Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw - History - Into The New Millennium

Into The New Millennium

In 1980, Kenneth E. Untener, who was serving as rector of St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the fourth bishop of Saginaw. In 1982, Bishop Untener initiated a Come Home program at Christmas time to invite alienated Catholics back to the Church. He has also worked to re-establish the traditional practices of Lent. 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 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 increased from 4 in 2004, to 12 in 2005, and in 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, 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 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 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 in Washington, D.C., 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, now the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (Catholicism's highest court), as Archbishop of Saint Louis, Missouri.

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