Bishop Mark Schmitt Funeral Arrangements

The following details were communicated to the diocese by Bishop Sample today:

It is with extreme sadness that I inform you of the death of the Most Reverend Mark Francis Schmitt, Tenth Bishop of Marquette. Bishop Mark Schmitt died December 14, 2011, in DePere, Wisconsin. He was 88 years of age. Requiescat in pace!

The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit and Metropolitan of the Province of Detroit, will celebrate the Funeral Mass on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, at 11:00 AM ET, in St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette, Michigan. Bishop Alexander K. Sample, and Bishop James H. Garland, will concelebrate along with other attending bishops and priests. Deacons in attendance are invited to dress in cassock and surplice and participate in the procession.

The schedule is as follows:
Monday, December 19, 2011:

• The body of Bishop Mark Schmitt will be received in St. Peter Cathedral at 10:00 AM ET by Bishop Alexander Sample, Bishop James Garland and clergy
• The body of Bishop Schmitt will lie in state in the Cathedral from 10:30 AM until 9:00 PM ET
• A rosary will be prayed at 3:00 PM ET
• The Vigil Prayer Service will be celebrated at 7:00 PM ET

Tuesday, December 20, 2011:

• Bishops, Priests and Deacons are invited to pray the Office for the Dead in the Cathedral at 9:30 AM ET prior to the Funeral Mass
• Following the Office for the Dead, Bishops are invited to vest for Mass in the Bishops’ Meeting Room in the Cathedral gathering area
• Priests and Deacons will vest for Mass in the Media Room on the lower level of the cathedral. Priests will vest in diocesan chasubles, but please bring your white diocesan stole in the event that we run short on the number of chasubles
• Knights of Columbus and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre will dress in the Pope John Paul II Meeting Room on the lower level of the Cathedral
• The Rite of Committal will be celebrated in the Cathedral Crypt immediately following Mass

Bishop Mark Schmitt was born on February 14, 1923, in Algoma, Wisconsin. He was the fifth of eight children born to Charles Jerome Schmitt and Anna (Netzer) Schmitt. He is survived by his sister, Marge Schmitt and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bishop Schmitt was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1948, in St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Following his ordination Bishop Schmitt served as pastor in several parishes before being consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay on June 24, 1970. On May 8, 1978, Bishop Mark Schmitt was installed as the Tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette in St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette, Michigan, where he faithfully served the people for 14 years. He retired on November 11, 1992.

Bishop Schmitt was beloved by his brother priests and deacons, his diocesan staff and the people of the diocese. He was a dedicated and loving priest, friend and bishop.

Please remember him in your prayers and at your Masses.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample
Bishop of Marquette

Reform of the reform?

The above pictures show the arrangement of the altar at St Peter's Cathedral, Marquette as it was for the Chrism Mass and as it has been since the Easter Vigil. (Seven candles lit only when the diocesan Bishop celebrates.)

40 Days for Life on Marquette's TV6

Click on the image to watch.

The promise of the other group to be there - made repeatedly in this item - was not kept. I do not believe we saw them at all after this TV interview. We kept going there everyday except Sundays up to the day before Palm Sunday.

The filming and interview took place on March 25th, feast of the Annunciation. TV6's interview with the pro-Planned Parenthood people had been pre-arranged so they were able to get their crowd together. We just happened to turn up and found them on our spot, so we conducted our prayer vigil as usual alongside them but outside Marquette's pro-life Care Clinic, and TV6 took the opportunity to film us and interview me. The TV6 journalist had said she wanted to interview me and we had agreed that I would contact her the next week. I'm not sure if she would have arranged to interview us outside Planned Parenthood. I rather had the impression that it was to be just an interview with me. But that's just my impression.

The other cleric present at the vigil is Bishop Alexander Sample, the bishop of Marquette who had chosen March 25th specially to show his support. It was a very, very cold day!

Ash Wednesday Planned Parenthood Prayer Vigil

Here are a couple of photos of the group from St Peter Cathedral Parish at the end of our hour's vigil outside Marquette's Planned Parenthood facility. We were there from 3:45 - 4:45pm. There was no business going on but our main reason for being there was prayer. A good number of car drivers honked in support.

Times of vigils tomorrow and thereafter are being circulated to those who have indicated a willingness to participate. Let me know if you'd like to be included.

Celebrating and honouring marriage

Last Saturday evening there took place a dinner in celebration of marriage. Married couples of the parish were invited to be served a nice dinner provided by Coco's. Here's a slide show - captions hopefully added later.

Apologies to anyone who does not appear - I didn't manage to photograph every table.

Bishop Sample reflects on his recent visit to the Holy Land

Download the podcast here.

Conferral of Papal Honours at St Peter Cathedral, Marquette

 Bishop Sample pictured with our honoured members after the Solemn Vespers.

"If one part (of the body) is honoured, all the parts share its joy."

This was the sentiment taken from St Paul's first letter to the Corinthians and shared by Bishop Alexander Sample with all who were gathered at the Cathedral yesterday for Solemn Vespers during which took place the conferral of the papal honours of Knight Commander and Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great upon Robert and Barbara Stebler and Prelate of Honour upon Monsignor Michael Steber, pastor of the Cathedral parish.

 With Jocelyn Basse, director of the Cathedral children's choir.

With Cassie Cram and Matthew Anderson.

With Father Tim Ekaitis, former Associate Pastor of the Cathedral and currently Pastor at Norway, and Dustin Katona, youth ministry co-ordinator.

 Msgr Steber with his brother Tom and sister-in-law Linda.

With the first lady of the diocese, Mrs Joyce Sample, the Bishop's mother.

That reading from St Paul also refers to the suffering of one part of the body causing all the parts to suffer with it. Msgr Steber's mother's funeral took place just last Monday. All joined in offering their prayers for the repose of her soul.

Christmas at St Peter Cathedral, Marquette

Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ

So said St Jerome whose feast was celebrated yesterday. So it's heartwarming to witness the large number of people from the parish at St Peter's Cathedral who have signed up for a 24-week Bible Study course. Since the Gospel readings in the forthcoming liturgical year will be pricipally from St Matthew's Gospel, it is his Gospel that the group is studying.

The course is produced by Ascension Press and is presented by Jeff Cavins, creator of The Great Adventure Bible Study System.

Each session consists of a revision of the previous session, going through the 'homework' that was set the previous week, followed by a DVD presentation by Jeff Cavins with work to be done for the following week.
Marvellous links are made with the Old Testament.

This sounds like a system I might want to introduce in any future parish I am entrusted with.

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Men's Ministry Apologetics Course

Apologetics - the art of defending the faith and giving a reasoned explanation for the faith. That's what the men who have joined the Saturday morning Apologetics Course at St Peter's Cathedral seek to acquire.

Coffee and donuts are available before the meeting which starts at 8.45am and lasts about an hour and a quarter.

The course follows a series published by San Juan Catholic Seminars.

Today's first session gave practical points concerning Bible reading and how to engage with others - Protestants - who may wish to discuss the Catholic faith. Charity was a key word.

Interestingly, the course says that one must always insist right at the beginning on dicussing the Eucharist in the light of Jn 6, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor. 10:14-17, Mk 14:22-24, Lk 24:30-35, 1 Cor. 11:23-29, Mt 26:26-28. We also looked at the writings of some of the early ecclesiastical writers and their description of the celebration of the Mass and their faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. These writings were given even before the Canon of Scripture was set by the Church. With these references to Scripture and the Fathers, one has an immediate opportunity to engage with one's Protestant interlocutor on the Church's scripturally based belief in the Eucharist. It is difficult if not impossible to deny that the faith of the early Church was clearly that Jesus is really and substantially present in the Eucharist, i.e. that the Lord is present by transubstantiion, and that Protestant theories such as trans-signification are not in keeping with Christ's teaching.

It was refreshing to note the men's obvious desire to learn their faith for their own sakes and to be able to pass it on to others. An interesting discussion took place concerning current developments in the liturgy in the Church, from reverence for the Eucharist to the hymns we use. But that shall remain within the group for the time being!

May God bless abundantly this latest initiative at forming men as lay apostles for the New Evangelisation.

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Bishop Baraga Cause - important step on the road to Beatification

This evening at St Peter's Cathedral, Marquette, the documentation and testimony of a miracle claimed to have occurred as a result of the intercession of Bishop Frederic Baraga, first Bishop of Marquette, was presented to the postulator of the cause, Dr Andrea Ambrosi, who had travelled to Marquette from Rome for the occasion.

The Bishop of Marquette, the Most Reverend Alexander Sample prepares to seal the case containing the documentary evidence of the miracle.

 

The Bishop applies his ring to seal the case containing the documentary evidence for the miracle.

Bishop Sample explains that he is wearing Bishop Baraga's Pectoral Cross.

  Consignment of the documents to the Postulator.

 

After the sealing and presentation of the documentation to the Postulator. In the picture some of the people who have had official roles in the process. From left to right: Dr Ambrosi's personal assistant; Bishop Sample's secretary Judy Jason who had the role of copier (transcriptionist); the Postulator Dr Ambrosi; medical expert Dr John G. Kublin; moderator of the Curia for the Marquette diocese and co-ordinator of the work of the tribunal investigating the miracle Fr Ronald Browne; Bishop Sample; Promotor of Justice Fr Ben Paris; Notary Elizabeth Delene.

 

 Bishop Sample concludes the ceremony with a blessing and the singing of the Salve Regina.

Afterwards I joined Bishop Sample, Father Browne Dr Ambrosi and his personal assistant for a meal. Dr Ambrosi is postulator of a number of causes, including Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Cardinal John Henry Newman who is to be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in England this coming September. Dr Ambrosi will of course be in Birmingham for the event. So here I am with the Postulator of Newman's cause of beatification.

You can find further information on the cause of Bishop Baraga here.

Some of the staff at St Peter's

On Tuesday I attended my first 'staff' meeting, regular meetings of those who are involved in ministry here in the parish. Afterwards we went out for a bite to eat at the Union Grill on 1651 S. Front Street. In the photo:

Martha (our cook and housekeeper), Father Dan Moll (who will be going to Rome in August to commence three years of study in Canon Law),

members of the Religious Education team: Jenny Lochner (Middle School Coordinator), Dustin Katona (Life Teen), Katie Flaherty (Faith Formation Coordinator),

Lynn Bertucci (Parish Secretary), Father Michael Steber (Pastor).

Some of the people I have the pleasure of getting to know and work with.