Bishop Baraga Association NON-PROFIT Quarterly Publication of the Bishop Baraga Association c/o Diocese of Marquette ORGANIZATION Executive Director: Rev. Ben Paris U.S. POSTAGE e-mail: [email protected] 347 Rock Street PAID PERMIT #35 Vol. 64, No. 1 Winter 2012 Marquette, MI 49855-4725 Marquette, MI 49855 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 347 Rock St. Marquette, MI 49855 (906) 227-9117 Editor/Associate Director: Stephen Camilli email: [email protected] Inside This Issue: Bishop’s Message . 2 New Editor’s Greeting . 3 Association News . 4-5 Bishop Baraga Honored . 6-7 Baraga Days in Gaylord . 8-9 ATrip to Baraga’s Homeland 11 Visit our website at fredericbaraga.org! Mazzuchelli & Baraga . 12 Lives Touched by Baraga . 16 Lives Touched by Baraga NEWS FLASH! Bishop Sample has advised us Following the Snowshoe Priest on Bicycle. of the news that the vote of By Father Ben Hasse the Congregation for Causes If you had been driving from Gwinn to Marquette in early August of 2010 you might have come upon of Saints was POSITIVE. It now goes to the Holy Father a strange sight: a somewhat ragtag bunch of teen and adult bikers stopped by a policeman just north of the and with his approval Bishop Crossroads! A closer inspection, though, would not have revealed troublemakers, but young people being Baraga will be declared congratulated for proper bike safety. Every biker had a hel- Venerable! met on and they all peddled away with a gift certificate for free ice cream! This is just one of many adventures and blessings we’ve had during our annual pilgrimage in honor of Bishop Frederic Baraga. For three years now this new pilgrimage has been ped- dling across the UP. It’s called the “Baraga March,” and every August it runs, or rather bikes, from the Baraga Park on the shores of Indian Lake near Manistique, Michigan to the saintly bishop’s tomb in the crypt of St. Peter Cathedral. Dozens of people have participated since the first Baraga March in August 2009, making the roughly 110 mile jour- ney in three days and camping out both nights. The Baraga Bulletin This new cut paper icon honoring Bishop Baraga was made by David Raber, a native Several different sources have inspired this journey; most significantly, Bishop Baraga’s own travels. (ISSN 1047-5044) is published by of Ovid, MI, who was raised Methodist and entered the Catholic Church in 2002. He The Bishop Baraga Association While Baraga was intrepid, it wouldn’t be accurate to depict him as a mountain man… he had been raised 347 Rock Street first heard about Bishop Baraga from a prayer card at his home Parish of Holy Family in rather comfortable conditions in an aristocratic family in Carniola, now called Slovenia. He adapted him- Marquette, MI 49855 906-227-9117 and his resulting inspiration led him to this icon which includes St. Peter's Cathedral www.fredericbaraga.org and the Baraga shrine in Manistique where Baraga celebrated his first mass in the self to the very rough conditions in the Great Lakes region out of necessity and out of a zeal for the Gospel. Visits by Appointment (continued on page 14) Pride Printing & Mailing Services of Marquette Upper Peninsula. See more of his work at artbyraber.blogspot.com. 2 -The Baraga Bulletin — Winter 2012 Winter 2012 — The Baraga Bulletin - 15 A Message from Bishop Sample of Marquette the idea of trying to devise a Baraga pilgrimage following in his foot- steps. In 2009, the summer after I was ordained a priest, we made the My dear members of the Bishop Baraga Association, first Baraga March and have contin- ued it yearly since. Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever! I hope these anecdotes and this With this brief note I wish to update all of you on the progress of the Cause for little history of the Baraga March the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God, Bishop Frederic Baraga. I have piqued your interest! We wel- recently received some very exciting news from Rome that indicates our Cause for come participation in many forms… Bishop Baraga is making significant progress! some people have joined us for the First allow me to summarize exactly where we are in the process for Bishop opening or closing Mass, have Baraga's Cause. We are essentially waiting for two things to happen: biked with us part of the way, or for Bishop Baraga's Cause must go before an Ordinary Session, or meeting, of all the the whole 110 miles! You can also cardinals and bishops who serve on the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. They will discuss the unani- participate by inviting others, offer- mous vote of the theological consultors in favor of the heroic virtue of Bishop Baraga. If they agree with that ing your prayers for us and/or visiting along the way. to Friday, August 3rd, 2012, but may change. If vote of the consultors, they will make a recommendation to our Holy Father to formally declare Bishop In whatever way you’re able to join in, even driving, interested, please contact me at Baraga's heroic virtue, granting him the title “Venerable.” you would be most welcome. Come make a holy [email protected] or (906)290-2434. Our alleged miracle attributable to the intercession of Bishop Baraga, which is now at the Congregation in journey, a pilgrimage, with us! Our tentative dates for this coming summer are from Wednesday, August 1st Father Ben Hasse is a priest from the Rome, must be formally studied by the medical experts, medical consultors, and eventually by the cardinals Diocese of Marquette and bishops who serve on the Congregation. If the alleged miracle is recognized, and in conjunction with the declaration of Bishop Baraga's heroic virtue, this would clear the path for the beatification of our beloved Bishop Baraga. Please Support the Cause! The exciting news that I recently received is that a date has been set for step number one listed above! The cardinals and bishops who serve on the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will formally discuss Bishop Membership Information Shipping/Handling Charges Baraga's heroic virtue on February 7, 2012. We have every reasonable hope that they will affirm Bishop Membership entitles you to receive the Baraga's heroic virtue and make such a recommendation to our Holy Father. If this happens, Bishop Baraga quarterly publication The Baraga Bulletin Total Amount of Order . Shipping Charge could be granted the title “Venerable” very soon. Worldwide Up to $25.00 . $5.00 There is also good news concerning the examination of our alleged miracle. All of the documentation that Annual . $10.00 Up to $50.00 . $7.00 must be prepared in Rome has been completed and will very soon go before appointed medical experts at the Life (Individual/Family) . $50.00 Over $50.00 . $10.00 Congregation. (no shipping charge added) So we are definitely making significant progress toward the goal for which we have so long labored and sacrificed. Now I need your help! Merchandise: (Pictures soon to be available on website) I need you to pray. In fact, our Postulator in Rome put it this way: “Tell the people to pray, pray, pray!” The Apostle of the Chippewas (Soft Cover) - . $10.00 Having our alleged miracle recognized by the experts and Congregation in Rome will likely be our greatest Diary of Bishop Baraga (Soft Cover) - . $20.00 hurdle. Therefore, I am urging you, like I have never urged you before, to please pray and offer whatever sac- Baraga Dictionary of the Ojibway Language (Soft Cover) . $24.95 rifices you can for the success of our efforts in Rome, particularly with regard to the alleged miracle. Life and Labors of Rt. Rev. Baraga by Fr. Verwyst (Soft Cover) - . $22.00 Secondly, quite honestly we need your financial help. At this stage in the process, our promotion of the T-Shirts 100% Cotton (M, L, XL, XXL) . $12.50 Cause becomes very costly. We have to pay additional fees to our canon lawyer in Rome, to the Congregation, Coffee Mugs . $6.00 for the services of the experts and consultors, and for the preparation, printing and binding of all of the doc- Marble Based Paperweight (Engravable) . $10.00 umentation associated with our Cause. David Raber Icon 11x16 print . $7.00 Whatever financial help by means of donations that you can offer would be most greatly appreciated. We David Raber Icon 8x10 print . $5.00 have come way too far in the progress of our Cause to relax our financial support at this critical stage. David Raber Notecards of Icon (Pack of 4 w/env.’s) . $6.00 May God bless you, your families, and your loved ones! I will keep you posted on any further progress Classical Bishop Baraga Prints, Diff. Sizes . Consult that we are able to make in our wonderful Cause for the beatification and canonization of Bishop Baraga. Misc. Baraga Notecards, including 1984 USPS Postcard . $1.50 Sincerely yours in Christ, Baraga County Beautiful & Blessed License Plate . $6.50 +Alexander K. Sample Christmas Ornaments . $10.00 Most Rev. Alexander K Sample Bishop of Marquette In interests of space, we have eliminated the order form. Please write, call or e-mail with your order. 14 -The Baraga Bulletin — Winter 2012 Winter 2012 — The Baraga Bulletin - 3 (Lives continued from page 16) We, too, step outside our cut” was difficult for the bikers, but even more diffi- A Message From Our Executive Director comfort zone and our daily routine during this trek to cult for our faithful sag-wagon drivers who were set aside a sacred time to be with God and one anoth- forced to turn around several times on narrow woods Dear Friends in Christ: er and to reflect upon our own life in the light of roads while pulling long trailers! However, with There has been so much happening around here since our last bulletin.