About St. Gabriel · Auburn, Michigan
St. Gabriel Parish is a Roman Catholic mission parish in Auburn, Michigan, in the Diocese of Saginaw. Formed in 2014 through the merger of historic St. Joseph and St. Anthony parishes, it serves the small Bay County community from its campus at 84 West Midland Road, which includes St. Joseph Church (the parish church), St. Anthony Church (used occasionally), and the Auburn Area Catholic School (PK–5th grade). The parish is led by Father Marc M. Hopps and offers a full sacramental life including daily Mass, Saturday Confession, faith formation for children and youth, and a music ministry. Its mission is to give living witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Worship, Prayer, Education, Stewardship and Service.
- Established
- 2014
- Patron
- St. Gabriel the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Marc M. Hopps
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
Why belong here
St. Gabriel Parish is a welcoming, family-sized Catholic community in mid-Bay County where members truly know each other. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, regular Saturday Confession, faith formation for children and youth, a music ministry, and the Auburn Area Catholic School on the same campus. With two historic worship sites — St. Joseph (the parish church) and St. Anthony (used occasionally) — the community combines small-town warmth with a full sacramental life.
Mass times at St. Gabriel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (at St. Joseph Church)
History of St. Gabriel Parish
St. Gabriel Parish of Auburn traces its roots to two separate Catholic communities serving Williams Township and the village of Auburn in Bay County. St. Joseph Church, the parish church located at 84 W. Midland Road, began as a mission church in the 1860s/1870s. St. Anthony Church at 1492 W. Midland Road was founded in 1907, and its present building was completed in 1978. In 2014 the Diocese of Saginaw merged the two parishes into a single entity named St. Gabriel Parish of Auburn, with St. Joseph as the parish church and St. Anthony retained for occasional use. Both buildings continue to host worship and parish life, and the parish educational legacy continues through Auburn Area Catholic School.
- St. Joseph Catholic Church founded c. 1867/1870 (mission church for Williams Township)
- St. Joseph relocated to 84 W. Midland Road, Auburn, in 1962
- St. Anthony Catholic Church founded in 1907
- St. Anthony's current church building completed in 1978
- St. Gabriel Parish of Auburn formed in 2014 (Diocese of Saginaw consolidation)
Mission and Vision
United in Baptism, the parish community of St. Gabriel gives living witness to the good news of Jesus Christ through Worship, Prayer, Education, Stewardship and Service. This five-fold mission is published on the parish's official history-and-mission page and frames every ministry and program at the parish, from the school to outreach.
- Worship
- Prayer
- Education
- Stewardship
- Service
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Gabriel Parish is led by a pastor and supported by parish staff and lay councils, as listed in the official Diocese of Saginaw parish directory and the parish website.
- Rev. Marc M. Hopps — Pastor ([email protected])
- Kim Grant — Office Administrator ([email protected])
- Janet Woronoff — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Misty Michelle — Youth Ministry ([email protected])
- Kelly Lawrence — Faith Formation Director ([email protected])
- Tim Hadd — Parish Ministry Associate ([email protected])
- Martin Spencer — Pastoral Council Chair
- Nathan Bock — Finance Council Chair
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation is directed by Kelly Lawrence and includes regular religious education programming for children and youth. The parish also publishes an interactive Children's Liturgy of the Word program designed to engage younger children during Mass.
- Faith Formation Director: Kelly Lawrence
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (Sunday Mass)
- Weekly school Mass (Wednesday 9:00 AM)
Youth Ministry
St. Gabriel Parish maintains an active youth ministry directed by Misty Michelle, with information and contact details posted on a dedicated Youth Ministry page on the parish website.
- Youth Ministry Director: Misty Michelle
- Contact: [email protected]
Music Ministry
The parish music ministry supports the sung liturgy of St. Gabriel and is linked from the church page on the parish website, where musicians and cantors coordinate schedules for weekend and holy day liturgies.
- Music Ministry (linked from auburnac.org/church)
Parish Ministries and Councils
Lay leadership at St. Gabriel is exercised through the Pastoral Council and Finance Council, which advise the pastor on parish priorities and stewardship. The current chairs are listed in the diocesan directory.
- Pastoral Council — Chair: Martin Spencer
- Finance Council — Chair: Nathan Bock
Auburn Area Catholic School
Sharing the parish campus at 84 W. Midland Road is Auburn Area Catholic School (AACS), a regional Catholic elementary school that partners with St. Gabriel Parish and other area parishes. With our parishes and families as partners, the school empowers each student along their academic journey to develop their God-given talents and build a Catholic foundation to become a lifelong disciple of Christ. The school serves PK4 through 5th grade with an integrated Young 5s program immersed in the kindergarten classroom.
- Serves PK4–5th grade with an integrated Young 5s program
- Small class sizes; 1:1 student technology
- Specials/enrichment classes in Music, Art, P.E., and Technology (Edmentum added Fall 2026)
- Full-day 4-year-old preschool, 5 days per week
- Athletics for Pre-K–5th grade
- Over $100,000 in tuition assistance in recent years
- 1:14 teacher:student ratio
- 80%+ of students test above NWEA norms
- Member of the Great Lakes Bay Catholic schools network
- Physical address (school): 114 W. Midland Road, Auburn, MI 48611
Two Worship Sites on West Midland Road
St. Gabriel Parish encompasses two Catholic churches in Auburn, both on West Midland Road. St. Joseph Church is the parish church where the regular weekly and weekend Mass schedule is celebrated. St. Anthony Church, founded in 1907, sits a short distance west and is preserved for occasional-use Masses and special events.
- St. Joseph Church — parish church, 84 W. Midland Road
- St. Anthony Church — occasional use, 1492 W. Midland Road
- Both part of St. Gabriel Parish since 2014
Visiting and Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person during regular office hours. The parish publishes its latest bulletin online, and its calendar of parish special events is updated on the website.
- Address: 84 West Midland Road, Auburn, MI 48611
- Phone: (989) 662-6861
- Email: [email protected]
- Parish Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Fax: (989) 662-0064
- Website: auburnac.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stgabrielauburn/