In Muskegon, Michigan, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish centered at 196 W Webster Ave. It is known for a history shaped by several local communities, for worship celebrated in English and Spanish, and for an ad orientem Mass tradition that places the altar at the center of Eucharistic prayer. The parish also includes a St. Thomas worship location, a full program of Catholic formation, and Mary's Heart Food Pantry. Its story begins in 1833 and carries the histories of Our Lady of Grace and St. Jean Baptiste within one Muskegon parish.
English and Spanish Mass at Two Muskegon Locations
St. Mary's weekend rhythm begins with a Saturday vigil Mass at 4:00 PM, celebrated without incense. Sunday Mass follows at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM in Spanish, and 5:00 PM. The parish's main church is at 196 W Webster Ave., while a second worship location, St. Thomas, is at 3252 Apple Ave.
Weekday Mass takes place at 12:10 PM on Monday, Thursday and Friday at St. Mary's. Wednesday has two gatherings: English Mass at 9:00 AM at St. Thomas and bilingual Mass at 6:15 PM at St. Mary's. These separate locations give the parish distinct weekday opportunities for English-speaking and bilingual congregations.
Confession is offered on Monday at 11:40 AM, Wednesday at 5:45 PM, Thursday and Friday at 11:40 AM, as well as before the Saturday vigil and Sunday evening Masses. Appointments are also available. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered at 3:30 PM on Sunday and begins 30 minutes before each weekday Mass.
The parish office is at 239 W Clay Ave. Office hours are 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 PM Monday, and 9:00 AM to noon Tuesday through Thursday. Spanish assistance is available through the parish office. For an immediate sacramental need involving a priest, the parish maintains a sacramental emergency line at 231-260-6625.
Why the Altar Matters: Ad Orientem at St. Mary's
Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent 2022, St. Mary's began celebrating Mass ad orientem, Latin for “toward the East.” At certain points, especially during the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest and the people face the same direction, toward the Liturgical East and toward God. The parish emphasizes that this is not a conversation between the priest and congregation alone, but the prayer of God and everyone gathered, with the priest acting in the person of Christ.
Most of the Mass remains unchanged. When the priest addresses the people, he faces them; when he turns toward God in the Eucharistic Prayer, the people turn with him. Although the building itself may not face geographic east, the altar and cross define its Liturgical East. The parish presents this posture as a way to keep God at the center of worship and cultivate a deeper reverence for the Eucharist.
Sacred music is another important part of the parish's worship, with a choir and dedicated musical leadership. Homilies are also available through an Anchor audio feed and a Spotify feed.
From Pigeon Hill to Webster Avenue
On June 23, 1833, Father Fredric Baraga baptized 21 people in a tiny church overlooking Muskegon Lake on “Pigeon Hill.” Built by Native Americans, the church was dedicated to St. Joseph on April 20, 1834. It was later replaced by St. Mary's at a different location. Lumbering mills drew laborers and immigrants from Germany, Ireland and Canada, and by 1888, 47 mills were operating in a growing community.
Missionary priests from Grand Rapids served the Catholic population until Fr. Edward VanPaemel encouraged the construction of another church. Five-dollar donations and lumber from a mill owner whose wife was Catholic helped erect a 20-by-30-foot building without windows. Variations on that structure served the Catholic community for about 40 years. The foundation for the Webster Avenue location was completed on June 2, 1889, and on July 27, 1893, the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was raised into the niche in front of the church.
Our Lady of Grace and Muskegon's Italian Catholic Community
During the early 1900s, many Italian families established homes in Muskegon and settled at St. Mary's. Because most spoke only Italian, their participation in parish life was limited. Fr. K.J. Whelan and Fr. William Ducey grew concerned about their spiritual welfare. With help from Italian-speaking Fr. Octavius Zavata of Chicago, they held a mission in Muskegon in May 1923. Fr. Ducey then learned Italian and appointed a committee of Italian men to purchase and reconstruct a house at Jackson and Charles streets.
The first Mass in “Our Lady of Grace Church” was offered on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924, at 9:00 AM. The Italian community soon held a fair and supper at the Muskegon Armory during the last week of April. That gathering began the tradition of Italian spaghetti dinners that later became widely known. As the congregation outgrew the small building, it raised funds for a new church. Ground was broken on September 12, 1949, and the first Mass in the new building was celebrated on Mother's Day, May 14, 1950.
Our Lady of Grace merged with St. Mary in July 2018. Its final Mass was celebrated on August 26, 2023, and it closed as a worship location. Its history, including the work of community leaders Ralph Perri, John Flora, Tony Schillaci, Zefferino Mezzetti, Joseph Pesci, Angelo Albanesi and Alessandro Lauretti, remains part of St. Mary's story.
St. Jean Baptiste and the French Canadian Community
St. Jean Baptiste began with the first Mass celebrated on December 8, 1883, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The French Canadian congregation gathered in the basement of the new church, and the French people could hear hymns, prayers and sermons in their own language. The upper church was unfinished as the lumbering economy slowed, but Fr. J. Roch Magnan, who came from Montreal, led the work to complete it in 1887.
St. Jean Baptiste merged with St. Mary in July 2012. The church closed permanently in April 2015 because of the cost of extensive repairs, and the building was sold in January 2017.
Three Parish Histories, One Catholic Community
St. Mary now carries the histories of the early church on Pigeon Hill, the Italian community of Our Lady of Grace and the French Canadian congregation of St. Jean Baptiste. Its two present worship locations and bilingual schedule reflect that accumulated heritage, while the parish mission continues to center on teaching the apostles, communal life, the breaking of the bread and prayer.
Children's Formation in the Montessori-Style Atrium
Children's formation at St. Mary uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach conducted in a prepared space called an atrium. The parish houses all three levels:
- Level 1: ages 3 to 6
- Level 2: ages 6 to 9
- Level 3: ages 9 to 12
First Holy Communion preparation is part of this process. A child must be baptized and at least 7 years old or in second grade. Preparation sessions begin in September, weekly attendance is required, and First Communion is received when the child is ready, often the following spring. First Reconciliation precedes First Communion.
Children age 7 and older are prepared for Baptism through the rites of Christian initiation and receive Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion at the Easter Vigil. Child OCIA includes weekly classes, additional formation with parents and special liturgical rites. Catechists and assistants support the children's classes, and all volunteers working with minors meet the Diocese of Grand Rapids safe-environment standards.
Student Discipleship and Lakeshore Young Adults
Student Discipleship serves students in grades 7 through 12, giving middle-school and high-school students a distinct place within the parish's formation life. The Lakeshore Young Adult Ministry extends that connection beyond the parish to young adults throughout the area. Its gatherings include social and ministry events, with a Lakeshore Catholic Young Adult group for shared information and fellowship.
Men's Adoration, Theology on Tap, and OCIA
Adult formation includes several forms of prayer and conversation. The Men's Group meets on the first Saturday of every month for an hour of Eucharistic Adoration at 7:00 AM, followed by breakfast and discussion. Theology on Tap provides another setting for adult conversation about faith.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults welcomes people seeking a deeper relationship with God, those interested in becoming Catholic, unbaptized adults, baptized Christians from Protestant backgrounds, and baptized Catholics who have not received First Communion or Confirmation. Inquiry sessions begin in spring. The sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation are celebrated at the Easter Vigil, while reception into full communion for those already baptized is celebrated once each year during the Easter season.
Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, and Marriage
The parish teaches that Baptism is the gateway to the Christian life and entrance to the other sacraments. For an infant or child under 7, the parents and godparents must complete the required class and forms before a baptism is scheduled. Adult Baptism is prepared through the Rite of Christian Initiation.
Confirmation preparation is designated for a student's eighth-grade year, although students in grades 8 through 12 may participate. Baptized Catholics age 18 and older who have not received Confirmation can pursue adult preparation. First Communion for adults is also available through OCIA. The Eucharist is described as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” while Confirmation is understood as the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Marriage preparation must begin at least six months before the wedding, and no date can be set until the couple meets with the priest or deacon. Matrimony is presented as a covenant representing the union of Christ and the Church. Holy Orders continues the mission entrusted by Christ to the apostles, and young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood are invited to speak with the pastor. The Anointing of the Sick is arranged through the parish office, with a sacramental emergency line available when a priest is needed immediately.
Mary's Heart Food Pantry at Lourdes Hall
Mary's Heart Food Pantry began when Sacred Heart Parish was closing and its frequently used pantry needed a home. St. Mary's welcomed the work because serving people in need closely matched the parish's history of providing Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets and other food assistance.
In partnership with Love INC, which evaluates each person or family in need, the pantry has doubled the number of people it serves. It operates Monday and Wednesday from 1:30 to 3:30 PM in Lourdes Hall. Volunteers pack groceries and welcome those who arrive, while Donna Esch and Cathy Bertoia have continued to provide leadership for the ministry.
Monetary gifts support at-cost purchases through Feeding America, and online giving can be designated for the pantry. Food donations include baked beans, canned chicken, canned fruit, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, soup, tuna and other shelf-stable staples.
Fr. Sacha, Deacon Schiltz, and a Parish of Formation Leaders
Fr. David Sacha serves as pastor, with Dcn. James Schiltz and Dcn. Matt Dugener serving as deacons. Liz Markovicz directs discipleship and evangelization, Danielle Bolthouse coordinates children's discipleship, Lucrezia Esteban, O.P., coordinates OCIA, and Jeffrey Ostrowski directs sacred music. Together, these leaders support worship, sacramental preparation, adult formation, young-adult ministry and the food pantry.
New parishioners can register online, and households may add an email address to receive parish updates. The parish's two worship locations, bilingual celebrations, ad orientem prayer, children's atriums, youth and young-adult ministries, and food pantry all form the present shape of St. Mary's in Muskegon.
At its center remains the conviction expressed in Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.”