About St. John the XXIII Parish - St. Patrick · Ryan, Michigan
St. Patrick Church in Ryan, Michigan is a small rural Catholic chapel that today serves as one of three worship sites of St. John XXIII Parish in the Diocese of Saginaw. Founded in 1875 by Irish settlers in Porter Township, St. Patrick is now designated an 'Occasional Use Church' within the merged parish and no longer hosts regularly scheduled weekend Masses. It is reserved for funerals and weddings of former parishioners, and for special liturgies during Lent, Advent, and the feast of St. Patrick (March 17). Visitors are drawn to its stained glass windows, intimate rural character, and its remarkable legacy of religious vocations: five priests, seven religious, and two deacons trace their beginnings to this church.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Patrick (patron saint of Ireland)
- Rector
- Rev. Sunil Kumar Pallela (Parochial Administrator of St. John XXIII Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
Why belong here
St. Patrick Church offers a rare treasure in rural Michigan: an intimate, historically rich chapel whose stained glass, country setting, and small scale create a quietly prayerful space far from busier parish life. Even though St. Patrick is now an occasional-use church within St. John XXIII Parish, members remain connected through seasonal liturgies — especially the feast of St. Patrick on March 17, during Lent and Advent, and for milestone sacraments like weddings and funerals. Joining means becoming part of a community with deep Irish Catholic roots, an extraordinary legacy of vocations (five priests, seven religious, and two deacons), and a warm, Spirit-guided welcome rooted in the vision of Vatican II.
Mass times at St. John the XXIII Parish - St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession is not scheduled at St. Patrick; sacrament of Penance is offered at St. Mary Church in Hemlock on Saturdays 3:30–3:50 p.m. and at Sacred Heart Church in Merrill on Friday after Mass.
St. Patrick Church — Ryan, Michigan
St. Patrick is one of three church sites within St. John XXIII Parish. Within the merged parish structure, it is designated an 'Occasional Use Church' — meaning it no longer has regularly scheduled weekend Masses but remains available for funerals and weddings of those who were members at the time of the merger, and for other liturgies deemed appropriate at certain times of the year, including Lent, Advent, and the feast of St. Patrick on March 17. The site's stained glass windows and rural character are highlighted by the parish as making St. Patrick a 'welcoming, spiritual dwelling.'
- Designation: Occasional Use Church within St. John XXIII Parish
- Vicariate 3, Diocese of Saginaw
- Located in Porter Township, Ryan, MI
- Open for seasonal liturgies, former-parishioner weddings and funerals
History of St. Patrick
St. Patrick's story begins in 1875 when Fr. Reinus VanderHeyden received a land deed from Thomas and Sarah Ryan through the Bishop of Detroit. A small chapel was built in 1876 to serve the scattered Irish settlers of Porter Township. The first permanent church was completed in 1889 and dedicated by Bishop H.J. Richter of Grand Rapids. The original parish congregation was predominantly Irish, with a smaller number of French-Canadian families and one German family. The chapel's remarkable legacy — five priests, seven religious and two deacons who trace their vocations to this church — is celebrated on the parish website as a defining treasure of the site.
- 1875 — Land deed received by Fr. Reinus VanderHeyden from Thomas and Sarah Ryan
- 1876 — First chapel erected
- 1889 — First permanent church completed; dedicated by Bishop H.J. Richter of Grand Rapids
- Original congregation: predominantly Irish, with French-Canadian and German families
- Notable legacy: 5 priests, 7 religious, and 2 deacons trace their beginnings to this church
St. John XXIII Parish — The 2014 Merger
St. John XXIII Parish was founded on July 1, 2014, when Bishop Joseph Cistone merged the former St. Mary, Sacred Heart and St. Patrick parishes as part of a diocesan-wide reorganization. The new parish name was selected from among several possibilities suggested by parishioners. 'St. John XXIII' was chosen because parishioners wanted to sustain the legacy of the Second Vatican Council — good liturgical theology, ecumenism, Christian service, the priesthood of the faithful, and other themes associated with Pope John XXIII and the Council. The three church buildings retained their original consecration names: St. Mary in Hemlock, Sacred Heart in Merrill, and St. Patrick in Ryan. Each was given a designation as to how it would be used for worship within the merged parish.
- Founded: July 1, 2014
- Merged by Bishop Joseph Cistone (Diocese of Saginaw)
- Three worship sites: St. Mary (Hemlock), Sacred Heart (Merrill), St. Patrick (Ryan)
- Parish name chosen to honor Vatican II legacy
Worship and Liturgy at St. Patrick
As an occasional-use church, St. Patrick has a very limited public worship schedule compared to the parish's other two sites. Its only regular published Mass time is the Tuesday evening Mass at 5:00 p.m. Weekend Masses for the wider parish are celebrated at St. Mary Church in Hemlock (Saturday Vigil 4:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m.) and Sacred Heart Church in Merrill (Sunday 9:00 a.m.). The Sacrament of Penance is offered at the St. Mary and Sacred Heart sites — not at St. Patrick. Beyond the weekly Tuesday Mass, St. Patrick opens for seasonal and sacramental liturgies connected to its history and patron.
- Tuesday Mass at 5:00 p.m.
- Seasonal liturgies during Lent, Advent, and St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
- Funerals and weddings of former parishioners
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Patrick Church is served by the parish leadership of St. John XXIII Parish. The parish is led by a Parochial Administrator rather than a resident pastor, supported by parish staff for faith formation, music, and bookkeeping. Inquiries regarding sacraments, scheduling, or pastoral needs at St. Patrick are routed through the central parish office in Hemlock.
- Rev. Sunil Kumar Pallela — Parochial Administrator ([email protected])
- Irene Kruth — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Keri Fabien — Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Samantha Kaczmarek — Music Ministry ([email protected])
- Parish Office: 989-642-5606 / [email protected]
Visiting St. Patrick
St. Patrick Church sits in rural Porter Township, approximately 4 miles north of M-46 on Meridian Road. The parish office — which coordinates any use of St. Patrick — is reachable by mail at 151 St. Mary's Dr., Hemlock, MI 48626-9614, and is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Because St. Patrick is an occasional-use church, visitors wishing to attend Mass or a liturgy there should contact the parish office in advance to confirm what is scheduled.
- Location: 4708 South Meridian Road, Ryan, MI 48637 (4 miles north of M-46 on Meridian Rd.)
- Parish Office mailing: 151 St. Mary's Dr., Hemlock, MI 48626-9614
- Office hours: Mon–Thu, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
- Phone: 989-642-5606
Mission Statement
The parish mission of St. John XXIII — under which St. Patrick is served — reads: 'We, the people of St. John XXIII parish, strive to be a welcoming community, prayerfully guided by the Holy Spirit — who seek to become holy, healthy Catholic disciples.' This statement, drawn from Vatican II theology, frames the parish's approach to ministry across all three of its worship sites, including the rural and occasional-use St. Patrick chapel.