About Our Lady of Consolata Parish - St. Agatha · Gagetown, Michigan
Our Lady Consolata Parish is a Catholic community in the Diocese of Saginaw that unites three small-town churches in Michigan's Thumb region: St. Pancratius Church in Cass City (the parish church), Holy Family Church in Sebewaing, and St. Agatha Church in Gagetown. The parish's mailing address and office are at 4618 South Street in Gagetown, while St. Agatha is classified as an 'Occasional Use Church' within the larger merged parish. The community currently worships in English and is walking through the Diocese of Saginaw's Next Generation Parish implementation process, while also running a notable migrant ministry that serves farmworker families in the surrounding countryside.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- St. Agatha (Gagetown church); parish named for Our Lady Consolata (Our Lady of Consolation)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Paré (Sacramental Minister / Senior Priest)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
Why belong here
Our Lady Consolata Parish is one of the few Catholic communities still serving the rural Thumb of Michigan, and its three-church structure means families in Cass City, Sebewaing, and Gagetown can find a Mass close to home. Parishioners can celebrate the sacraments, grow in faith through the OCIA and faith formation programs led by Jill Susalla, and put their faith into action through the parish's longstanding migrant ministry — which feeds and clothes farmworker families and hosts an annual Migrant Mass, most recently at St. Agatha in Gagetown. With daily livestreamed Mass, active men's prayer groups, and a parish actively implementing the Diocese of Saginaw's Next Generation Parish plan, it is a small but very much alive Catholic family.
Mass times at Our Lady of Consolata Parish - St. Agatha
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45–4:15 PM — St. Pancratius Church, Cass City
- Sunday 9:45–10:15 AM — Holy Family Church, Sebewaing
Parish Overview: Three Churches, One Faith Community
Our Lady Consolata Parish of Cass City is a multi-site Catholic parish in the Diocese of Saginaw that serves the small Thumb-of-Michigan towns of Cass City, Sebewaing, and Gagetown. St. Pancratius Church in Cass City functions as the parish church with regular weekend Masses, Holy Family Church in Sebewaing hosts a second Sunday Mass, and St. Agatha Church in Gagetown serves as an occasional-use church for special liturgies and community events. All three share a single parish office at 4618 South Street in Gagetown, a single pastoral and finance council, and a unified sacramental life.
- St. Pancratius Church — Parish Church, Cass City, MI
- Holy Family Church — Sebewaing, MI
- St. Agatha Church — Occasional Use Church, Gagetown, MI
- Parish Office: 4618 South St., PO Box 139, Gagetown, MI 48735-0139
History of St. Agatha Parish
St. Agatha's Parish was established in 1879 by Father Clement Krebs and was the first Catholic Church founded in Tuscola County. Father Krebs was so prominent in the new community that, when the village of Gagetown incorporated in 1882, he was elected its first president. The congregation outgrew its original structure, and the current brick church was dedicated in 1917. Today the church and the adjoining Saint Agatha Cemetery remain well kept by the merged parish.
- 1879 — Father Clement Krebs founds St. Agatha's Parish, first Catholic church in Tuscola County
- 1882 — Father Krebs elected first village president of Gagetown
- 1917 — St. Agatha's brick church dedicated
- Today — Saint Agatha Cemetery holds 1,680+ memorials
Parish Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Sacramental Minister Rev. Robert J. Paré, a senior priest of the Diocese of Saginaw, along with Deacon David Gillespie, who serves as Director of Parish Life. Amy Gruehn keeps the parish office running and administers the cemetery; Jill Susalla coordinates Faith Formation and OCIA. Pastoral Council Chair Val Somerville and Finance Council Chair Matt Boucher help guide parish decisions.
- Rev. Robert J. Paré — Sacramental Minister ([email protected])
- Deacon David Gillespie — Director of Parish Life ([email protected])
- Amy Gruehn — Bookkeeper / Cemetery Administrator / Secretary ([email protected])
- Jill Susalla — Faith Formation / OCIA ([email protected])
- Val Somerville — Pastoral Council Chair
- Matt Boucher — Finance Council Chair
Faith Formation & OCIA
Faith Formation for children and youth, along with the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist, is coordinated by Jill Susalla. The parish connects its catechists to the Diocese of Saginaw's Office of Parish Life and Evangelization for training and resources.
- Faith Formation — Jill Susalla, [email protected]
- OCIA for adult initiation into the Catholic Church
- Diocesan faith formation support via Christ’s Mission Appeal
Next Generation Parish Implementation
Our Lady Consolata Parish is moving into the Next Generation Parish Implementation Phase, a multi-year process through the Diocese of Saginaw. Over the next two years, the parish will expand its pool of parish leaders to carry out the envisioning team's priorities and measurable goals. Three priority leaders — Engagement, Welcoming, and Faith Formation — are reaching out to recruit goal leaders to help execute the plan.
- Priority Leader — Engagement: Val Peters-Somerville
- Priority Leader — Welcoming: Paula Lounsbury
- Priority Leader — Faith Formation: Rob Piaskowski
Migrant Ministry & Food Pantry
The parish runs a long-standing migrant ministry serving farmworker families in the Thumb region, including a food pantry that provides clothing and food. On July 19, 2024, the parish hosted the Diocese of Saginaw's annual Migrant Mass at St. Agatha Church in Gagetown, celebrated by Bishop Gruss and Father Craig Carolan together with the Office of Multicultural Ministry — one of the largest gatherings for that Mass in years. The community presented a plaque honoring Edna Kujawski, a longtime parishioner who served migrant workers through the pantry.
- Annual Migrant Mass — hosted at St. Agatha, Gagetown (July 2024)
- Food pantry — clothing and food for migrant families
- Parishioner Edna Kujawski honored for years of service to migrant workers
- Diocese of Saginaw Office of Multicultural Ministry — coordinated by Deacon Librado 'Larry' Gayton
Prayer, Devotions & Livestream
Beyond the Mass and Confession schedule, the parish offers a regular Men's Prayer Group that meets Thursday mornings, and it livestreams Mass daily from the parish website for those at home or unable to attend in person.
- Men's Prayer Group — Thursday mornings
- Daily Livestreamed Mass — via olconsolata.org
- Resources for Practicing Your Faith at Home (parish website)
- FAITH Saginaw Magazine (diocesan publication)
Contact & Office Information
The parish office in Gagetown handles inquiries for all three churches. Office hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:30–1:30 PM) and Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. The main parish phone number is 989-665-1027, and the office email is [email protected].
- Address — 4618 South St., PO Box 139, Gagetown, MI 48735-0139
- Phone — 989-665-1027
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — http://www.olconsolata.org/
- Office Hours — Tue/Wed 9 AM–4 PM (closed 12:30–1:30 PM), Fri 9 AM–12 PM
Saint Agatha Cemetery
Adjoining St. Agatha Church in Gagetown, the historic Saint Agatha Cemetery is administered through the parish office by Amy Gruehn. The cemetery holds more than 1,680 memorials and continues to serve families across the Thumb region.
- Location — Gagetown, Tuscola County, Michigan
- Cemetery ID (Find a Grave) — 969472
- 1,681+ memorials
- Administrator — Amy Gruehn (parish office)