About SS. Peter & Paul · North Branch, Michigan
SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in North Branch, Michigan, in the rural northern tier of Lapeer County. Founded in 1906 when a local resident purchased the town's former Episcopalian church and transferred the deed to the Bishop of Detroit, it has served the farming communities of the area for more than a century. Today it is led by Pastor Fr. Richard L. Treml (since 2002) and, since July 1, 2021, is part of the four-site Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes alongside St. Patrick Chapel in Clifford, St. Mary in Burnside, and Sacred Heart in Brown City. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, a Saturday Vigil, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, Faith Formation, an active youth ministry, and a Knights of Columbus council.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul (Apostles)
- Rector
- Rev. Richard L. Treml
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
SS. Peter & Paul is a century-old farming-community parish where you can know your pastor (Fr. Treml has been here since 2002) by name and run into fellow parishioners at the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast or the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Daily 8:30 a.m. Mass, a Saturday Vigil, weekday Eucharistic Adoration from 7–8 a.m., and a full calendar of Faith Formation, youth ministry (with creative events like the 'Stations of the Cross Walking Trail in the Woods'), OCIA (RCIA), Bible studies, and seasonal devotions such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet make it easy to plug in. As one of four worship sites in the Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes, it offers the warmth of a small-town Catholic community with the stability of an Archdiocese of Detroit parish.
Mass times at SS. Peter & Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 p.m. (until heard)
- Wednesday 9:00–9:30 a.m. (priest will depart if no penitents)
- Wednesday 12:00–1:00 p.m. (priest will wait 15–20 minutes from last penitent)
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00–8:00 a.m.
- Tuesday 7:00–8:00 a.m.
- Wednesday 7:00–8:00 a.m.
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 a.m.
- Friday 7:00–8:00 a.m.
Parish Identity & Mission
SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit serving the farming communities of northern Lapeer County from its home on Washington Street in North Branch, Michigan. Its parish mission statement, adopted in 2009, reads: 'We, the Disciples of Christ, faithfully radiate the love of Jesus and teach His "Good News" to all by example. We welcome everyone into His Home, the Roman Catholic Church, by living His gospel of love, hospitality, and service. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we joyfully and wholeheartedly minister to all whom we meet along the way, in our journey to the Kingdom of God.' The parish also embraces the Archdiocese of Detroit's 'Unleash the Gospel' vision of becoming a community of joyful missionary disciples.
- Parish Mission Statement (adopted 2009)
- Archdiocese of Detroit 'Unleash the Gospel' vision
- Member of the Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes (since July 1, 2021)
History of SS. Peter & Paul
The parish's roots stretch back to 1906, when local resident Theodore Heenan acquired the former Episcopalian church in North Branch and transferred the deed to Bishop John Foley of Detroit. Father Peter Esper became the first pastor in 1913 when the community was formally erected as a parish with St. Patrick in Clifford as its mission. As Fr. Treml has reflected, 'This was the wilderness and the priests came on horseback.' The parish grew steadily through the twentieth century, built a new church and rectory under Father Charles Zeeb in 1978–79 (dedicated March 25, 1979), and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1981 and its centennial in 2006. It has clustered with neighboring parishes since 2003 and became part of the four-site Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes on July 1, 2021.
- 1906 — Theodore Heenan purchases the former Episcopalian church
- 1913 — Parish formally established; Father Peter Esper appointed first pastor; St. Patrick, Clifford becomes a mission
- 1978–1979 — New church and rectory built under Father Charles Zeeb
- March 25, 1979 — Dedication of the new church
- 1981 — 75th anniversary celebrated in the new building
- 1986–2002 — Father Jude Ellinghausen serves as pastor
- 2002–present — Father Richard L. Treml serves as pastor
- 2003 — Clustering with St. Patrick Chapel and St. Mary, Burnside
- 2006 — Centennial celebration
- 2018 — Cornerstone time capsule from 1979 rediscovered during construction
- July 1, 2021 — Becomes part of the Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes
The 1979 Cornerstone Time Capsule
In 2018, while workers were demolishing a wall to make way for a new gathering space, they discovered a time capsule tucked inside the cornerstone of the 1979 church. The box was opened at a parish council meeting on September 11 and was found to contain a 1979 bulletin, the church dedication booklet, a letter from then-pastor Father Charles Zeeb explaining the meaning of the capsule's contents, and coins from 1906 (when the original building was purchased), 1913 (when the community became a parish), and 1979 (when the new church was built). The contents were returned to a new cornerstone along with a bulletin and Archbishop Allen Vigneron's pastoral letter 'Unleash the Gospel,' to be reopened by a future generation.
- Coins from 1906, 1913, and 1979
- Letter from Father Charles Zeeb
- 1979 dedication booklet and parish bulletin
- 'Unleash the Gospel' pastoral letter added in 2018
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by a pastor, associate pastor, senior priest, and deacon, supported by a parish office staff. The full team is listed on the parish's 'Meet the Clergy & Staff' page.
- Rev. Richard L. Treml — Pastor (since 2002)
- Fr. Sama Muma — Associate Pastor
- Fr. Larry Delonnay — Senior Priest
- Deacon Pete Lynch — Deacon
- Barb Sinka — Office Manager
- Paula Kaniut — Bookkeeper
- Margaret Almand — Secretary
- Lisa Juip — Sacred Heart Secretary
- Denise Edwards — Bulletin Editor (deadline Tuesday at noon)
- Pam Orr — Webmaster
- Bernie Schlaud — Staff
- Candy Doherty — Staff
- Val Bader — Director of Youth Ministry
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for the sacraments of initiation, healing, and vocation. Baptisms are scheduled by appointment through the parish office and require a preparation class and parish registration. Marriages require at least six months' notice and an appointment with the pastor. First Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing faith formation are coordinated through the parish Faith Formation program, while adults seeking initiation enter the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process.
- Baptism — appointment required; prep class and registration
- Marriage — six months' notice; appointment with pastor
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Faith Formation
- OCIA / RCIA — for adult initiation
- Reconciliation — Sat 3:30 p.m. and Wed mornings/noon
- Anointing of the Sick — on request through the office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at SS. Peter & Paul serves parish children and adults. Children's classes gather on Sundays after the 8:30 a.m. Mass (when scheduled), typically moving to Keenan Hall for instruction, and include special events like Children's Mass and a 2nd-grade early class with Fr. Muma. Adults can join OCIA (RCIA) for initiation, the 'Jesus and the Eucharist' small-group study, the 'Pivotal Players' series, and seasonal Penance services. A bereavement ministry supports parishioners who have lost loved ones.
- Children's Faith Formation (grades K–8)
- 2nd-grade early class with Fr. Muma
- OCIA / RCIA
- Jesus and the Eucharist small-group study
- Pivotal Players study
- Adult Penance Service during Lent
- Bereavement Ministry
Youth Ministry
Under the direction of Val Bader, the parish youth ministry organizes service projects, retreats, and creative seasonal events. The teens have hosted a soup social, bake sales, and a 'Siesta Taco Bar' to fund a group retreat and their first trip to a Steubenville Youth Conference. During Lent they lead a 'Stations of the Cross Walking Trail in the Woods' — a mile-long outdoor path through pine trees, with reflections that connect each station to everyday life — and on Good Friday they present 'Shadow Stations of the Cross.' They also make fleece blankets for Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
- Director: Val Bader
- Stations of the Cross Walking Trail in the Woods
- Shadow Stations of the Cross on Good Friday
- Steubenville Youth Conference trips
- Service projects (blankets for Children's Hospital of Michigan)
- Fundraising events: soup social, bake sales, Siesta Taco Bar
Parish Ministries & Fellowship
The parish sponsors a range of lay-led ministries that knit the rural congregation together. The Knights of Columbus council meets regularly and hosts parish pancake breakfasts; the Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers to craft shawls for those in need of comfort; and the Women's Breakfast offers regular fellowship. Marian and Eucharistic devotions — including the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Prayer Cenacle, weekly Adoration, and seasonal Benediction — form the devotional backbone of parish life.
- Knights of Columbus — regular meetings, pancake breakfast
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Women's Breakfast
- Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary
- Prayer Cenacle
- Eucharistic Adoration (Mon–Fri 7–8 a.m.)
- Bereavement Ministry
- Grace and Action
Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes
Since July 1, 2021, SS. Peter & Paul has been clustered with three other Catholic communities in northern Lapeer County under the Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes banner, sharing clergy, staff, and program resources while preserving the identity and schedule of each worship site. Shared events, OCIA, family faith formation classes, and bulletin announcements flow across all four sites.
- SS. Peter & Paul — North Branch (this parish)
- St. Patrick Chapel — Clifford
- St. Mary — Burnside
- Sacred Heart — Brown City
- Formed July 1, 2021
Facilities & Visiting
The parish church at 6645 Washington Street anchors the parish campus and is joined by Keenan Hall (810-688-8343), used for Faith Formation classes, the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast, Lenten potlucks, and viewing of 'The Passion of the Christ' on Good Friday. A new gathering space, begun in 2018 and completed in 2019, features a fieldstone wall built by parishioner Doug Schlaud using stone gathered from local farms — a tangible expression of the parish's farming roots. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (Wednesday evenings 4–7 p.m. in winter), closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 p.m. and closed Friday.
- Church at 6645 Washington St., North Branch
- Keenan Hall (parish hall)
- New gathering space with fieldstone wall from parishioner farms
- Parish office: Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (Wed evening 4–7 p.m. in winter)
- Closed Friday and 12:00–1:00 p.m. for lunch
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Peter Esper1913–
Appointed pastor in 1913 when SS. Peter & Paul officially became a parish with St. Patrick in Clifford as a mission.
- Father Charles Zeeb1978–1986 (approx.)
Built the current church and rectory in 1978; new church dedicated March 25, 1979. Sealed a cornerstone time capsule with a letter and coins from 1906, 1913, and 1979.
- Father Jude Ellinghausen1986–2002
Succeeded Father Zeeb; presided over the 75th-anniversary milestone in the 1979 building.
- Father Richard L. Treml2002–present
Current pastor. Led the parish into the 2003 cluster and the 2021 Northern Lapeer County Family of Parishes; oversaw the new gathering-space construction and the rededication of the cornerstone time capsule.