About Holy Name of Mary Parish - Our Lady of Lake Huron · Harbor Beach, Michigan
Holy Name of Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Saginaw serving the Thumb region of Michigan, anchored by Our Lady of Lake Huron Church on South First Street in Harbor Beach and the mission church of St. Anthony of Padua in nearby Helena. The parish carries on a Catholic heritage that reaches back to the 1880s, when pioneer Irish, Polish, German and Scottish families built the first Catholic church in what was then called Sand Beach. Today the parish is led by Father Kevin M. Wojciechowski and is the home of Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic School, the only Catholic school in Huron County, serving preschool through eighth grade.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lake Huron (Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Lake Huron) and St. Anthony of Padua (for the Helena mission church)
- Rector
- Rev. Kevin M. Wojciechowski
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 1)
Why belong here
Holy Name of Mary Parish is the Catholic home for the Thumb's harbor community, with two worship sites — Our Lady of Lake Huron Church in Harbor Beach and St. Anthony of Padua in Helena — offering Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses, daily weekday Masses, Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday and Tuesday confessions. Families have sent their children to Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic School (PreK–8), the only Catholic school in Huron County, since 1924. The parish also hosts a year-round young adult group with food, talks, prayer and fellowship, and a strong music ministry under Wally Tenbusch — a tradition of liturgical music and community fundraisers (like the November Bazaar) that has continued since the pioneer era.
Mass times at Holy Name of Mary Parish - Our Lady of Lake Huron
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Our Lady of Lake Huron Church, before the 4:30 PM Vigil Mass)
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 6:20 PM (Our Lady of Lake Huron Church, before the 6:30 PM Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM at Our Lady of Lake Huron Church
History of Our Lady of Lake Huron Parish
Catholic life on the Thumb began in the homes of pioneer Sand Beach families around 1866, when Father Klug began celebrating Mass privately for Irish, Polish, German and Scottish settlers. In 1882 these families built a 33 × 65 foot frame church on South First Street, the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul Church. Three years later, in 1885, the mission was renamed Our Lady of Lake Huron — a title that reflects the deep identity of this Lake Huron harbor town. The current church building went up in 1917 on the same site, and the parish school opened its doors on September 8, 1924, graduating its first high school class in June 1942. The story of those first hundred years was gathered into a Centennial History booklet published by the parish in July 1982 and remains the touchstone of parish identity.
Parish Worship Sites
Holy Name of Mary Parish today comprises two worship sites in Michigan's Thumb. Our Lady of Lake Huron Church is the parish church, located at 413 S First St in Harbor Beach, where most weekend, weekday, confession and adoration opportunities are centered. St. Anthony of Padua Church serves as a mission church in nearby Helena (8233 Helena Rd., Huron, MI 48441), where Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:30 AM and a Wednesday morning Mass at 8:30 AM.
- Our Lady of Lake Huron Church — 413 S First St, Harbor Beach (parish church)
- St. Anthony of Padua Church — 8233 Helena Rd., Helena (mission church)
- Both sites are part of one clustered parish under one pastor
Sacraments
The Sacrament of Penance is offered at Our Lady of Lake Huron Church on Saturday afternoons before the Vigil Mass and on Tuesday evenings before the evening Mass, and confessions can also be arranged by appointment. Eucharistic Adoration is held every Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM at Our Lady of Lake Huron Church. Sacramental records for the parish are held by the Diocese of Saginaw.
- Confession: Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM and Tuesday 6:00–6:20 PM, plus by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Diocesan sacramental archive: Diocese of Saginaw
Parish Leadership and Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Kevin M. Wojciechowski, Pastor. Supporting him in parish administration are Joani Yingling (Bookkeeper), Jessica Siemen (Office Manager), and Wally Tenbusch, who directs the parish Music Ministry and can be reached at 989-269-8775. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
- Rev. Kevin M. Wojciechowski — Pastor ([email protected])
- Joani Yingling — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Jessica Siemen — Office Manager ([email protected])
- Wally Tenbusch — Music Ministry (989.269.8775)
Music Ministry
Music has been central to parish life since 1926, when Sister Ann Lucille founded the Music Department at Our Lady of Lake Huron School and started a school orchestra that played at civic events throughout the area. The tradition has continued unbroken: students still receive music instruction and the parish maintains a strong liturgical music program. Today the parish Music Ministry is coordinated by Wally Tenbusch.
- Music Department founded 1926 by Sister Ann Lucille
- School orchestra played civic events across the Thumb
- Current Music Ministry director: Wally Tenbusch (989.269.8775)
Faith Formation & Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic School
Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic School has been forming young Catholics in the Harbor Beach area since it opened on September 8, 1924 — a year that saw the first parish school and a music program that has lasted a century. The school is today the only Catholic school in Huron County, offering preschool through 8th grade with small class sizes, academic excellence, and a Christ-centered atmosphere. Students are drawn from across Huron County; the school is served by Harbor Beach Community School buses and the Thumb Area Transit (TAT), with scholarships available to help non-district families cover bus costs.
- Preschool (3 PK) through 8th grade
- Only Catholic school in Huron County
- Located at 413 1st St., Harbor Beach — same address as the parish church
- Phone for admissions/tours: (989) 479-3427
- Website: ollhschool.org
- Transportation: Harbor Beach Community School buses and Thumb Area Transit (TAT) buses
Young Adult & Community Life
The parish supports an active Young Adult Group that gathers on the first Friday of each month at 6:00 PM from September through May for food, talks, community and prayer. During summer the group joins Fr. Kevin's parish-wide six-part series on Ignatian discernment, meeting Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Our Lady of Lake Huron School Multi-Purpose Room. Topics have included 'How can I become aware of God's presence?', 'Why does my prayer sometimes feel dry?' and 'How can God help me make big decisions?'
- Young Adult Group — first Fridays, 6 PM (Sept–May)
- Ignatian discernment series — Thursdays 6:30 PM in summer
- Hosted in the OLLH School Multi-Purpose Room
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 413 S First St, Harbor Beach, MI 48441-1324, phone (989) 479-3393. The office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Email contacts include the Office Manager ([email protected]), the Pastor ([email protected]) and the Bookkeeper ([email protected]). The official website is holynameofmaryparish.org, and the school website is ollhschool.org.
- Address: 413 S First St, Harbor Beach, MI 48441-1324
- Phone: (989) 479-3393
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
- Parish website: holynameofmaryparish.org
- School website: ollhschool.org
- School tours/info: (989) 479-3427
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Klugcirca 1866
Celebrated the first Masses in pioneer homes around Sand Beach, before any church was built.
- Father (served circa 1882 founding)1882
First pastor when the 33 x 65 ft Mission of St. Vincent de Paul Church was completed on South First Street.
- Father Flemingearly 1900s–1925
Predecessor to Father Melvin; started the annual two-day November Bazaar fundraiser.
- Father Albert L. Melvin1925–1938
Thirteen-year pastorate; oversaw parish growth, kept the plant in good repair during the Depression and reduced parish debt; encouraged music and the school orchestra.
- Rev. Kevin M. Wojciechowskipresent
Current pastor of the clustered Holy Name of Mary Parish (Our Lady of Lake Huron, Harbor Beach, and St. Anthony of Padua, Helena); leads a young adult Ignatian discernment series.