About Good Shepherd Parish - St. Joseph · Argyle, Michigan
Good Shepherd Parish of Ubly is a four-church Roman Catholic parish in Michigan's rural Thumb region, formed by the merger of the historic communities of St. John the Evangelist (Ubly), St. Columbkille (Sheridan Corners), St. Ignatius (Frieburg), and St. Joseph (Argyle). It belongs to the Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 1) and is currently served by Fr. Aruna Kumar Nagipogu (Fr. Kumar) as pastor, with a staff that includes a secretary, bookkeeper, and a Coordinator of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. The parish describes itself as a unified community striving to become 'missionary disciples of Jesus,' worshiping across four country churches and reaching out through faith formation, OCIA, youth ministry, and parish-wide communication via Flocknote.
- Rector
- Rev. Aruna Kumar Nagipogu (Fr. Kumar)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 1)
Why belong here
Good Shepherd Parish welcomes anyone seeking Catholic worship, sacraments, and community in Michigan's Thumb region. Across its four country churches it offers weekend and weekday Masses, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and Last Rites, faith formation for children (PreK–6) and youth (grades 7–12), a Bible study, OCIA for adults becoming Catholic, a youth group, and parish-wide communication through Flocknote. As a merged, family-style parish, it offers a clear path to grow as a disciple through Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and outreach to the local community and beyond.
Mass times at Good Shepherd Parish - St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- See the front of the online bulletin (the parish directs penitents to check the current bulletin for Reconciliation times)
About Good Shepherd Parish
Good Shepherd Parish of Ubly is a four-church Catholic community serving the rural Thumb region of Michigan. According to the parish's own website, the community was formed as 'A merger of faith communities from St. John, St. Columbkille, St. Joseph, and St. Ignatius.' Worship and parish life rotate across these four country churches, while the central Parish Center and mailing address are at St. John the Evangelist, 4470 N. Washington St., Ubly. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Saginaw, Vicariate 1, and is led by Fr. Aruna Kumar Nagipogu ('Fr. Kumar') as pastor, supported by a secretary, bookkeeper, Coordinator of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry, an OCIA director, and active Pastoral and Finance Councils.
- Four worship sites: St. John (Ubly), St. Columbkille (Sheridan Corners), St. Ignatius (Frieburg), St. Joseph (Argyle)
- Diocese of Saginaw, Vicariate 1
- Parish Center & mailing address: 4470 N. Washington St., Ubly, MI 48475-9792
Parish Purpose and Vision
An Envisioning Team 'worked and prayed for many months' to produce the parish's purpose and vision statements. Together they describe a community called to be 'on fire with the Truth,' guided by the Holy Spirit, and strengthened through worship, the sacraments, lifelong faith formation, Scripture study, and fellowship. The parish commits to being 'the hands and feet of Christ' locally and beyond, and frames itself as a unified community striving to become 'missionary disciples of Jesus.'
- Parish Purpose Statement: 'Good Shepherd Parish will be a community where every member is on fire with the Truth. We will be guided by the Holy Spirit and will be a force for God's mission. We will be strengthened through our worship, participation in the Sacraments, lifelong faith formation, study of the Word, and fellowship with one another, our neighbors, and beyond. We will show our love by being the hands and feet of Christ and sharing our joy with our community, our diocese, and our world.'
- Parish Vision: 'We the members of Good Shepherd Parish, guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened through sacraments, fellowship, and faith formation, serve as a force for good in our local community, our diocese, and our world. As a unified community, we are striving to become missionary disciples of Jesus.'
- 2026 goals include 70% of parishioners participating in a faith formation opportunity and 75% reporting growth as disciples.
Canonical Changes (Effective June 2026)
The parish home page carries an announcement of 'Canonical Changes for Good Shepherd Parish Effective June, 2026,' indicating that the structure or configuration of the merged parish is being formally adjusted in mid-2026.
St. Joseph Church — Argyle
St. Joseph Church sits about ten miles south of Ubly at 4960 N. Ubly Rd., Argyle, Michigan 48410, and is part of Good Shepherd Parish. The Diocese of Saginaw classifies it as an 'Additional Use Church' within the merged parish.
- Address: 4960 N. Ubly Rd., Argyle, MI 48410
- Telephone (listed on GCatholic): +1 (989) 658-8145
- Diocese of Saginaw listing: 'Additional Use Church'
St. John the Evangelist Church — Ubly
St. John, Ubly, is the central church of Good Shepherd Parish: its address (4470 N. Washington St., Ubly) houses the Parish Center and serves as the parish's mailing address. It hosts the Saturday Vigil Mass, a summer Sunday evening Mass, and weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
- Address: 4470 N. Washington St., Ubly, MI 48475
- Hosts Parish Center / parish office / mailing address
St. Columbkille Church — Sheridan Corners
St. Columbkille sits at Sheridan Corners, about eight miles west of Ubly. It hosts the late Sunday morning Mass and the Thursday evening Mass.
- Address: 3031 McAlpin Rd., Ubly, MI 48413
- Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass; Thursday 7:00 p.m. Mass
St. Ignatius Church — Frieburg
St. Ignatius, in the small community of Frieburg near Ubly, hosts one of the Sunday morning Masses for Good Shepherd Parish.
- Address: 1826 Cumber Rd., Ubly, MI 48475
- Sunday 8:30 a.m. Mass (per current parish schedule)
Sacraments
Good Shepherd Parish celebrates the usual sacraments of a Roman Catholic parish. Confession times are published in the front of the online bulletin. Anointing of the Sick and the Last Rites (Reconciliation, Anointing, and Viaticum) are available by calling the parish office or the rectory line. Adults seeking to become Catholic, or baptized Catholics who have not yet received First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation, are invited to enter the OCIA process.
- Reconciliation (Confession) — see front of the online bulletin for times
- Anointing of the Sick — call 989-658-8824 or 989-658-8145 if ill or facing surgery
- Last Rites (Reconciliation + Anointing + Viaticum) — call 989-658-8145 for someone dying
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (contact Dana Irion at 989-553-0585 or [email protected])
- First Reconciliation / First Holy Communion / Confirmation preparation — inquire at the parish office
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Faith formation at Good Shepherd Parish is coordinated by JaCie Tyrrell, Coordinator of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. Programs serve children in PreK through 6th grade, youth in grades 7–12, and adults through Bible study and other small faith-sharing opportunities. The parish also lists OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) under the umbrella of its formation work. The parish plans to expand small faith-sharing groups focused on Scripture, prayer, and discipleship, and promotes ministries such as mentoring, outreach, and Bible studies that encourage active discipleship.
- Children's Faith Formation (PreK–6th grade)
- Youth Group (grades 7–12)
- Adult Bible Study / Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Small faith-sharing groups (Scripture, prayer, discipleship)
- Coordinator: JaCie Tyrrell — [email protected]
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The parish invites anyone who is unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholic but missing First Communion or Confirmation to explore the Catholic faith through OCIA. Its 'Becoming Catholic' page offers '10 Reasons to Become Catholic' and provides direct contact information for the parish OCIA director.
- Director of OCIA: Dana Irion — 989-553-0585 — [email protected]
- Office: 989-658-8824
- Resource: 'ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME: 10 REASONS TO BECOME CATHOLIC'
Youth Group
Good Shepherd Parish maintains a Youth Group for students in grades 7 through 12, under the umbrella of faith formation led by JaCie Tyrrell. Information and field-trip permission forms are available on the parish website and through the parish office.
- Youth Group for grades 7–12
- Contact parish office: (989) 658-8824
- Field Trip Permission Form available on the parish website
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by Fr. Aruna Kumar Nagipogu ('Fr. Kumar'), pastor, who can be reached through the parish office. Day-to-day operations are handled by the secretary (Sheila Grifka) and bookkeeper (Kate Winkel), while formation is coordinated by JaCie Tyrrell. Parish governance is shared with a Pastoral Council chaired by Matthew Brown and a Finance Council chaired by Debbie Powell. Several maintenance volunteers keep the four worship sites in good order.
- Fr. Kumar — Pastor: [email protected]
- Sheila Grifka — Secretary: [email protected]
- Kate Winkel — Bookkeeper: [email protected]
- JaCie Tyrrell — Coordinator of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry: [email protected]
- Dana Irion — Director of OCIA: [email protected] / 989-553-0585
- Debbie Powell — Finance Council Chair
- Matthew Brown — Pastoral Council Chair
- Maintenance teams serving Ubly & Argyle, and Sheridan Corners
Contact, Office Hours, and Communications
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and can be reached by phone, email, or in person at the Parish Center in Ubly. The parish also communicates with parishioners through a Facebook page and through Flocknote, where updates, announcements, and sign-up information are shared.
- Office phone: (989) 658-8824
- Rectory / sacramental emergency line: (989) 658-8145
- Office email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- Flocknote: text BESTSHEPHERD to 84576, or join at https://GoodShepherdUbly.flocknote.com
- Parish Facebook page (linked from the website)