MARQUETTE – The blessing of the new Bishop Baraga Chapel at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette will take place during Baraga Days, the annual event that honors the life and ministry of Venerable Frederic Baraga.

Bishop John F. Doerfler of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette will preside at the blessing at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday. A reception will follow in the St. Peter Cathedral parish hall.

The groundbreaking for the chapel was held in March 2013. The chapel was built as an addition to the cathedral to house the remains of the diocese’s first bishop. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared that Baraga had exhibited a life of heroic virtue and could be called “Venerable.” This was a major step in the cause for Baraga’s sainthood.

This declaration meant that Baraga’s tomb had to be made accessible to the public. He was previously entombed in the bishops’ crypt in the basement of the cathedral. His remains are now entombed in a marble sarcophagus. Two stained glass windows in the chapel carry symbols than honor Baraga’s Slovenian roots and his missionary ministry to the Native Americans of the Upper Great Lakes.

Baraga was born in Slovenia in 1797. He came to the United States to be a missionary to the Odawa and Ojibwa of the Upper Great Lakes in 1830. Baraga traveled throughout the 80,000-square-mile territory by canoe, boat, horse, snowshoes and even dog sled.

He served as the first bishop of what was initially known as the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, which is now the Diocese of Marquette, from 1853 until his death in 1868. His work includes an Ojibwa English dictionary, which is still in use today. The Bishop Baraga Association was established in 1930 to promote the cause for sainthood of the “Snowshoe Priest.”

The Diocese of Marquette continues to await word from the Vatican regarding an alleged miracle attributed to the intercession of Baraga. Once a miracle is verified and the proper documentation submitted to the Holy Father, the pope would decide whether Baraga is to be beatified, which would give him the title of “Blessed.” In order for him to be canonized, or declared a saint, the diocese would need to verify another miracle attributable to his intercession that occurred after his beatification.

The $600,000 chapel project was made possible through donations from individuals, a drawing held by the Bishop Baraga Association, and two matching grants, one for $100,000 from the Dr. John and Mary Jane Beaumier Family of Duluth, Minn., and $30,000 from Catholic Extension.

Donations are still being accepted for the project and can be directed to Terri Gadzinski, development director of the Diocese of Marquette at 1004 Harbor Hills Drive, Marquette, MI 49855, or by calling Gadzinski at 227-9108.

For more information about Baraga or the schedule for Baraga Days on Oct. 18-19, visit the website at www.dioceseofmarquette.org/bishopbaragaassociation.