About St. Gregory Our Lady of Fatima Parish · Hart, Michigan
St. Gregory – Our Lady of Fatima Parish is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Grand Rapids serving Oceana County in western Michigan. Originally established in 1908 in Hart as St. Gregory Parish, it was reestablished in January 2014 when it merged with nearby Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Shelby. Today the unified parish worships at two sites — St. Gregory Church on S. Peach Ave. in Hart and Our Lady of Fatima Church on S. Oceana Dr. in Shelby — and offers seven weekly Masses, regular confession, weekday adoration, and faith formation for its families.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. Gregory the Great; Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Rev. Juan Apolinar Palomar Alcantar, M.C.C.J. (Canonical Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids (Northwest Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Gregory – Our Lady of Fatima offers a true bilingual Catholic home for Oceana County, with two historic worship sites, seven Masses a week (several in Spanish), daily opportunities for confession and Eucharistic adoration, faith formation for children, and a pastor and staff committed to serving both English- and Spanish-speaking families. It is a parish where newcomers and long-time residents alike can find the sacraments, devotions, and community life of the Church across two welcoming churches in Hart and Shelby.
Mass times at St. Gregory Our Lady of Fatima Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:45 p.m. (St. Gregory, Hart)
- Saturday 3:00 p.m. (Our Lady of Fatima, Shelby)
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:00 a.m. (St. Gregory, Hart), followed by 9:00 a.m. Mass
- Thursday 6:00 p.m. (St. Gregory, Hart, Spanish)
- Friday 8:00 a.m. (Our Lady of Fatima, Shelby), followed by 9:00 a.m. Mass
About the Parish
St. Gregory – Our Lady of Fatima Parish is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic community in Oceana County, Michigan, belonging to the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Worship is offered at two historic churches — St. Gregory in Hart and Our Lady of Fatima in Shelby — under one pastor and parish staff. Founded in 1908 and reestablished in its current merged form in 2014, the parish serves both English- and Spanish-speaking families of the surrounding rural area with daily Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, faith formation, and outreach.
- Diocese of Grand Rapids, Northwest Deanery
- Established 1908; reestablished 2014 upon merger
- Bilingual English/Spanish ministry
History
St. Gregory traces its roots to 1908, when Father Francis Emmerich of Weare recognized the need for a Catholic church in Hart. Five lots were donated; Bishop Henry Joseph Richter blessed the cornerstone on September 9, 1908 and dedicated the completed church one year later to a congregation of 30 families. For nearly 30 years it was a mission of St. Joseph, Weare, with Sunday Mass only twice a month, until Rev. Edward J. O'Hara became its first resident pastor in May 1936.
- 1908: Cornerstone blessed by Bishop Richter
- 1909: Church dedicated; 30 founding families
- May 1936: St. Joseph, Weare mission became St. Gregory Parish under Rev. Edward J. O'Hara
- 1950: Parish school opened (Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters)
- 1968: School closed
- 1975: School building converted to parish center
- January 2014: Merged with Our Lady of Fatima, Shelby
Worship Sites
The unified parish worships at two church sites in Oceana County. St. Gregory Church in Hart is the original 1908/1909-built church and the parish's mailing/office location. Our Lady of Fatima Church in Shelby (founded 1950) is the second worship site, hosting several weekend and weekday Masses as well as Saturday confessions. Both sites, including the parish hall in Shelby, are handicapped accessible.
- St. Gregory Church — 316 S. Peach Ave., Hart, MI 49420 (handicapped accessible)
- Our Lady of Fatima Church — 1372 S. Oceana Dr., Shelby, MI 49455 (church & hall handicapped accessible)
- Business/mailing address: 214 S. Peach Ave., Hart, MI 49420
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a canonical administrator and supported by a small, dedicated team handling parish administration, accounting, communications, faith formation, and the upkeep of both church properties. Staff members are reachable through the parish phone number with extensions.
- Fr. Juan — Canonical Administrator (Rev. Juan Apolinar Palomar Alcantar, M.C.C.J.) — ext. 1
- Tim Beyer — Secretary
- Nichol Barron — Office Manager
- Dan Root — Accountant
- Joanne Lound — DRE / Director of Faith Formation — ext. 5
- Valdemar Gonzales — Our Lady of Fatima Custodian / Facilities
- Simon Escoto — St. Gregory Maintenance
Faith Formation
Faith formation for parish children and families is coordinated through the parish office under the Director of Religious Education. Families interested in enrolling children in religious education or preparing for the sacraments should contact the DRE through the parish office.
- Faith Formation / DRE Office: Joanne Lound
- Phone: 231-873-2660 ext. 5
- Email: [email protected]
Sacraments
St. Gregory – Our Lady of Fatima celebrates the Eucharist daily, offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation twice a week, and provides Eucharistic adoration multiple times a week. Families seeking baptism, first Communion, confirmation, marriage, anointing of the sick, or RCIA are invited to contact the parish office for preparation and scheduling.
- Eucharist — daily Mass
- Reconciliation — Tuesday & Saturday
- Eucharistic Adoration — Thursday & Friday
- Sacramental preparation — contact the parish office
Pastoral Succession
The parish history page lists a detailed succession of pastors and administrators going back to the first resident pastor, Rev. Edward J. O'Hara, in 1936. The list records assistant priests in the 1940s and '50s, long-tenured pastors through the latter 20th century, the leadership of Rev. M. Thomas Bolster during the 2014 merger with Our Lady of Fatima, the recent pastorate of Rev. Daniel P. Schumaker (who oversaw the conversion of the former school into parish offices), and the current canonical administrator, Rev. Juan Apolinar Palomar Alcantar, M.C.C.J.
- 1936–1940: Rev. Edward J. O'Hara (first resident pastor)
- 1956–1964: Rev. Stephen J. Kolenic
- 1964–1965: Msgr. William E. Powers
- 1965–1973: Rev. Joseph S. Godzisz
- 1973–1980: Rev. Francis H. Branigan
- 1980–1988: Rev. Thomas A. McKinney
- 1988–1993: Rev. Louis J. Baudone
- 1993–1994: Msgr. Walter F. Jude (Administrator)
- 1994–2009: Rev. Ronald F. Schneider
- 2009–2019: Rev. M. Thomas Bolster (led 2014 merger)
- 2019–2022+: Rev. Daniel P. Schumaker (Administrator, then Pastor)
- Present: Rev. Juan Apolinar Palomar Alcantar, M.C.C.J. (Canonical Administrator)
Visiting and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at 231-873-2660 (fax 231-873-4823) or by email at [email protected]. The parish office is located at 214 S. Peach Ave., Hart, MI 49420. Both worship sites — St. Gregory in Hart and Our Lady of Fatima in Shelby — are handicapped accessible, and a current Mass, confession, and adoration schedule is posted on the parish website and on the Diocese of Grand Rapids parish page.
- Phone: 231-873-2660
- Fax: 231-873-4823
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stgregoryathart.org/
- Office address: 214 S. Peach Ave., Hart, MI 49420
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward J. O'HaraMay 1936 – Jun. 1940
First resident pastor; mission of St. Joseph, Weare became St. Gregory Parish.
- Rev. Aloysius A. TomaszewskiJun. 1940 – Nov. 1940
- Rev. Charles W. PopellNov. 1940 – Aug. 1943
Returned again Feb. 1946.
- Rev. Jerome A. Szydlowski (Administrator)Aug. 1943 – Feb. 1946
- Rev. Isidore Fosselman, OFM (Assistant)1946–1947
- Rev. Casimir Vaisvilas (Assistant)1950
- Rev. Joseph Domeika (Assistant)08/1950 – 02/1952
- Rev. Stephen J. KolenicJun. 1956 – Sep. 1964
- Msgr. William E. PowersSep. 1964 – Jun. 1965
- Rev. Joseph S. GodziszJun. 1965 – Jun. 1973
- Rev. Francis H. BraniganJun. 1973 – Oct. 1980
- Rev. Thomas A. McKinneyOct. 1980 – Apr. 1988
- Rev. Louis J. BaudoneApr. 1988 – Aug. 1993
- Msgr. Walter F. Jude (Administrator)Aug. 1993 – Jul. 1994
- Rev. Ronald F. SchneiderJul. 1994 – Jul. 2009
- Rev. M. Thomas BolsterJul. 2009 – Jul. 2019
Led the January 2014 merger of St. Gregory with Our Lady of Fatima, Shelby.
- Rev. Daniel P. Schumaker (Administrator, then Pastor)Jul. 2019 – May 2022+
Announced 2019 plans to convert former school building into parish offices.