At 10516 Hayes Road in Clarklake, Michigan, St. Rita Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Lansing whose story begins with a summer mission church in 1916. It is known for welcoming all God's children for worship and service, offering Catholic formation from preschool through adulthood, and pairing a long institutional history with practical ministries in Clarklake and Jackson. The parish says it is dedicated to living and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ now and in ways not yet imagined. Its vision is to be confident in the faith, comfortable sharing that faith, dynamic in celebrating it and generous because of it.
A Summer Mission Beside Clark Lake
St. Rita's story began as a dream in Fr. Edwin Fisher of St. Mary's Church in Manchester. With perseverance, contacts, donated land and materials, he brought a mission church into being in the summer of 1916. An acquaintance, Rollo Every, connected Fisher with Mr. and Mrs. Graziani of Covington, Kentucky, whose summer home was on Clark Lake. The Grazianis offered a parcel for the church, and neighboring families gave whatever materials they could. Workers built the structure in sections in Manchester, then hauled it to Clark Lake by team and wagon. In 1915, that journey alone took two and a half days. A building for 200 people required several wagons, and assembling walls from sections on location was an unusual building concept decades before that method became common in the 1990s.
St. Rita remained a mission of St. Mary's until the Diocese of Lansing was created in 1937. The mother parish remained in the Diocese of Detroit, so pastoral care shifted to Monsignor Eugene Cullimane at St. Mary, Star of Sea, in Jackson, and assistants continued celebrating Sunday Mass during summers through 1955. Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Michigan Center assumed responsibility in 1955. Its pastor, Fr. Hugh Conklin, had little time for the summer mission, but Fr. Paul Donovan devoted more attention to it. In 1966 Donovan bought 15 acres at the southwest corner of Hayes and Jefferson for a new church. He reported to Bishop Zaleski that both Sunday Masses were overcrowded and the old building was in poor repair.
From Crowded Chapel to Seashell Sanctuary
In 1967 the new church was erected and the old chapel was closed and sold. With 400 seats, it hosted its first Mass on August 20, 1967. Fr. Donovan promised to keep the building open if at least 100 people attended weekend Mass through winter; the mission was never closed. Fr. Sylvester Fedewa cared for St. Rita from 1968 through 1970. That summer the Oblates of St. Francis deSales took responsibility for St. Rita and Our Lady of Fatima, with Fr. Paul Gillispie serving as the first Oblate minister and Fr. Andrew Dunne taking over in 1974. Summer attendance again exceeded capacity, and some people watched Mass through the windows. Dunne added an adjoining 40-by-80-foot hall, the Great Pumpkin Room, named for its color. It served as a fellowship hall and added about 300 seats for Mass. In 1978 a family donated a home on 10 adjacent acres as the rectory, and Fr. James Prentice became the mission's first full-time resident priest on July 1.
On May 16, 1982, after 66 years as a mission, Bishop Kenneth Povich of the Diocese of Lansing canonically established St. Rita as a parish, and Fr. Prentice became its first pastor. A major addition began in July 1986, extending from both sides of the original church in a seashell-shaped design. The altar moved forward, pews radiated toward it and seating reached 820. The Great Pumpkin Room became classrooms, while Cornfield Hall provided more fellowship space. Fr. Prentice's declining health brought Fr. Lehr Barkenquest to assist in 1991; after Fr. Prentice died that September, the congregation asked Barkenquest to become the second pastor. Louis Weitzel was ordained a permanent deacon on October 3, 1992. Fr. Barkenquest retired in July 2013, and Oblate Fr. Tom Helfrich became pastor on July 7. Fr. Helfrich retired in July 2024.
A Church That Grew With Its Community
The building's changing size records the community's growth. The original 1916 mission seated 200. The 1967 replacement held 400, after Fr. Donovan had reported that both Sunday Masses were hopelessly crowded. By 1974, summer attendance again exceeded capacity and people watched through windows. The Great Pumpkin Room added both fellowship space and about 300 overflow seats. The 1986 side additions then formed a seashell-shaped sanctuary with the altar moved forward, radiating pews and 820 seats. The Great Pumpkin Room became classrooms, and Cornfield Hall provided fellowship space. A 2018 renovation moved through staging, two construction phases, a new choir area and final work. St. Rita also displays stained-glass windows and a collection of nativity scenes.
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal serves as parochial administrator. He was ordained in Kerala, India, in 1992 and served 12 years in his home diocese before coming to the United States. In 2004 he joined the Diocese of Lansing, assisting at St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing, St. John in Fenton, St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor, and St. Mary in Manchester before St. Rita. He became a naturalized United States citizen in December 2015. His ministry team includes Nancy Carter, director of evangelization and adult discipleship; Abby Walraven, director of youth discipleship; BJ Hohnke, director of music; and Louanne Alber, lay ecclesial minister.
Mass on Hayes Road
Mass is celebrated Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 AM, as a vigil on Saturday at 4:30 PM, and on Sunday at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The 9:00 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed as Facebook Live Mass. The parish office is reached at 517-592-5470, with office hours Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Confessions are offered Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM and Sunday from 8:15 to 8:45 AM and 10:15 to 10:45 AM. Eucharistic adoration is held Friday from 10:00 to 11:00 AM.
Sacramental care is woven into parish life. Baptism requires a class and a scheduled date, and most baptisms take place at weekend liturgies. Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion normally begins in second grade after at least one year of formal religious education, combining classroom and home components. First Reconciliation falls around late January or mid-February, and First Eucharist in early May. Confirmation preparation centers largely on EDGE and monthly meetings that cover the meaning of Confirmation, prayer, faith growth and service, plus a retreat or mission experience. Anointing of the Sick is offered every three months after weekend liturgies, with arrangements also available for people who are ill or facing surgery. Funeral Masses for registered parishioners and their families are usually available Tuesday through Saturday at 11:00 AM, with luncheon arrangements; Monday and Sunday funerals are generally unavailable. Columbarial placement is available to registered parishioners. Engaged couples begin marriage preparation, with the required Declaration of Freedom and, when applicable, annulment process for prior marriages.
Children and Teenagers Find a Place
Faith formation for preschool through fifth grade meets in the classrooms most Sundays from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Preschool and kindergarten children experience the Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, entering an atrium and learning through hands-on activities. Grades one through five use Sophia Institute's Spirit and Truth curriculum, while second grade follows a different curriculum for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Students also take part in retreats connected with the sacraments, the Advent and Lent seasons, and weekly service projects. These include writing cards to people in nursing homes, assembling birthday cake kits for a child whose parents cannot afford one, and collecting for Mayan Missions.
EDGE welcomes sixth through eighth graders and adapts Lifeteen resources for a middle-school group that builds community and grows in faith. It meets from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the St. Rita youth room most Sundays each month. Lifeteen welcomes students in grades nine through twelve and meets from 6:00 to 7:30 PM on most Sundays each month. Each year, Lifeteen adds one mission trip, one summer camp or retreat, and community outreach about once a month. The parish also reserves places for the Alive in You mission gathering and Catholic Youth Camp at Camp DeSales, and encourages youth to join the diocesan Outpouring retreat. Confirmation preparation uses EDGE participation and monthly Sunday meetings from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, with candidates and sponsors discussing the sacrament, prayer, faith growth and service between gatherings.
These programs share a stated goal: to bring young people closer to God, teach them about their faith, and equip them to share the Good News. The aim is for the young Church to love God and to love others with the same enthusiasm it brings to its faith.
Walking With Purpose and the Parish Choir
Adult faith formation begins with a simple conviction: God speaks through scripture, prayer, other people and everyday experiences. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults meets Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for baptized or unbaptized people seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. Walking With Purpose is a Catholic Bible study for women that connects everyday challenges with Scripture through prayer, small-group discussion and fellowship. Sessions meet Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and again from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. The parish also lists formation classes, Bible studies, online courses, small groups and private spiritual direction with a certified director at no cost. Cursillo, a Rosary group, Light of Life Intercessory Prayer and Growing in Faith Together add other paths for prayer and study. People who are not Catholic are welcome at St. Rita, with OCIA available to those who want to learn more about the Catholic faith.
In a shared testimony, Mary described herself as a cradle Catholic who had not felt a strong connection to the Word of God. She said Walking With Purpose helped her spend quiet time with God each day and recognize a void in her life that only God could fill. Her experience reflects the program's aim of helping women develop a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ through Scripture, small groups and fellowship.
The choir ministry describes itself as a community journeying in faith with persistence and joy. Its goal is active congregational participation at every liturgy, using the gifts within the choir to lift hearts and worship together. Children sing, dance, present the gifts and sing at Mass, learning reverence and joy by taking part. The parish's liturgical ministries include altar servers, the Altar Society, choir, EME, lectors, greeters, sacristans and ushers. Erma Bombeck's words express the aspiration behind the music: “I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’” The ministry also cites Johann Sebastian Bach: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” St. Cecilia, patron of music, is invoked in a traditional prayer: “Pray for us!”
Service in Clarklake and Jackson
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's St. Rita Conference offers direct assistance to people in need. Its recurring Easter Basket Program gathers requested items and volunteer drivers for households in the community. Another ministry, Center for Women in Jackson, is a pro-life pregnancy resource center at 500 Lansing Avenue that has served women and men since 1988. Qualified volunteers provide pregnancy testing, limited ultrasound services, ongoing pregnancy support, factual information about sexual health and pregnancy, educational and material assistance, community referrals, adoption information, emotional and relational assistance, and post-abortion support in individual or group settings. Jill DeDoes, RDMS, provides expectant mothers a visual connection to their unborn child, and the Knights of Columbus raised funds for an ultrasound machine. Nearly 80 percent of those receiving ultrasound services choose life. The Learn and Earn program teaches prenatal care, infant care, parenting and life skills, with earnings redeemed for items in the Mommy Store.
St. Rita's Baby Love work and Center for Women share a January focus on life born and unborn. Parishioners support the center through prayer partnerships, financial partnership, baby bottle blessing drives, baby showers, fundraising and donations of maternity and infant supplies. The St. Francis of Assisi Council #7945 of the Knights of Columbus, led by Grand Knight Dan Bihn, brings Catholic families together in prayer and charitable action. Its named beneficiaries include Jackson St. Luke's Free Clinic, Center for Women, the Baby Love project, Boy Scout projects, blankets for Catholic Charities, Holy Cross, Jackson Catholic Schools, vocations, the Chelsea St. Louis Center and parishioners in need. The parish's wider ministry roster also includes a cleaning crew, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, a prayer shawl ministry, Stephen Ministry, Quilts from the Heart and Yoga.
Protecting God's Children is part of the parish's ministry as well. People who have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church are encouraged to speak out, and diocesan victim assistance and law-enforcement reporting options are identified.
Called to Pray, Sent to Serve
Four phrases capture St. Rita's direction: Called to Pray, Sent to Serve, Blessed to Share and Empowered to Witness. They describe a community of disciples living in and for Jesus Christ. Parish registration can be completed through online registration or on a printed form. Paper forms can be obtained at the church office, requested in “New Parishioner” envelopes placed in the pews, returned to the office or placed in the Offertory basket, or mailed to St. Rita Catholic Church in Clarklake, Michigan 49234. The parish also offers online giving, including recurring contributions that can be adjusted in amount or timing and one-time gifts for special causes. St. Rita is recognized as a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization, and contributions are deductible.
That mixture of history, worship, formation and service remains the defining character of St. Rita Catholic Church on Hayes Road. The parish began with a mission built in sections, grew into an 820-seat seashell-shaped church, and has continued to welcome all God's children for worship and service as an active Catholic community in the Diocese of Lansing.