Diocesan Communicator - July 2022
-
-
No. 7/2022
Note: Please contact John Fee at 800-562-9745 ext. 129 for questions/problems regarding receipt of the Diocesan Communicator. The Communicator is available on the Diocesan website at www.dioceseofmarquette.org.
Inside
Office of the Bishop
Prayer Intention Card Mailing from the Bishop
Carmelite Silver Tea, September 17-18, 2022
Teaching the Faith
Weekly Weekend Mass Attendance Counts
Department of Evangelizaton & Education
Fall Confirmation Registration Open
Catechetical Sunday
Communication Services
Diocesan Directory Listing
Milestone Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Diocese website
Financial Services
Professional Services Available for Hiring Assistance Through Administration & Finance Department
Boiler Inspections Notice
Still Time to Submit Employee Retention Tax Credits
National Church Combined Collection – August 13-14, 2022
2022 Parish Annual Financial Report (PAFR)
2022 Parish Governance Report
Standardized Personnel Policy Change Reminder
Good Shepherd Collection Results
Department of Stewardship & Development
#iGiveCatholic 2022 – Save the Dates
Legacy of Faith
Parish Resources
Stewardship E-News
The Quick & Easy Way to Support Your Parish This Summer
Bulletin Announcements
The Quick & Easy Way to Support Your Parish This Summer
National Church Combined Collection – August 13-14th, 2022
Addenda
Addendum #1 – Milestone Wedding Anniversary Registration Form
Addendum #2 – National Church Collection Bulletin Insert
Addendum #3 – Governance Report 2022
Addendum #4 - Complete July Diocesan Communiicator (old-style format)
IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES- 08-13-2022 National Church Collection (Administration & Finance)
- 08-14-2022 National Church Collection (Administration & Finance)
- 08-31-2022 Parish Annual Financial Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
- 09-01-2022 Supplemental Personnel Policy Change Deadline (Administration & Finance)
- 09-30-2022 Parish Governance Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
- 10-25-2022 Parish Governance Report Deadline (Administration & Finance)
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
Bishop John F. Doerfler
PRAYER INTENTION CARD MAILING FROM BISHOP
In mid-June, the annual “Prayer Intention Card” mailing from the Bishop’s Office was direct mailed to all registered households. Helping to fulfill one of his primary obligations, to pray for the people of the Diocese of Marquette, Bishop John Doerfler invites parishioners to send personal prayer requests. Returned prayer cards are kept in his private chapel, where he will pray for the intentions for the next year. Please encourage your parishioners to respond. A bulletin announcement is included for your convenience.
CARMELITE SILVER TEA, SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2022
Each year, the Sisters of the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Holy Cross in Iron Mountain, MI, sponsor the Carmelite Silver Tea, Craft and Bake Sale which is scheduled for SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2022. This year, the event will be hosted by two parishes: St. Mary & St. Joseph, Iron Mountain, and Immaculate Conception, Iron Mountain, and the event will take place at the Monastery of the Holy Cross.
The event will include individually packaged beverages and cookies. The Sisters’ bread will be sold, as well as other items from their gift shop. A silent auction, basket raffle, and other raffle prizes will be available. Raffle tickets may be purchased through your parish.
Bishop John highly encourages your support and participation in the event. The Carmelite prayer and contemplate focus on the welfare and fruitfulness of all those engaged in the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Bishop John asks for your assistance in helping the Carmelites in carrying on their spiritual mission.
TEACHING THE FAITH
The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars has made available to clergy a website featuring a periodic newsletter, free of charge. Each monthly installment of Teaching the Faith makes use of the scriptural readings for a given Sunday in order to provide clergy with assistance in preparing homilies on doctrinal topics, difficult and perhaps controversial subjects of current importance, and themes in Catholic prayer and spirituality. The website may be found at: https://www.catholicscholars.org/TTFlist.php.
WEEKLY WEEKEND MASS ATTENDANCE COUNTS
Please continue to input your weekly weekend Mass attendance counts (for all Vigil and Sunday Masses combined) each week. Bishop John has asked that this be done indefinitely.
The weekly Mass Attendance counts will give us a baseline for our Mass attendance as we work together to increase Mass attendance through evangelization efforts discussed in Bishop John’s Pastoral Letter on Evangelization, entitled: “Transforming Fire: A New Pentecost to form Spirit-Filled Evangelizers”. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Bishop at (906)-227-9115. Weekly Weekend Mass Attendance Counts Form Link.
DEPARTMENT OF EVANGELIZATION & EDUCATION
Mark Salisbury
FALL CONFIRMATION REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Registration for the Fall Confirmations are now open. They are scheduled as follows:
- St. Mary Rockland Vicariate
Registration deadline – August 31
- St. Joseph-St. Patrick Vicariate
Registration Deadline – September 16
- Most Holy Name of Jesus Vicariate
Registration Deadline – September 23
Register by going to: https://form.jotform.com/DioceseofMarquette/FallConf2022
If you have any questions regarding Confirmation, contact Denise Foye, [email protected] or 906-227-9130.
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY
This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 18, 2022 and the theme is "This is my body given for you"-Luke 22:19. Those who the Community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.
The USCCB offers several resources to assist parishes as they acknowledge their catechists and families in this important ministry in the Church. They can be found at https://www.usccb.org/committees/evangelization-catechesis/catechetical-sunday-2022.
COMMUNICATION SERVICES
John Fee
DIOCESAN DIRECTORY LISTING
The U.P. Catholic newspaper is planning to run the Diocesan Directory of Services in the August 19 issue. Please email any changes for your parish’s listing to [email protected]. The master list will be emailed to all pastors and secretaries. Please reference the email for your parish’s listing. Changes are due no later than Friday, Aug. 5.
MILESTONE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Couples celebrating their 25th, 30th, 40th, 45th, 50th or above anniversaries, as well as newlyweds are invited along with their families to the annual Milestone Wedding Anniversary Celebration. Golden anniversary couples are additionally invited to submit information and photos for publication in The U.P. Catholic newspaper. The celebration will be at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, beginning with Mass at 3:30 p.m. ET. Please see Addendum #1 for the registration form.
DIOCESAN WEBSITE
The Diocese is moving forward with eCatholic for its new website. Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated. Please send your feedback to [email protected].
FINANCIAL SERVICES
TIMOTHY THOMAS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR HIRING ASSISTANCE THROUGH ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Parishes and schools are encouraged to contact the Administration & Finance department for hiring assistance. The diocese uses Stang Decision Systems to help find the right individuals for open positions. The primary cost of the services are paid by the diocese. Parishes/schools would pay for advertising (beyond free sites) and candidate testing. Stang Decision Systems is a world leader in customized hiring and development processes and helps employers select for targeted skills, aptitude, and cultural fit. Those interested in hiring assistance should contact Tim Thomas at [email protected] or (906) 225-1141, ext. 114.
BOILER INSPECTIONS NOTICE
Effective July 1, 2022, all units in the Diocese of Marquette will be using Chubb for boiler inspections vs. Hartford Steam Boiler. Please take note and accommodate if you are contacted by Chubb for your inspection. Do not schedule inspections with Hartford Steam Boiler. For more information concerning boiler and heating equipment inspections, please contact Joel Ingersoll at (414) 477-0661 or [email protected].
STILL TIME TO SUBMIT EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDITS
If you have not opted into the ERTC automation within Paycor, please stop and read through this message. If you are not sure if you did, please send Brian Locker ([email protected]) at Paycor your Paycor client ID to see if you signed the E-Document and questionnaire needed to start this process.
The enactment of the Employee Retention Tax Credits (ERTC), signed into law by President Trump inside the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allows for Diocese of Marquette to qualify for tax refund money. This is a ONE-TIME tax refund that permanently goes away March 2023. Up to this point, parishes/schools had the opportunity to take advantage of this tax credit for all of 2020 and the first 3 quarters of 2021. However less than 50% of our parishes have opted in. The Diocese of Marquette is not a professional tax organization and cannot assume that role on behalf of its parishes/schools. Paycor is a national payroll provider, but it also cannot provide professional tax advice to its clients. However, in recognizing the need for tax expertise, Paycor has built an automation with HIREtech to provide such services.
Given the complexities involved in these various programs, the skillset needed to successfully navigate the process, and the increased scrutiny that comes with receiving Federal funds, parishes and schools cannot afford to get this wrong. The diocese is opting its parishes into taking advantage of this partnership in order to maximize your ERC refund and to avoid any missteps in working with the various government programs. Should you choose to opt in to this Paycor/HIREtech automation please email Brian Locker ([email protected]) your Paycor client ID. You will need to electronically sign a document as well as complete a 15 questionnaire online.
NATIONAL CHURCH COMBINED COLLECTION - AUGUST 13-14, 2022
All parishes in the Diocese of Marquette will take up the 2022 National Church Collection on August 13-14, 2022. The National Church Collection supports the following outreach ministries to the Universal Church: the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the National Retirement Fund for Religious, and the Catholic University Collection. Parish bookkeepers are advised to divide unspecified National Church fund donations evenly between the three individual collections using the Collection Counting Sheet. Bookkeepers may then complete their Combined Collection Transmittal forms to include with their payment to the Diocese. These collection resources can be found at dioceseofmarquette.org/administrativepolicies under Forms & Resources, then click Combined Collection Transmittal Form. Please make checks out to “Diocese of Marquette-National Church Collection.”
Please see the Bulletin Announcements section for an announcement that can be placed in your parish bulletins to promote this collection. Parishes may also print and use the Addendum #2 National Church Collection flyer as an optional bulletin insert. Please email [email protected] to request a copy of this flyer in JPG format. We appreciate your attention to this very important matter.
2022 PARISH ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (PAFR)
PAFR submissions will be due to the Diocese by August 31, 2022 and must include a Statement of Financial Position/Balance Sheet and Statement of Revenue & Expense/Income Statement attachment for each parish submission. To access Parish Annual Financial Reports, please visit dioceseofmarquette.org/PAFR. Please contact Irene McCauley at [email protected] or at 1-800-562-9745, ext. 135 with questions on PAFR submission requirements or for general form assistance.
2022 PARISH GOVERNANCE REPORT
The Governance Report is due September 30, 2022 and has been included in Addendum #3. Completed reports or questions should be sent directly to Irene McCauley at [email protected] or at 1-800-562-9745, ext. 135.
STANDARDIZED PERSONNEL POLICY CHANGE REMINDER
All parishes and missions are reminded that changes to the supplemental portion of the Standardized Personnel Policy are due to the Diocese by September 1, 2022. Any parishes planning to make changes to benefits administered by Michigan Catholic Conference (including short-term or long-term disability benefits, as well as health, dental, vision, or life insurance coverage) should also contact MCC by no later than September 1st to ensure that these changes are processed for January 1, 2023. Please call 800-395-5565 to report offering changes to MCC Benefits.
If you are unsure whether your parish submitted changes to its supplementary personnel policies, please contact Irene McCauley to verify that your policy was received and approved. All parishes must submit parish supplemental policy drafts to the Diocese before implementing new policies at their parishes. Once the diocesan staff approve supplemental policies, copies will be returned to the parish for approval by the pastor and parish finance council before taking effect.
Parish bookkeepers are also reminded that all parish employees must also sign policy acknowledgment forms to be recorded in employee personnel files.
GOOD SHEPHERD COLLECTION RESULTS
All parishes took up a collection for the St. Joseph Association on May 7-8, 2022, and to date, parishes have reported a total of $45,197 for this annual collection. If you have not yet submitted proceeds from this collection, please do so as soon as possible.
DEPARTMENT OF STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
Rob Taylor
#IGIVECATHOLIC 2022 - SAVE THE DATES- August 16 - Registration Opens (activate your page August 17 – October 31)! Watch for an email to start the registration process. Enter your banking information right away to get verified to receive donations directly to your bank account!
- August 23 - Participate in the Getting Ready for #iGiveCatholic 2022 Webinar – Link Coming Soon!
- November 2 – Registration Closes for participants
- November 14-28 – Advanced Giving Period
- November 29 - #iGiveCatholic 2022
LEGACY OF FAITH
Thank You to all parishes and schools that completed their grant reports from 2021! If your parish was unable to complete its LOF funded program, or submit the evaluation, please contact Ella at [email protected] on how to proceed. Grants awarded for the 2022-2023 grant cycle will be mailed this month.
PARISH RESOURCES
Check out all the stewardship and development resources available to Diocesan parishes on our website: capital campaign basics, increased offertory program, parish planned giving program, sample parish annual stewardship reports, My Catholic Giving Guide and more.
STEWARDSHIP E-NEWS
Click here to see the latest issue. Share in whole or in part on your own parish website, Facebook page, or emails to parishioners. Use this link in emails, your parish bulletin, your website and more to invite your parishioners to subscribe. Use this link: https://dioceseofmarquette.flocknote.com/Stewardship/notes. We do not share subscriber emails outside of our organization.
THE QUICK & EASY WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR PARISH THIS SUMMER
See the bulletin announcement section for a customizable piece for your bulletin, website and social media that reminds people to use parish online giving when their summer travels take them away from the parish.
BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE QUICK & EASY WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR PARISH THIS SUMMER
(Parishes that offer online giving can use this announcement in their bulletin, emails and social media)
Making plans for the summer? Please make sure to plan for your offertory as well! When your summer travels take you away from weekend Masses at (name of parish), online giving lets you continue to support our parish and its many ministries. Sign up from your computer, smartphone or tablet and set up a recurring offertory gift or make a one-time gift. Visit (insert parish website URL) OR, if you are sharing this announcement in an email or social media, insert the direct link to your giving page).
NATIONAL CHURCH COMBINED COLLECTION - AUGUST 13-14, 2022
This collection combines four special causes that aid the Church in America.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
In the United States, one in eight people lives in poverty. With this collection, you support programs that address the root causes of poverty and provide a sustainable future for those struggling across the country. In addition, 25 percent of funds collected remain in our diocese to fund local anti-poverty projects. Last year local grants were given to the St. Francis Connection Center and Catholic Social Services’ Re-entry and Recover Facility in Escanaba. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this collection and those working on the margins. Learn more at: usccb.org/cchd/collection.
National Retirement Fund for Religious
Like many Americans, religious communities face rising retirement and healthcare costs and often struggle to provide for elderly members. Please support the Retirement Fund for Religious collection at Mass. Learn more at: retiredreligious.org.
Catholic University Collection
Your contributions will strengthen the work of our top scholars. Located in Washington D.C., the University provides an education based in Catholic intellectual tradition. Please support this institution in preparing students to impact the Church, the nation, and the world. Learn more at: collection.catholic.edu.
The Archdiocese of Military Services
Every three years, parishes across the diocese take up collections to support the Archdiocese of Military Services. The AMS provides pastoral care to Catholic men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, enrolled at a U.S. Military Academy, being treated as a patient at any of the 153 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, or who work for the federal government beyond U.S. borders - including those from our own parish and diocese. The AMS does not receive any funding from the government or military, and has no parishes from which to receive a weekly assessment. To support the AMS or learn more, visit: https://www.milarch.org/nationalcollection/.
-