One Hundred Thirty-Five Years... and Then Some!
History of St. Mary Parish

The history of St. Mary Parish in New Baltimore begins back in December, 1875, with the appointment of Fr. Aloysius Lambert as the first resident pastor.  Detroit's second bishop, Bishop Caspar H. Borgess, made the appointment for the New Year of Grace, so we begin counting from the year 1876.  Prior to this, the Catholic  community in New Baltimore was ministered by priests from Anchorville who celebrated Mass in private homes from 1853 until 1875.  Our Catholic roots can be traced back as far as 1805 with settlers named Meldrum and Duprai (Dupre, Duprey), familiar names in today's church register.  Even before 1853, Catholic communities along Anchor Bay practiced their faith with the assistance of "horseback priests," who came from Jesuit missions in Canada as well as the revered Capuchin Fathers from Detroit.

Fr. Lambert served St. Mary's for thirteen years.  Although rather old for the task to found and support a parish in the frontier, this saintly priest's untiring efforts established a church and chapel, a grade school and a rectory.  (Read more about Fr. Lambert)  After ten years of faithful service, Fr. Lambert had his salary increased to $58.33 per month.  Eventually, Fr. Lambert's health would decline, forcing him to retire in 1892.  

Once again, St. Mary's would become a mission parish of Anchorville until three years later, when Detroit's next Bishop, John S. Foley, appointed Fr. Charles J. Koenig as pastor of St. Mary's.  This assignment was Fr. Koenig's first assignment after his ordination as a priest.  He began his service to God and to the Church with no experience, about thirty to forty families, a parish $1,820 in debt, and a rectory which was "more down than up."  For the next thirty-six years, St. Mary's would grow and mature under Fr. Koenig's guidance.  

By 1905, the congregation of St. Mary's numbered 125 families, worshipping and receiving Catholic education in their own parish school.  The Married Ladies Sodality was a young eight years old.  Two years later, improvements (and the subsequent parish debt) surged.  The church received a new heating system, and a steeple with belfry were added to the church roof.  A new rectory was built in 1913 at the then handsome price of $14,000.  That same year, the Detroit United Railway Company put in a train line through New Baltimore to accommodate the increasing number of tourists visiting the area.  The major advocate of this project was the Village President, who just happened to be Fr. Charles Koenig, pastor of St. Mary's!

1921 was a banner year for our parish.  The Heuser block of land across the street from the church was purchased for  $11,500.  On the 300-by-300-foot square piece of land stood a small two-story building, a former brewery, which would be used as a convent for three Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan who took charge of the religious and educational programs.  

The parish school population was growing, and necessitated a larger building.  On July 4, 1926, work started on the foundation of the new school, and the cornerstone was dedicated that fall by Bishop Michael Gallagher of Detroit.  While unearthing the foundation, the skeleton of a young man was found.  He was later identified as the man who mysteriously disappeared over thirty years earlier, following an altercation outside a local drinking establishment.  The remains were carefully removed and buried at St. Mary's Parish Cemetery by Fr. Koenig.

By 1930, St. Mary's numbered some 655 members from about 130 families.  A year later, Fr. Koenig left St. Mary's for a well-deserved retirement.  Fr. Elmer Betzing arrived from Holy Rosary Parish in Detroit.  His brief pastorate ended in 1932 with the arrival of Fr. Leo Gaffney, who came from Christ the King Parish in Redford, near  Detroit.  The following thirteen years under Fr. Gaffney's stewardship were truly remarkable.  The parish mortgage was paid off and burned in 1938. The parish became totally debt-free by 1940, and a new organ was installed in time for Christmas.  It had five ranks, and was built by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois at a cost of $1890.  But along with the joy came deep sadness.  Fr. Gaffney became a "wartime pastor," consoling the five families whose sons were killed in combat all in the same year -- 1944.  In May, 1949, Fr. Gaffney dedicated a war memorial shrine at the parish cemetery, and then retired the following month.

The next pastor of St. Mary's was Fr. Francis Juras.  During Fr. Juras' appointment, St. Mary underwent a series of building and re-building programs.  In 1950, the school was renovated to provide four additional classrooms.  A new gymnasium and parish hall were started.  Completion was in time for the start of the academic year of 1951.  In 1956, a new convent was constructed.

The greatest challenge for all occurred on November 8, 1958 when our parish church was completely destroyed by fire.  The 83-year-old wooden structure burned out of control.  Except for the contents of the tabernacle and some religious articles in the sacristy which were retrieved by one of the firemen, nothing survived. 

For the next several years, the new gymnasium served as a temporary church.  The 650 families in the parish rallied and began immediate planning for a new church building.  Ground was broken in June, 1962, with the cornerstone in place by April, 1963.  On December 19, 1962, Archbishop John F. Dearden dedicated the church to the patronage of St. Mary Queen of Creation, the title given to Mary by Pope Pius XII and adopted by Fr. Juras during the Marian year 1954.  Click here to view the stained glass windows designed by Fr. Juras for the new church.   In the 1960's, a local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded and continues to serve the poor.  Another legacy …   Fr. Juras enjoyed sixteen years as our pastor, retiring in 1965. 

Fr. Albert Zinger arrived at St. Mary's during a time of change in our country and in our Church.  The loss of state funding forced the closure of many Catholic schools, including St. Mary's.  The parish elementary school was consolidated with Immaculate Conception School in Anchorville.  The parish high school was renamed Anchor Bay Catholic.  Attempts at keeping the schools solvent failed, and both schools were closed. 

In May, 1971, St. Mary's hosted the Ordination Mass and First Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr. Leonard Gendernalik, the first son of our parish to accept a  priestly vocation.  Our vocations to the religious life of sisters included: Sr. Loretta Demick, Sr. Margaret Ringel, Sr. Ellen Leo Marcero and Sr. Ellen Burkhardt, all Adrian Dominicans.  

In 1974, a very special Dominican Sister, Sr. Loretta Demick, arrived.  Sr. Loretta would bless St. Mary's as Director of Religious Education, and then as Christian Service Coordinator and Parish Minister.  Her 22 years of loving ministry and dedicated service would touch the lives of hundreds of poor, elderly and infirmed parishioners.  She established “Sr. Loretta’s Closet” which later became the St. Mary Food Pantry, which has grown to one of the largest food outreach centers in Macomb County.  

Also in 1974, the former convent became home to ten special women who were developmentally disabled.  As parish space needs grew the “ladies” found new housing in the fall of 2002, with St. Mary’s and the Knights of Columbus helping in the transition.  The former convent was renovated for use as offices and meeting space.    

1976 saw the celebration of two birthdays.  Our nation was 200 years old, and our parish was 100!  The first century of parish life was reflected in the joy that in 1883 there were 202 registered parishioners, and by 1975 there were 1250 registered households.  The 1970 census listed the City of New Baltimore as having 4,132 people.  Fr. Zinger retired in 1976 and died two years later.

Into this first spurt of population growth came our next pastor, Fr. James Wysocki, from 1977 through 1990.  Largely through his leadership, St. Mary's saw the expansion of our worship life, especially in the development of the ministry of cantor, and the expansion of our music ministry.  Our music ministry was enhanced with our mechanical action, or "tracker" organ, built in 1980-1981 by David Wigton as his first opus.  It was  first used for the feast of Christ the King in 1981, and was dedicated on Sunday, April 18, 1982. It has 33 ranks, 26 stops, 29 voices and 1,821 pipes.  The total cost of $59,900 was donated by parishioners prior to its construction and installation. 

The ministry of Permanent Deacon would arrive in 1977 with Deacon Anthony Lewandoski and his wife, Alice.  This would provide an opportunity for St. Mary's to expand its concept of parish sacramental life.  In 1981, Fr. Wysocki organized a committee to build a new parish center complete with offices, parish hall and a large commercial kitchen.  Once the parish center was completed, the rectory was remodeled and is now used as a private home for the priests of St. Mary’s. 

In 1985, a 1,020 pound bell and a new carillon system were installed in the once vacant bell tower and both were dedicated on May 18, 1986.  

By 1989, the parish census doubled to over 2,000 families.  And, after two years of study and consultation, a church renovation committee oversaw the initial planning stages to rennovate the worship space of the church.  Renovation began in March, 1990, at an estimated cost of $600,000.

It would fall upon the next pastor of St. Mary's, Fr. James Jagielski, to oversee the many revisions of the church renovation project.  In three short years, Fr. Jagielski improved the physical plant of the parish -- his crowning achievement being our new, contemporary worship space.  The new space was dedicated by Archbishop Adam Maida on August 18, 1991.  In addition to the physical changes, Fr. Jagielski reorganized the administration of the parish, including staff and employees.  

In July, 1993 Fr. Nicholas Zukowski, arrived as the ninth pastor of St. Mary's.  His was the task to oversee the ongoing spiritual growth by expanding our parish staff to meet ever-increasing needs in ministry and service. During his pastorate, youth and young adult ministries and adult faith formation were expanded. 

Our parish cemetery, which dates back to 1878, added land in 1925, and then again in 1994 when an additional 5 acres was purchased. New rules and regulations were established for the uniform operation of the cemetery.  In 2005, a columbarium niche shelter was built, and in 2013 a new permanent chapel was added.

In May of 2001, St. Mary’s officially celebrated our 125th anniversary as a parish community dedicated to faith, worship and stewardship.  Cardinal Adam Maida celebrated a glorious jubilee Mass, attended by hundreds of past and present parishioners and former students of the parish school.  Dozens of priests, religious sisters and former staff joined in the festivities.  It truly was a memorable weekend at St. Mary’s!  

In 2006, the Belle River Vicariate and the Port Huron Vicariate merged to become the Blue Water Vicariate for which St. Mary Queen of Creation is a member parish.  There are now four regions and sixteen vicariates in the Archdiocese of Detroit, as a result of the Together in Faith process.  

In the fall of 2008 St. Mary's dedicated the renovated grotto shrine to the blessed mother.

 

 

 

Being responsible stewards of our parish buildings saw the ongoing renovation of our church, the upgrading of our parish center, and the enhancement of our former school.  When St. John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary, St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish became one of very few churches in our country to add them to our existing sculptured Mysteries in 2008.  At that time the large crucifix was relocated to a more prominent and fitting location, and the four sets of Mysteries were rearranged to accommodate the crucifix, which were dedication on September 14, 2008 by Bishop Daniel Flores..  

In 2010 our food pantry, one of the largest in Macomb County, underwent a $250,000 renovation through the generous donation of parishioners, Wayne and Joan Webber. The following year as a result of a parish fund raising effort callled "Afirming our faith, creating our future" a $650,000 connector building was built between our gym and Faith Formation Building making all of our public buildings handicap-accessible.

Fr. Charles White IV arrives as St. Mary’s tenth pastor in July, 2014. Together we are discerning the will of the Holy Spirit along with all the other parishes in our vicariate as we share in long-range planning and the sharing of resources and personnel to meet present and future needs of the Catholic Church in northeast Macomb and St. Clair Counties.  

Since 1876, we can be proud of our Catholic presence, ministry and service in this community and of our parish mission "to know, to love and to serve God and to make Jesus Christ known and visible."  And so we pray:  
 

FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN,
FOR ALL THAT IS,
AND FOR ALL THAT WILL BE,

MAY THE LORD CONTINUE TO BLESS
THE PEOPLE OF ST MARY QUEEN OF CREATION
AND THE WORK OF OUR HANDS.