About Resurrection of the Lord · Standish, Michigan
Resurrection of the Lord is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Saginaw located in Standish, Arenac County, Michigan. The parish was instituted in 1980 by the Bishop of Saginaw through the merger of two earlier Arenac County parishes, St. John the Baptist (established 1901) and St. Florian (established 1911). It serves the local Catholic community from its church at 423 West Cedar Street in Standish and shares worship life with St. Joseph Church in nearby Alger, making it a two-site parish family. Today it offers daily and weekend Mass, Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, a weekly Rosary, youth Faith Formation for grades 1–8, OCIA, and an active food pantry and Food Bank of Eastern Michigan drive-thru distribution serving hundreds of local families each week.
- Established
- 1980
- Patron
- The Resurrection of the Lord (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas R. Held (Fr. Tom Held)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 4)
Why belong here
Resurrection of the Lord welcomes Catholics seeking a small, family-style parish in northern Arenac County with daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, a weekly Friday Rosary, and a Confession schedule that fits Saturday preparation for the Vigil Mass. Families raising children find a grade-school Faith Formation program (K–8) with Wednesday afternoon sessions and busing from Standish-Sterling Central Elementary, plus a sacramental preparation pathway that includes Baptism preparation and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for adults inquiring about the Catholic faith. The parish is also a hub of outreach — its Food Bank of Eastern Michigan distribution has grown into a weekly 20,000-pound drive-thru operation supported by the Knights of Columbus and broader community — making it a place where newcomers can both worship and serve.
Mass times at Resurrection of the Lord
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Resurrection of the Lord Church, Standish) — Discover Mass lists the window as 3:30 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.
- St. Joseph Church (Alger): available before Mass — check with the parish office
Adoration times
- Saturday Vigil 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (per Diocese of Saginaw parish page); a Friday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. adoration window is also listed by Discover Mass
Resurrection of the Lord Parish — Overview
Resurrection of the Lord is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Saginaw serving Arenac County, Michigan. It was instituted in 1980 by combining St. John the Baptist (Standish, 1901) and St. Florian (1911) parishes, and now worships across two churches — Resurrection of the Lord in Standish and St. Joseph in Alger. The parish is led by Fr. Tom Held and a team of lay staff, music ministers, and council chairs who run daily and weekly Masses, faith formation, and one of the largest food-distribution outreaches in the Diocese of Saginaw.
- Diocese: Saginaw (Vicariate 4)
- Worship sites: Resurrection of the Lord (Standish); St. Joseph (Alger)
- Founded 1980
- Mailing: P.O. Box 306, Standish, MI 48658
- Phone: (989) 846-9565
History of the Parish
The current parish traces back to two original Catholic communities in Arenac County: St. John the Baptist (1901) and St. Florian (1911). In 1980 the Bishop of Saginaw merged them into one parish under the new name Resurrection of the Lord, anchoring it at 423 West Cedar Street (M-61) in Standish. The older parish cemeteries — now combined into Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Cemetery in Section 2 of Lincoln Township — preserve burials going back to the 1880s and are still referenced by genealogists under the older St. John and St. Florian names. The parish later added St. Joseph Church in Alger as its second worship site, and it continues today as a two-site parish family rooted in over a century of local Catholic life.
- St. John the Baptist founded 1901
- St. Florian founded 1911
- Merger into Resurrection of the Lord in 1980
- Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Cemetery (graves from the 1880s)
- Cemetery in Section 2 of Lincoln Township, Arenac County
Mass & Worship Schedule
Daily and weekend Masses are celebrated at both worship sites. Resurrection of the Lord Church in Standish offers the Saturday Vigil at 4:30 p.m., Sunday at 10:30 a.m., and weekday Masses Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m., Friday at 9:30 a.m., and Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. St. Joseph Church in Alger adds Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. The Diocese of Saginaw lists Saturday Vigil 10:30–11:30 a.m. Eucharistic Adoration and a Friday 1:00 p.m. Rosary in Standish; Confession is heard in Standish Saturdays 3:30–4:00 p.m. (or up to 4:25 p.m. per third-party listings) and at St. Joseph before Mass.
- Standish Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m.
- Standish Sunday: 10:30 a.m.
- Alger Sunday (St. Joseph): 8:30 a.m.
- Alger Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.
- Standish Weekdays: Tue 4:30, Thu 4:30, Fri 9:30, Sat 9:30
- Confession in Standish: Saturday 3:30–4:00 p.m.
- Friday Rosary at 1:00 p.m. in Standish
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Thomas R. Held ("Fr. Tom Held"). Operations, music, formation, and facilities are coordinated by a small lay staff: Mary Fitzgerald (Bookkeeper/Office Professional), Kelly McCrady (Faith Formation / Religious Education), Yvette Chisholm (Music Ministry), and maintenance team members Joe McCrady and John Baumgart. Parish councils are chaired by Dan Goick (Finance Council) and Jim Allen (Pastoral Council). Father David L. Parsch, who was pastor during the COVID-era food distribution effort, is now listed as a Senior Priest in the Diocese of Saginaw priest directory.
- Fr. Tom Held — Pastor
- Mary Fitzgerald — Bookkeeper / Office Professional
- Kelly McCrady — Faith Formation
- Yvette Chisholm — Music Ministry
- Joe McCrady — Maintenance
- John Baumgart — Maintenance
- Dan Goick — Finance Council Chair
- Jim Allen — Pastoral Council Chair
Youth Faith Formation (Grades 1–8)
Faith Formation at Resurrection of the Lord serves elementary students in grades 1 through 8 on Wednesday afternoons, running from early October through April each catechetical year (the 2025–2026 program began October 8, 2025, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.). Students are bused directly from Standish-Sterling Central Elementary to the parish's Religious Education Center with a handwritten parental permission note, or families may drive their children themselves. Kelly McCrady coordinates the program and is the contact for middle-school youth ministry questions at (989) 846-4101. Registrations are mailed to returning families, with a downloadable form also available.
- Elementary Grades 1–8
- Wednesday 3:30–5:00 p.m. (Oct–April)
- Bus from Standish-Sterling Central Elementary to the Religious Education Center
- Coordinator: Kelly McCrady — (989) 846-4101
- Downloadable registration for new and returning families
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
Parishioners and newcomers prepare for the sacraments through the parish office and Faith Formation programs. Baptism preparation is arranged by calling the parish office. Children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation do so through the Faith Formation program (grades 1–8). Adults inquiring about the Catholic faith journey through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, the updated Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Couples preparing for marriage find resources on the parish's marriage-and-family page and are asked to contact the parish office. Reconciliation follows the published Saturday schedule, with the Anointing of the Sick available by contacting the office.
- Baptism — parish office (989-846-9565)
- First Communion / Confirmation via Faith Formation
- OCIA for adults
- Confession Saturdays 3:30 p.m. (Standish)
- Marriage preparation — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — by request
Food Bank, Outreach & Community
Resurrection of the Lord is widely known across the Diocese of Saginaw for its food-distribution ministry, which combines an ongoing parish food pantry with a weekly Food Bank of Eastern Michigan drive-thru. As reported by the diocese in May 2020, parishioners — alongside the Knights of Columbus and volunteers from other local faith communities — gather each Wednesday at about 8 a.m. to pack and distribute roughly 20,000 pounds of food (canned goods, fresh produce, milk, bread) from about 10 a.m. until the food is gone, with around 30–35 volunteers per week. The number of families served grew in just a few months from 150 to 288, and the parish committed to continuing as long as the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan supplied the trucks. Monetary donations have accompanied the program.
- Weekly Wednesday Food Bank of Eastern Michigan drive-thru (~20,000 lbs/week)
- Parish food pantry (drive-thru)
- Knights of Columbus partnership
- Interfaith volunteer team
- Coordinator/lead volunteer: Pat Adrian
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music Ministry is led by Yvette Chisholm and supports Sunday Mass and other liturgies at both Resurrection of the Lord (Standish) and St. Joseph (Alger). The parish encourages parishioners to participate in liturgical roles, including lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, and choir, by contacting the parish office.
- Director: Yvette Chisholm
- Choir / cantors at weekend and holy-day Masses
- Lectors, EMHCs, altar servers — contact parish office
Marriage & Family Resources
The parish maintains a dedicated marriage-and-family page that links couples to USCCB resources such as "Marriage: Unique for a Reason" along with materials on the theology of marriage and Humanae Vitae. Couples preparing for marriage at Resurrection of the Lord are encouraged to contact the parish office early in their engagement to begin formation and liturgy planning.
- Marriage preparation — contact parish office
- "Marriage: Unique for a Reason" video and discussion resources
- Humanae Vitae / marriage catechesis links
Continuing Faith Formation & Vocation Awareness
Adults at Resurrection of the Lord are invited into year-round faith enrichment through the parish's Continuing Faith Formation page, which curates trusted Catholic learning resources: Vibrant Faith @ Home (family faith practices of TALK, PRAY, RITUALIZE, REACH OUT), Boston College continuing education, University of Dayton programs, and the Vatican Library. The parish's Vocation Information page offers K–12 vocation lesson plans and links to diocesan vocation discernment for those exploring priesthood, religious life, marriage, or single life as a calling from God.
- Vibrant Faith @ Home — family formation resources
- Boston College continuing education
- University of Dayton programs
- Vatican Library
- Vocation lesson plans for Catholic schools
- Diocesan vocation director referral
Parish Life, Councils & Parish App
Parishioner involvement is structured through the Pastoral Council (chaired by Jim Allen) and the Finance Council (chaired by Dan Goick), with ministries including the Knights of Columbus. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and a monthly parish calendar on its website, and offers the dedicated "Resurrection Of The Lord" mobile app for iPhone and Android so families can keep Mass times, bulletins, and ministry information at hand. The parish also invites returning Catholics back to the Eucharist through a diocesan-wide Eucharistic Revival.
- Pastoral Council (Jim Allen, Chair)
- Finance Council (Dan Goick, Chair)
- Knights of Columbus
- Weekly bulletin (e.g. Feb 22 issue posted)
- Monthly parish calendar
- "Resurrection Of The Lord" mobile app (iPhone/Android)
- Diocese of Saginaw Eucharistic Revival participation
Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Cemetery
The parish maintains Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Cemetery in Section 2 of Lincoln Township, Arenac County, northeast of Standish. The grounds contain burials dating back to the 1880s and continue to serve the Catholic families of Arenac County. Genealogical and cemetery-inscription sources sometimes list the property under its earlier names — Saint John Cemetery and Saint Florian Cemetery — because it absorbed the burial grounds of the two predecessor parishes merged in 1980. To visit: travel northeasterly on US-23 from the intersection of M-61 and US-23 about seven-tenths of a mile; the cemetery is on the south side of the road.
- Also referenced as Saint John Cemetery and Saint Florian Cemetery
- Section 2 of Lincoln Township, Arenac County
- Northeast of Standish via US-23 from M-61
- Graves date to the 1880s
- Burial information published in "Arenac County Michigan Cemetery Inscriptions" (1992)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. David L. Parschthrough at least May 2020
Pastor during the COVID-19 pandemic when Resurrection of the Lord partnered with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan; now listed as Senior Priest in the Diocese of Saginaw priest directory.
- Rev. Thomas R. Heldcurrent
Current pastor per the parish website, Diocese of Saginaw parish page, and priest directory.