremony, 656 youths received the confirmation. An estimated 2,500 people attended a liturgical celebration in 2000, at the Mattson Lower Harbor Park, also in Marquette.[20] Garland retired in 2005.

In 2005, Reverend Alexander Sample was appointed the twelfth bishop of Marquette by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2012, Sample ordained five seminarians to the diaconate, and ten new subdeacons. These new subdeacons include five from the United States for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.[21][22] In 2013, Pope Francis named Sample as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland. The pope appointed Monsignor John Doerfler of Green Bay as the next bishop of Marquette.

In 2021, the diocese announced a policy that transgender individuals need to "repent" before they can receive baptism, confirmation or communion. It was believed to be the first diocese in the United States to adopt such a policy.[23]

As of 2023, Doerfler is the current bishop of Marquette.

In 1987, Reverend Terrence Healy, pastor of St. John Catholic Church near Hartland, was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct based on accusations from a 15-year-old boy. Healy was convicted and sentenced to four and half years in prison. He was laicized in 1992 by the Vatican. Over the next two decades, the diocese received numerous accusations of sexual abuse by Jacobs from other individuals.[24]

In 2002, Bishop Garland confronted Reverend Raymond Hoefgen with allegations from two sisters. The women claimed that Hoefgen had fondled them during the 1960s when they were eight or nine years old during play wrestling at the children's home. Hoefgen admitted his guilt and was placed under senior priest status with restrictions. The diocese offered to pay for counseling for the victims.[24]

In January 2020, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged former priest Gary Jacobs with eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The investigation showed that in 1982 a priest in the diocese found Polaroid pictures of Jacobs having oral sex with a boy. However, the priest did not report this to the diocese until 1988, when Jacobs was sent away for treatment of alcohol dependency. He never returned to ministry and was laicized by the Vatican in 2010.[24]

In two counties, Jacobs was accused of sexually molesting two teenagers and one child under age 13.[25] In May 2021, Jacobs was convicted in Dickinson County in the first trial and pleaded guilty to charges in the second trial in Ontonagon County. He was sentenced to at least eight to 15 years in prison.[26]

Ireneus Frederic Baraga (1853 to 1868)

1. Ireneus Frederic Baraga (1853 to 1868)
2. Ignatius Mrak (1868 to 1879)
3. John Vertin (1879 to 1899)
4. Frederick Eis (1899 to 1922)
5. Paul Joseph Nussbaum (1922 to 1935)

1. Joseph Casimir Plagens (1935 to 1940)
2. Francis Joseph Magner (1940 to 1947)
3. Thomas Lawrence Noa (1947 to 1968)
4. Charles Salatka (1968 to 1977)
5. Mark Francis Schmitt (1978 to 1992)
6. James Henry Garland (1992 to 2005)
7. Alexander King Sample (2005 to 2013[27])
8. John Francis Doerfler (2014 to present)

• John Stariha, appointed Bishop of Lead in 1902
• Joseph Gabriel Pinten, appointed Bishop of Superior in 1921 and later Bishop of Grand Rapids
• Edmund Szoka, appointed Bishop of Gaylord in 1971 and later Archbishop of Detroit, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, and president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and Governatorate of Vatican City State (elevated to cardinal in 1988)