Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette

Diocese of Marquette Dioecesis Marquettensis
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Marquette
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Counties of Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of Detroit
Metropolitan	Marquette, Michigan
Population - Catholics	68,360
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	January 3, 1937
Cathedral	St. Peter Cathedral
Patron saint	St. Peter
Current leadership
Pope	Benedict XVI
Bishop	Alexander King Sample Bishop of Marquette
Metropolitan Archbishop	Allen Henry Vigneron Archbishop of Detroit
Map
Website
dioceseofmarquette.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette is a suffragan diocese of the Roman rite, encompassing all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the ecclesiastical province of the Archbishop of Detroit. It encompasses an area of 16,281 square miles (42,152 square kilometers). Its cathedral is St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette, which replaced Holy Name of Mary Pro-Cathedral at Sault Ste. Marie.

As of 2000^[update], the number of registered Catholics in the diocese was 65,500. Fifty-eight diocesan priests and 11 religious were serving the people at 74 parishes and 23 missions. There were 10 parish grade schools. Sixty-three women religious were also in service to the diocese.

History

This diocese was originally established as the Vicariate Apostolic of Upper Michigan on July 29, 1853, formed by a division of the Diocese of Detroit. The Vicarate Apostolic of Upper Michigan was raised to the status of a Diocese as the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie on January 9, 1857. On January 3, 1937 the See city was transferred to Marquette, and the Diocese was renamed the Diocese of Marquette. The Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie is now maintained as a titular see.

Ordinaries

The ordinary of the Diocese of Marquette is a bishop whose episcopal see is located at Cathedral of Saint Peter in Marquette.

The Diocese has had twelve bishops:

• Most Rev. Ireneus Frederic Baraga (1853–1868)
• Most Rev. Ignatius Mrak (1868–1879)
• Most Rev. John Vertin (1879–1899)
• Most Rev. Frederick Eis (1899–1922)
• Most Rev. Paul Joseph Nussbaum (1922–1935)
• Most Rev. Joseph Casimir Plagens (1935–1940)
• Most Rev. Francis Joseph Magner (1940–1947)
• Most Rev. Thomas Lawrence Noa (1947–1968)
• Most Rev. Charles Salatka (1968–1977)
• Most Rev. Mark Francis Schmitt (1978–1992)
• Most Rev. James Henry Garland (1992–2005)
• Most Rev. Alexander King Sample (2005–present)

Alexander King Sample was appointed bishop on December 13, 2005 at the age of 45, and was installed as Bishop on January 25, 2006.

References

• Diocese Of Marquette
• Catholic Hierarchy: Diocese of Marquette
• GigaCatholic
•  "Diocese of Marquette". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 

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  St. Peter Cathedral

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  Holy Name of Mary Pro-Cathedral