Sacred Heart

About Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Sacred Heart Catholic Church describes itself as 'a multi-cultural English/Spanish speaking parish, which has been the heart of Imlay City for more than 70 years' and as 'a small rural parish where everyone is welcome.' It is one of four parishes grouped together in the Archdiocese of Detroit's Thumb Vicariate Family of Parishes 2 (with St. Cornelius in Dryden, St. Nicholas in Capac, and Immaculate Conception in Lapeer). The parish's bilingual identity is visible in its Sunday Mass schedule — one Mass in English, one in Spanish — and in its Tuesday bilingual Mass and First Friday bilingual evening Mass.

History of Sacred Heart

The parish was organized by Irish settlers who arrived in the early 1850s; the first Mass in the area was said at the Martin Heenan home in 1852. About thirty Catholic families built the first church, a small white wooden structure on Blacks Corners Road, in 1867. In 1894 a new brick-and-fieldstone church with a spire and stained glass windows was built on Main Street; in 1924 it was partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt, and in 1927 a rectory was added so the pastor could live in Imlay City rather than commute from Lapeer. The present sanctuary on Maple Vista Street was completed December 2, 1972 and seats about 500 people, with a new rectory added in 1974.

• 1852 – First Mass offered by Fr. Vallandingham at the Martin Heenan home near S. VanDyke and Hunters Creek Road.
• 1854 – Fr. Theophilus Buyse of Swan Creek offers Mass at Peter Hannan Sr.'s home on S. Blacks Corners Rd.
• 1867 – First church built: small wooden white structure on Blacks Corners Road (site of present Mt. Calvary Cemetery).
• 1893 – Bishop Foley appoints Fr. Francis C. Kelley pastor in Lapeer; plans move into Imlay City village.
• 1894 – Brick and fieldstone church built on Main Street for $7,500; features spire, stained glass, miter stone.
• 1924 – Main Street church partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt.
• 1927 – Rectory built adjacent to Main Street church; first resident pastor.
• December 2, 1972 – Current Maple Vista sanctuary completed; Main Street structure demolished.
• 1974 – New rectory constructed.
• November 6, 2022 – 50th anniversary of the present church celebrated with Mass by Fr. Noel Emmanuel Cornelio and Bishop Arturo Cepeda.

Clergy, Staff & Leadership

Sacred Heart is currently led by Rev. Charles Altermatt as Moderator/Priest in Solidum of Thumb Vicariate Family of Parishes 2, an appointment made by the Archdiocese of Detroit effective July 1, 2024. Pending the Family Priests' Covenant, Fr. Altermatt lives and serves primarily at Sacred Heart. He is assisted by a permanent deacon and a small lay staff including an Office Manager, Bookkeeper, Director of Discipleship Formation, Music Director, and Religious Education coordinator.

• Rev. Charles Altermatt — Moderator/Priest in Solidum ([email protected])
• Rev. Mr. Lenard Butler — Permanent Deacon
• Renee Caputo — Office Manager ([email protected])
• Debby Matyanowski — Bookkeeper
• Julie Allison — Director of Discipleship Formation ([email protected])
• Heather Hayes — Religious Education
• Luke Simpson — Music Director

Liturgical Ministries

Parishioners of all ages serve the liturgy at the Mass of their preference. Training is provided for each role, and youth who have received the Sacraments of Initiation or made their First Communion and are enrolled in Religious Education are eligible to serve as altar servers.

• Altar Servers
• Lectors
• Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (Holy Communion)
• Sacristans
• Ushers
• Music Ministry (Music Director: Luke Simpson)

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Sacred Heart's Religious Education program (Catechism) meets twice a week in the parish hall: Tuesdays for grades 1–4 and Thursdays for grades 5–8, both from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM. Catechists and classroom aides are always needed; all volunteers must pass a background check and complete Protecting God's Children Safe Environment training. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation is offered in addition to regular Religious Education class participation.

• Catechism — Tuesdays (grades 1–4), 6:30–7:45 PM in the parish hall
• Catechism — Thursdays (grades 5–8), 6:30–7:45 PM in the parish hall
• First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation (2nd graders)
• Confirmation preparation (youth age 12+ by December 31 of the year)
• Discipleship Formation (Julie Allison, Director)

Parish Life, Outreach & Volunteer Opportunities

Beyond the liturgy, the parish supports a number of caring ministries. Volunteer opportunities include providing meals for mothers who have just given birth and supporting funeral hospitality for grieving families. The parish also encourages new and returning Catholics to register by completing a registration form (available in the bulletin or printable from the website) and dropping it in the collection basket, mailing it, or delivering it to the parish office.

• Funeral Hospitality (volunteers needed)
• Meals for new mothers (volunteers needed)
• Parish Registration — form in the bulletin or downloadable from the website
• New parishioner welcome and follow-up contact from the parish office

Family of Parishes — Thumb Vicariate 2

Sacred Heart is partnered with three neighboring parishes under the Archdiocese of Detroit's Thumb Vicariate Family of Parishes 2. The Rev. Charles Altermatt serves as Moderator/Priest in Solidum across the grouping. Sacred Heart shares its website and many ministries with St. Cornelius in Dryden.

• Sacred Heart Parish — Imlay City
• St. Cornelius Parish — Dryden (3834 N. Mill St., Dryden, MI 48428; (810) 796-2926)
• St. Nicholas Parish — Capac
• Immaculate Conception Parish — Lapeer
• Moderator: Rev. Charles Altermatt (effective July 1, 2024)

Visit, Contact & Office Information

The parish office at 700 Maple Vista Street, Imlay City is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Visitors are warmly invited to attend Mass, register as parishioners, and join one of the many ministries listed above.

• Address: 700 Maple Vista Street, Imlay City, MI 48444
• Phone: (810) 724-1135
• Email: [email protected]
• Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM; Thursday 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
• Priest emergency line (Archdiocese of Detroit): (313) 596-7450
• Current website: https://www.sacredheart-stcornelius.org/
• Legacy site: http://imlaysacredheart.org (redirects to new site)