Jim LaJoie celebrating 27 years with The U.P. Catholic

By Hattie Hanold
The U.P. Catholic

This year, one of The U.P. Catholic’s longest running columnists, Jim LaJoie, celebrates a hallmark 27 years of writing for The U.P. Catholic.

The St. Peter Cathedral parishioner shares that his writing career began even further back in high school when as a freshman he began working for his school newspaper, and also working for the school yearbook in his junior and senior years. The Negaunee graduate then enrolled at Northern Michigan University (NMU) where he originally majored in broadcasting. However, LaJoie shared, he ended up taking several journalism classes and knew he had found his niche.

“Writing has always come pretty naturally to me,” attests LaJoie. He took that propensity into his next endeavor in writing, joining The North Wind Student Newspaper at NMU. It was here that he experienced the real “baptism by fire,” that he explained opened the world of journalism to him and challenged him in ways that helped him grow as a writer, and toward his future careers.

“I remember my first two writing assignments,” LaJoie shared. “My first sporting event was covering a swim meet and I had absolutely no idea what to do, I had no idea how to cover a swim meet.” A basketball and tennis player in high school, LaJoie attests he was out of his element and admittedly, “terrified.”

His second story was a news assignment, or more appropriately, “being thrown to the wolves,” LaJoie joked. “I had to cover an ASNMU meeting, the student governing body of NMU, and I remember there were a few hot button items being discussed.” LaJoie continued to write for The North Wind for three years, and also switched his major to communications, with a minor in broadcasting and journalism.

Immediately following his graduation from NMU, LaJoie was hired within a week at the Mining Journal as a sportswriter. “I worked in that capacity as sportswriter and sports editor for 10 years,” LaJoie said. “I really, really enjoyed that role.” In that decade, LaJoie expressed his enjoyment of the “great stories” he was privileged to cover, including various high school state championships and NMU hockey games.

LaJoie made the decision to leave his position in 1996 to pursue other career opportunities and was hired by the then-Marquette General Hospital to work in their marketing department. Eventually he was promoted to the role of media specialist, working primarily with local media on T.V. stories, radio stories, and website development. LaJoie then transitioned into the fundraising and philanthropy arm of the then Marquette General Foundation, now Superior Health Foundation, where he has been the executive director for 11 years.

It was around the time of his departure from The Mining Journal in 1996 that LaJoie received the call from the former editor of The U.P. Catholic, Joe Zyble, with a proposition, LaJoie explained. “It was within a week that Joe contacted me and said, ‘hey, I know you’re no longer with the paper, would you be interested in writing a sports column for The U.P. Catholic?’” LaJoie emphatically agreed and “From the Sidelines” was born.

Admittedly, LaJoie shares, “I didn’t think this run would last this long, and yet here we are 27 years later. It’s really hard to believe.” During his time writing for The U.P. Catholic, his writing repertoire spans across sports coverage, feature and news stories, along with his column.

“I’m honored,” LaJoie expressed. “I’m incredibly blessed to be able to contribute to such a fine publication. And I have the upmost respect for John Fee and for the work that is being done there, the stories are really good.”

Over the last 27 years, LaJoie noted one of the most important changes in his approach to his column occurred early on in Fee’s tenure as editor of The U.P. Catholic. “He met with me, we became friends, and expressed how much he liked the column and wanted to continue it. And then he made a suggestion to me that was just terrific – he wanted me to try and wrap what I was writing about concerning sports with my faith and spiritual beliefs, to basically incorporate that more into what I was already doing.” LaJoie expressed that that singular piece of advice was “such a blessing” and made his concentration on faith even more paramount going forward in his column.

Feedback on his column from readers through the years has also been “overwhelming” for LaJoie. “I think what’s really great about it is that this reaches a large enough audience that the particular subject areas that I address are going to touch a nerve and affect someone.” Looking back, LaJoie is grateful for kind notes he has been sent through the years from lay people, priests, and women religious alike, particularly when people have shared how what he was written is applicable to their own lives.

LaJoie also shared that the impact of his involvement with The U.P. Catholic on his faith life has been “significant.” “It’s humbled me,” he explained, “because it’s made me draw attention to the amount of strife, worldwide issues, the amount of hurting that permeates our society. And when I get the opportunity to share that, it grounds me in a way – it makes me realize that at the end of the day I have a roof over my head, I have food to eat, I have my health and my family. It brings life into perspective.”

An aspect of his faith that brings life into perspective for LaJoie is his love of the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is everything,” he expressed. “It’s an integral part of Mass, our Catholic faith, and I feel like if you don’t receive the Eucharist, you’re left hungry – like you’re missing out on something. The celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church is incredibly special, and I know that every time I partake in the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus I feel fulfilled.”

During his tenure with The U.P. Catholic, LaJoie has been the recipient of two second place awards, three third place awards, and two honorable mentions on a national level for his writing.

With all this experience and accomplishment under his belt, LaJoie shares, “I’m retiring!” But thankfully, not from writing for The U.P. Catholic. In May, LaJoie will step down from his duties as Executive Director of the Superior Health Foundation. With his retirement on the horizon, and more time on his hands, LaJoie assures that The U.P. Catholic will not be left wanting for more “From the Sidelines.” LaJoie will continue to provide columns for readers, “hopefully for another twenty years!” he said.

LaJoie also wishes to share his gratitude to his readers and to The U.P. Catholic and the Diocese of Marquette for their continued support over the years, and “for allowing me this platform to be able to do what I’ve done for the last 27 years.”

To read this story and others in The U.P. Catholic, visit https://www.upcatholic.org/