Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

It is often said that time flies, and as another fiscal year comes to a close, I find myself filled with gratitude for all that the Holy Spirit continues to accomplish in our Diocese. 

In every age of the Church, the Holy Spirit has been the divine force breathing life into our mission. Here in our local diocese, that same Spirit continues to guide, inspire, and empower us to live as missionary disciples — united in “one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32).

The Spirit moves through every parish, ministry, and outreach effort, transforming ordinary acts of service into encounters with Christ. From catechetical programs and youth initiatives to charitable outreach and pastoral care, the Spirit animates our work so that it is not merely organizational but deeply evangelical. It is then that each parish becomes a living witness to the Gospel, a place where hearts are renewed and communities strengthened.

In our annual Impact Report in this issue, we highlight how Christ’s Mission Appeal supports just a few of the many ministries in our diocese. These ministries focus on programs, projects and enrichment opportunities that no one parish would likely have the resources to administer on their own. But they are more than "projects" or “programs,” they are meant to bring us to a closer encounter to Christ. That’s where true conversion begins.

We - that’s all of us in the Chancery at the Diocese - are committed to this mission, and to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. 

On behalf of our priests, deacons, religious, parish leaders and the entire diocesan staff, thank you for your prayers, your generosity and your faithful witness. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us as we answer the Lord's call together.

Peace and Joy in Christ,

Most Rev. Robert D. Gruss

Bishop of Saginaw

56  Parishes

11  Counties

24,326  households

Christ’s Mission Appeal made up about 43% of the 2025-26 diocesan budget

How Christ’s Mission Appeal dollars were spent:

• Education, faith formation and vocations – 33.3%
• Communications and community outreach – 21.4%
• Parish support – 34.4%
• Support for the broader church – 10.9%

Digital Media Users

• Unique users reached by diocesan Facebook page: 549,000
• Hours of evangelizing videos views on diocesan Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook pages: 12,083
• Subscribers to YouTube: 3,911
• Unique visitors to the diocesan websites: 209,000
• Households received a free subscription of Great Lakes Bay Catholic magazine - plus more online visitors: 24,100
• Subscribers to diocesan emails: 4,250

Touching the Hearts and Minds of Little Catholics

Each parish in the Diocese of Saginaw has its own mix of staff members and volunteers and ministries to serve. But they all share the mission of educating young people in the Catholic faith.

There are many options for guiding children in learning about Christ’s love, Bible stories, Jesus’ miracles, the Sacraments and much more. That’s where the Diocese's Office of Faith and Catechist Formation/OCIA comes in.

As part of the Parish Life and Evangelization Department, the Faith and Catechist Formation/OCIA office vets and provides resources and training to parishes. For example, the Scripture and Liturgical Teaching (S.A.L.T.) approach is a hands-on method that uses tactile materials to help children explore the Bible and liturgy.

Laura Scheibert, diocesan coordinator of faith and catechist formation/OCIA, is bringing this resource to parishes across the diocese. It is an offering that may be useful for parishes who are not able to commit to more costly programs and training.

The “kits” contain easy-to-set-up pieces that include backdrops of actual images of holy sites and cities, “peg dolls” of Biblical figures and clear instructions in lesson-by-lesson booklets for catechists and other volunteers. “The books literally outline what to set up and what to say and do,” Laura says, noting that specialized training for instructors is not required, as it is for other programs.

One set, designed for children’s Liturgy of the Word focuses on Bible stories and others are suited for Sacramental preparation. A third set focuses on the miracles of Jesus.

Partially funded by Christ’s Mission Appeal, her role in the Office of Faith and Catechist Formation/OCIA, Laura says, allows her time to do the research, review materials, and assure that resources are approved by the Church.

“Doing that type of work and bringing new, cost-effective resources to parishes is at the center of my role here,” she says.

The Diocese has purchased S.A.L.T. materials for Laura to work one-to-one with parish staff and volunteers. If your parish is interested in exploring S.A.L.T. as a teaching tool, you may contact Laura at 989-797-6608.

In addition to S.A.L,T., these are some ways that the Diocese of Saginaw used Christ’s Mission Appeal funds in the past year:

• Arranged for 108 young people and chaperones to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference which was held last November in Indianapolis.
• Subsidized part of the cost for 25 middle and high school students to attend Damascus Camp – a high-energy, outdoor recreation program which combines adventure with vibrant Catholic teaching and worship.
• Started a new Confirmation day-long retreat which was open to all middle school aged who were preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation.
• Helped to facilitate and provide the resources for starting new young adult groups throughout the Diocese. We now have nine groups with members ranging from 18-35 years of age.