Michelle Duppong

{{Infobox saint |honorific_prefix=Servant of God |name=Michelle Duppong |image= |titles= |birth_date=January 25, 1984 |birth_place=Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US |home_town=Haymarsh, North Dakota |death_date=December 25, 2015 (aged 31) |death_place=Haymarsh, North Dakota, US }}

'''Michelle Duppong''' (January 25, 1984{{snd}}December 25, 2015) was an American Catholic laywoman who served as the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck before dying of cancer at the age of 31.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Bishops Affirm Advancement of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Servant of God Michelle Duppong {{!}} USCCB |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/us-bishops-affirm-advancement-cause-beatification-and-canonization-servant-god-michelle |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=www.usccb.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 1, 2024 |title=She lives with Him | url=https://issuu.com/columbia-magazine/docs/columbiaapr24en |access-date=August 11, 2024 |website=Knights of Columbus, Columbia Magazine, page 8 |language=en-US}}</ref> Previously, she worked as a campus minister with Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a Catholic organization for college students, at various universities in the American Midwest. On November 1, 2022, the Diocese of Bismarck began promoting the cause of her beatification, granting her the title Servant of God.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Former FOCUS Missionary Michelle Duppong, Now 'Servant of God,' Continues to Inspire With Her Holy Life |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/former-focus-missionary-michelle-duppong-now-servant-of-god-continues-to-inspire-with-her-holy-life |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=NCR |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Michelle Christine Duppong was born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cervantes |first=Makena |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Servant of God Michelle Duppong's Colorado roots grow to potential |url=https://denvercatholic.org/servant-of-god-michelle-duppongs-colorado-roots-grow-to-potential-sainthood/ |access-date=February 4, 2024 |website=Denver Catholic |language=en-US}}</ref> to a Catholic family on January 25, 1984, later moving to Haymarsh, North Dakota at the age of 1.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cervantes |first=Makena |date=November 18, 2022 |title=Servant of God Michelle Duppong's Colorado roots grow to potential |url=https://denvercatholic.org/servant-of-god-michelle-duppongs-colorado-roots-grow-to-potential-sainthood/ |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Denver Catholic |language=en-US}}</ref> After graduating high school, Duppong enrolled in North Dakota State University, where she earned a degree in horticulture in 2006.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bishop David Kagan Begins the Process for the Canonization of Michelle Christine Duppong |url=https://focus.org/about/news-press-room/recent-press-releases/bishop-david-kagan-begins-the-process-for-the-canonization-of-michelle-christine-duppong/ |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=FOCUS |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Missionary work with FOCUS == At North Dakota State, she first encountered the Catholic campus ministry FOCUS, which led her working with the ministry post-graduation for six years, including at the University of Mary.<ref name=":1" /> She was known for being a mentor towards students and showing kindness to many around her, even helping influence men to join the priesthood and women to become religious sisters.<ref name=":2">{{Citation |title=Michelle Duppong |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_EJRUmXLlU |access-date=October 30, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Over her time in the ministry, she worked with hundreds of students at various universities.<ref name=":1" />

After working with FOCUS, Michelle Duppong became the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck, where she coordinated various events in the diocese, including conferences and outreach events.<ref name=":0" />

In 2014, Duppong was diagnosed with stage four cancer, in what was initially thought were ovarian cysts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taking one for the team |url=https://bismarckdiocese.com/news/taking-one-for-the-team |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Bismarck Diocese |language=en}}</ref> Throughout her time with cancer, she was known for being "docile to the Will of God" and being a positive presence in the hospital she was in.<ref name=":2" /> She died on Christmas Day, which she had reportedly predicted.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 24, 2022 |title=Christmas Memories From Servant of God Michelle Duppong's Mother |url=https://www.ncregister.com/blog/christmas-memories-from-michelle-duppong-family |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=NCR |language=en}}</ref>

A documentary about her life, ''Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story'', was released in 2024.<ref>{{Citation |title=Radiating Joy: The Michelle Duppong Story {{!}} Official Trailer (2024) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZnRDYHAkg |access-date=January 30, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==Beatification process== On June 16, 2022, it was announced that a formal inquiry would be started on Duppong's life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CNA |title=Did a saint work in Catholic campus ministry? |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251592/did-a-saint-work-in-catholic-campus-ministry-bismarck-diocese-opens-inquiry-for-michelle-duppong |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}</ref> On All Saints Day of that year, her cause for beatification was opened based on her reported holiness as well as miracles being granted through her intercession, including the healing of a woman with the same type of cancer as Duppong had.<ref>{{Citation |title=Someone You Should Know: Michelle Duppong |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcBCfyiRDE |access-date=October 30, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> She was declared Servant of God by Bishop David Kagan in November 2022 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rousselle |first1=Christine |title=North Dakota millennial woman advances toward sainthood after the 'heroic sanctity' of her cancer battle |url=https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/north-dakota-millennial-woman-sainthood-heroic-sanctity-cancer-battle |website=foxnews.com |date=November 16, 2022 |access-date=November 8, 2023}}</ref>

== References ==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duppong, Michelle}} Category:American Servants of God Category:American Roman Catholic missionaries Category:1984 births Category:2015 deaths Category:People from Wheat Ridge, Colorado Category:Catholics from North Dakota Category:Catholics from Colorado Category:North Dakota State University alumni