, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (2010)|340x340px
Early years 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. The first resident pastor in the Upper Peninsula was the French missionary
Jacques Marquette, who arrived in 1668.
Pope Gregory XVI formed the Diocese of Detroit in 1833, covering the entire Michigan Territory.
Frederic Baraga settled at
L'Anse in 1843, after forming Catholic missions in
Wisconsin.
Founding of the Diocese In 1853,
Pope Pius IX created the
Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan, removing its territory from the Diocese of Detroit. In 1857, the pope converted the vicariate into the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and named Baraga as its first bishop. 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.
Sharing of See with Marquette 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,
Ignatius Mrak was named as bishop of Sault Saint Marie and Marquette by
Pope Pius IX. 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. 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. In 1874, Mrak placed a church in Hancock under
interdict after the congregation refused to accept their new pastor. 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, John Kenny. 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. After 20 years as bishop, Vertin died in 1899.
20th Century In 1899,
Frederick Eis was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette by
Pope Leo XIII. 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. He was known for helping prospective seminarians and women wanting to join
religious orders. 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. Auxiliary Bishop
Joseph C. Plagens from the Archdiocese of Detroit replaced Nussbaum in 1935. In 1937, the pope suppressed the title of Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette, erecting the Diocese of Marquette in its place. In 1940,
Pope Pius XII named Plagens as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and replace him in Marquette with
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. Facing a large financial deficit, Salatka was forced to close two-thirds of the diocesan schools. 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.
Present 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. Garland retired in 2005. In 2005,
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. 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 needed to "repent" before they could receive
baptism, confirmation, or
communion. It was believed to be the first diocese in the United States to adopt such a policy. As of 2025, Doerfler is the bishop of Marquette.
Sex abuse In 1987, Terrence Healy, pastor of St. John 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-a-half years in prison. He was laicized in 1992. In 2002, Bishop Garland confronted another priest, Raymond Hoefgen, with allegations from two sisters. The women said 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. In May 2021, he was sentenced to at least eight years in prison. == Churches ==