St. Mary Cathedral

History & Heritage

Catholic life in the Gaylord area goes back to Jesuit missionaries circa 1671, but the parish itself was founded in the early 1880s as a Polish mission of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The Rev. Francis X. Szulak acquired two lots from the Michigan Central Railroad and built the first frame church in 1884. A predominantly Polish congregation grew around it, served about four times a year by traveling priests until the arrival of the first resident pastor, Rev. Alexander Lipinski, around 1892. The brick church that would become the first cathedral was built in 1900-01 for about $15,000 and was for many years the largest building in the area.

• 1881-1884: Rev. Francis X. Szulak founds the mission; first frame church built.
• 1892-1899: Rev. Casimir Skory — first resident pastor; first school built in 1894.
• 1900-1901: Present-brick (Neo-Gothic) church built; remained the cathedral 1971-1976.
• 1904-1935: Msgr. Simon Ponganis pastorate; new rectory 1909, Dominican sisters arrive 1909-1910.
• 1936-1980: Msgr. Francis T. Kaminski — parish grows from 250 to 1,100+ families.
• Dec 19, 1970: Pope Paul VI establishes the Diocese of Gaylord.
• July 20, 1971: Diocese formally erected; June 15, 1971: Edmund C. Szoka ordained first bishop.
• Dec 1974: Groundbreaking for the new cathedral on N. Ohio Ave.
• July 25, 1975: Cornerstone laid.
• July 25, 1976: Cathedral dedicated (Cardinal Dearden preaching).
• July 1977: Bell tower and bells consecrated.
• 1985: Old 1900 church bought by Mt. Carmel Historical Group; becomes Mount Carmel Centre.
• 1991: Bronze statue of Mary added at south entrance (Jim Hopfensperger, Midland).
• 2005: Original church added to Michigan Register of Historical Buildings.

Architecture & Sacred Art

The current St. Mary Cathedral is an octagon-shaped Modern-style structure with a gathering-space entryway and a capacity of roughly 1,000. The Vermont-granite altar enshrines relics of Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke, a piece of Saint John's house, and bone fragments of other saints. The Gabriel Kney pipe organ (London, Ontario) has 2,000+ pipes manufactured in Göttingen, Germany. Four shrine areas are dedicated to the Sacred Heart, Saint Joseph, Our Lady of Czestochowa, and Bishop Frederic Baraga; stained-glass windows portray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Stations of the Cross are bronze bas-reliefs.

• Octagonal Modern-style plan; capacity ~1,000
• Vermont-granite altar with relics of the evangelists and other saints
• Gabriel Kney pipe organ (2,000+ pipes, Göttingen, Germany)
• Blessed Sacrament Chapel: Burning Bush sculpture by Vera Bartnik (Traverse City); monstrance-shaped tabernacle
• Stained glass: Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Stations of the Cross: bronze bas-reliefs
• Four shrine areas: Sacred Heart, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Bishop Frederic Baraga
• Four consecration crosses/candles mark the four primary directions
• Bronze Mary statue (Jim Hopfensperger, Midland) installed 1991

Liturgical Ministries

Liturgical life at St. Mary Cathedral depends on a strong corps of trained lay volunteers — lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, cantors, choir, and a contemporary ensemble — together with ministers who bring Communion to the homebound, hospitals, nursing homes, foster-care settings, and adult care facilities. Eucharistic ministers must be at least 18, complete training, and pass a background check; the parish is always recruiting new members.

Prayer Ministries

Cathedral devotion is supported by a wide range of prayer ministries. The Bereavement Ministry offers a caring, listening presence to parishioners who have lost loved ones (training provided six times a year). The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits or crochets shawls as tangible signs of prayer and comfort. Teams of Our Lady supports marriage and family spirituality, and a weekly Rosary Hour of Prayer gathers every Tuesday afternoon in the chapel.

Service & Outreach

Service ministries at St. Mary Cathedral include parish-office support (front desk, offertory counters), the Parish Store (Catholic items and gifts sold before/after weekend Masses), the Disciples of St. Mary (service to parish and school projects), and seasonal flower planting. The parish also sponsors chapters of long-standing Catholic fraternities and societies.

St. Mary Cathedral School

St. Mary Cathedral School began in 1894 when Rev. Casimir Skory opened a frame two-room schoolhouse with a second-floor auditorium at a cost of about $1,875. Dominican Sisters from Grand Rapids took over the classrooms in 1909-1910. The school has grown through several buildings and a 1960 fire that destroyed part of the campus; in 1986 it earned the National Exemplary Award and was recognized in Washington, D.C., by President Ronald Reagan and Secretary of Education William Bennett. The school celebrated its centennial in 1994 and remains a cornerstone of parish life today, under the principalship of Heather Glasby.

Councils, Committees & Commissions

The Pastoral Council is a community of servant leaders involved in advisory decisions through spiritual formation, prayerful discernment, and consultative dialogue about pastoral concerns. The parish works with a number of committees and commissions to plan sacramental preparation, faith formation, school governance, and stewardship.

Staff

The cathedral parish is led by Rev. Matthew Wigton (Rector/Pastor, and Vicar for Clergy for the diocese), assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Yakubu Philibus and Deacons Brian Wojtkowiak and John Amthor. The lay staff includes Dr. Wayne Wyrembelski (Director of Music), Heather Glasby (Principal, St. Mary Cathedral School), Melissa Switalski (Office Manager), Pauline Myler (Administrative Assistant), Denise Landrie (Development & Communications Coordinator), Jammie Truax, Brian Wojtkowiak, and Cathy Landry. The parish office is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Related & Mission Churches

St. Mary Cathedral shares clergy with two mission parishes in the cluster: Holy Redeemer in Vanderbilt (Saturday vigil 4:00 pm, Sunday 8:30 am, plus Tuesday Mass at 5:00 pm per the diocesan listings) and St. Thomas Aquinas in Elmira (Saturday 7:00 pm per the parish's mass-times page). The rector and parochial vicar serve all three communities.

The Original Church — Mount Carmel Centre

The 1900-01 brick church on North Otsego Avenue and Mitchell Street, which served as the cathedral from 1971 to 1976, was saved from demolition in 1985 when a local group founded the Mt. Carmel Historical Group and purchased the building from the diocese. Converted into the Mount Carmel Centre, it is now a venue for plays, sales, musical performances, recitals, receptions, art demonstrations, and tours. Designated a Michigan Historical Site and on the Michigan Register of Historical Buildings since 2005, it is governed by a non-profit corporation; proceeds from events and rentals fund ongoing preservation and restoration.

Visiting & Contact

St. Mary Cathedral is located at 606 N. Ohio Avenue, Gaylord, MI 49735. The parish office is located in the Diocese of Gaylord Pastoral Center across the parking lot from the cathedral. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Telephone: (989) 732-5448. Email: [email protected]. Direct contacts available online for Fr. Matthew Wigton, Fr. Yakubu Philibus, and individual staff members.