Meet Our Board
We asked our board members to share an early Catholic memory!
Laurie Stupak, President
St. Anne, Escanaba
“I remember attending Mass with my mother at St. Patrick’s church in Escanaba. I was probably around age 4. As Mass went on, I remember tugging at my mother’s shirt sleeve and asking her, “when is Jesus coming?” I guess I thought Jesus would actually come walking down the aisle to say Hello!”
Very Rev. Allen Mott
St. Anthony, Gwinn & St. Joseph, Northland
“I like to eat, and the cook at Holy Name Catholic School in Escanaba prepared the best quality food. She said I was the only first grader to come back for thirds!”
Stephen Yanni
Holy Name of Mary, Sault Ste. Marie
“When I was in elementary school our Bishop came to our home for Sunday dinner. At about the same time we had a school assignment to ask a priest what happiness meant - so I asked the Bishop. To this day I recall his simple answer, he said, “there are two types of happiness, that which lasts for a short time and that which lasts forever.
Karen Reese, Secretary
St. Michael, Marquette
“Going to weekend Mass with my whole family and paying 15-cents pew rental. I attended St. Francis de Sales school in Manistique and I remember sister working with us on phonics, reading to us, making butter, eating surplus dried fruit, Bernie S eating his cold cereal out of the box, no bowl and going to Mass every morning."
Tom Kurkowski
Sacred Heart, L'Anse
“My hands shook when I read the Wall Street Journal ad for a Finance Officer for the Diocese of Green Bay. I knew it was God calling me from my CPA partnership in Detroit to work for Him."
Kendra Youren
St. Michael, Marquette
“My mother teaching me church hymns in the bathtub because I was finally allowed to join the children’s choir after having pestered my mother about it endlessly. (I was in kindergarten that year and didn’t know how to read). Running through the church grotto and wondering why Mary was stepping on a snake.”
Patrick Sommers
Guardian Angels, Crystal Falls
“My 1st grade CCD class. I remember getting my first book and Mrs. Burns was my teacher. We had to go to CCD on Saturday. In 2nd grade I started going to St. Jude Catholic school.”
Rev. Jose Cherian
St. Cecilia, Caspian
St. Agnes, Iron River
Immaculate Conception, Watersmeet
"My fondest memories are when I was a little boy, all the members of my family would gather together before the dinner and pray rosary together. I always sat next to my Mom and remember I would climb into her lap and listen as she taught me how to pray but eventually falling asleep in the security and comfort of her warm embrace. Even today those memories, even if I am so far away from my childhood home, are inspiring me, yes, faith passed from generation to generation."