Divine Grace Parish - Carleton

About Divine Grace Parish

Divine Grace Parish is a Roman Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Detroit that brings together two historic Monroe County congregations — St. Patrick in Carleton and St. Joseph in Maybee — into one parish family. It belongs to the Monroe Vicariate and the South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes and continues a Catholic presence in southeast Michigan that stretches back to 1847. Its stated mission is: "We, with the Guidance of the Holy Trinity, The Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Communion of Saints, endeavor to spread and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to assist one another through the precepts of the Catholic Faith in attaining eternal salvation."

Parish History

Catholic worship on the Stony Creek began when Redemptorist priests celebrated Mass and dedicated a log church on St. Patrick's Day, 1847, serving Irish and German settlers. The parish of St. Patrick, Carleton, was formally erected in 1860 with Fr. Desiderius Callaert as its first resident pastor; the cornerstone of the present church was laid June 26, 1860. IHM sisters arrived in 1868 to teach, beginning a 126-year run of IHM service to the school. Six miles east, St. Joseph in Maybee was founded in 1889 by farmers who had platted the village in the 1870s. Both parishes operated schools, weathered a 1926 fire that destroyed St. Patrick School, and were brought together by the Archdiocese of Detroit on July 1, 2013 as Divine Grace Parish.

• 1847 – First Mass and dedication of the log church on St. Patrick's Day
• 1848 – Fr. Egidius Smulders, C.SS.R., opens the first school in the log church
• 1860 (June 26) – Cornerstone of the present St. Patrick Church laid
• 1860 (Dec. 27) – St. Patrick Parish erected; Fr. Desiderius Callaert named first resident pastor
• 1868 (Jan. 29) – Three IHM sisters arrive on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales
• 1889 – St. Joseph Parish established in Maybee; bell "Susan" christened 1890
• 1909 – Separate convent and school built in Carleton
• 1926 (May 30) – Fire destroys St. Patrick School; rebuilt on the same foundation
• 1955 – A third school building is erected in Carleton
• 1988 – Former St. Joseph school (Maybee) demolished
• 1994 – Last teaching IHM sister (Sr. Marge Fogarty) leaves St. Patrick School
• 1995 – St. Patrick School earns MANS accreditation
• 1998 – Last religious principal, Sr. Jeanne Lenore Twomey, SSJ, retires
• 2013 (July 1) – St. Patrick and St. Joseph merge to form Divine Grace Parish
• 2015 – MANS accreditation renewed through an AOD on-site visit
• 2023–24 – St. Patrick School celebrates 175 years of Catholic education

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Rev. Dr. Michael Woroniewicz — known as Fr. Mike — a Priest in Solidum and Moderator of the South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes. He is assisted by permanent deacon Rev. Mr. Tracy M. Esper, with additional clergy support from Rev. James Rafferty (Priest in Solidum) and Deacon David Drysdale. Together they shepherd both worship sites and the parish school.

• Rev. Dr. Michael Woroniewicz (Fr. Mike) — Priest in Solidum, Moderator, Vicar for the Monroe Vicariate; ordained 1985; M.Div. (St. John Provincial Seminary), M.A. in Liturgy (Notre Dame), D.Min. in Preaching (Aquinas Institute of Theology); former Rector of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake; former pastor of St. Gabriel, Ida/Dundee.
• Rev. Mr. Tracy M. Esper (Deacon Tracy) — Permanent Deacon of the Archdiocese of Detroit, ordained October 2017; B.A. in Pastoral Theology, Diplomas in Pastoral Ministry and Diaconal Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary; Associate's in Accounting (Cleary University); Monroe Catholic Central alum; Catholic Spiritual Guide at Milan Federal Prison.
• Rev. James Rafferty — Priest in Solidum in the Family of Parishes
• Deacon David Drysdale

Becoming Catholic & OCIA

Anyone who has reached the age of reason and wishes to enter the Catholic Church — unbaptized catechumens, Christians from other traditions, or baptized Catholics needing First Communion and/or Confirmation — can journey through the parish's Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA). Inquiries are directed to Tim Bolster, Director of Religious Education.

• OCIA is for unbaptized persons, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics seeking First Communion/Confirmation
• Director of Religious Education: Tim Bolster — 734-654-6444
• New parishioner registration forms are available online or at the parish office

St. Patrick Catholic School

St. Patrick Catholic School, founded in 1848 by Fr. Egidius Smulders and the IHM sisters, is the third-oldest Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Detroit and now operates in conjunction with Divine Grace Parish. Students learn in a series of buildings that grew across the 20th century, including a third building erected in 1955 that today houses kindergarten, 5–8 grades, the preschool room, the computer room, and the school office. The school has held MANS accreditation since 1995 and celebrated 175 years of continuous Catholic education during the 2023–24 school year.

• Carl Lenze — Principal
• Sierra Grubb — Administrative Assistant
• Athletic Directors — Jessica Teets and Ben Jones
• Accredited by MANS (Michigan Association of Non-public Schools) since 1995; renewed May 2015

Parish Ministries & Organizations

Lay faithful at Divine Grace run an unusually wide range of ministries for a parish of its size, from liturgy to fellowship, faith formation, charity, and parish life. The current roster on the parish website includes more than a dozen named groups with their own contacts.

• Knights of Columbus Council #15932 — Mark Leidel, Grand Knight (734-770-7099)
• Men's Club — John Bozzo (734-755-3540)
• Parish Festival — Aaron Jones & Bud Mazur
• Church Environment — Rita Beaubien
• Christian Service / Bereavement & Funerals / Weddings / Baptism
• Technology — Maury Martin & Joel Grubb
• Hospitality & Greeters / Ministry to the Homebound
• Liturgical ministries: Sacristans, Altar Servers, Music Ministry, Lectors, Ushers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist

Office, Address & Visiting

The parish office sits at the Carleton (St. Patrick) site at 2996 W. Labo Rd., Carleton, MI 48117, with a second worship site at 9207 Joseph St., Maybee, MI 48159. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (closed Thursdays). In-person visits are by appointment — call 734-654-2500 — and visitors needing sacramental or sacramental-related help (baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, communion for the sick) are encouraged to call ahead.

• Carleton — 2996 W. Labo Rd., Carleton, MI 48117
• Maybee — 9207 Joseph St., Maybee, MI 48159
• Phone: 734-654-2500
• Email: [email protected]
• Web: http://www.divinegraceparish.com/
• Office hours: Mon–Wed & Fri 9 am–2 pm (closed Thursdays)