About St. Mark · Au Gres, Michigan
St. Mark Parish is a small Catholic parish in the lakeside community of Au Gres, Michigan, in the Diocese of Saginaw. Serving roughly 200 families in the Au Gres area, the parish gathers for weekend Mass in its church on South Court Street and is led day-to-day by a Director of Parish Life with two Sacramental Ministers providing priestly ministry. Its own mission statement frames the community as pilgrims 'on the daily journey to full discipleship with Jesus Christ,' hearing the Word in worship, living it in loving service, sharing Catholic faith traditions, and reaching out to all in spiritual or material need. The parish partners with the other Christian churches of Au Gres to promote ecumenical fellowship and minister to those in need.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 4)
Why belong here
St. Mark offers a warm, small-parish Catholic home on the Saginaw Bay shoreline, where parishioners genuinely know one another across roughly 200 families. Worship is centered on Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses, with the Sacrament of Penance on first and third Saturdays and a monthly Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The parish also partners ecumenically with the other Christian churches of Au Gres, and reaches out to those in spiritual or material need — making it a faithful, service-oriented community for anyone seeking Catholic fellowship in northeastern Michigan.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First and third Saturday of the month at 4:15 PM
About St. Mark Parish
St. Mark is a Catholic parish of roughly 200 families serving Au Gres and the surrounding lakeside area in northeastern Michigan. It belongs to the Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 4) and gathers in St. Mark Church on South Court Street. The parish's own mission describes a faith community 'on the daily journey to full discipleship with Jesus Christ' that hears the Word in worship, lives it in loving service, shares Catholic faith traditions, and reaches out to all in spiritual or material need. The parish also partners with the other Christian churches of Au Gres to promote fellowship and minister to those in need.
History
St. Mark Catholic Church was established in 1895 in Au Gres, just over a decade after Arenac County itself was organized out of Bay County (1883). The parish was rooted in German Catholic migration into the area from West Prussia between 1881 and 1884 — families such as the Marks and Hertzberg (1881), Netzlaff and Berg (1882), and Kaschub (1884). Sacramental and cemetery records from 1977 onward are jointly indexed by the Arenac County Historical Society alongside those of nearby St. Edward's in Omer. Today the parish continues as a rural Catholic community of about 200 families within the Diocese of Saginaw.
- Parish founded: 1895
- Region originally settled by West Prussian German Catholic families
- Records (1977+) preserved with Arenac County Historical Society
Parish Leadership & Staff
Day-to-day pastoral leadership is provided by a Director of Parish Life, supported by two Sacramental Ministers (retired priests) who celebrate the sacraments. The parish is guided pastorally by a Pastoral Council and financially by a Finance Council, and staffed by a Business Manager / Bookkeeper, Secretary, Coordinator of Faith Formation, and Music Ministry leader.
- Colleen Snyder — Director of Parish Life (since 2018); [email protected]
- Rev. Gerald E. Balwinski — Sacramental Minister; [email protected]
- Rev. Thomas M. Kowalczk — Sacramental Minister; [email protected]
- Tracy Albrecht — Business Manager; [email protected]
- Jackie Lee — Bookkeeper; [email protected]
- Dorrie Garrow — Secretary
- Lindsay Miller — Coordinator of Faith Formation
- Barbara La Rose — Music Ministry
- Anita Shillair — Pastoral Council Chair
- Denis Boissonneault — Finance Council Chair
Faith Formation & Music
Religious education and sacramental preparation for parishioners is coordinated through the parish's Coordinator of Faith Formation, and worship is supported by a dedicated Music Ministry leader who directs music for the liturgies celebrated in St. Mark Church.
- Coordinator of Faith Formation: Lindsay Miller
- Music Ministry: Barbara La Rose
Parish Life & Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, St. Mark Parish lives its mission by partnering ecumenically with the other Christian churches of Au Gres, and by reaching out to those in spiritual or material need. Pastoral and Finance Councils provide lay governance and stewardship of parish resources.
- Ecumenical partnership with the Christian Churches of Au Gres
- Outreach to those in spiritual or material need
- Pastoral Council chaired by Anita Shillair
- Finance Council chaired by Denis Boissonneault
Contact & Visit
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Visitors and parishioners can reach the office by phone, email, or in person at the church on South Court Street in Au Gres.
- Address: 415 S Court St, Au Gres, MI 48703-9310
- Phone: (989) 876-7925
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Diocesan page: https://saginaw.org/parish/stmark
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Colleen Snyder2018–present
Director of Parish Life / Pastoral Administrator handling day-to-day parish and spiritual coordination; works closely with two Sacramental Ministers for liturgies.