GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Michigan: MI-27
Catholic Church. Diocese of Marquette. Archives
347 Rock Street
Marquette, MI 49855
Phone: 906-227-9117
Hours: See website
Access: Some restrictions apply
Copying facilities: Yes
History: The Vicariate Apostolate of Upper Michigan was erected, 1853, from portions of the Diocese of Detroit for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and adjacent northern Wisconsin (to 1868). The Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie succeeded the vicariate, 1857, which was renamed the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette, 1865, and the Diocese of Marquette, 1937. Previously, Marquette had been part of the dioceses of Cincinnati, 1821-1838, Bardstown, 1808-1821, Baltimore, 1796-1808, and Québec, 1674-1796. Marquette and its predecessors served the following missions, parishes, and schools that served the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians in Michigan and the Menominee and Ojibwa Indians in Wisconsin:
|
1660-unknown (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
Keweenaw Bay Mission (Ojibwa), Keweenaw Bay, Michigan |
|
1670-unknown (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Ignace Mission (Ojibwa), St. Ignace/ Straits of Mackinac, Michigan |
|
1829-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
Holy Childhood of Jesus/ St. Peter Church (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Harbor Springs, Michigan |
|
1830-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Mary Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Burt Lake/ Sheboygan Village, Michigan |
|
1832-1893 (closed) (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Leopold Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Beaver Island, Michigan |
|
1833-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Ignatius/ St. Francis Xavier Mission (Ottawa), Middle Village/ Middletown, Grand Traverse Reservation, Michigan |
|
1834-1920s (no longer Native) (Marquette, 1853-1920s) |
Holy Name of Mary Church, Sault Sainte Marie (Ojibwa), Michigan |
|
1835-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Joseph Mission (Ojibwa), La Pointe, near Red Cliff Reservation, Wisconsin |
|
1837-1920s (no longer Native) (Marquette, 1853-1930s) |
St. Ignatius Loyola Church (Ojibwa), St. Ignace, Michigan |
|
1840s-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
Holy Cross/ St. Anthony Church (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Cross Village, Michigan |
|
1843-present (Marquette, 1853-present) |
Most Holy Name of Jesus Church (Ojibwa), Assinins, near L’Anse Reservation, Michigan |
|
1843-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Michael/ St. Francis Xavier Church (Menominee), Keshena, Menominee Reservation, Wisconsin |
|
1853-present (Marquette, 1854-1868) |
St. Kateri Tekakwitha/ Immaculate Conception/St. Mary Mission (Ottawa), Grand Traverse Reservation, Peshawbestown/ Eagle |
|
1855-1860s (closed) |
Immaculate Conception of Mary Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Garden Island, Michigan |
|
1855-1910s (no longer Native) (Marquette, 1855-1868) |
St. Francis Xavier/ Assumption of Our Lady Mission (Ojibwa), Superior, Wisconsin |
|
1857-1880 (transferred to Jesuits, now Upper Canada Province, Toronto, Ontario) |
Our Savior, Friend of Children Mission (Ojibwa), Sugar Island, Michigan |
|
1859-1897 (closed), 1927-1930s (closed) (Marquette, 1859-1868) |
St. Francis Solano Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Petoskey, Michigan |
|
1860-present (Marquette, 1860-1868) |
Holy Family/ Christ Church (Ojibwa), near Bad River Reservation, Bayfield, Wisconsin |
|
1861-1899 (closed) (Marquette, 1861-1868) |
St. Ignatius Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Beaver Island, Michigan |
|
1862-1880 (transferred to Jesuits, now Upper Canada Province, Toronto, Ontario), 1894-1930 (closed) |
St. Joseph Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Sugar Island, Michigan |
|
1872-1880s (no longer Native) |
St. Joseph Mission (Ojibwa), L'Anse, Michigan |
|
1884-1920s (no longer Native) |
Sacred Heart Church (Ojibwa), De Tour, Michigan |
|
1885-1960 (closed) |
St. Lawrence Mission (Ojibwa, Ottawa), Indian Point, Michigan |
|
1886-1920s (no longer Native) |
St. Ann Mission (Ojibwa), Baraga, Michigan |
|
1894-1943 (closed) |
St. Teresa Mission (Ojibwa), Sugar Island, near Bay Mills Reservation, Michigan |
|
1899-1946 (closed) |
Our Lady of the Snows Mission (Ojibwa), Hessel, Michigan |
|
1906-1916 (closed) |
Keweenaw Bay Mission (Ojibwa), Michigan |
|
1923-present |
Sacred Heart Mission (Ojibwa), Sugar Island, near Bay Mills Reservation, Michigan |
|
1939-present |
St. Kateri Tekakwitha/ St. Catherine Mission (Ojibwa), Bay Mills, near Bay Mills Reservation, Michigan |
|
1941-1960 (closed) |
St. Florence Mission (Ojibwa), Drummond Island, Michigan |
|
1941-1960 (closed) |
Holy Angels Mission (Ojibwa), Sugar Island, Michigan |
|
1942-1960 (closed) |
St. Aloysius Mission (Ojibwa), Neebish Island, Michigan |
|
1943-1960 (closed) |
Ss. John and Anne Mission (Ojibwa), Sugar Island, Michigan |
|
1946-1982 (closed) |
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha/ St. James Mission (Potawatomi), Harris/ Hannahville, Michigan |
|
1947-1958 (no longer Native) |
Sacred Heart Mission (Ojibwa), Stonington, Michigan |
|
1949-present |
St. Isaac Jogues Church (Ojibwa), Sault Sainte Marie, near Sault Sainte Marie Reservation, Michigan |
|
1949-present |
St. Catherine Mission (Ojibwa), Zeba, near L’Anse Reservation, Michigan |
|
1953-1961 (closed) |
Our Lady of the Way Mission (Ojibwa), Eckerman, Michigan |
Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:
Inclusive dates: 1865-present
Volume: Few letters
Description: When reviewed by Marquette University archivists, 1980, the Marquette Diocese held 3.85 cubic feet of archival records about Native Americans, 1695-1980, which were maintained in the Diocesan Pastoral Office and nearby St. Christopher Church, Marquette. The Pastoral Office held 2.05 cubic feet of records comprised of parish files, 1938-ongoing, school records, 1923-1961, financial and statistical reports, 1957-ongoing, subject files, 1971-ongoing, and sacramental records (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials), 1695-ongoing; St. Christopher’s held 1.85 cubic feet of records comprised of an announcement book, 1918-1935, sacramental records, 1928-1972, Ojibwa language records, 1930s-1940s, and subject files, 1920s-1960s. The Jesuit Archives (St. Louis, Missouri) reported, 1997, that the records at St. Christopher’s were not among the records it received from the former Jesuit Detroit Province Archives (Detroit, Michigan). The Marquette Diocesan Archives reported, 2006, that the above records were not in the Diocesan Archives, the Diocesan Pastoral Office, or St. Christopher’s, that their existence was unknown, and that current holdings were limited to the description below. See also -- the repository entry for the Bishop Baraga Association. Archives, Marquette, Michigan.
/1 Jacker, Rev. Edward, Papers
Inclusive dates: 1865-1887, undated
Volume: Few of 85 letters
Description: Correspondence includes references about Ojibwa and Ottawa Indian missions and parishioners in Michigan. Copies from the Jacker papers of the Burton Historical Collection. Detroit Public Library (Detroit, Michigan).
/2 Diocesan Newspaper
Inclusive dates: 1946-ongoing
Volume: Several articles
Description: The U.P. Catholic, formerly The Upper Peninsula Catholic News, is the official newspaper of the diocese. It includes occasional articles pertaining to Ojibwa Indian parishes. Since December 2005, selected articles have been archived online.
For student attendance records at Catholic schools that served Native Americans -- see -- Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Marquette University Special Collections and Archives, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.
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