About St. John Cantius · Free Soil, Michigan
St. John Cantius Parish is a small rural Catholic church serving the farming community of Free Soil, in Mason County, Michigan. Established in 1906, the parish is part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids (Northwest Deanery) and is currently linked with St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish in nearby Custer for pastoral care. The church gathers its members for one Sunday morning Mass each week and is housed in a handicap-accessible church and hall on East Michigan Avenue. With its quiet country setting and tight-knit congregation, St. John Cantius represents the kind of historic small-town parish that has anchored Catholic farming communities in northwest Lower Michigan for more than a century.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. John Cantius
- Rector
- Rev. Jacob M. Zemaitis (Canonical Administrator, effective August 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
St. John Cantius offers a quiet, family-sized Catholic community in rural Mason County where parishioners can worship together at a single, well-loved Sunday Mass. As part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, the parish is cared for by priests who also serve nearby Custer, ensuring regular Mass, accessible confession by appointment, and a handicap-accessible church and hall for gatherings. For Catholics in the Free Soil area — or anyone seeking a small, traditional country parish rooted in over a century of local faith life — St. John Cantius is a welcoming home.
Mass times at St. John Cantius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
About St. John Cantius Parish
St. John Cantius is a small rural Catholic parish in Free Soil, Michigan, in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Founded in 1906 to serve the Catholic farming families of Mason County, it remains a single-site parish offering one Sunday Mass each week. It is currently pastorally linked with St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish in Custer, sharing clergy and sacramental coverage across the northwestern portion of the diocese.
History
St. John Cantius Parish was established in 1906 in Free Soil, in Mason County, Michigan. It is listed by the Diocese of Grand Rapids and in the Wikipedia list of churches of the diocese among the older congregations of the Northwest Deanery, alongside historic parishes such as St. Simon in Ludington (1876) and St. Philip Neri in Reed City (1880). The parish is named for St. John Cantius (Jan Kanty), a 14th-century Polish priest, theologian and university professor who is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania — a fitting patron for the Polish-heritage farming families who settled this stretch of western Lower Michigan.
- Established: 1906
- County: Mason County, Michigan
- Deanery: Northwest Deanery, Diocese of Grand Rapids
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. John Cantius is currently administered by Rev. Jacob M. Zemaitis, who was appointed administrator of both St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish in Custer and St. John Cantius in Free Soil effective August 1, 2025, by Bishop David J. Walkowiak of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Father Zemaitis previously served as parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids. His predecessor, Rev. Daniel R. DePew (ordained November 2, 1985), was pastor of both parishes and was granted senior priest status effective July 31, 2025.
- Rev. Jacob M. Zemaitis — Canonical Administrator (effective August 1, 2025)
- Rev. Daniel R. DePew — Retired (senior priest status effective July 31, 2025)
Pastoral Linkage with St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish, Custer
St. John Cantius shares its pastoral administration with St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish in Custer, Michigan, and inquiries about Mass times, sacramental scheduling, and parish life are often routed through the St. Mary parish office.
- St. Mary parish office phone: 231-757-4709
- Emergency sacramental line: 231-464-7009
Facilities and Accessibility
The parish's worship site is at 2845 E. Michigan Avenue in Free Soil. According to the Diocese of Grand Rapids listing, both the church and the parish hall are handicap accessible.
- Worship Site: 2845 E. Michigan Ave., Free Soil, MI 49411
- Church and hall are handicap accessible
Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. John Cantius using the contact details below. As a small rural parish linked with St. Mary–St. Jerome in Custer, the parish office line is shared.
- Address: 2845 E. Michigan Ave., Free Soil, MI 49411
- Parish Phone: (231) 464-5672
- Email: [email protected]
- St. Mary parish office: 231-757-4709
- Emergency sacramental line: 231-464-7009
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daniel R. DePew
Pastor of St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish, Custer, and St. John Cantius, Free Soil; granted senior priest status effective July 31, 2025 (ordained November 2, 1985).
- Rev. Jacob M. Zemaitis2025–
Appointed administrator of St. Mary–St. Jerome Parish, Custer, and St. John Cantius, Free Soil, effective August 1, 2025, by Bishop Walkowiak. Previously parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Grand Rapids.