About St. Margaret · Otsego, Michigan
St. Margaret Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the small city of Otsego, in Allegan County, Michigan, that belongs to the Diocese of Kalamazoo. The parish community worships at 766 S. Farmer Street and is currently led by Father Simon Manjooran, SDB, a Salesian priest from India who has served in the diocese since 2015. Until the end of the 2023–2024 school year, the parish also operated St. Margaret Elementary School, which had been a fixture of Catholic education in Otsego for more than 60 years. Today St. Margaret is a welcoming, English-language parish known for its eucharistic adoration, regular confession schedule, mission partnership with Haiti, and a tight-knit faith community serving Otsego and the surrounding Kalamazoo-region towns.
- Established
- c. 1903
- Patron
- St. Margaret
- Rector
- Father Simon Manjooran (SDB)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kalamazoo
Why belong here
St. Margaret offers a personal, small-town Catholic experience in Otsego with two weekend Masses, daily Mass on Tuesday and Friday, and an unusually generous confession schedule (four opportunities every week plus by appointment). The parish pairs traditional eucharistic adoration on Thursdays with a Salesian heart for young people and a long-standing mission partnership with Haiti supported through its annual Haiti Golf Outing. For Catholics in the Otsego area looking for an approachable, English-speaking parish with weekday devotions, active outreach, and the warmth of a tight-knit community, St. Margaret is a natural fit.
Mass times at St. Margaret
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:00 AM
- Tuesday: 8:30 AM
- Friday: 8:30 AM
- Saturday: 5:00 PM – 5:25 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (per Catholic Church Directory listing)
Parish Identity & Community
St. Margaret Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Kalamazoo serving the city of Otsego and surrounding communities in Allegan County, Michigan. The parish worships at 766 S. Farmer Street and offers a full schedule of weekend Masses, weekday Masses, frequent confessions, and weekly eucharistic adoration. Its mission is rooted in Word, Sacrament, and outreach — including an active sister-parish relationship with a community in Haiti.
- Diocese of Kalamazoo parish
- Roman Rite, English-language worship
- Located in Otsego, Allegan County, Michigan
Our Pastor — Father Simon Manjooran, SDB
Father Simon Manjooran is from India and was ordained a priest in 1990. He has been a priest of the Diocese of Kalamazoo since 2015. He holds a Master's Degree in Youth Pastoral Theology from the Salesian University in Rome. As a Salesian of Don Bosco, Father Simon has a great passion and love for young people, and his pastoral experience includes the formation of seminarians, ministry with street children in India, work with gypsies in Hungary, and service with refugees from Africa. He has also served as a priest in India, Italy, Hungary, and the United States. In his free time Father Simon enjoys sports, music, cooking, and being with young people.
- Ordained 1990 in India
- Salesian of Don Bosco (SDB)
- M.A. Youth Pastoral Theology, Salesian University, Rome
- In the Diocese of Kalamazoo since 2015
- Recommended the closure of St. Margaret School (2023) due to declining enrollment
Parish History
St. Margaret's presence in Otsego dates to at least the early 1900s. Father Henry O'Neil served as pastor from 1903 to 1914 and during that pastorate began riding the train to Allegan to celebrate Mass every third Saturday — the start of what would become Blessed Sacrament Parish, formally separated in 1934. A succession of pastors — Fr. Joseph Lahey, Fr. John Griffin, Fr. William Gannon, and Fr. Donahue — continued that mission work. The parish received its federal tax-exempt religious status in March 1946. In 1960 St. Margaret opened an elementary school on Farmer Street that would educate Otsego's Catholic children for more than 60 years.
- Fr. Henry O'Neil, pastor 1903–1914
- Fr. Joseph Lahey, pastor 1914–1918
- Fr. John Griffin, pastor 1918–1920
- Fr. William Gannon, pastor 1920–1926
- Fr. Donahue, pastor 1926–1934
- Tax-exempt religious status: March 1946
- St. Margaret Elementary School opened 1960
- Mother parish of Blessed Sacrament, Allegan (mission 1907–1934)
St. Margaret Elementary School (1960–2024)
St. Margaret School opened in 1960 on Farmer Street, just south of the church, to provide Catholic elementary education to parish families. For more than 60 years the school was a fixture of faith formation and academics in Otsego, with school Masses on Tuesday and Friday and monthly Rosary Moms gatherings. After years of declining enrollment — down to 14 students in grades K–4 by the final year — and ongoing teacher shortages, pastor Father Simon Manjooran recommended closure, which the Diocese of Kalamazoo confirmed in 2024. The 2023–2024 school year was its last. The Diocese of Kalamazoo's Office of Catholic Schools assisted affected families and staff with transitions.
- Opened 1960 on Farmer Street, Otsego
- Served grades K–8 historically
- All-school Masses: Tuesday and Friday
- Rosary Moms: monthly on Monday
- Final school year: 2023–2024 (closed after)
Haiti Mission Partnership
St. Margaret Parish maintains a sister-parish relationship with a community in Haiti, supported materially and spiritually by the parish. The mission is funded in part through the parish's annual Haiti Golf Outing, one of the most visible parish fundraisers of the year.
- Sister parish in Haiti
- Annual Haiti Golf Outing fundraiser
- Prayers and material support for Haitian community
Parish Communications & Calendar
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin and maintains an online parish calendar so that parishioners can follow Mass intentions, special events, the Haiti Golf Outing, and other parish activities.
- Weekly Bulletin (online)
- Parish Calendar (events and announcements)
Visit & Contact
St. Margaret's parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the parish maintains an active Facebook page where it shares news, the weekly bulletin, and event photos. Visitors are warmly welcomed to any weekend or weekday Mass.
- Address: 766 S. Farmer Street, Otsego, MI 49078
- Phone: (269) 694-6311
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stmargaret-otsego.com
- Facebook: St. Margaret's Catholic Church Otsego MI
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Henry O'Neil1903–1914
Earliest documented pastor of St. Margaret's Otsego; began the mission to Allegan.
- Fr. Joseph Lahey1914–1918
Succeeded Fr. O'Neil; continued Allegan mission.
- Fr. John Griffin1918–1920
Pastor of St. Margaret's during Allegan mission era.
- Fr. William Gannon1920–1926
Pastor of St. Margaret's during Allegan mission era.
- Fr. Donahue1926–1934
Last pastor before Blessed Sacrament in Allegan became its own parish in 1934.