St. Michael the Archangel Parish sits along Wilhelm Street in Schererville, a town that was once farmland and rolling prairie when its first German Catholic pioneers arrived in the 1870s. Today the parish anchors a thriving Catholic community in northwest Indiana, with a church that has been enlarged and rebuilt over the decades, an accredited preschool through 8th-grade school called the Warriors, and a calendar of ministries that touches nearly every age and stage of parish life. St. Michael belongs to the Diocese of Gary, and its members describe themselves as "one, holy, and Catholic community," with the motto "Be a Warrior. Be a Saint." pinned above its doors.
A Heritage Rooted in Love
The Saint Michael story began in the late 1800s, when the German Catholics of Schererville were forced to travel to distant churches over bad roads with only primitive transportation. In 1873, those pioneers petitioned Bishop Dwenger of Fort Wayne for a parish of their own. Permission was granted, and a church was constructed on land donated by the town's founder, Nicholas Scherer. On September 29, 1874, the feast day of St. Michael, the first church was blessed and a parish of eighty families was formed.
Fr. Gottfried Kueng became the first pastor in 1875 and a new rectory rose the same year. On May 28, 1881, Bishop Dwenger appointed Fr. William Berg as pastor, beginning a 48-year tenure that would make him one of the most remarkable figures in Schererville history. A great believer in Catholic education, Fr. Berg arranged for Franciscan Sisters to teach in the town school in 1886, and on September 16, 1900, St. Michael School opened as a full-time parochial school, a ministry that continues today.
By 1920, the community had grown to roughly 400 parishioners, and Monsignor Berg recognized that the 50-year-old church was becoming too small. New waves of families kept arriving, and by the time of the parish's 100th anniversary, St. Michael had grown to 734 families and a school enrollment of around 400 students. A second and then a third church building followed.
By the time Fr. Patrick Connolly became pastor in 1987, the parish had swelled to nearly 2,000 families and had again outgrown its worship space. The stunning collection of colorful stained-glass windows, fine examples of European craftsmanship, were carefully taken down, restored, and reinstalled in the new worship space. The ornate altar, refurbished statuary, and light fixtures traveled from the old church to provide an important link to the parish's long heritage. Bishop Dale Melczek dedicated the new church on November 3, 1999, and Fr. Connolly blessed the new Bell Tower on November 12, 2000.
After Fr. Connolly fell ill, the parish community gathered around him, and he returned home to St. Michael's to be cared for by parishioners and parish nurses. Today, Fr. Martin Dobrzynski, known simply as Fr. Marty, continues as pastor, "a place of prayer, hospitality, and charity." On April 14, 2006, he blessed the refurbished Stations of the Cross, cast in bronze from the originals. In 2008, the parish launched the "Building Faith, Families & Future" stewardship program, which funded completion of the south end of the church, school renovations, and the demolition of the old church in late 2011 and January 2012, dedicating that land to cemetery use. In the cemetery itself, two original walkways, dating back to the 1880s, were replaced through the "Set Your Legacy in Stone" paver initiative. Most recently, the "Our Lasting Legacy" campaign raised over $3.5 million for exterior and interior renovations of the church, including a new roof, pavement, painting, and rebuilt rose windows, work that wrapped up in July 2020.
Two legacy dates shape the parish today. In 2025, St. Michael Catholic School marked 125 years of Catholic education. And in 2024, the parish quietly began preparing for its 150th anniversary, a milestone that will place St. Michael among the oldest continuously active parishes in northwest Indiana.
Mass Times and the Heart of Worship
Weekday Mass at St. Michael is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:00 AM. On Saturdays, Mass is offered at 8:00 AM and again at 5:00 PM as the Sunday Vigil. Three Sunday Masses follow at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:30 AM. Confessions are heard every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Eucharistic Adoration is held on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the church.
The parish describes its mission as knowing and experiencing the mystery of God by sharing with brothers and sisters the power of prayer, compassion, and healing. Members commit to meeting Jesus in their lives and knowing Him more intimately, strengthening faith through common worship, recognizing that individual journeys contribute to one shared mission, developing individual gifts for the benefit of the community and the glory of God, seeking and promoting social justice and peace, and placing trust in God and in the working of the Holy Spirit.
The Liturgy Committee, under Music and Liturgy Director Danette Lashbrook, coordinates planning and scheduling for liturgical celebrations and oversees the various liturgical ministries. Music Ministry provides music for all Masses and for special services such as weddings and funerals, with adult, children's, and bell choirs under group leaders.
Worship at St. Michael is supported by a wide circle of lay ministers. Altar Servers, from fifth grade through senior year of high school, assist the priest, deacon, and congregation. Cross Bearers lead the procession in and out of church on Saturday evenings, Sundays, Holy Days, and other principal days. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, parishioners at least 16 years old and in valid sacramental marriage if applicable, distribute the Eucharist after a two-hour training session. Lectors proclaim God's word, scheduled roughly once every four weeks on Sundays and on a rotating basis for weekday Masses, gathering four times a year for ongoing formation. Hospitality ministers welcome and assist those entering the worship space, take up the collections, coordinate the Communion procession, and distribute music and bulletins, with a commitment of one or two Sundays per month.
Ministers of Care visit the homebound, residents of Schererville residences and nursing homes, and the hospitalized, sharing prayer and bringing Holy Communion when requested. Sacristans clean the sanctuary and prepare the vessels for daily and special liturgies. Art and Environment prepares and maintains church decorations for Feast Days and the liturgical seasons, gathering informally two or three times a year for Christmas and Easter.
Sunday Mass and select services are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and recordings can be viewed afterward by parishioners near and far.
The Parish Office and Daily Rhythm
The parish office sits at 1 East Wilhelm Street, across from the cemetery, in the white two-story building that longtime parishioners use as a landmark. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The fax line is 219-322-4508, and the parish can be reached by email at office@stmichaelparish.life.
Pastoral Care Coordinator Janice Gatons fields the human side of parish life. She oversees Adult Catholic Education Ministry, which organizes three or four informational sessions each year on aspects of the Roman Catholic faith tradition. She coordinates Baptismal Preparation, with infant baptism classes offered monthly. She also leads the Marriage Preparation Team, which brings engaged couples to a deeper awareness of self, communication, human sexuality, and the theology of marriage through weekend presentations and informal meetings, and the Ministry of Hope and Consolation, which assists those on the journey from grief to healing after the loss of a loved one, with sessions in the spring and fall.
Becoming Catholic: The OCIA Journey
For adults considering entry into the Catholic Church, St. Michael offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, often still called by its older name, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA. The parish's OCIA program is a journey of prayer, study, and service in which individuals grow from Catechumen to Elect to Neophyte. Many who join have no prior spirituality at the start; over time they encounter Jesus in a living and personal way, and the transformation is often powerful.
A children's adaptation of the rite is also offered so that young members of the parish can understand the significance of the sacraments. The process culminates in Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist for the unbaptized, and Confirmation and Eucharist for those already baptized.
Director of Faith Formation Kimberley Hoogeveen walks alongside inquirers. Those interested can reach her at 219-322-3077 or khoogeveen@stmichaelparish.life. For adults who are already baptized Catholics and have received First Communion and First Reconciliation but never Confirmation, the parish also offers an Adult Confirmation program each year with two preparation evenings and a Confirmation Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary.
Faith Formation from Preschool through Confirmation
The Faith Formation Committee at St. Michael provides opportunities for lifelong formation for the parish and affirms parishioners in the practice of their faith within family, parish, and community, under the direction and leadership of the pastor. The work is grounded in Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the National Directory for Catechesis, and the Directives for Faith Formation from the Diocese of Gary.
Programs include Traditional, Family Faith, and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the last of these beginning at age three. The Family Faith Sunday Program requires at least two years of registered parishioner status. Class sizes run between five and 15 students, meet in St. Michael School classrooms, and are led by volunteer trained Catechists. The Faith Formation Board meets monthly, and the program follows the Lake Central School calendar.
First Reconciliation is celebrated in second grade, First Eucharist in third grade, and Confirmation in eighth grade, mirroring the school sequence. For teens who have been confirmed and want to keep going, RADIATE High School Youth Ministry gathers on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in St. Patrick Hall. Teens choose the topics they want to cover, recent favorites include "Sunset and Rosary," "Eucharistic Miracles," "Balancing God and Others in Your Life," "Adoration and Pizza," and "Stress, Social Media and Friendship," and each evening mixes music, games, snacks, guest speakers, small and large group discussions, testimonies, skits, and service projects. Director Jeannine Quigley, with Marisa Richardson, welcomes high schoolers from Lake Central, Crown Point, Munster, Highland, Andrean, Mount Carmel, Marian Catholic, and other area schools.
For adults, Catholic Bible Study delves into books of the Bible over a designated time frame and explores Sacred Scripture's relevance to modern times through both individual study and group participation, with attention to the connection to Church Tradition.
St. Michael Catholic School: The Warriors
St. Michael Catholic School, housed at 16 West Wilhelm Street and sharing grounds with the parish, has offered Catholic education since opening on September 16, 1900, and celebrated 125 years of continuous instruction in 2025. The school is accredited by the State of Indiana and AdvancED, and its preschool through 8th-grade curriculum aligns with Indiana Academic Standards for College and Career Readiness while also reflecting both state and diocesan expectations, often exceeding them. The Indiana Department of Education has given the school an A rating.
The school's motto is "Keep the Faith." Its stated mission is to provide opportunities for maximum academic performance, develop self-esteem, leadership, and personal responsibility, promote positive Christian attitudes that lead to active participation in the church and society, encourage social responsibility in the name of peace and justice, and share with parents in the educational mission of the Church. The balanced curriculum includes art, music, physical education, writing workshops, foreign languages, and many extracurricular activities and sports, with SMART Board technology in every classroom, two computer labs with 55 desktop machines and two 3D printers, classroom Chromebooks, Elmo document cameras, and weekly computer and multimedia library classes for every grade.
Assessment is regular and structured: students are measured using MAP Growth and ISTEP+, and faculty engage in ongoing professional development. Reading and writing instruction in kindergarten through 8th grade is supported by CKLA and Amplify, a research-based program designed to build foundational skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and a lifelong love of reading. An advisory class in the middle school allows for novel reading, tutoring, math enrichment, and access to resources.
The preschool program offers a hands-on, play-based curriculum that incorporates STEM learning in age-appropriate ways, from spaghetti-and-blocks engineering challenges to apple-cutting physics lessons and field trips to the apple orchard. The 3-4 Preschool Program meets Monday through Wednesday from 12:30 to 3:00 PM, while the 4-5 Preschool Program meets Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 11:00 AM, both preparing children for Kindergarten through skills in pre-reading, math, language arts, and writing, all within a Catholic environment.
Kindergarten students attend daily from 8:20 AM to 3:20 PM and participate fully in school Masses, the Veterans Day program, the Christmas Program, Catholic Schools Week celebrations, and Warrior Day. Their "Daily 5" literacy block builds reading, writing, listening, spelling, and word work into a daily 90-minute routine, with 125 sight words mastered by year's end. Special traditions include the Student of the Week display, the family Advent Joy Box, St. Nick's Night hosted by the school's Social Committee, the 100th Day of School parade, and the Poetry Tea each spring.
In the elementary grades, students focus on literacy as a primary goal in the early years, transitioning to "reading to learn" by upper elementary. First graders enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast, Polar Express Day, and the 100th Day of School, and build a special relationship with the 8th-grade class as Mass buddies. Second graders complete the beloved endangered animal research project, an Earth Day recyclable creature, the Nativity reenactment at Christmas, and prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Third graders prepare all year for First Holy Communion in the spring and take the state I-READ evaluation. Fourth graders take on responsibility for walking the kindergarteners to Mass and back each week and cap their year-long study of Indiana history with a day trip to Indianapolis, visiting the State Capitol, Indiana Historical Museum, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fifth graders move upstairs to the middle school wing, take on service hours, study U.S. history with units on Black history and Native American history, and complete the DARE program run through the Schererville Police Department.
The Middle School serves as a bridge between elementary and high school, departmentalized so students change classes throughout the day. Sixth graders learn the basics of the scientific method, seventh graders manipulate their own variables in labs, and eighth graders master lab reports and connect science to the world around them. The eighth grade year culminates in Confirmation preparation that includes attendance at the Chrism Mass at Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary, a class trip to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, and a beloved tradition at the last Mass of the school year, when the 8th graders stand around the altar with the 7th graders gathered in front of them, raise their hands in blessing, and pray for the rising leaders of the school, before the first graders come forward to sing "We Wish You Well."
Extracurricular offerings are wide. They include Academic Team, Altar Servers, Art Club, Band, Boy Scouts, Bricks 4 Kidz, Choir, 8th Grade Mentors, Girl Scouts, Liturgy Leaders, Music Ministry, Science Olympiad, Spell Club, and Student Council. Catholic Youth Organization athletics begin in 5th grade with boys' and girls' soccer, volleyball, basketball, track, and cross country, and girls' cheerleading. No tryouts, no cuts, and every player on a team gets guaranteed playing time, in keeping with the CYO philosophy.
The Home and School Association, made up of every parent at the school, coordinates a full calendar of family events: Back to School Ice Cream Social, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel catered lunch, the annual Fun Fair, Little Elves Wrap Night and Shopping Day, Junior High Dances, Catholic Schools Week activities, Teacher Appreciation Week, and the Warrior Day school picnic. Each family is asked to complete 10 service hours per year, and VIRTUS training is required for any volunteer working with children.
Tuition assistance is available through the St. Michael Education Foundation, established in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit to build an endowment fund that provides tuition assistance for families in need, supports professional development, and assists in the enhancement of school facilities. The Foundation accepts cash, installments, stocks, bequests, and other planned gifts. St. Michael is also an approved Indiana Choice Scholarship school, and families can apply through Scholarship and Grant Coordinator Deacon Gary Wolfe. The first step for any new family is a personal tour, scheduled by calling the school office at 219-322-4531.
Serving Brothers and Sisters in Need
The Peace and Social Justice Commission helps parishioners understand and act upon the conviction that peace and social justice are essential elements of the Gospel that flow from the meaning of the Eucharist. The work takes root locally, nationally, and worldwide.
Good Samaritans, led by Sue Cohen, provides help to those in need of food or finances for utility bills or rent. The ministry maintains a food collection box in the Gathering Space and a year-round food pantry, with meetings on the first Wednesday evening of each month. Rebuilding Hope Ministry, led by Mike Macki, partners with Good Samaritans as a service team that helps the less fortunate with their time and talents.
The Wheelchair Ramp Ministry, coordinated by Jim Koeling, provides crucial support for individuals who need safe and accessible departures from their homes. The ministry removes old ramps, installs new ones, and brings together volunteers from St. Michael's and neighboring churches to serve the most vulnerable members of the community.
The Respect Life Group brings issues of respecting all aspects of human life to parishioners through prayer, the annual rose sale, and other activities, meeting monthly.
The Ministry of Hope and Consolation assists those on the journey from grief to healing following the loss of a loved one, with gatherings in the spring and fall.
Pastoral Care helps parishioners navigate life's sudden changes or challenges, whether facing personal hardship, illness, or significant life transitions, with compassionate support through consultation, prayer, and referrals to services.
Within the school, students are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to each weekly school Mass. The donations are collected by the parish's Good Samaritans, who maintain a year-round food bank providing meals to dozens of needy families each month. For Veterans Day, students send care packages to military members stationed overseas, and first graders write letters to soldiers at Christmas. The Student Council sponsors a "Mitten Tree" during the holidays. Past Catholic Schools Week charities have included Sojourner Truth House, Camp Kesem, Tradewinds of Northwest Indiana, and the Humane Society of the Calumet Area.
Parish Life: Family, Fellowship, and Fraternity
The Parish Life Commission promotes family life, helps build community in the parish, and fosters a sense of belonging among parish members.
Comforting Chefs, chaired by Connie Solorio, provides food donations, comfort, and meals on a temporary basis to parishioners who are in mourning or experiencing illness, and prepares funeral luncheons in St. Patrick Hall for those who wish. The Holy Name Society gathers men of the parish for service, charity, and social activities, supporting various fundraising efforts for the parish.
Knights of Columbus Council 12177 is a Catholic men's organization based on the principles of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity. The Knights serve the church, school, community, and nation through spiritual enrichment, social interaction, and fundraising for charitable causes.
Cub Scout Pack 504, sponsored by the Holy Name Society, welcomes boys in first through fifth grade for weekly activities, and Boy Scout opportunities extend from fifth grade through age 18. Senior GEMS, led by Doris Galinski, brings senior men and women together for service and entertainment on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 10:00 AM to noon in St. Patrick Hall, with monthly outings and a $1 per meeting contribution to charity.
Labors of Love, formerly the Prayer Shawl Ministry, knits, crochets, and crafts useful items for those in need, including mats for the homeless made from plastic grocery bags, fleece blankets and hats, and mission rosaries. The Welcoming Ministry, led by John and Lillian Zaborske, registers and welcomes new members, with registration scheduled after the 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM Masses on the third Sunday of the month.
The Festival Committee organizes the annual parish Festival, a family-oriented activity that includes the drawing of the $100,000 Mega Raffle winners. The Festival brings together multiple generations of parish families for an end-of-summer celebration.
Five Parish Commissions and the Pastoral Council
The work of St. Michael is organized through five commissions, each described by the parish as "the working arm of the Pastoral Council," responsible for visioning and planning for a specific area. Commission members are to be a prayerful group open to ongoing faith formation themselves, since only through ongoing formation and study can a commission envision the possibilities for creating a vibrant parish.
Education and Formation supports the parish community throughout its process of faith formation. Spirituality and Worship develops liturgical and devotional celebrations that call the entire community to "full, conscious, and active participation" in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Parish Life promotes family life, builds community, and works with Youth Ministry. Peace and Social Justice helps parishioners understand and act upon peace and justice as essential Gospel elements. Stewardship and Parish Administration creates an ongoing operation of stewardship through formation and Christian values, with attention to communication and interaction with the pastoral council, other commissions, and committees.
The Pastoral Council itself is a collaborative ministry between laity and religious, founded on the belief that all baptized persons are gifted and called to the mission of Jesus Christ. Members consist of the pastor, 13 lay ministers, the associate pastor, and the parish deacons. The term of a Pastoral Council member is three years, with no member serving more than two terms. Council meetings and minutes are posted for parishioners to read.
The Stewardship and Parish Administration Commission encourages every parishioner to challenge themselves as Catholics to accept baptismal responsibility and place their gifts, resources, and selves at God's service in and through the Church. The AV Ministry, led by Robbie Hansen, supports the technical needs of the parish, including live-streaming Sunday Mass, funerals, weddings, and special events so that all parishioners, near or far, can be part of these sacred moments. The Parish Gardeners maintain and beautify the exterior grounds of the parish and sponsor a spring flower sale as a fundraiser.
The Patron and His Warrior Witness
St. Michael the Archangel, the parish's patron, has a long tradition of appearing during plagues and gathering the souls of the dying. He is known as a warrior saint who protected soldiers and provided victory over the forces of evil, often invoked by military leaders as a sign of having God on their side. In artistic design, he is usually depicted with a sword battling or standing in victory over a dragon, snake, or Satan.
His name means "Who is like God?", the battle cry of the heavenly forces during the uprising. He is patron against temptations and of ambulance drivers, artists, bakers, bankers, battle, boatmen, Belgium, Brussels, Sicily, the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel, danger at sea, dying people, emergency medical technicians, England, fencing, Germany, grocers, knights, mariners, police officers, sailors, security forces, and security guards. He is mentioned in Daniel 10:13, Daniel 10:21, Daniel 12:1, Jude 1:9, and Revelation 12:7.
The parish's favorite prayer to their patron comes from Pope Leo XIII: "Defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all the wicked spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."
Unbound: A Ministry of Inner Freedom
St. Michael also offers Unbound, a safe, loving, and effective prayer ministry developed by Catholic layman Neal Lozano that uses five keys to help people experience the freedom God desires. The ministry addresses spiritual burdens of sin, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and shame, leading to deeper healing and a renewed relationship with Christ.
Unbound is especially intended for those who struggle with habitual sins, anxiety, fear, or worry, unforgiveness, distance from God, shame and guilt, or painful memories. The first step is acquiring Neal Lozano's book, "Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance," and reading chapters 1 through 8. The next step is contacting Deacon Gary Wolfe to schedule a prayer session.
Marian Devotions and the Lourdes Shrine
From May through early October each year, parishioners gather every other Sunday at dusk at the parish's Our Lady of Lourdes Outdoor Shrine for a special time of Marian prayer. They lift up various intentions, sing hymns together, and walk the "blue" circle in the parking lot while praying the rosary. By the time the rosary begins, darkness has fallen, and each person carries a candle, creating a peaceful atmosphere inspired by the rosary processions at the Lourdes Shrine in France. The 1870s cemetery grottoes at St. Michael, the Lourdes Grotto, the Garden of Gethsemane Grotto, and the Resurrection Grotto, were constructed by Brothers Fridolin Ifen and Paul Tanner of The Divine Word Society in response to the vandalism of 1893 and remain sites of devotion and reflection today.
St. Patrick Hall and Parish Facilities
St. Patrick Hall, blessed on September 27, 2009, alongside three adjacent meeting rooms and a full-service kitchen, is the heart of many parish gatherings. The hall is reserved first for parish meetings and functions, with rental available to registered parishioners subject to the parish schedule. Rentals are not permitted during any liturgy or service taking place in the main worship space, and the hall is not available for wedding receptions or Quinceañera celebrations.
Social function rental runs $525 for the entire hall with bar, $325 for partial hall excluding bar up to 150 people, or $225 for the east portion up to 40 people, all for four-hour blocks. Seminars and presentations rent for $375 for four hours, with projection screen, sound system, and electric included. Southeast or Southwest Meeting Rooms are available for groups of 24 or less for $125, four hours. The parish holds an Indiana Liquor License and all liquor must be purchased through the parish, with a $15 per hour bartender fee and a required $25 per hour security guard.
The St. Michael Cemetery, with gravestones dating back to the 1880s, continues to serve the parish community, and the parish maintains a columbarium. All cemetery plots and columbarium niches are reserved for parishioners, with appointments arranged through the parish office.
The G.I.F.T. Campaign: Growing Into the Future Together
The Growing Into the Future Together, or G.I.F.T., Campaign is the current parish-wide initiative. Phase I replaced the school HVAC system with individual room conditioning, high-intensity allergen cleaners, energy efficiency, and time-of-day programming; that work was completed during summer 2025.
Phase II, the Parishioner Service Center, envisions a new welcoming entry, family meeting rooms, one-level ADA-compliant access, administrative offices, a Good Samaritan Service Office, an improved sacristy, ministry support spaces, enhanced security, private meeting space, and energy- and technology-efficient systems. As part of this phase, families have the opportunity to sponsor one of seven contemporary, biblically inspired stained-glass windows that will line the new connecting corridor between the church, day chapel, and parish offices. These windows were originally commissioned by Fr. Patrick Connolly for the now-closed St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Hammond and were acquired by St. Michael's before that property was sold, preserving Fr. Connolly's legacy.
Leadership and Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Martin J. Dobrzynski and Associate Pastor Fr. Zachary Glick. Two permanent deacons, Deacon Ron Pyle and Deacon Gary Wolfe, assist with liturgy, marriage preparation, the OCIA journey, and Unbound ministry.
Michelle Biscan serves as Principal of St. Michael Catholic School. Danette Lashbrook is the Director of Music and Liturgy. Kimberley Hoogeveen is the Director of Faith Formation. Janice Gatons is the Pastoral Care Coordinator. Elizabeth Munoz is the Communications Director. Jesica Cherry is the Director of Finance and Accounting. Rob Olson is the Sacristan. Rick Gilbert is the Campus Facility Coordinator and manages Cemetery Services. Judi Patzelt is the Parish Executive Secretary. Jeannine Quigley directs Radiate Teen Ministry.
The Parish Council includes Chair Bob Solorio, Vice Chair and Stewardship Liaison Michael Morley, Education and Formation Liaisons Barbara Judge and Jim Lesniak, Peace and Social Justice Liaisons Joan Bullock and Matthew Wieser, Parish Life Liaisons Martha Kozub and Lisa Codo, Spirituality and Worship Liaisons Alice Lewinski and Connie Solorio, Stewardship Liaisons Lou Bufano and Mick Adamson, and Secretary Jeffrey Cox.
The school faculty includes Lauren Homola and Justine Klug in preschool, Melina Duda and Catherine Rusin in first grade, Colleen Nikiel and Lori Bonnell in second grade, Stacey Barry in third grade, Lynn Fisher in fourth grade, and Michele McLaughlin in fifth grade. The middle school is led by Allison Clous in math, Sister Serene Jacob in science, Cassandra Ramirez in language arts, and Michelle Dobrzeniecki in religion. Specialist teachers include Cathy Baron in art and middle school literature, Katy Pagorek in computers, Jessica Maya in Spanish, Marie Hess in physical education, and Eileen Germek as the resource teacher.
Becoming a Parishioner
Anyone interested in joining St. Michael Parish can begin the new parishioner registration process through a form on the parish site. After submission, the parish will reach out to complete registration. The parish also welcomes those curious about becoming Catholic to reach out to Kimberley Hoogeveen to begin the OCIA journey.
St. Michael Parish belongs to the Diocese of Gary and serves the Schererville community with the conviction that "they will know you by your love." From its 1874 founding by German Catholic pioneers to its present-day role as a school, worship site, and service hub, St. Michael remains a faith-filled, family-centered, and educationally enriched parish, a place where "our home is rooted in love."