Nearly 650 celebrate Catholic education at annual Bishop’s Charity Ball

SAGINAW – About 650 people packed the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw Township on April 24 to celebrate Catholic education and say goodbye to the fifth Bishop of Saginaw.

The annual Bishop’s Charity Ball was established by Bishop Robert J. Carlson in 2007 to benefit Catholic schools and parish education and formation.

Bishop Carlson, who became the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw’s fifth ordinary in December 2004, was appointed as the 10th ordinary and ninth Archbishop of Saint Louis by Pope Benedict XVI on April 21.

Diocesan Chancellor Nancy J. Werner presented Bishop Carlson with the 2009 Bishop Murphy Award during the event, following a video tribute to the diocese’s chief teacher.

“I thought we were giving this to a Catholic school teacher,” said Carlson, who was surprised by the award presentation. “I am very honored by the award. I promise you that this plaque will have a prominent place on a wall in Saint Louis.”

The surprise award presentation was first planned by the Charity Ball committee to honor the 25th anniversary of Bishop Carlson’s Episcopal ordination, which took place January 11. The presentation took on a different tone following his transfer to the Archdiocese of Saint Louis on the Tuesday previous to Friday’s Charity Ball.

Previous Bishop Murphy Award honorees include Sister Corinne Weiss, SJ in 2008 and Stanley Krajkowski in 2007. The award is named for the diocese first ordinary, Bishop William F. Murphy, and presented annually to a person who is a generous and bold example of faith-based leadership within the diocesan community.

The Bishop’s Charity Ball raised more than $840,000 for Catholic schools and parish religious education and formation programs in 2007 and 2008.

Earnings for the 2009 event will be announced after the Bishop’s Charity Ball Winner’s Circle Celebration on May 14 at the Center for Ministry. Raffle prizes and participating school and parish event earnings will be presented during that event.

The Diocese of Saginaw includes in 105 parish communities and 26 Catholic schools located throughout 11 mid-Michigan counties: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola.

PICTURED ABOVE: 2009 Bishop's Charity Ball Emcee Father William Rutkowski, pastor atSt. Stanislaus Kostka, Bay City, and vicar for Bay Area Catholic Schools, honors Catholic school teachers seen surrounding him prior to the presentation of the annual Bishop Murphy Award on April 24.

See more photos of the 2009 Bishop's Charity Ball.

Obituary for Fr. Joseph D. Ryan

Father Joseph D. Ryan, 77, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, died Monday, April 20, 2009 at Brian’s House in Bay City.

He was born on June 1, 1931, son of Joseph M. and Mary Irene (Hagan) Ryan, in Jackson but grew up in Saginaw, where he attended St. Joseph and Holy Family schools and worshiped at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption.

As a seminarian, Father Ryan attended St. Joseph Seminary in Grand Rapids, Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1958 by Bishop Stephen S. Woznicki at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.

During his priesthood, Father Ryan served as an assistant at Sacred Heart, Oscoda; Blessed Sacrament, Midland; Our Lady of the Visitation, Bay City, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chesaning; and as pastor at St. Joseph, Argyle; St. Agnes, Sanford; St. Anne, Linwood; St. James, Bay City; Holy Family, Saginaw; and St. Cecilia, Clare. In addition to membership on various diocesan boards and committees, Father Ryan was the diocesan director for the Christian Family Movement from 1961 to 1963 and as director fro the Pre-Cana and Family Life offices in 1970. He was granted senior priest status (retirement) in 2005.

He is survived by his sister, Judith (Larry) Moriarty of Northville; his nieces and nephews: Cheryl Moriarty, Mary (Harlow) Moriarty Naasz, Kathleen Moriarty (Jeffrey Martens), Susan (Mark) Randall, Barbara (Patrick) Robinson, and Robert Maschke; and 12 great nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Rosemarie Goceljak on June 9, 2000.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 24, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1503 Kosciuszko Ave., Bay City. Bishop Robert J. Carlson will preside. Burial will follow at St. Andrew Cemetery in Saginaw.

Visitation will take place from 2 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. The Rosary will be prayed at 2:30 p.m. and a vigil liturgy will begin at 7 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Catholic Community Foundation of Mid-Michigan – Fr. Joe Ryan Fund (for the Catholic school education of students in the Saginaw Diocese).
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of the W. A. Trahan Funeral Chapel (989-893-6583).

Pope names Saginaw's Bishop Carlson as 10th Ordinary and 9th Archbishop of Saint Louis

SAGINAW – Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he has selected Bishop Robert J. Carlson to become the 10th Ordinary and 9th Archbishop of Saint Louis.

Carlson, 64, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his Episcopal ordination in January. He has served as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw since 2005.

“I am grateful for having had the opportunity to worship, pray, and serve with the dedicated priests, religious, deacons, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Saginaw during the past four years,” Bishop Carlson said. “I have been privileged to call mid-Michigan home and blessed to have been a part of this dynamic and generous local church.”
Bishop Carlson will be introduced to the people of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis at a 10:30 a.m. CDT press conference there, where his predecessors include Archbishop Raymond L. Burke (2004 – 2008), who was made the Vatican’s Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in June 2008, and Cardinal Justin F. Rigali (1994 – 2003), who now serves as the Archbishop of Philadelphia.

The date of Bishop Carlson’s installation in Saint Louis has not yet been determined. Until that time, the Archbishop-elect will continue to be the diocesan administrator in Saginaw.

The Archdiocese of Saint Louis was established as a diocese in 1826 and elevated to an archdiocese in 1847. The archdiocese is home to more than 500,000 Catholics worshiping in close to 200 parishes across 11 eastern Missouri counties.

During his four years in the Diocese of Saginaw, Bishop Carlson has focused on five priorities for ministry: vocations, Catholic Schools, service to the poor, stewardship, and evangelization.

When he arrived in Saginaw, the diocese had two seminarians discerning the vocation to the priesthood. During the past two years, more than 20 men have been enrolled as seminarians for the Diocese of Saginaw. Bishop Carlson has ordained eight priests since June 2007 and plans to ordain three more on June 5.

Bishop Carlson established two significant charity events during his time in Saginaw: the Bishop’s Charity Golf Classic and Bishop’s Charity Ball. The Golf Classic has raised more than $325,000 for seminarian education after three seasons and the Charity Ball has raised more than $675,000 for Catholic schools and parish religious education programs in 2007 and 2008. The third annual Charity Ball to benefit Catholic education will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009 at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson also created the Saginaw Area Catholic Schools system to support schools in Saginaw County and established Blue Ribbon Commissions to help guide the Saginaw and Bay area school systems as well as Catholic schools in Midland.

In July 2006, Bishop Carlson set up the Catholic Community Foundation of Mid-Michigan to support the ministries of the diocese, its parishes and schools. More than $4.5 million has been donated to the foundation since its inception.

Bishop Carlson also created the Mother Teresa Endowment Fund in October 2005 to assist struggling mothers awaiting the birth of a child. It has provided assistance to more than 375 families.

He also supported the Gospel of Life by providing Abortions Alternative Information Inc., with offices within the parish center of St. Mary Cathedral in order to continue its life-giving ministry and he has led hundreds of young people and adults to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. each January.

Other notable happenings during Bishop Carlson’s time in Saginaw include the founding of the quarterly FAITH Saginaw magazine for evangelization and outreach in January 2007 and the diocesan Eucharistic Congress in the summer of 2007, which included a youth rally and concert in downtown Midland and 10-block Eucharistic procession in Bay City.

He also published six pastoral letters while Bishop of Saginaw: “Pastoral Letter on Evangelization” (Jan. 6, 2008); “Jesus Christ, the Divine Physician: Pastoral Letter on Penance” (Jan. 25, 2008); “Body and Soul: A reflection for couples called to the vocation of marriage on the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae” (July 25, 2008); “Preparing for the Nov. 4 General Election: On Abortion, Catholic Voters, and Proposal 2” (Oct. 28, 2008); “Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace: Pastoral Letter on Peace” (Dec. 12, 2008); and “The Liberating Power of this Sacrament: Instruction on Penance” (Lent 2009).

Bishop Carlson was born on June 30, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minn. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1970 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. On January 11, 1984 he was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop in his home archdiocese.

He was appointed as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., in January 1994 and later succeeded Bishop Paul V. Dudley as the seventh bishop of Sioux Falls in March 1995.

In December 2004, Bishop Carlson was appointed to the Diocese of Saginaw by Pope John Paul II. He has served as the fifth bishop of Saginaw since his installation at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw on February 24, 2005.

The Diocese of Saginaw is home to an estimated 119,000 Catholics worshiping in 105 parish communities throughout Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties.

Local TV news anchor joins diocesan staff to promote regional Church, faith-based education

SAGINAW – Bishop Robert J. Carlson announced today that WEYI-TV Emmy-award-winning news anchor Erin Looby Carlson will join the Diocesan Center staff in May to help spread the Good News about the Catholic Church in mid-Michigan, particularly the extraordinary value of Catholic schools.

Looby Carlson joins the bishop’s pastoral team in the newly created role of director of marketing and communications. She is charged with promoting the rich quality education offered through the 11-county diocese’s 26 Catholic schools in addition to providing a leadership role in specialized evangelization and faith-based community development projects.

"We are delighted to have Erin as a member of our ministry team because of her exceptional professional expertise and passion to help us with the bold mission of growth and renewal for our Church, and especially the faith formation of people of all ages," said Bishop Carlson, who has made Catholic schools and evangelization among his top priorities along with vocations, stewardship and service to the poor.

"I believe it is important, especially during these times of dramatic change, that our community see and experience the light and hope rooted in the promise of Jesus Christ. Erin brings a high level of energy and commitment to help us share that promise throughout the diocese and surrounding communities."

Prior to her work as managing editor and anchor with the NBC affiliate Channel 25 news team, Looby Carlson was employed by WBKB-TV in Alpena as a news anchor and multimedia journalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of Nouvel Catholic Central High School in Saginaw.

"I am humbled and thankful to be given this opportunity to spread the message of Jesus and I look forward to using my video and Web skills to help the diocese reach out in new ways," Looby Carlson said.

"I grew up in Saginaw, where I attended Catholic school, played sports at Nouvel, and was very involved in the area. Now, as a mother of two children, I feel a responsibility to them and a commitment to the community in which we live to make sure our Catholic schools are always here and always strong. It is with great excitement that I prepare to serve our community, and with gratitude that I begin this new position which will allow me to live out my faith in a bold new way each day."

Looby Carlson will work closely with Matt Treadwell, director of publications and media relations, and Colleen Rabine, director of events and community affairs, to assist Bishop Carlson in his mission to spread the Gospel and shepherd his flock toward Christ through the many projects and programs supported by the diocesan staff.

The Diocese of Saginaw is home to an estimated 119,000 Catholics worshiping in 105 parish communities throughout Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties.

5 years later: Bishop Ken remembered

SAGINAW - Bishop Robert J. Carlson and more than 200 diocesan priests and lay men and women gathered with members of Bishop Kenneth E. Untener's family to honor the diocese's former chief shepherd and celebrate the fifth anniversary of his funeral with a special noon Mass at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption.

"We read in Pastores Gregis that the bishop is compelled to live like Christ. It is a complete giving of self for the flock committed to his care and it is an expression of pastoral charity: It is a 'being with Christ' in the daily gift of self exercised in his ministry of evangelization, liturgical presidency and leadership in the community," Bishop Carlson said during his homily.

"Today, we give thanks for Bishop Ken and the way he taught us how to live like Christ."

Bishop Untener served as the fourth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw from November 1980 until his death on March 27, 2004. He was born in Detroit on August 3, 1937 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1963 by Cardinal John Dearden for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He later served as rector of St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth from 1977 until he was appointed, ordained and installed as bishop of Saginaw.

Bishop Carlson publishes Pastoral Letter on Peace

SAGINAW - Focusing on prayer and the Eucharist, the Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson, Bishop of Saginaw, has published "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace," a pastoral letter about peace.

In the letter's introduction, Bishop Carlson wrote:

In 2002, the Lord spoke to my heart: “So many desire peace, but few are willing to pray for peace.” In giving me this word, the Lord gave me a vision and a goal: to help the world come to peace through the power of prayer.

I believe that the only way we are going to get peace is if we turn to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and ask him for it. That is why, along with Fr. Luis Mesa, I founded the Messengers of Peace — a religious order in Colombia dedicated to 1) praying for peace, in Colombia and in the World, before Christ in the Blessed Sacra­ment and 2) working to serve the poor.

If we desire peace we must be willing to work for it. And if we are willing to work for peace that means we must be willing, first and foremost, to pray for peace. In the words of Pope John Paul II, “To pray is to enter into the action of God upon history: he, the sovereign actor of history, has wished to make people his col­laborators.”

The Pax Christi (Peace of Christ) movement was established in Europe when the world was at war, to gather people together to pray for peace. Today Pax Christi has the same goal. But many of its members, in my limited experience, are more action oriented. There needs to be both prayer and service because, as Pope Bene­dict XVI noted, “The effectiveness of pastoral action depends, ulti­mately, upon prayer; otherwise service becomes empty activism.”

Accordingly, the Messengers of Peace begin and end the day in prayer for peace. During the day a handful of brothers (and soon sisters) serve the poor — children, adults and the elderly.

I invite you to join the Messengers of Peace as a “living Gospel” — a person of the Beatitudes. As we hear in the words of Pope Paul VI: “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.’ (Mt. 5:9) We believe that, without the direction and assistance of Christ, true, permanent and worldwide peace is impossible.” (Pope Paul VI, Message for the World Day of Peace, 1978.)

The letter on peace is Bishop Carlson's fifth published teaching since January 2008. Other writings include, "Preparing for the Nov. 4 General Election: On Abortion, Catholic Voters , and Proposal 2" (October 2008), "Body and Soul: A reflection for couples called to the vocation of marriage on the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae" (July 2008), "Jesus Christ, the Divine Physician: Pastoral Letter on Penance" (January 2008), and his"Pastoral Letter on Evangelization" (January 2008).

To obtain copies of "Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace" or other publications by Bishop Carlson, contact the Communications Office of the Diocese of Saginaw at (989) 797-6637.

Catholic Conference to Legislators: 'Stand With the Working Poor by Protecting Earned Income Tax Credit'

LANSING -- Michigan Catholic Conference Vice President for Public Policy Paul A. Long released the following statement today concerning the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit:

"In 2006 the Michigan Legislature passed with bipartisan support an Earned Income Tax Credit, which the Conference hailed as 'the best piece of legislation passed this year'. For two years low-income Michigan workers have been told by the State that tax relief is on its way, but now some elected officials are calling for this tax relief to be halted. At both the federal and state levels the Earned Income Tax Credit has proven time and again to be the most effective tax policy that moves people out of poverty. Freezing the implementation of the EITC while Michigan workers are struggling at alarming rates is both disingenuous and poor policy, considering over 700,000 working families would stand to benefit from the credit. Michigan Catholic Conference calls on all elected officials to support the EITC and help those who are working from falling below the poverty line."

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.