About St. Joseph · Owosso, Michigan
St. Joseph Church, located at 915 East Oliver Street in Owosso, Michigan, is now known as St. Joseph Oratory — an auxiliary place of worship within the consolidated St. Paul Parish of the Diocese of Lansing. Originally established in 1922 as an ethnic parish serving the Czech and Slovak peoples of the Owosso area, St. Joseph retains its historic title while operating in formal canonical union with neighboring St. Paul Church (111 North Howell Street, roughly 1.4 miles away) since the merger took effect on July 1, 2018. Today the oratory continues to host a Sunday morning Mass, two weekday Masses, and Friday Adoration, allowing the Catholic faithful of east-side Owosso to worship in a neighborhood setting steeped in nearly a century of Eastern European Catholic heritage.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Michael O'Brien (Pastor of the consolidated St. Paul Parish, which now includes St. Joseph Oratory)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
St. Joseph Oratory offers the Owosso area a conveniently located, neighborhood Catholic church with a Sunday Mass, two weekday Masses, and a monthly Friday day of Eucharistic Adoration — all served by the same pastor and pastoral team as nearby St. Paul Parish. Worshippers join a community that traces its roots to the Czech and Slovak Catholic immigrants of the 1920s and continues to carry forward more than a century of faith, catechesis, and sacramental life in east-side Owosso. Parishioners can take part in parish-wide ministries such as OCIA, the Knights of Columbus, youth ministry, and the parish music program, while celebrating the Eucharist in the historic St. Joseph worship space.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM at St. Paul Church (per current stpaulowosso.org schedule)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month, following the 9:00 AM Mass until Benediction at 2:00 PM at St. Joseph Church
- Tuesday evenings 4:00 PM – 5:45 PM at St. Paul Church
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph traces its origins to 1922, when Czech and Slovak Catholics of the Owosso area petitioned Bishop Michael Gallagher of Detroit for an ethnic parish of their own. Father Joseph Nimrichter of St. Cyril Parish in Bannister celebrated the first liturgy for the new community in June 1922, and the church was completed around the time of the first resident pastor, Father John Plavian, took up his duties in April 1923. The Dominican Sisters from Oxford staffed a two-room school in the church basement beginning in 1937, and Father John Daniel (pastor 1941–1972) saw the opening of a new school in 1949 and the dedication of the present church by Bishop Albers in May 1955.
- June 1922 – first liturgy celebrated by Fr. Joseph Nimrichter
- April 1923 – Fr. John Plavian appointed first resident pastor
- 1937 – school opens in church basement, staffed by Dominican Sisters of Oxford
- 1949 – new school building opened under Fr. John Daniel
- May 1955 – present church dedicated by Bishop Albers
Merger with St. Paul Parish (2018)
After more than nine decades as an independent parish, St. Joseph was formally merged into St. Paul Parish by decree of Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, effective July 1, 2018. The merger (unio extinctiva) followed a request from the St. Joseph Parish Council on February 15, 2018, in consultation with pastor Fr. Michael O'Brien. Under the decree the St. Joseph church retained its title as an oratory under canons 1223–1225 and continues to serve as an auxiliary place of worship within the consolidated St. Paul Parish. All ecclesiastical goods, records, and sacramental registers of St. Joseph were transferred to St. Paul Parish, with non-essential historical documents forwarded to the Diocesan Archives.
- 2008 Diocesan Pastoral Plan recommended conversion of St. Joseph from personal to territorial parish
- July 2015 – St. Joseph clustered with St. Paul under Fr. Michael O'Brien
- February 15, 2018 – Parish Council requests merger with St. Paul
- July 1, 2018 – merger takes effect; St. Joseph Church becomes an oratory
- Reasons cited: declining Catholic worshiping community, proximity to St. Paul (1.4 miles), avoiding duplication of services, collaborative ministry, and stewardship of priestly resources
Parish Staff and Contacts
Day-to-day parish life is coordinated by the staff of the consolidated St. Paul Parish, with St. Joseph Oratory as one of its two worship sites. Inquiries about registration, OCIA, music, or youth ministry are routed through St. Paul's parish office.
- Fr. Michael O'Brien – Pastor
- Deacon Gary Edington
- Dawn Ritter – parish registration & OCIA contact (ext. 1105, [email protected])
- Russell Beaudoin – Director of Music (ext. 1109)
- Erin Christian – Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Parish Mission Statement
The consolidated parish of Owosso has published a unified mission statement that now also guides life at St. Joseph Oratory: 'We the Catholic Community of Owosso, by our Baptism, are called to be a joyful Eucharistic people of prayer, to live the Word of God, and nourish souls by celebrating the Sacraments. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to teach and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. We strive to call forth the gifts and talents of each person so that they have the opportunity to grow in holiness to become missionary disciples.'
Ministries and Faith Formation
Ministries of the consolidated parish — open to members of St. Joseph Oratory — include OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) for those preparing to enter or complete initiation in the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus council, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and a Parish Music Ministry led by Director of Music Russell Beaudoin. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage is offered through the parish office at St. Paul.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA)
- Knights of Columbus
- Youth and Young Adult Ministry (Erin Christian)
- Parish Music Ministry (Russell Beaudoin)
- Anointing of the Sick
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Nimrichter (of St. Cyril, Bannister)1922
Celebrated the first liturgy for the St. Joseph community in June 1922, before a resident pastor was appointed.
- Fr. John PlavianApril 1923 –
First resident pastor of St. Joseph Parish; church completed about the time of his appointment.
- Fr. John Daniel1941–1972
Long-tenured pastor under whom the new school opened in 1949 and the present church was dedicated by Bishop Albers in May 1955.
- Fr. Michael O'BrienJuly 2015 – present
Came in as pastor when St. Joseph was clustered with St. Paul; remained as pastor of the consolidated parish following the 2018 merger that made St. Joseph an oratory.