UP Gazette

Two lay members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette, Barbara Van Ermen and Frederick St. John, have been named recipients of the 2025 Legacy of Faith Catholic Service Award. The award, presented annually by the diocese, recognizes Catholics who demonstrate long-term commitment to service, stewardship, and leadership in the Church.

Barbara Van Ermen is a member of St. Anne Parish in Escanaba. Since arriving in Escanaba in 1972 with her family, she has contributed significantly to parish life. She helped transform the annual parish picnic into a key fundraising event that eliminated parish debt. Over three decades, Van Ermen has trained altar servers, led funeral luncheons, served on the parish council, taught religious education classes, coordinated liturgical decorations, and currently leads an offertory counting team.

Her work extends beyond her parish. Beginning in 1976 with her late husband Dale, Van Ermen led Cursillo teams—a movement aimed at Christian renewal—and hosted group reunions and Ultreyas for the local area. After her husband's death in 1996, she continued supporting this movement and encouraged others to take on leadership roles within their parishes. She also participated in mission trips to Honduras and supported college student retreats at St. Albert the Great Parish in Houghton.

For the past 13 years, Van Ermen has managed the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. Known for treating clients with dignity and care, she often organizes seasonal food packages tailored to individual needs. Despite being in her late 80s, she remains active in daily Mass attendance and community outreach.

Frederick St. John is a member of St. Peter Cathedral Parish in Marquette and a World War II veteran. After his military service, he focused on faith-centered family life with his late wife Lyrel and their four children—all educated within Catholic schools.

St. John worked as a rural mail carrier for 27 years and was recognized for his personal attention to those he served—often delivering mail directly to doorsteps during winter or checking on elderly residents along his route. He was instrumental as a founding member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at his parish and remained active there for over fifty years.

In addition to supporting diocesan appeals and constructing church items such as the Chrism Mass oil stand with his sons, St. John used his woodworking skills to help families by building furniture or delivering produce from his garden.

The Legacy of Faith Catholic Service Award is administered by Legacy of Faith—an endowment fund under the Upper Peninsula Catholic Foundation established to support preservation and growth of Catholic faith across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since its creation in 2006 (more information available at https://upcatholicfoundation.org/catholic-service-awards).

Nominations for next year’s award are due by May 1 each year; inquiries can be directed to Megan O’Connor at (906) 379-5057 or [email protected].

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