About St. James · Whittemore, Michigan
St. James was a small Roman Catholic parish in the village of Whittemore, Iosco County, Michigan, in the Diocese of Gaylord. The faith community in Whittemore traces its Catholic roots to 1886 and was canonically erected as St. James Parish on February 2, 1949 by Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Saginaw. For more than three decades the parish was without a resident pastor and shared clergy with neighboring St. Pius X Parish in Hale. After a process of diocesan consultation, Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh decreed the extinctive union of St. James into St. Pius X effective September 28, 2025, ending St. James as an independent juridic parish. Parish records, sacramental registers, and the historic St. James Catholic Cemetery remain part of the local Catholic heritage of the Whittemore community.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- St. James the Greater (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Artur F. Duchnowicz (last pastor of St. James, now pastor of the consolidated St. Pius X Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gaylord
Why belong here
St. James was a small, family-sized Catholic community rooted in Whittemore since 1886, where generations of Iosco County Catholic families worshipped together and were tended in their faith. Visitors and parishioners were welcomed into an intimate setting with a Sunday Mass celebrated in English, an attentive parish secretary, and clergy shared with the broader Northeast-Michigan Catholic family. While St. James itself is now united with St. Pius X in Hale, the Catholic faithful of the Whittemore area remain cared for by the same pastor, Father Artur F. Duchnowicz, and the sacramental and pastoral life of the community continues under the consolidated parish.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
Catholic families first gathered for worship in Whittemore in 1886, and the St. James Catholic Cemetery was established in 1894. Decades later, on February 2, 1949, Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Saginaw canonically erected the community as St. James Parish. The parish remained a small, family-sized mission of faith in Iosco County for the rest of its independent existence, drawing generations of Catholic families from the Whittemore area.
- Catholic community in Whittemore since 1886
- St. James Catholic Cemetery established 1894
- Parish canonically erected February 2, 1949
- Most Reverend William F. Murphy, Bishop of Saginaw, founder
Shared Pastoral Care & Closing
For more than thirty years St. James did not have a resident pastor. Clergy were shared with neighboring St. Pius X Parish in Hale, which served as the main place of evangelization and catechesis for the cluster. In 2023 Father Artur F. Duchnowicz was appointed pastor of St. James, St. Pius X (Hale), and St. Stephen, King of Hungary (Skidway Lake). After diocesan consultation, on September 19, 2025 Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh decreed the extinctive union of St. James into St. Pius X effective September 28, 2025. The community's bulletin of July 27, 2025 noted the official closing on Friday, July 25, 2025, and bade farewell to 'our little church with a big past.'
- Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh issued the decree of extinctive union on September 19, 2025
- St. James formally closed July 25, 2025; merger effective end of Sunday, September 28, 2025
- Reasons cited: declining priest availability, financial unsustainability, inability to provide catechesis, demographic shift, and the high cost of replacing the church and rectory roof
- All sacramental and parish records transferred to St. Pius X Parish, Hale
Parish Staff
The parish office was staffed by Sharren Engle, secretary. Deacon Brent H. Hemker served as Director of Parish Life for St. James together with St. Pius X and St. Stephen until the diocesan reassignment effective July 1, 2023, after which he continued diaconal ministry for the cluster.
- Sharren Engle, Secretary
- Office hours (per July 2025 bulletin): Mondays & Thursdays, 8:00 AM – 12:00 noon
- Deacon Brent H. Hemker, Director of Parish Life
St. James Catholic Cemetery
The historic St. James Catholic Cemetery in Whittemore was established in 1894 and is one of the oldest tangible links to the parish's pioneer Catholic roots. Burial records from 1894 through 2003 have been transcribed by the Iosco County Genealogical Society and remain an important resource for descendants of the founding Catholic families of the area.
- Cemetery established 1894
- Records span 1894–2003
- Located in Whittemore, Iosco County
Visit & Contact
St. James was located at 202 E. Sherman Street, Whittemore, Michigan, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 206, Whittemore, MI 48770. The parish could be reached by phone at (989) 756-2591 (fax 989-756-3255) and by email at [email protected]. The combined cluster of parishes is now served online at holythree.org.
- Address: 202 E. Sherman St., P.O. Box 206, Whittemore, MI 48770
- Phone: (989) 756-2591
- Fax: (989) 756-3255
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: holythree.org
Diocese of Gaylord
St. James belonged to the Diocese of Gaylord, which covers much of northern lower Michigan. The diocese was led by Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh at the time of St. James' closing, with Reverend James Hayden serving as Vicar General. The diocese maintains the parish directory and publishes official communications such as the decree of extinctive union on its website.
- Diocese of Gaylord
- Bishop: Most Reverend Jeffrey J. Walsh
- Vicar General: Reverend James Hayden
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Tom Kaiserfrom 1986
Part of the long succession of non-resident priests following Sister Marie Susanne Tracy's departure.
- Rev. Richard Kosterman
Shared-pastor era with neighboring parishes.
- Rev. Charles Zeeb
Shared-pastor era.
- Rev. Regis Barczynski, OFM
Franciscan friar among the cluster of priests.
- Rev. Pat Bascio, CSSp
Member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
- Rev. James Krasman
- Rev. Gus Franczek, OFM
Franciscan friar.
- Rev. Elias Chinzara
- Rev. Jerry Hunko
- Rev. Joseph Ortega
Listed on third-party parish directories as pastor in earlier years.
- Rev. Tony Cureton
- Rev. Artur F. Duchnowicz2023–2025
Appointed pastor of St. James, St. Pius X (Hale), and St. Stephen, King of Hungary (Skidway Lake) effective July 1, 2023; requested the extinctive union; remains pastor of the consolidated community.