About St. Joseph Church-Wright · Conklin, Michigan
St. Joseph Church in Wright is a rural Catholic parish in Ottawa County, Michigan, officially established in 1850 and canonically instituted on All Saints Day (November 1), 1863, by the Diocese of Detroit. The parish was founded by German-settler families — the Hosts, Omlors, Finklers, Armocks, Umlors and others — who began gathering for prayer in each other's homes in the 1840s. Today St. Joseph is part of a three-parish cluster with St. Francis Xavier in Conklin and St. Catherine in Ravenna, served by Fr. Andrew M. Ayers, and is preparing to celebrate 175 years of continuous faith and community in October 2025.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- Saint Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew M. Ayers
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
St. Joseph-Wright is a small, multigenerational rural parish with deep roots in the farming families who settled Wright Township in the 1840s, and it still wears those family ties lightly. The parish is part of an active three-church cluster (with St. Francis Xavier, Conklin, and St. Catherine, Ravenna) that shares a religious education program, the St. Cecilia Cluster Choir, a Hispanic ministry and a full calendar of commissions — worship, parish life, Christian service, plant & grounds. With weekly Mass offered Saturday evenings (seasonally), Sunday mornings, and on Tuesday and Friday mornings, plus Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, Tuesday Night Out fellowship evenings, a Prayer Line, and ministries for every age from CCD elementary and junior-high through high school youth ministry, there is room here to plug in.
Mass times at St. Joseph Church-Wright
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:00–11:00 am, or by appointment (held at St. Francis Xavier Church, Conklin)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:00–10:00 am
Welcome and Parish Identity
St. Joseph–Wright is one of three parishes in the "Our Cluster of Catholic Churches" grouping, alongside St. Francis Xavier in Conklin and St. Catherine in Ravenna. The parish mission statement, posted on the parish's own page, reads: "We, the parishioners of St. Joseph's Church in Wright, are committed to our faith and family. We dedicate ourselves to proclaiming and living the Gospel; for that process we strive to build a community of faith where each person is valued as a child of God and a member of the parish family. We are empowered by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthened by our participation in prayer and the sacraments. We, as a parish family, are committed to the continuation of the saving works of Jesus."
- Part of the three-parish cluster with St. Francis Xavier (Conklin) and St. Catherine (Ravenna)
- Located in the West Deanery of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Ottawa County
- 175th anniversary celebration scheduled October 17–26, 2025
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to the 1844 arrival of Henry and Mary (Omlor) Host from Ohio. Records begin in 1855 with Fr. J. Maciejewski; the Diocese of Detroit formally instituted the parish on November 1, 1863. After early worship in family homes and a log cabin that doubled as church, rectory and school, a tall-steeple wooden church was built in 1869 under Fr. Rhode. A parish school began in 1865; the Sisters of Mercy taught from 1887 and were followed by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1893. The present brick church was built in 1973 and renovated in 2000, and the parish offices were rebuilt in 2019 to share space with the Toddler and Infant Care Programs of DPA.
- 1855 – first sacramental records (Fr. Maciejewski)
- 1863 – parish officially instituted, All Saints Day, Nov. 1
- 1869 – tall-steeple wooden church built under Fr. Rhode
- 1887 – Sisters of Mercy arrive to teach
- 1893 – Sisters of St. Dominic (Grand Rapids) take over the school
- 1910 – red-brick school built
- 1955 – two more classrooms added to school
- 1973 – present brick church built
- 1990 – school building totally renovated
- 2000 – church renovated
- 2019 – convent/rectory/office replaced with new parish-office / DPA child-care building
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
The parish is currently served by Rev. Andrew M. Ayers as pastor of the three-parish cluster. According to a 2025 announcement from Bishop Walkowiak, Fr. Ayers' assignment to the Wright / Conklin / Ravenna cluster concludes on June 30, 2026, when he is appointed pastor of St. Charles Parish, Greenville and St. Joseph-St. Mary Parish, Belding. The Religious Education Program for the cluster is coordinated by Jeannie Sokolowski.
- Pastor: Rev. Andrew M. Ayers (assignment concludes June 30, 2026)
- Religious Education Coordinator: Jeannie Sokolowski ([email protected], 616-899-2286)
- Cluster Secretary available by phone Mon/Wed at 616-899-2286
- Hall rental contact: Barb Umlor, 616-899-2191
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Religious education for the cluster is organized through a single Religious Education Program (REP). CCD covers elementary and junior-high students, and a separate youth ministry serves high-schoolers in grades 9–12. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation flows through the same program.
- CCD – Elementary & Junior High
- Youth Ministry – High School Grades 9–12
- Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation)
- REP Coordinator: Jeannie Sokolowski
Parish Ministries and Groups
The cluster's ministries page organizes service opportunities under Liturgical, Christian Service, Parish Life, Worship, Plant & Grounds and Council/Commission umbrellas. Many groups are shared across the three parishes.
- Liturgical: Altar Servers, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (including Homebound), Lector, Sacristan, Ushers
- Music: St. Cecilia Cluster Choir and Music Ministry
- Service: Christian Service Commission, Walking with Moms in Need, Ministry of Consolation, Ministry of Greeters, Hispanic Ministry
- Devotional: Adoration, Scripture Study, Parish Prayer Line
- Parish life: Parish Life Commission, Worship Commission, Plant & Grounds Commission, Major Projects Committee, Offertory Collection Counters
- Governance: Finance Council, Cluster Pastoral Council
Parish Life and Fellowship
Tuesday Night Out is a monthly parish fellowship evening hosted at St. Joseph Church basement. Each evening begins with a shared dinner at 6:00 pm, moves into age-specific breakout sessions from 6:30 to 7:30, and closes with praise and worship from 7:30 to 8:00. Childcare is available for infants through preschool-aged children.
- Tuesday Night Out – monthly
- 6:00–6:30 pm dinner
- 6:30–7:30 pm breakout sessions for all ages
- 7:30–8:00 pm praise & worship
- Childcare for infants through preschool
Facilities and Hall Rental
The church is handicapped accessible. Below the church sits a parish hall with plenty of room, a full-scale kitchen and accessible bathrooms. Hall rentals are limited to cluster parishioners; inquiries go through Barb Umlor at 616-899-2191.
- Handicapped-accessible worship site
- Parish hall with full kitchen and accessible bathrooms
- Hall rentals restricted to cluster parishioners (contact Barb Umlor, 616-899-2191)
Office, Contact and Cluster Coordination
Parish office hours at the St. Joseph site are Monday and Wednesday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with additional phone availability for the cluster secretary on Mondays and Wednesdays. Because St. Joseph is clustered with St. Francis Xavier and St. Catherine, many administrative functions — including the website, bulletin, faith-formation registration and the Religious Education Program — are handled centrally for the cluster.
- St. Joseph parish phone: 231-853-6222
- Cluster phone: 616-899-2286
- Cell (Mon–Thu): 616-215-9181
- Fax: 616-899-2212
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: http://www.ourcluster.org/
Sacramental and Devotional Life
Beyond weekend and weekday Masses, the parish offers Tuesday-morning Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday-morning Confessions at neighboring St. Francis Xavier, a Parish Prayer Line, seasonal Scripture Study, and a monthly Tuesday Night Out that combines fellowship, formation and praise. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation is offered through the cluster's Religious Education Program.
- Adoration – Tuesday 9:00–10:00 am
- Confession – Saturday 10:00–11:00 am, or by appointment (St. Francis Xavier)
- Prayer Line – ongoing
- Scripture Study – seasonal, per bulletin
- Sacramental Preparation – through REP
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Andrew M. Ayers
Currently pastor of the cluster; assignment concludes June 30, 2026, when he is appointed pastor of St. Charles Parish, Greenville, and St. Joseph-St. Mary Parish, Belding.