About Holy Spirit · Grand Rapids, Michigan
Holy Spirit Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Grand Rapids located on the northwest side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Established in 1952 and originally known as St. Agnes, the parish grew from weekend Masses held at the Rosedale Cemetery Chapel into a thriving community of more than 1,500 families, complete with a school, convent, rectory, and a dedicated worship church. The current church was dedicated on Pentecost Sunday, May 22, 1994, the Feast of the Holy Spirit, and remains the spiritual heart of the parish. Today the community lives out its mission statement — 'Love God, Serve Others, Grow Disciples' — through worship, faith formation, school life, and outreach to those in need.
- Established
- 1952
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Rev. Mark E. Peacock
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
Holy Spirit is a multi-generational parish of more than 1,500 families with a strong school (founded 1953) and an active Religious Education program, so families can grow in faith together from childhood through adulthood. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, weekday Adoration on Thursdays, and regular Reconciliation on Saturdays, alongside men's, outreach, and devotional groups such as the Men's Monthly Holy Hour and the diaper and seminarian care-package drives. With its mission of 'Love God, Serve Others, Grow Disciples,' Holy Spirit gives newcomers concrete ways to pray, serve neighbors in need, and belong to a community rooted in northwest Grand Rapids since 1952.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:45 p.m. or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the church
Our History
Holy Spirit Parish was canonically established on January 15, 1952, by Bishop Haas, with Rev. Bernard Sikorski as its founding pastor. Originally known as St. Agnes, the young community first gathered for weekend Masses at the Rosedale Cemetery Chapel while planning a permanent home on Lake Michigan Drive. From those 101 founding families in 1953, the parish has grown to more than 1,500 registered families, weathering a suspicious fire in 1958 and culminating in the dedication of its current church on Pentecost Sunday — the Feast of the Holy Spirit — on May 22, 1994.
- 1952 — Parish canonically established; first known as St. Agnes
- 1953 — School opens September 9 with six grades; 260 families registered by year's end
- 1957 — Construction begins on church/auditorium and additional classrooms
- August 14, 1958 — Fire of suspicious origins destroys half the building under construction
- September 27, 1959 — Bishop Allen Babcock dedicates the church auditorium
- May 22, 1994 — Current parish church dedicated on Pentecost Sunday
Holy Spirit School
Holy Spirit School opened on September 9, 1953, with six grades, taught originally by the Felician Sisters who lived in a convent built for them on the parish grounds. The school has grown alongside the parish and remains a vital part of parish life today. The Diocese of Grand Rapids notes that the church and school are handicapped accessible.
- Founded 1953 with six grades
- Originally staffed by the Felician Sisters
- Served by a purpose-built convent on parish grounds
- Handicapped accessible
Religious Education
Alongside Holy Spirit School, the parish runs a Religious Education program that has expanded alongside new classrooms over the decades. The program supports faith formation for parish children not enrolled in the school and works in tandem with the parish's sacramental preparation.
- Parish-based Religious Education program
- Sacramental preparation for school-age children
- Classrooms expanded multiple times to accommodate growth
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond the Sunday and weekday schedule, Holy Spirit nourishes prayer life through Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays and the Men's Monthly Holy Hour on the first Saturday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. A dedicated Prayer Line (616-453-4369) connects parishioners who wish to request prayers or pray for others.
- Thursday Adoration — 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the church
- Men's Monthly Holy Hour — 1st Saturday, 7:00–8:00 a.m.
- Parish Prayer Line — 616-453-4369
Parish Outreach & Giving
Outreach is central to the parish's mission to 'Serve Others.' Recent and recurring efforts include a summer diaper drive in partnership with St. Anthony of Padua to fill a box truck for families in need, a January collection of care-package items for seminarians, and prison/jail ministry support. The parish also stewards the 'Inspired by the Spirit' Capital Campaign to support parish facilities and ministries.
- Diaper collection drive with St. Anthony of Padua (summer)
- Care for Our Seminarians collection (January)
- Prison/Jail outreach
- Inspired by the Spirit Capital Campaign
Community & Tradition
The annual Parish Festival became one of the hallmarks of Grand Rapids' west side, drawing generations of parishioners together. Today the community continues that spirit through its strategic plan (2025–2027), updated by staff and parish leadership to chart the coming years of growth, service, and spiritual opportunity under the parish's mission statement.
- Annual Parish Festival — west-side tradition
- Strategic Plan 2025–2027
- Mission: Love God, Serve Others, Grow Disciples
Visit & Contact
Holy Spirit Parish welcomes visitors at 2230 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, on the northwest side of the city in Kent County (Grand Rapids North Deanery of the Diocese of Grand Rapids). The parish office can be reached at 616-453-6369, with a separate Prayer Line at 616-453-4369 and a staff email at [email protected].
- Address — 2230 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
- Phone — 616-453-6369
- Fax — 616-453-0244
- Prayer Line — 616-453-4369
- Email — [email protected]
- Web — https://www.hsparish.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard Sikorski
Founding pastor; canonically established the parish on January 15, 1952, with Bishop Haas.
- Fr. John Tupper
Successor pastor.
- Fr. Tony Vainavicz
Successor pastor.
- Fr. Steve Dudek
Successor pastor.
- Fr. Leonard Sudlik
Successor pastor.
- Fr. John Vallier
Successor pastor.
- Fr. Mark Peacock
Current pastor, preceded by Fr. John Vallier; named on the Diocese of Grand Rapids listing.