[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23327]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MARQUETTE

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                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Catholic Diocese 
of Marquette, which celebrates its sesquicentennial this weekend. The 
Diocese of Marquette enjoys a rich and storied history that stretches 
back into the earliest days of the U.P.'s settlement. In many ways, the 
story of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is deeply intertwined with the 
history of the Diocese of Marquette.
  Even before the Catholic Diocese and before the United States was a 
nation, Catholicism played an integral role in the settlement of the 
U.P. As early as the 1600s, Jesuit missionaries from France began 
spreading the Gospel to natives of the Upper Peninsula. In 1641, Saint 
Isaac Jogues was the first to offer Mass in America's third oldest 
city, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
  In 1668 missionary Jacques Marquette, for whom the Upper Peninsula's 
largest city is named, became the first resident pastor to the Chippewa 
and Sault Indian tribes. For nearly 350 years, the Jesuits remained a 
constant presence in the region.
  Father Frederic Baraga settled in L'Anse in 1843 and devoted the rest 
of his life to spreading the Word. The present-day Diocese of 
Marquette, encompassing all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, was 
declared a Vicariate Apostolic within the ecclesiastic Province of 
Cincinnati in 1853. In 1857 it was established by Pope Pius IX as the 
Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, and the saintly Father Baraga was named 
its first bishop.
  Bishop Baraga moved from his missionary efforts at L'Anse to Sault 
Ste. Marie to carry out his new mission. Unfortunately, Sault Ste. 
Marie was located 230 miles from L'Anse and Father Baraga found the 
location too remote of a location to effectively reach the residents of 
the U.P. In 1865, the seat of the diocese was moved to Marquette, 
Michigan. At that time, the name was changed to the Diocese of Sault 
Ste. Marie and Marquette. In 1937, the Diocese assumed its current 
title, the Diocese of Marquette.
  Throughout the 20th century Bishop Baraga's successors strived to 
continue building the church as they increased the number of parishes, 
missions and Catholic schools throughout the diocese, and encouraged 
involvement from the laity.
  By 1953 when the Diocese celebrated its 100th anniversary of being 
named a vicariate apostolic, the Diocese had grown significantly. At 
that time the U.P. Diocesan clergy numbered 143. The Diocese 
encompassed 96 parishes, 42 chapels and 38 missions. The Diocese had 
six high schools and 28 grade schools. A Centennial Mass was held 
August 30 at Memorial Field in Marquette and seven additional 
observances were held in various regions of the U.P. in September and 
October 1953.
  Madam Speaker, the Diocese of Marquette remains today a church that 
is intrinsically linked to the spirit of the Upper Peninsula. It 
remains a church that actively evangelizes and spreads the Word of the 
Lord. The Diocese continues to minister to the poor and care for the 
weak and infirm. My hometown church, the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in 
Menominee, Michigan resides in the Diocese of Marquette. A prayer we 
say there reflects well the history, spirit and sentiment of the 
Diocese of Marquette. It reads:

       May the power and love of Jesus transform our families
       Our neighborhoods, our society and all nations
       By becoming a welcoming, forgiving people.
       May we let our faith shine on the world around us,
       Radiating the love of Jesus
       By the everyday way we speak, think and act.
       This we ask in Jesus Name. Amen

  Madam Speaker, 150 years since its founding by Bishop Frederic 
Baraga, the Diocese of Marquette remains a steady bastion of Catholic 
faith in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Just as the Diocese guided the 
U.P.'s settlement, it continues to today to serve the residents of the 
Upper Peninsula.
  Madam Speaker, this Sunday the Diocese of Marquette celebrates 150 
years of service to the people of the Upper Peninsula and 150 years of 
worship. 2,000 Catholics from throughout the U.P. and 10 Catholic 
bishops from across the Midwest are expected to attend. Residents of 
the U.P., of all faiths will come together--to celebrate this historic 
milestone--and to honor Catholicism in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 
I would ask, Madam Speaker, that you and the entire U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in paying homage to the Catholic Diocese of 
Marquette, the clergy who have served there and the many parishioners--
past and present--who make up this Diocese, rich in history, rich in 
faith and rich in the Lord's spirit.

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