About Holy Family Parish - St. Elizabeth · Marlette, Michigan
Holy Family Parish is a tri-site Catholic community in Michigan's Thumb region (Sanilac County), formed by uniting three historic country parishes: St. Joseph Church in Sandusky, St. Elizabeth Church in Marlette, and St. John the Evangelist Church in Peck. The St. Elizabeth site sits at 6817 W. Marlette Street, about a half-mile west of M-53, and offers Sunday Mass at 10:30 AM and a Tuesday evening Mass at 5:30 PM. The parish is part of the Diocese of Saginaw and is currently served by Parochial Administrator Rev. Amal Raj Madanu, with two deacons and a small lay staff coordinating the sacramental and pastoral life across all three sites. The parish's stated mission is to be 'a visible sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the heart of The Thumb.'
- Patron
- St. Elizabeth (of the Marlette site)
- Rector
- Rev. Amal Raj Madanu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
Why belong here
Holy Family Parish welcomes new and returning members with a multi-site rhythm that fits the realities of rural Thumb-area life: weekend Masses in three towns, weekday adoration and confession opportunities, a daily 7:00 AM rosary at St. Elizabeth, and active OCIA (formerly RCIA) formation led by Deacon Andrew Waligorski. The community is small enough to know your name — the parish is currently running a 'Smile Sunday' name-tag initiative to help their new parochial administrator, Fr. Amal Raj Madanu, learn everyone — and large enough across its three sites to offer daily Mass somewhere in the cluster almost every day of the week. Pastoral leadership includes two deacons, a pastoral associate, and a business manager who keep the sacramental, formation, and administrative life of the parish running across Sanilac County.
Mass times at Holy Family Parish - St. Elizabeth
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (St. Elizabeth, Marlette)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 4:30 PM – 5:20 PM (St. Elizabeth, Marlette)
- Weekday Rosary 7:00 AM (St. Elizabeth, Marlette)
Welcome to Holy Family Parish
The parish describes itself with the mission statement: 'We at Holy Family Parish will rely on our hope in God's providence and on our commitment to hard work in cooperation with God's grace to become a visible sign of the presence of the Risen Lord in the heart of The Thumb.' Holy Family unites three Catholic churches across Sanilac County, Michigan, in the rural Thumb region north of Detroit. The parish website, www.holyfamilyparishsanilaccounty.com, serves as the central hub for schedules, news, and formation across all three sites.
- Parish mission: visible sign of the Risen Lord in The Thumb
- Three worship sites under one pastoral team
- Diocese of Saginaw, Vicariate 1
Our Three Worship Sites
Holy Family Parish is a tri-site Catholic community. While the user's focus is on the St. Elizabeth site in Marlette, the other two sites share the same clergy and staff.
- St. Joseph Church — 59 N. Moore St., Sandusky, MI 48471
- St. Elizabeth Church — 6817 W. Marlette St., Marlette, MI 48453 (about ½ mile west of M-53)
- St. John the Evangelist Church — 5335 Sandusky Rd., Peck, MI 48466
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is led by Parochial Administrator Rev. Amal Raj Madanu, supported by two deacons, a pastoral associate, a business manager, and office staff, with lay leadership through the Pastoral and Finance Councils.
- Rev. Amal Raj Madanu — Parochial Administrator ([email protected])
- Deacon Andrew Waligorski — Deacon & OCIA coordinator ([email protected])
- Deacon Jacob Huysentruyt — Deacon ([email protected])
- Suzanne Guttowsky — Pastoral Associate ([email protected])
- Margaret Stevens — Business Manager ([email protected])
- Rita Maher — Office Staff
- Lori Nugent — Pastoral Council Chair
- Gary Flynn — Finance Council Chair
Clergy History
A succession of pastors and administrators has served the merged parish. Rev. Robert P. Schikora was the longtime pastor through mid-2020, when he was reassigned to senior priest status. Rev. Stephen Blaxton was appointed Parochial Administrator effective July 1, 2020; after roughly four years he was assigned to St. Brigid of Kildare Parish in Midland. The current Parochial Administrator is Rev. Amal Raj Madanu, a missionary priest from the Diocese of Hyderabad, India.
- Rev. Robert P. Schikora — Pastor through 2020 (now Senior Priest)
- Rev. Stephen Blaxton — Parochial Administrator, July 2020 – c.2024
- Rev. Amal Raj Madanu — current Parochial Administrator
Faith Formation and OCIA
Christian initiation for adults is coordinated through the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process, formerly known as RCIA. Deacon Andrew Waligorski is the parish's OCIA contact.
- OCIA inquiries: Deacon Andrew Waligorski ([email protected])
Parish Communication and Media
Holy Family Parish uses a Flocknote text-and-email list as its main communication channel, and recorded homilies are published on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The Diocese of Saginaw also live-streams Mass (Sunday 10:30 AM and Monday–Saturday 8:00 AM), and the parish website links to that stream for those who cannot attend in person.
- Flocknote signup: holyfamilysanilac.flocknote.com
- Recorded homilies on Spotify
- Recorded homilies on Apple Podcasts
- Diocese of Saginaw live-stream Mass: Sunday 10:30 AM; Mon–Sat 8:00 AM
Parish Priority Plan and Welcoming Initiatives
The parish is currently working through a formal Parish Priority Plan and a 'Smile Sunday' welcoming initiative to help members — especially newcomers, returning Catholics, and seasonal 'snowbirds' returning from the South — connect with one another and with their new priest. The most recent rollout asked all three congregations to wear name tags at Mass for three weeks to help Fr. Amal Raj Madanu learn his new community.
- Parish Priority Plan — active parish roadmap
- Smile Sunday — quarterly welcoming / name-tag initiative
- Outreach to returning members and seasonal residents
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert P. Schikorathrough 2020
Long-serving pastor; reassigned to Senior Priest status by Bishop Gruss effective July 1, 2020 per Diocese of Saginaw announcement.
- Rev. Stephen Blaxton2020 – c.2024
Appointed Parochial Administrator effective July 1, 2020; later sent to St. Brigid of Kildare Parish, Midland after roughly four years.
- Rev. Amal Raj Madanucurrent
Missionary priest from the Diocese of Hyderabad, India, currently serving as Parochial Administrator.