About St. Edward · Lake Odessa, Michigan
St. Edward Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 531 Jordan Lake Street in Lake Odessa, Michigan, in the rural Ionia County area. Founded in 1945, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Grand Rapids and is clustered with SS. Peter & Paul Parish in nearby Ionia. The parish is dedicated to faith formation, the sacraments, and inspiring youth to become active followers of Christ. In addition to its worship and faith formation mission, St. Edward operates a preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds and offers a range of ministries and parish-life activities.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- St. Edward the Confessor
- Rector
- Rev. Eugene T. Batungbacal (C.Ss.R.), Pastor (clustered with SS. Peter & Paul, Ionia)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
St. Edward is a small, family-oriented parish where parishioners know each other and worship together in a handicap-accessible church on Jordan Lake Street. It offers weekend and weekday Mass, regular confession, adoration, and Stations of the Cross in Lent, plus a thriving preschool and Sunday faith-formation program for kindergarten through 12th grade. The parish is deeply committed to inspiring youth to become active followers of Christ and to promoting love within the church and the wider Lake Odessa community.
Mass times at St. Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (also described on the parish site as Thursday 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. / 'Thursday 6-8 PM')
- By appointment — call the parish office at 616-374-7253
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Edward Catholic Church is a small, family-oriented Roman Catholic parish in Lake Odessa, Michigan, founded in 1945 and entrusted to the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The parish describes its mission in two parts: 'We, St. Edward parish, joyfully experience life in Christ through the celebration of the sacraments and dedicate ourselves to faith formation' and 'Our parish is devoted to inspiring youth to become active followers of Christ. We live to promote love within the church and community according to the Gospel.'
- Patron: St. Edward the Confessor
- Diocese: Grand Rapids
- Established: 1945
- Cluster: SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Ionia
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is one of the two pillars of the parish's mission. Classes are offered for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, meeting on Sunday mornings, with registration required. Parents play an active role and sacramental candidates must attend retreats and parent meetings in addition to the regular classes.
- Faith Formation classes K-12 — Sunday mornings 9:15–10:30 a.m.
- Catechists expected to attend Diocesan Catechetical workshops each fall
- Vacation Bible School for children ages 4–10 (summer)
- Confirmation offered every other year for grades 7–12
Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental preparation at St. Edward begins the year before a child is to receive a sacrament. Families must be registered members of the parish, parents must attend a candidate/parent meeting, and students must attend a scheduled retreat as part of their preparation.
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade and older
- First Communion — 2nd grade and older
- Confirmation — 7th–12th grade, every other year
Catechetical Process
St. Edward describes its catechesis as 'sharing the whole message of Christianity, the good news of the gospel, with others,' and uses a four-step catechetical process rooted in the work of St. Ignatius of Loyola — meeting people 'through their door' so they can leave 'through your door.'
- Engaging the life experiences of participants
- Exploring Scriptural and Tradition concepts
- Reflecting and integrating with lived experience
- Responding with a new way of living
St. Edward Preschool
St. Edward's Preschool is a Catholic preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds housed in the St. Edward Family Center. It offers a small-class environment focused on the whole child — social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development — within a Christian atmosphere. The preschool is open for enrollment each spring for the following school year.
- 3- and 4-year-old programs
- Zoophonics and ABC Music and Me curriculum
- Christian environment with small class size
- Program Director: Fredia (also D.R.E. and Hall Manager)
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is served by a small team of clergy and lay staff. Pastoral leadership comes from a Redemptorist priest shared with the Ionia cluster parish, supported by a secretary, a bookkeeper, and a director of religious education who also oversees the preschool and parish hall.
- Pastor: Rev. Eugene T. Batungbacal, C.Ss.R. ([email protected])
- Secretary: Katherine Martin ([email protected])
- Bookkeeper: Dan Shields
- D.R.E., Hall Manager & Preschool Program Director: Fredia ([email protected])
Councils & Parish Life
Parish life at St. Edward is supported by elected and volunteer councils. The Pastoral Council and Financial Council help guide the parish's spiritual and temporal mission, and the Prayer Chain ministry keeps the community connected through intercessory prayer.
- Pastoral Council — Kathy Carnegie, Colleen King, Fredia Wernette
- Financial Council — Andrew Snider, Jerry Tomandl
- Prayer Chain — Gayle Peacock (616-374-8274)
- Parish Hall / Family Center — available for rent
Visit, Connect & Practical Info
St. Edward welcomes new parishioners and visitors to its weekend and weekday liturgies. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the church building is handicap accessible. The latest bulletins, schedules, and program announcements are available on the parish website and Facebook page.
- Address: 531 Jordan Lake St., Lake Odessa, MI 48849
- Phone: (616) 374-7253
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stedwardslakeodessa.org
- Facebook: Saint Edward the Confessor Catholic Church
- Church is handicap accessible