About Christ the King · Hesperia, Michigan
Christ the King is a Catholic mission chapel in the small community of Hesperia, Michigan, established in 1902 and now clustered with St. Michael Parish in nearby Brunswick under the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The chapel shares its pastor, staff, faith-formation program, and parish life with St. Michael — together the two worship sites form the 'St. Michael ~ Christ the King' Catholic community serving rural Newaygo County. Their shared mission statement reads: 'We, the Catholic Communities of St. Michael~Christ the King, acknowledge God's gifts within us; using those gifts in promoting peace, love, and fellowship to realize the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.' Mass is celebrated at the Hesperia chapel twice a week (Saturday evening and Wednesday morning), with Reconciliation offered before the Saturday Mass.
- Established
- 1902
- Patron
- Christ the King (Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe)
- Rector
- Rev. Peter C. Schafer
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
Christ the King offers an intimate, small-town Catholic community in Hesperia where faith formation runs from Kindergarten through 12th grade and every Mass relies on the gifts of lay parishioners — lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, ushers, and altar servers all serve the worshipping community. The chapel is fully accessible and shares a strong sacramental life with St. Michael Parish, including weekly Reconciliation, weekday and weekend Mass, monthly Adoration with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a parish where families are known by name and parents are recognized as 'the primary educators of the Faith to their children.'
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (Christ the King)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month: following the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Michael until 12:00 PM (Adoration with the Divine Mercy Chaplet)
- First Tuesday of the month: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (St. Michael)
About Christ the King Chapel
Christ the King Chapel is a Roman Catholic mission in Hesperia, Michigan, established in 1902 and now served together with St. Michael Parish in Brunswick as the St. Michael ~ Christ the King community within the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The chapel offers two Masses a week — Saturday at 4:00 PM and Wednesday at 10:30 AM — and remains fully handicapped accessible. The two worship sites share one pastor, one religious education program, and one parish staff, so families in Hesperia and Brunswick worship and serve side by side.
- Established 1902
- Merged with St. Michael Parish, Brunswick
- Clustered with All Saints Parish, Fremont
- Diocese of Grand Rapids, Northwest Deanery
- Handicapped-accessible chapel and hall
Mission Statement
The published mission of the combined parish reads: 'We, the Catholic Communities of St. Michael~Christ the King, acknowledge God's gifts within us; using those gifts in promoting peace, love, and fellowship to realize the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed.' This statement frames the parish's life of worship, formation, and service.
Parish Staff & Clergy
The St. Michael ~ Christ the King staff is shared between the two worship sites. The pastor, religious education director, liturgy assistant, business manager, youth ministry leader, hall-rental coordinator, maintenance, and housekeeping teams all serve the combined community. The Hesperia chapel has its own Hall Rental Coordinator and Housekeeping lead to keep the mission running smoothly.
- Rev. Peter C. Schafer — Pastor
- Karla Barnes — Religious Education Director
- Charlene Chansler — Liturgy Assistant
- Cynthia Nestle — Business Manager
- Erin Duba — Newaygo County Catholic Youth Ministry
- John Stratton — Christ the King Hall Rental Coordinator
- Jane Balcom — Christ the King Housekeeping
- Mark McKeown — Maintenance
- M.J. O'Lonergan — Custodian
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education is offered for school-age children in Kindergarten through 12th grade on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 AM at St. Michael Church in Brunswick. The Director of Religious Education, Karla Barnes, works with a large team of volunteer catechists to plan faith-based lessons. Special classes are arranged for those preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, and the curriculum is built to foster 'a life-long learning and love of Jesus and His Church.' All staff and volunteers are background-checked and trained in the Diocese of Grand Rapids' VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' program.
- K–12 Religious Education, Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM at St. Michael
- Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation
- VIRTUS-trained and background-checked catechists
- Parents recognized as 'the primary educators of the Faith to their children'
Liturgical Ministries at Mass
Parishioners fill the liturgical roles at both worship sites. The parish website lists lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, ushers, and altar servers — all volunteer ministries — and encourages anyone willing to serve to contact the parish office for training.
- Lectors (including NET Discipleship Team, Sam Chansler, Mike Cygeirt, Art DeMars, Lisa Gerdes, Ryan Good, Desiree Kraus, Michael Kraus, Cheri Miller, Holly Moon, Maurice Van Nevel)
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (Charlene & Sam Chansler, Art & Cheryl DeMars, Roger Dore, Tom Kempf, Randy Kinsey, Dale Korson, Pam Lascko, Jim Mason, Ruth Monette, Theresa Sowa, Bobbi Stratton, John Stratton, Chuck Yob)
- Ushers (Jim Bartz, Carl, Mike & Tim Cygeirt, Roger Dore, Juanita Garza, Leslie & Todd Hamilton, Randy Kinsey, Dale Korson, Jim Mason, Elizabeth Nelson, Faye Ohrling, David Plamondon, Vern Rich, Greg Sowa, Jerry Teal, Jim Wallace, Barbara Wright, Ted Wolschlager)
- Altar Servers (Nicolas, Patrick, and Leo Barnes, and others)
Contact & Parish Office
The combined parish office is located at St. Michael Church, 6382 S. Maple Island Road, Fremont, MI 49412, and serves both worship sites. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and the main phone line is (231) 924-3389. Christ the King Chapel itself sits at 263 S Elm Street in Hesperia, MI 49421.
- Parish office: 6382 S. Maple Island Rd., Fremont, MI 49412
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Phone: (231) 924-3389
- Christ the King Chapel: 263 S Elm Street, Hesperia, MI 49421
Diocese & Worship Sites
The parish belongs to the Diocese of Grand Rapids, in the Northwest Deanery of Newaygo County. Its three connected worship sites are St. Michael Church in Brunswick (established 1885, reestablished 2012), Christ the King Chapel in Hesperia (established 1902), and the clustered All Saints Parish in Fremont.
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
- Northwest Deanery, Newaygo County
- St. Michael Church — 6382 S. Maple Island Rd., Fremont, MI 49412
- Christ the King Chapel — 263 S Elm St., Hesperia, MI 49421
- All Saints Parish, Fremont (clustered partner)
Getting Involved
Because Christ the King is a mission chapel supported by lay volunteers, parishioners are invited to step into liturgical roles (lector, Eucharistic minister, usher, altar server), help with faith formation as a catechist, assist with hall rental events, or serve on maintenance and housekeeping teams. Anyone interested is encouraged to call the parish office or speak with Fr. Schafer after Mass.
- Volunteer as a lector, Eucharistic minister, usher, or altar server
- Serve as a Religious Education catechist (K–12)
- Support the Christ the King Hall rental ministry
- Join the parish youth ministry (Newaygo County Catholic Youth Ministry)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Roc Gerald Majalla, SAC
Listed as pastor of the St. Michael / Christ the King community on unitedstateschurches.com (page last updated March 2016), prior to the current pastor.
- Rev. Peter C. Schafer
Current pastor of St. Michael Parish, Brunswick / Christ the King Chapel, Hesperia, listed on the Diocese of Grand Rapids parish page and the parish staff page.