Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is a Roman Catholic diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 covering eleven counties in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. It was founded on February 26, 1938; the first bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 was William Francis Murphy.

According to the Vatican's website (), on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 appointed Bishop Joseph Robert Cistone, auxiliary bishop and vicar general of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Casae Medianae, as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw to replace Robert James Carlson
Robert James Carlson
Robert James Carlson is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of St. Louis. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of St...

, who was named Archbishop of Saint Louis to succeed Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke
Raymond Leo Burke
Raymond Leo Burke is an American Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. He is the current Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, having previously served as Archbishop of St...

.

The Diocese of Saginaw currently has 113 priests, 19 permanent deacons, 122 religious, 18 pastoral administrator, 261 commissioned lay ministers, and 24 seminarians. There are 26 Catholic schools in the diocese with a total enrollment of 4,033 students in 3 High Schools, 1 Middle School, and 22 Elementary Schools. There are 131,937 Catholics (19.3% of the total population of 724,142) in 108 parishes.

Geography

The Saginaw Diocese is located in Eastern Central Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 and consists of eleven counties, covering 6,955 square miles (18,006 square kilometers.) Overall, the population is roughly an even split between urban and rural. The three major urban centers are Saginaw, Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...

, and Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....

.

Bishops

The bishops of the Diocese of Saginaw:
  • Bishop William Francis Murphy (1938–1950)
  • Bishop Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki
    Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki
    Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Saginaw from 1950 to 1968.-Biography:...

     (1950–1968)
  • Bishop Francis Frederick Reh
    Francis Frederick Reh
    Francis Frederick Reh was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston , rector of the Pontifical North American College , and Bishop of Saginaw ....

     (1968–1980)
  • Bishop Kenneth Edward Untener (1980–2004)
  • Bishop Robert James Carlson
    Robert James Carlson
    Robert James Carlson is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of St. Louis. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of St...

     (2005–2009)
  • Bishop Joseph Cistone (2009–present)

Coat of arms

The coat of arms for the Diocese of Saginaw shows a cross in red on a silver field. There are four flames which symbolize the tongues of fire of Pentecost. The name "Saginaw" means the "Place of the Sauk," who were known to the first Europeans as "Gens de Feu" (People of the Fire). Also, because the cathedral is dedicated to St. Mary and her Assumption
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...

, in the center of the cross is a six-pointed star. In addition to symbolizing that Our Lady is the House of David, the six pointed star is also one of the heraldic attributes used to indicate the Assumption of Mary
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...

.

Religious Orders

There are three Motherhouses in the Diocese of Saginaw. These are the Franciscan Poor Clare Nuns (Sisters of St. Clare), the Mission Sisters of the Holy Spirit, and the Religious Sisters of Mercy. Also present in the diocese are 15 women's religious orders working in various apostolates. These are the Bernardine Sisters of Third Order of St. Francis, Consolata Mission Sisters, Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Dominican Sisters, Felician Sisters, Servants of Jesus, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Sisters of St Joseph of Chambrey, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of the Precious Blood, Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sisters For Christian Community, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Four religious orders of men are represented in the diocese. These are the Capuchin Fathers, Franciscan Friars, Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.

History

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian best known for his Democracy in America and The Old Regime and the Revolution . In both of these works, he explored the effects of the rising equality of social conditions on the individual and the state in...

 visited Saginaw . The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 was a young nation—about 50 years old—and he had come to record his impressions of America, its people, and their way of life. Saginaw was the northernmost point of his travels. At the time of his visit, Saginaw was considered a wilderness. A small community of about 30 people lived here, compared to Detroit which had 3,000 inhabitants. Pius VIII was pope, and Saginaw was part of the Diocese of Cincinnati. There were no parishes within the area that comprises the Diocese of Saginaw today. The Diocese of Saginaw was formed in 1938 out of 16 counties in the Thumb and Forefinger of Michigan, land which had been part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Early history

When the Holy Father signed the decree establishing the new diocese, he appointed Msgr. William F. Murphy, pastor of St. David Parish in Detroit, to be its first bishop. The 1938 P.J. Kenedy Official Catholic Directory notes that the new Saginaw Diocese had a Catholic population of 77,705 , 81 parishes, 31 missions, 112 priests, 41 parishes with schools (of which 17 were high schools), two hospitals, a children's home and a residence for working girls.

To Bishop Murphy fell the task of organizing this new diocese. He purchased an episcopal residence and a chancery office, and then appointed officials needed in the administration of the diocese: Vicar-general, chancellor, deans of the four districts, secretary, marriage tribunal personnel.

Early on the agenda was the formation of a Catholic Charities department, which was initially sponsored by a new League of Catholic Women. A special seminary collection was begun for the education of future priests, as well as a Clergy Benefit society to provide for retired and disabled priests.

For the large migrant and resident Spanish-speaking population, the bishop established the Guadalupe Clinic and the Mexican Apostolate, and for the aging, the St. Francis Home. On February 7, 1950, Bishop Murphy died. Pope Pius XII appointed Bishop Stephen S. Woznicki as head of the diocese on March 28, 1950.

Post-war Growth

In these years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the church of Saginaw (like most U.S. dioceses) underwent tremendous growth, with new parishes and missions. In 1956, the Capuchin Fathers agreed to erect Queen of Angels Retreat House to serve the spiritual needs of people and priests of the area.

Since the establishment of the Saginaw Diocese, the education of seminarians was a major concern of its bishops. In 1956, Bishop Woznicki's advisors voted to establish a six-year boarding school for the high school and junior college years of seminarians. The official founding of St. Paul's Seminary took place in 1957, the same year that Fr. James A. Hickey was appointed its rector. In 1961, the seminary opened. Lack of vocations forced it to close in 1970. The building is now the diocesan headquarters and home to Nouvel Catholic Central High School
Nouvel Catholic Central High School
Nouvel Catholic Central High School is a private, Catholic high school located in Saginaw Charter Township, Michigan and serving the Saginaw region. Nouvel is a high school that enrolls approximately 360 students...

. Bishop Woznicki died in 1968, and was succeeded by Bishop Francis Frederick Reh
Francis Frederick Reh
Francis Frederick Reh was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston , rector of the Pontifical North American College , and Bishop of Saginaw ....

 from the Diocese of Charleston, S.C. As the implementer of Vatican II for the Saginaw Diocese, Bishop Reh established a Clergy Personnel Board to aid him in clergy assignments. A tenure policy limited priests' assignments to a nine-year maximum.

After Vatican II

The former four-deanery division of the diocese was multiplied into 12 vicariates. The time-honored tax quota system for diocesan support (employed by many dioceses) was made over into a Catholic Services Appeal directly to the people for their voluntary contributions. In 1975, Bishop Reh renovated and liturgically updated his Cathedral Church of St. Mary .He also established a Diocesan Pastoral Council of lay advisors to himself, as well as an advisory Senate of Priests. Also developed was a Liturgy office, a Finance Board, Latin American Affairs department, Black Catholic Concerns department, and a Human Services Council.

In 1971, the Diocese of Saginaw underwent another change when Pope Paul VI formed the new Diocese of Gaylord from the northern part of the Saginaw Diocese. Although Clare County and Isabella County were added to Saginaw diocesan territory, the re-alignment dropped the diocese from 16 counties to 11 counties which spread across mid-Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 into the Thumb area.

Over the years, three men from the Saginaw Diocese have gone on to serve the Church as bishops: Cardinal James A. Hickey (retired archbishop of the Washington, D.C. Archdiocese), Kenneth Joseph Povish
Kenneth Joseph Povish
Kenneth Joseph Povish was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Crookston and Bishop of Lansing .-Early life and education:...

 (retired bishop of the Lansing Diocese), and Bishop Joseph Victor Adamec
Joseph Victor Adamec
Joseph Victor Adamec is the former Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. Born in Bannister, Michigan, Bishop Joseph studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical Nepomucene College in Rome and earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University. He was...

 of Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.

Into the New Millennium

In 1980, Kenneth E. Untener
Kenneth E. Untener
Kenneth Edward Untener was a Roman Catholic bishop, serving the Diocese of Saginaw from 1980 until his death.- Early life :...

, who was serving as rector of St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

, was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the fourth bishop of Saginaw. In 1982, Bishop Untener initiated a Come Home program at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 time to invite alienated Catholics back to the Church. He has also worked to re-establish the traditional practices of Lent, and to encourage church vocations. In the 1990s, he established a commission for women, a diocesan Office for Stewardship and Development, a Catholic Schools Foundation, and a new Center for Ministry which is located next to the diocesan offices. Bishop Untener died of Leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...

 in 2004.

In late 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Robert J. Carlson of the Diocese of Sioux Falls as the fifth bishop of Saginaw. Since his installation in early 2005, Bishop Carlson has emphasized vocations, liturgical renewal, and evangelization within the Saginaw Diocese. The number of seminarians has increased from 4 in 2004, to 12 in 2005, and most recently (2006) to 19 men studying for the priesthood. The first permanent deacon in over 25 years was ordained in August 2006, and two men were ordained to the transitional deaconate in November 2006. Several events sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....

, the Serra Club, and the bishop's office have been held raise funds for seminarians and to increase vocations awareness. The diocese has also implemented a series of Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...

 dinners to invite young men to an informal meal and discussion on vocations.

In the summer of 2006 Bishop Carlson promulgated the letter "We Have Come to Worship Him" outlining liturgical directives and norms for the renewal of worship in the Saginaw Diocese. A month later, the Ablaze Youth Conference was held in Standish
Standish, Michigan
Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County.The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871...

 with several hundred young people in attendance. In 2007 the diocese began an evangelization initiative to reach out to all families in the diocese through the Faith Saginaw magazine, sent a group of 230 people to the March for Life
March for Life
March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in Washington, D.C., on or around the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. The march is organized by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. The overall goal...

 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, and will hold a four day Eucharistic Congress in the summer which will include the ordination of two men to the priesthood, and five to the transitional deaconate.

On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, it was announced that Bishop Carlson would succeed Raymond Leo Burke
Raymond Leo Burke
Raymond Leo Burke is an American Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. He is the current Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, having previously served as Archbishop of St...

, now the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (Catholicism's highest court), as Archbishop of Saint Louis, Missouri.

High schools

  • All Saints Central High School
    All Saints Central High School
    All Saints Central High School is a private Roman Catholic high school located in Bay City, Michigan, United States. It is located in the Diocese of Saginaw. All Saints has 164 students in the year 2009 . Students attend mass at St...

    , Bay City
  • Nouvel Catholic Central High School
    Nouvel Catholic Central High School
    Nouvel Catholic Central High School is a private, Catholic high school located in Saginaw Charter Township, Michigan and serving the Saginaw region. Nouvel is a high school that enrolls approximately 360 students...

    , Saginaw
  • Sacred Heart Academy High School
    Sacred Heart Academy High School (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan)
    Sacred Heart Academy High School is a parochial parish, Roman Catholic high school in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. Sacred Heart has a reputation for educating the children of various successful people around town, as well as having a reputation...

    , Mt. Pleasant

External links

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