About St. Francis de Sales · Norton Shores, Michigan
St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Norton Shores, Michigan, in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. With about 1,300 households it is the largest parish in the greater Muskegon area, and since 2012 it has been clustered with St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Muskegon to share pastoral leadership. The parish is best known for its striking 1966 church building, designed by Bauhaus-modernist architect Marcel Breuer, and it offers a full range of liturgies, faith formation for all ages, devotions such as weekly Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary, and active parish life through the Knights of Columbus, Serra Club, Women's Guild, men's and youth groups, and a Sunday Social.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Francis de Sales
- Rector
- Rev. Steven W. Geerling
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
St. Francis de Sales is the largest parish in the Muskegon area and offers a full Catholic life: weekend Masses, daily Mass in the Marian Chapel, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary before Wednesday evening Mass, and Reconciliation several times a week. A robust Faith Formation program serves children, a twice-monthly EDGE program serves middle- and high-school youth, and OCIA welcomes adults into the Church. Vibrant parish groups — the Knights of Columbus Council #13579, the Serra Club of Greater Muskegon, the Women's Guild, Men's Faith & Fellowship, Sunday Social, and more — make it easy to find community, while a monthly bilingual Sensory-Friendly Mass opens the parish to families with sensory needs.
Mass times at St. Francis de Sales
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 p.m. — St. Francis Marian Chapel
- Saturday 4:00–4:30 p.m. — St. Francis de Sales main church
Adoration times
- Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. — St. Francis Marian Chapel (following the 8:30 a.m. Mass)
History of the Parish
Founded in 1948 to serve the north Muskegon / Norton Shores area, St. Francis de Sales first met in the WWII-era Ruddiman Terrace before moving to its first permanent church in 1950. Growth was so rapid that by 1958 the parish was already commissioning a new building. In 1961 pastor Rev. Louis LePres engaged modernist architect Marcel Breuer, and the dramatic poured-concrete church was completed in time for the first Mass in December 1966. The parish added Shepherds Hall and new entrances in 1989, then completed a $2.5 million renovation and expansion in 2018.
- 1948 – parish founded; first meets in Ruddiman Terrace
- 1950 – moves to first permanent church on McCracken Street
- 1961 – Rev. Louis LePres commissions Marcel Breuer to design a new church
- 1964–1966 – current church constructed; first Mass celebrated December 1966
- 1989 – Shepherds Hall social center and new entrances added
- 2012 – parish is clustered with St. Michael the Archangel, Muskegon
- 2016–2018 – $2.5 million renovation and expansion completed
The Church Building — A Breuer Landmark
St. Francis de Sales is one of the most architecturally significant Catholic churches in Michigan. Designed by Marcel Breuer and Herbert Beckhard, the building is a trapezoid enclosed by side walls that twist as they rise, forming bold hyperbolic-paraboloid shells about 75 feet tall. The exterior is board-patterned architectural concrete, while the interior combines concrete, dark oak, waxed brick floors, and rough-tooled white granite — the altar is a single block of white granite. A freestanding balcony cantilevers on four columns above the nave, and a Chapel for the Blessed Sacrament is elevated so it can be seen from anywhere in the sanctuary.
- Architect: Marcel Breuer with Herbert Beckhard (1961)
- Construction: 1964–1966
- Style: Modernist / brutalist with hyperbolic-paraboloid concrete walls
- Height: approximately 75 feet
- Materials: architectural concrete, dark oak, waxed brick, white granite
Mass and the Sacraments
Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the main church. Daily Mass is offered in the Marian Chapel on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. Confession is heard Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. in the Marian Chapel and Saturdays from 4:00–4:30 p.m. in the main church. A bilingual Sensory-Friendly Mass is offered on the first Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 11:00 a.m.
- Wednesday: 6:00 p.m. (Marian Chapel)
- Thursday: 8:30 a.m. (Marian Chapel)
- First Sunday 1:00 p.m. — Sensory-Friendly Bilingual Mass
- Confession: Wed. 5:00 p.m. (Marian Chapel); Sat. 4:00–4:30 p.m. (church)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation for children ages 3 through 5th grade meets weekly on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The EDGE youth program serves middle- and high-schoolers (6th–12th grade) twice a month on Sunday evenings during the school year, combining prayer, games, Catholic teaching, and small-group discussion. Adolescents preparing for Confirmation meet weekly on Sundays after Mass.
- Children's Faith Formation (ages 3–5th grade) — Thursdays 6:30–8:00 p.m.
- EDGE Youth Ministry (6th–12th grade) — twice monthly Sunday evenings
- Confirmation preparation — weekly Sundays after Mass
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Adults seeking to join or return to the Catholic Church participate in OCIA (formerly RCIA). Sessions are held weekly on Sundays from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the conference room, with reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
- OCIA sessions — Sundays 12:15–1:30 p.m. in the conference room
- Sacramental reception at the Easter Vigil
Parish Ministries & Organizations
A wide range of parish ministries, organizations, and small groups give parishioners many ways to give of their time and talent. The parish app (myParish) keeps members connected with notifications, a Lent calendar, daily readings, and reminders. The Safe Environment / Protecting God's Children program is in place for all who work with minors.
- Knights of Columbus Council #13579
- Serra Club of Greater Muskegon (vocations ministry; chaplain Fr. David Sacha)
- Women's Guild (meets in McCabe Center Guild Room)
- Men's Faith & Fellowship
- Sunday Social after the 11:00 a.m. Mass
- Music Ministry (Director Ellen McCarl)
- Monthly Senior Bingo (first Monday)
- Bi-weekly Euchre card games
- Parish App (myParish) for iPhone and Android
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Francis de Sales is led by Music Ministry Director Ellen McCarl. The parish supports both ordinary weekend liturgies and special services, including the monthly bilingual Sensory-Friendly Mass that features acoustic music, dimmer lighting, no bells, and no incense to be welcoming to worshippers with sensory sensitivities and their families.
- Music Ministry directed by Ellen McCarl
- Acoustic music for the monthly Sensory-Friendly Mass
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Steven W. Geerling, who also serves the clustered St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Muskegon. Deacon Jim Cross assists with sacramental ministries and pastoral care. A team of lay staff keeps the parish running day to day.
- Pastor: Rev. Steven W. Geerling
- Deacon: Jim Cross
- Business Manager: Kimberly Plyler
- Parish Secretary: Kim Brush
- Ministry Director: Liorah Marianos
- Music Ministry Director: Ellen McCarl
- Maintenance Director: Mark Robillard (with Randy Anderson and Jerry Mazurek)
Cluster with St. Michael the Archangel, Muskegon
Since 2012, St. Francis de Sales has been clustered with St. Michael the Archangel Parish (1716 6th St., Muskegon) to share pastoral leadership and resources. The two parishes share a pastor, and many ministries and services are offered across both campuses — for example, the Tuesday 6:00 p.m. Mass, Friday 8:30 a.m. Mass, and Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass are all celebrated at St. Michael the Archangel.
- Cluster partner: St. Michael the Archangel Parish, 1716 6th St., Muskegon
- Shared pastor: Rev. Steven W. Geerling
- Shared daily Mass schedule across the two campuses
Visiting, Accessibility, and the Parish App
The parish welcomes visitors and offers tours of the celebrated church building by appointment. The worship site is handicap accessible and equipped with a Hearing Loop System to assist those with hearing aids. A free myParish smartphone app is available for iPhone and Android, providing instant notifications, daily readings, a Lent calendar, prayers, and parish news.
- Tours available by calling the parish office
- Handicap accessible
- Hearing Loop System
- myParish app — iPhone and Android
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis LePresfrom 1955
Commissioned Marcel Breuer to design the new church in 1961.
- Rev. Thomas G. Simonsmid-2000s–2009
Reassigned in 2009.
- Rev. Dung Anton Tran2009–2010
Resigned in 2010 amid a diocesan financial-assessment dispute.
- Rev. Philip P. Salmonowiczc. 2011–2016
Died in 2016; launched the 2016–2018 renovation/expansion of the church.
- Rev. Steven W. Geerling2018–present
Appointed pastor effective November 1, 2018; formally appointed July 1, 2025; also serves St. Michael the Archangel, Muskegon.