About Nativity Parish - St. Mary · Alma, Michigan
Nativity of the Lord Parish is a unified Catholic parish of the Diocese of Saginaw serving the Alma and St. Louis communities of Gratiot County, Michigan. It comprises two worship sites: the original St. Mary Church in Alma (now closed for regular worship) and Mount St. Joseph Church in nearby St. Louis, where the parish's weekend liturgies are celebrated. The parish continues to operate St. Mary Catholic School (preschool through sixth grade) in Alma, runs faith formation and sacramental programs, and supports ongoing ministries of charity including a volunteer garden at Mount St. Joseph that grows food for those in need.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Mary (Blessed Virgin Mary) / Nativity of the Lord
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 5)
Why belong here
Worshippers can join a small, community-minded Gratiot County Catholic parish that still celebrates regular weekday Mass in Alma (Wednesdays in the school gym during the school year and in the parish-center chapel in summer) along with weekend Masses at the historic Mount St. Joseph campus in St. Louis. The parish is home to a thriving Catholic school (St. Mary, preschool through grade 6), a strong sacramental and faith formation program under Lisa Seeley, weekday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, Christian meditation and a weekly Rosary, and an active outreach tradition including a volunteer garden at Mount St. Joseph that supplies food to those in need.
Mass times at Nativity Parish - St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. at Mount St. Joseph Church, St. Louis
- By request before/after Masses, or by appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., St. Mary Chapel, Parish Center, Alma, with Benediction at 1:30 p.m.
Parish Identity & Worship Sites
Nativity of the Lord Parish is a unified Catholic community of the Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 5) serving Alma and St. Louis in Gratiot County, Michigan. It comprises two worship sites: the original St. Mary Church in Alma (now closed for regular worship) and Mount St. Joseph Church in St. Louis, which is the parish's active weekend Mass site. The parish operates from the Parish Center at 510 N. Prospect Ave., Alma, MI 48801, and from Mount St. Joseph's campus in St. Louis.
- St. Mary Church (Alma) — original parish church, now closed for regular worship
- Mount St. Joseph Church (St. Louis) — current weekend Mass site, also houses social hall and the volunteer garden
- St. Mary Chapel, Parish Center (Alma) — used for weekday Mass in summer and weekly Eucharistic Adoration
- Diocese of Saginaw, Vicariate 5
History
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alma was erected in 1905 and dedicated in 1906 by Bishop Richter; it became a parish in its own right in 1908, and by 1913 the churches of Irishtown, Shepherd and St. Louis were attached to it as missions. A second, more striking St. Mary Church was built in 1970 in the 200 block of West Downie Street, designed by William Wesley Peters, a Frank Lloyd Wright associate — making it a distinctive example of Wright-influenced church architecture in mid-Michigan.
The 2018 Merger into Nativity of the Lord Parish
Facing major repair costs (estimated at $689,200+ for roof and other work) and declining Mass attendance, parish leadership hired The Breten Group in 2018 to study options. A parishioner survey returned 58% in favor of a total merger into one worship site and 32.57% wishing to retain two locations. Under then-pastor Father Nate Harburg, the decision was made to consolidate worship at Mount St. Joseph in St. Louis and form the new Nativity of the Lord Parish; Father Harburg was reassigned to the Ovid Parish on July 1, 2018. For the first time in more than a century, the city of Alma had no Catholic church for regular worship, although St. Mary Catholic School remained open.
- 2018 parish survey by The Breten Group
- Father Nate Harburg's pastoral letter announcing the merger
- St. Mary Church building's future under continued diocesan study
Holy Week & Easter Schedule
All Holy Week liturgies are celebrated at Mount St. Joseph Church, St. Louis. Holy Thursday Mass is at 6:30 p.m., Good Friday liturgy at 12:30 p.m. (followed by Stations of the Cross), the Easter Vigil at 8:30 p.m., and Easter Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m.
Prayer & Devotions
The parish offers Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction each Wednesday morning, Christian Meditation on Monday afternoons, and a weekly Sunday Rosary before Mass — all in addition to the regular Mass schedule. The Anointing of the Sick is available for those seriously ill or facing surgery by contacting the parish office.
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., St. Mary Chapel, Parish Center, Alma (Benediction at 1:30 p.m.)
- Christian Meditation — Mondays 4:30 p.m. at Mount St. Joseph
- Rosary — Sundays 9:15 a.m. at Mount St. Joseph
- Anointing of the Sick — by request for the seriously ill or pre-surgery
Parish Staff & Leadership
Pastoral leadership is shared across clergy, deacons and lay staff, with parish councils guiding the life of the community.
- Rev. James Carlson — Sacramental Minister ([email protected])
- Deacon Rick Warner — Director of Parish Life ([email protected])
- Reyna Cervantes — Business Manager ([email protected])
- Jean Tedhams — Secretary ([email protected])
- Lisa Seeley — Faith Formation ([email protected]); also Principal of St. Mary Catholic School
- Zach Durocher — Pastoral Council Chair
- Jim Grace — Finance Council Chair
St. Mary Catholic School
St. Mary Catholic School, a ministry of Nativity of the Lord Parish, serves preschool through sixth grade at 220 W. Downie Street, Alma, with roughly 125 students. The school partners closely with the parish on sacramental preparation (students made First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in a recent year) and runs fundraisers including Mardi Gras (which has raised over $130,000) and Trekking for Technology to fund classroom technology. Summer office hours vary by week in June, July and August.
- 220 W. Downie Street, Alma, MI 48801
- School Office: 989-463-4579
- Email: [email protected]
- Principal: Mrs. Lisa Seeley
- Preschool through Grade 6
- Annual Mardi Gras fundraiser (recent year raised $130,000+)
- Annual Trekking for Technology fundraiser
- Family Advent Night, Catholic Schools Week Chili Cook-off
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Faith Formation for children and adults is coordinated by Lisa Seeley. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist is offered through both the school and the parish program. The Anointing of the Sick is brought directly to parishioners at three local assisted-living facilities each month, and Reconciliation is available Saturday afternoons at Mount St. Joseph or by appointment.
- Faith Formation (children & adults) — Lisa Seeley
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist preparation
- Baptism, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- Monthly assisted-living Masses (Schnepps, Arbor Grove, Masonic Pathways)
Outreach & Stewardship
Mount St. Joseph's campus hosts a large volunteer-tended garden whose produce is given to the poor. The parish also sustains the St. Mary School community through major annual fundraisers (Mardi Gras and Trekking for Technology) and supports families through its sacramental and parish-life ministries.
- Mount St. Joseph volunteer garden — fresh produce for the poor
- Mardi Gras annual fundraiser
- Trekking for Technology fundraiser
Visit, Register & Contact
Visitors and newcomers are welcome; parish registration is offered through the official website. The parish office is open Monday and Friday 8:00 a.m. – Noon, and Tuesday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sunday Mass can be joined in person at Mount St. Joseph in St. Louis or via the livestream on facebook.com/nativityofthelord.
- Parish Office: 510 N. Prospect Ave., Alma, MI 48801
- Phone: (989) 463-5370
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.nativityparish.net
- Livestream: facebook.com/nativityofthelord
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Mulvey
Earlier pastor of St. Mary's Alma Parish, also oversaw the Bohemian St. Cyril's mission in Bannister (per Gratiot County church histories).
- Rev. Nate HarburgThrough June 30, 2018
Pastor at the time of the merger; announced the decision to merge into one worship site at Mount St. Joseph after a parishioner survey and listening sessions, then was reassigned to the Ovid Parish July 1, 2018.