About Holy Family Catholic Church · Ovid, Michigan
Holy Family Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the small mid-Michigan village of Ovid, situated in Clinton County and part of the Diocese of Lansing. Originally founded in 1967 as a mission of St. Isidore Parish in neighboring Laingsburg and elevated to full parochial status in 1977, Holy Family was formally merged with St. Isidore in 2019–2020 to form the consolidated St. Isidore – Holy Family parish, with the Ovid church retained as a secondary worship site (oratory). The parish serves the Ovid–Elsie and Laingsburg communities with weekend and weekday Masses, the sacraments, faith formation for children and adults, and active family and youth ministry, currently under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Anthony Brooks.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Brooks
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
Holy Family offers a small, welcoming Catholic community in the heart of mid-Michigan where Mass is celebrated four days a week (Saturday evening, Sunday morning, Tuesday, and Thursday), with regular Thursday adoration and twice-weekly confession times. The parish runs a full slate of formation programs — OCIA for adults, Religious Education Formation (REF) for children, a youth ministry for middle- and high-schoolers, an adult faith formation program, and the Spirit of Nazareth Family & Faith Ministry for whole-family fellowship — making it a place where Catholics of every age and stage can grow in the faith together.
Mass times at Holy Family Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30–6:20 p.m.
- Saturday 3:00–3:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:30–6:20 p.m.
About St. Isidore – Holy Family Parish
According to the parish's 'About us' page, St. Isidore – Holy Family is a Roman Catholic parish located in the heart of mid-Michigan with the mission of proclaiming the Gospel 'to all nations through prayer, catechesis, and the holy Mass.' Its vision is to be 'a Roman Catholic church that is actively visible in the community, shares its spirituality through fellowship, and is committed to serving God.' The parish describes itself as a growing community of faith that welcomes all people to share in the living presence of Jesus Christ, as parishioners grow, serve, connect, and give. As Catholics, the community believes it has a responsibility to participate in society and to promote the common good, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
- Vision: actively visible, spiritually shared, committed to serving God
- Mission: proclaim the Gospel through prayer, catechesis, and the holy Mass
- Tagline: grow, serve, connect, give
Parish History and the 2019 Merger
Holy Family's history stretches back to 1857, when a Catholic Mass station was first established in Ovid under the care of the pastor of Annunciation Parish in Corunna. In 1899 both Ovid and Laingsburg became stations of St. Joseph in St. Johns. On July 1, 1967, the Catholic community in Ovid was formalized as a mission of St. Isidore Parish in Laingsburg, and Bishop James S. Sullivan dedicated the Holy Family church edifice on April 21, 1974. The mission was elevated to parochial status in 1977. On November 4, 2019, the Parish Councils of both parishes unanimously recommended merger, and Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing issued a formal decree uniting Holy Family and St. Isidore into the consolidated St. Isidore – Holy Family parish, with St. Isidore as the principal church and Holy Family as a secondary worship site retaining its title.
- 1857: First Mass station in Ovid, served from Annunciation, Corunna
- 1899: Ovid and Laingsburg made stations of St. Joseph, St. Johns
- July 1, 1967: Holy Family established as a mission of St. Isidore, Laingsburg
- April 21, 1974: Church dedicated by Bishop James S. Sullivan
- 1977: Holy Family elevated to parochial status
- November 4, 2019: Parish Councils unanimously recommend merger
- 2019–2020: Holy Family and St. Isidore merged (unio extinctiva) into St. Isidore – Holy Family
Parish Staff
The current parish staff of St. Isidore – Holy Family, as listed on the parish's 'About us' page, includes Fr. Anthony Brooks as Pastor, Deacon John Marsh, and Sharon Gillespie as Parish Secretary. Fr. Anthony Brooks was appointed Administrator of the consolidated parish on April 12, 2021, succeeding Fr. Robert Bacik, who had shepherded the two parishes through the merger and was transferred to St. Gerard, Lansing. The parish staff are supported by numerous lay ministry leaders across faith formation, OCIA, youth ministry, and the Spirit of Nazareth family ministry.
- Rev. Anthony Brooks – Pastor (appointed Administrator April 2021)
- Deacon John Marsh
- Sharon Gillespie – Parish Secretary
- Fr. Robert Bacik – former Pastor (2019–2021)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's 'Faith formation and ministry' page presents a complete catechetical program for children, youth, and adults, with separate directors for the Holy Family and St. Isidore sites. The parish believes that 'when people encounter Christ through the beauty of the Catholic faith, they will transform their parish, community, and culture.' Religious Education Formation (REF) is offered to supplement the religious formation that children receive at home; Ginger Kusnier directs the program at Holy Family. Adult faith formation, led by Carol and Rich Theile, helps the faithful 'of all ages to grow in Christian maturity, to understand and communicate the faith, and learn skills for personal growth.'
- Religious Education Formation (REF) – Holy Family director: Ginger Kusnier
- Adult Faith Formation – leaders: Carol and Rich Theile (989-395-0283)
- Email for Holy Family: [email protected]
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the parish's process for adults who desire to join the Catholic faith or who are seeking more information about the Church. At the Holy Family site, the OCIA directors are Rich Theile (517-599-6113) and Carol Theile (989-395-0283), and inquiries can be sent to [email protected]. The St. Isidore directors are Roger and Shirley Hughes ([email protected]).
- Holy Family OCIA directors: Rich & Carol Theile
- Contact: 517-599-6113 / 989-395-0283 / [email protected]
Spirit of Nazareth Family & Faith Ministry
The Spirit of Nazareth Family & Faith Ministry 'will be providing ways for families to connect with one another through faith, fun, food, and fellowship opportunities.' It exists to help Catholic families find supportive friendships within the parish and access peer support in a fun, faith-enriching environment where the whole family can attend. Its goal is to strengthen Catholic friendships for children and to bring the spirit of the Holy Family of Nazareth — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — into the domestic Church of the home. The ministry is led by Dan and Angela Porta ([email protected]).
- Leaders: Dan and Angela Porta
- Email: [email protected]
- Focus: faith, fun, food, and fellowship for the whole family
Youth Ministry
The parish's youth ministry 'engages young people in middle or high school in the Catholic faith through listening, caring, and acts of kindness.' It is led by Rachel Remenar as youth leader.
- Ages: middle school and high school
- Youth leader: Rachel Remenar
Sacraments
The parish's 'Sacraments' page explains that the Seven Sacraments were instituted by the Lord and are recognized by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They are grouped into the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist), the Sacraments of Healing (Penance/Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick), and the Sacraments at the Service of Communion (Marriage and Holy Orders). Through the sacraments, 'God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier.' The parish also has a dedicated Reconciliation page that walks through the sacrament's components of contrition, confession, penance, and absolution, quoting Pope Benedict XVI: 'Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again … and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness.'
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (Penance / Confession)
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
Parish Communication and Bulletins
The parish publishes weekly bulletins that can be accessed through the website, and parishioners can request that an upcoming event or a person be added to the prayer list in the bulletin by contacting Sharon Gillespie, parish secretary. Fr. Anthony also shares written reflections ('Father Anthony's notes') through the parish blog, with recent series including updates on a sanctuary remodel and a series on heretics.
- Weekly bulletins posted online at saintisidoreholyfamily.org/bulletins
- Prayer-list and bulletin submissions: Sharon Gillespie, parish secretary
- Blog: 'Father Anthony's notes' (recent topics: sanctuary remodel, series on heretics)
Giving and Upcoming Events
The parish accepts one-time and recurring online gifts through the Diocese of Lansing's online giving platform. Upcoming events visible on the home page include the parish picnic (Sunday, September 13 in Ovid) and a Knights of Columbus Night of Vocations (Friday, August 7) hosted at a Lansing Lugnuts outing. The parish says it is 'grateful for the ongoing and generous financial support of our parishioners.'
- Online giving via the Diocese of Lansing
- 2026 Parish Picnic – Sunday, September 13 (Ovid)
- Knights of Columbus Night of Vocations – Friday, August 7 (Lansing Lugnuts)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert Bacik2019–2021
Pastoral Administrator, then Pastor of the combined St. Isidore, Laingsburg and Holy Family, Ovid during the merger; transferred to Pastor of St. Gerard, Lansing in 2021.
- Rev. Anthony Brooks2021–present
Appointed Administrator of St. Isidore – Holy Family in April 2021; previously Parochial Vicar at St. Robert Bellarmine, Flushing, and Good Shepherd, Montrose.