About St. Hugo of the Hills · Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
St. Hugo of the Hills is a Roman Catholic parish in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, belonging to the Archdiocese of Detroit and forming part of the Northwest South Oakland 3 Family of Parishes alongside St. Thomas More (Troy), St. Damien of Molokai (Pontiac), and Sacred Heart (Auburn Hills). Founded in 1931 through the efforts of lay benefactors Theodore F. and Alice MacManus, the parish takes its name from St. Hugo the Great, Abbot of Cluny (1024–1109), chosen as a memorial to the MacManus' deceased sons Hugo and Hubert. The parish is served by a parish school (Pre-K through Grade 8), a robust Religious Education program, an active Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference, the Ladies of Charity Clothes Closet and Food Pantry, and a multi-choir liturgical music program, all housed on the 2215 Opdyke Road campus in the heart of Bloomfield Hills.
- Established
- 1931
- Patron
- St. Hugo the Great, Abbot of Cluny
- Rector
- Rev. Mark Brauer
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Northwest Region, South Oakland Vicariate; Family of Parishes: Northwest South Oakland 3)
Why belong here
St. Hugo's is a long-established Bloomfield Hills parish whose life has been shaped since 1931 by unusually engaged laypeople — a tradition that continues today in its many active ministries. Parishioners can worship at multiple weekend Masses including a livestreamed 10 a.m. Sunday liturgy, send their children to the parish school (Pre-K–8) or the once-weekly Religious Education program, participate in a five-ensemble music program led by Director of Sacred Music Mitchell Garcia, and serve neighbors through the St. Hugo Conference of St. Vincent de Paul and the on-site Ladies of Charity Clothes Closet and Food Pantry (which serves Oakland County agencies with the help of over 100 volunteers).
Mass times at St. Hugo of the Hills
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Main Church (also Adoration with Confession)
- Weekdays in the Chapel before and after the 6:10 a.m. Mass
- First Tuesday of every month 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. in the Main Church (Adoration with Confession)
- Weekdays 5:40 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. in the Chapel
- Emergency requests: contact the parish office at 248-644-5460
Adoration times
- Saturdays 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Main Church
- First Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Main Church
History of St. Hugo of the Hills
St. Hugo of the Hills was brought into being in 1931 by the lay initiative of Theodore F. and Alice MacManus, who donated land from their Stonycroft estate and chose St. Hugo the Great, Abbot of Cluny, as patron in memory of their deceased sons Hugo and Hubert. Bishop Michael J. Gallagher appointed Fr. William W. Ryan as the first pastor; he built an early frame chapel/rectory before handing off to Fr. Daniel J. Wholihan, under whom the present rectory (1941, gift of the Couzens family), the first school unit (1940, gift of the Briggs family), and additional Van Dyke land gifts consolidated the campus. Successive pastors Fr. Francis T. Stack, Msgr. Edmund Fournier, and Fr. Clement J. Esper expanded the school and convent, the latter staffed by the IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan. Msgr. Anthony M. Tocco (Pastor Emeritus) led the 1987–89 building campaign that produced the present main church, dedicated April 16, 1989 by Cardinal Szoka. In 2021 Rev. Mark Brauer became pastor and Moderator of the new Northwest South Oakland 3 Family of Parishes.
- Founded 1931 by Theodore F. and Alice MacManus
- First pastor: Fr. William W. Ryan (1931)
- St. Hugo School first unit completed 1940 (Briggs family gift)
- Present rectory built 1941 (Couzens family gift)
- St. Hugo convent completed 1967; school additions 1968
- Ground broken for new church: March 17, 1988
- Main church dedicated April 16, 1989 by Cardinal Szoka
- Rev. Mark Brauer became pastor in 2021
Who Was St. Hugo?
St. Hugo the Great (1024–1109) was the eldest son of a Burgundian nobleman, professed a monk of Cluny at sixteen, and elected abbot at only twenty-five. As head of the influential Benedictine confederation dependent on Cluny from 1049 to 1109, he was advisor to nine popes from Leo IX to Paschal II, consulted by the sovereigns of Europe, and the ruler of over two hundred monasteries. Together with his Cluniac monk Gregory (later Pope St. Gregory VII) he promoted the great 11th-century revival of spiritual life in Western Europe. He founded a convent for women at Marcigny with his sister as first prioress and personally established a hospital for lepers where he waited on the sick with his own hands. He died at Cluny on April 29, 1109 — now his feast day — and was canonized by Pope Calixtus II in 1120. The parish notes St. Hugo is invoked against fever (the patron-of-the-hunt legend locally belongs to St. Hubert).
- Born 1024 in Burgundy; professed monk at Cluny at 16
- Abbot of Cluny 1049–1109; advisor to nine popes
- Founded a convent at Marcigny and a hospital for lepers
- Died April 29, 1109; canonized 1120 by Pope Calixtus II
- Invoked against fever
Architecture & Building
The present main church was designed by Harley Ellington Pierce Yee & Associates (with Artur Des Rossiers credited as designer) in a Norman Gothic style using Lannon stone. The 1988 design intentionally echoed the simplicity of the original stone chapel and re-used the same building materials, including hand-cut ('puffed') stone taken from the very same Wisconsin quarry used for the earlier chapel. Three hand-carved wooden plaques suspended in the gathering space form a Memorial Wall listing all contributors: the seal of Pope John Paul II, the seal of Edmund Cardinal Szoka, and the centered seal of St. Hugo, Abbot of Cluny, designed by liturgical architect Robert Rambusch and depicting the medieval monastery at Cluny with hills in the foreground evoking Bloomfield Hills. A separate Art Review Committee continues to guide future acquisitions for the complex.
- Style: Norman Gothic, Lannon stone
- Architect: Harley Ellington Pierce Yee & Associates (Artur Des Rossiers)
- Memorial Wall plaques by Robert Rambusch
- Stone hand-cut from original Wisconsin quarry
- Dedicated April 16, 1989 by Cardinal Szoka
St. Hugo of the Hills Parish School
St. Hugo of the Hills School, founded in 1940, serves Pre-K through Grade 8 and is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Faculty members are dedicated to communicating Christian values alongside academic excellence. The enrichment program includes art, instrumental music, drama, computer, Spanish, and physical education; state-of-the-art facilities include a gymnasium, cafeteria, library, band room, art room, science lab, computer lab, and counselor's office. Students gather for a School Mass every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in the Main Church during the school year. Tuition assistance is available through the School Angel Fund. Enrollment information: 248-642-6131 or www.sthugoschool.org.
- Founded 1940; Pre-K through Grade 8
- School Mass every Tuesday 8:30 a.m.
- Enrichments: art, instrumental music, drama, computer, Spanish, PE
- School Angel Fund for tuition assistance
- Phone: 248-642-6131
Religious Education
St. Hugo of the Hills Religious Education provides faith formation for children from Preschool through Grade 8, meeting once a week in an after-school format from late September or early October through mid-May. Preparation for the sacraments is incorporated: First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are celebrated in Grade 2, and Confirmation in Grade 8. The 2026–2027 K–8 RE year begins September 21, 2026 and ends May 3, 2027. Classes are held Monday evenings 5:00–6:00 p.m., with drop-off from 4:45 p.m. The RE Office can be reached at 248-642-6062; Director Curtis Shuelke ([email protected]); Administrative Assistant Julia Eisenstein ([email protected]).
- Preschool–Grade 8, Monday evenings 5:00–6:00 p.m.
- First Reconciliation (Grade 2): Saturday, December 12, 2026
- First Communion (Grade 2): April 11 & 25, 2027
- Confirmation (Grade 8) with retreat, rehearsal, and Cathedral tours
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults
Liturgical Music Program
The music program, under Director of Sacred Music Mitchell Garcia, welcomes singers and instrumentalists across multiple ensembles. The Liturgical Choir sings regularly at the 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and for select solemnities (with a pilgrimage to Rome for Epiphany 2019, singing at St. Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St. Andrea della Valle). Other ensembles include the Cantor Guild, Handbell Choir (ages 16+), Children's Choir (Grades 5–8), St. Hugo School Cantor Guild (Grades 5–8), Jubilate!, and a place for instrumentalists. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings 7:00–8:30 p.m. (September–June).
- Director of Sacred Music: Mitchell Garcia
- Liturgical Choir — high school age and older; rehearses Thu 7:00–8:30 p.m.
- Children's Choir (Grades 5–8)
- Handbell Choir (16+)
- Cantor Guild and Instrumentalists welcome
Outreach & Christian Service
The Christian Service Commission coordinates the parish's response to local and broader needs across committees for Contributions, Disability Concerns, Health Advocacy (Parish Nurses), Justice and Peace, Legislative Advocacy, Life Issues, Parish Service, and Special Events. St. Hugo's is home to a St. Vincent de Paul Conference (help line 248-283-2204; bi-monthly meetings 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the Parish Library) and the Ladies of Charity Clothes Closet and Food Pantry, located on the parish grounds in the southern half of the Maintenance Building, which provides emergency food, clothing, and household items to Oakland County residents in need via screened social-service agencies. The CCFP is staffed by over 100 volunteers and accepts donations Tuesdays 3:00–4:30 p.m. and Thursdays 10:00–11:30 a.m. (closed in July). Other signature efforts include the Giving Tree, the annual Fish Dinner, Blood Bank drives, Funeral Luncheons, and the Capuchin Bakery.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — 248-283-2204
- Ladies of Charity Clothes Closet & Food Pantry — 248-646-0920 (closed in July)
- Christian Service Commission committees (8 standing)
- Giving Tree, Fish Dinner, Blood Bank, Funeral Luncheon
- Capuchin Bakery support
Parish Organizations & Groups
Beyond the school and Religious Education, St. Hugo's supports a wide range of parish organizations: the School Parent-Teacher Guild, Latchkey after-school care, the Altar Guild, Scouts (Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts), and the Christian Education Commission's committees for Adult Faith Formation, School Advisory, Catechetics, Youth Ministry, and the Young Adult Group. Youth Ministry is led by Youth Minister Chelsea Wilde, and the Parish Pastoral Council oversees parish governance.
- School PTG
- Latchkey (after-school care)
- Altar Guild
- Scouts (Boy Scouts / Cub Scouts)
- Youth Ministry & Young Adult Group
- Christian Education Commission
Family of Parishes
Since 2021, St. Hugo of the Hills has been part of the Northwest South Oakland 3 Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit, sharing pastoral leadership with St. Thomas More (Troy), St. Damien of Molokai (Pontiac), and Sacred Heart (Auburn Hills). Rev. Mark Brauer serves as both pastor of St. Hugo's and Moderator of the family.
- Family: Northwest South Oakland 3
- Archdiocese of Detroit, Northwest Region, South Oakland Vicariate
- Partner parishes: St. Thomas More (Troy), St. Damien of Molokai (Pontiac), Sacred Heart (Auburn Hills)
- Moderator: Rev. Mark Brauer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William W. Ryan1931 – c.1936
First pastor; appointed by Bishop Michael J. Gallagher from Holy Name, Birmingham. Built the original frame chapel/rectory.
- Rev. Daniel J. Wholihan1936 – 1946
Succeeded Fr. Ryan; oversaw construction of the present rectory (1941, Couzens family gift) and the first school unit (1940, Briggs family gift). Acquired Van Dyke land gifts in 1942–43.
- Rev. Francis T. Stack1946 – 1963
Continued expansion of school and chapel until his death.
- Msgr. Edmund Fournier1963 – November 1965
Added the office wing attached to the present rectory; took a new assignment November 1965.
- Rev. Clement J. Esper1965 – July 2, 1985
Twenty years of service; oversaw completion of the current convent (1967) and school additions (1968) staffed by the IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan.
- Rev. Msgr. Anthony M. Tocco1985 –
Succeeded Fr. Esper; currently Pastor Emeritus. Oversaw the 1988–89 construction of the new church/parish complex and its dedication by Cardinal Szoka on April 16, 1989.
- Rev. Mark Brauer2021 – present
Became pastor in 2021 and also Moderator of the newly formed Northwest South Oakland 3 Family of Parishes.