About the Bishop Baraga Association
The Bishop Baraga Association (BBA) is a non-profit organization established in 1930, and is the official organization of Bishop Baraga’s Cause for Canonization. The mission of the BBA is to teach others about the life and labors of Bishop Frederic Baraga, the first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette and a significant historical figure in Marquette County and the Great Lakes Region while working on his cause for canonization (sainthood). The BBA is soley donor funded self-funded by donations and grants.
The Bishop Baraga Association Founder- Joseph Gregorich
About Our Founder
Joseph Gregorich (1889-1984) was a mechanical engineer by profession and a historian by avocation. Mr. Gregorich’s mother was born in one of the parishes in Slovenia in which Fr. Baraga had been a parish priest, and she inspired her son with a love of Baraga. Joseph Gregorich dedicated fifty years of his life to the collection (usually by microfilm), cataloging, and translation of materials relating to the life and activities of Father and later Bishop Baraga. This collection was the basis of the “Positio,” the document describing Baraga’s life of heroic virtue, which was presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican.
^Joseph Gregorich in the original Bishop Baraga Association in Illinois.
^Pictured above, Joseph Gregorich, wife Mary and daughter Pauline Gregorich Scharres.
The collection of historical data on Bishop Baraga that Joseph Gregorich amassed totaled 600 rolls of microfilm and 200 feet of shelved, printed material. Most of this historical material came from the United States, Austria, and Slovenia (which was part of communist Yugoslavia at the time of Mr. Gregorich’s collection activities). Lesser amounts were collected in Switzerland, France, and Italy. Mr. Gregorich translated all the documents in the Slovene, German, and French languages into English. Joseph Gregorich was also the primary translator of the diary Bishop Baraga kept while he was bishop. To insure the confidentiality of his diary, the saintly bishop wrote it in seven languages – German, French, Slovene, Italian, Latin, English, and Chippewa. Mr. Gregorich translated the first five languages. Rev. Paul Prud’homme, S.J., translated the Chippewa entries.
History of the Bishop Baraga Association
1930
Founding of the Bishop Baraga Association in Oak Park, Illinois to promote the cause for the beatification and canonization of Bishop Frederic Baraga.
1954
The Bishop Baraga Association moves to Marquette, Michigan.
1970
Joseph Gregorich completes the work of compiling documentation on the life and labors of Bishop Baraga.
2013
Construction begins on the new Baraga Chapel built as an addition to St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette.
2014
The mortal remains of Venerable Bishop Baraga are transferred from the St. Peter Cathedral crypt to the sarcophagus in the new Baraga Chapel. Most Rev. John F. Doerfler, Bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, MI blesses the new Baraga Chapel located at St. Peter Cathedral.
2017
The BBA starts preservation on the Baraga House and opens its doors to the public in 2018. It’s given a new name and is now home to the Baraga Educational Center and Museum.
2019
Construction begins on the Prayer Gardens, rosary walk, and votive house.
Contact Our Staff
Annie Gillum
Caretaker
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Special Statement By Most Rev. John F. Doerfler - June 8, 2025
L’Anse Baraga Statue Organization Separate from Catholic Diocese
Due to questions being received from the public, the following is a clarification regarding the Bishop Baraga Foundation, Inc., operator of the Baraga Statue and grounds also known as the “Baraga Shrine” in L’Anse, Michigan.
The Bishop Baraga Foundation is a private organization not officially affiliated with the Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette, or the Bishop Baraga Association. The foundation is not a Catholic organization, nor is the “Baraga Shrine” a Catholic shrine. The foundation and its board members operate autonomously without direction or financial support from the diocese. Additionally, any funds raised by the foundation are solely for the support of the foundation.
