About St. Mary Chelsea · Chelsea, Michigan
St. Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Lansing serving Chelsea, Michigan, a small city of roughly 5,400 in southeastern Washtenaw County. In 2025 the parish counts about 1,100 registered families drawn from a wider school district of more than 16,500 residents. The community worships at its 1960s-era church on East Old U.S. Highway 12, where weekend Masses are offered Saturday evening and twice on Sunday, weekday Mass is celebrated daily in the chapel, and Saturdays are dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration and confessions.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (originally as 'St. Mary of Sylvan'; later 'Our Lady of the Sacred Heart')
- Rector
- V. Rev. (Canon) William J. Turner, Ph.D., KCHS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
St. Mary offers the rhythm of a faithful Catholic life in a close-knit setting: daily Mass in the chapel, Saturday confessions and vigil Mass, and two Sunday Masses, with Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday morning. An active Religious Education program, OCIA (formerly RCIA), Music and Youth ministries, and dozens of lay volunteer roles — from lector and Eucharistic Minister to Art & Environment, Religious Education catechist, and parish outreach to the Chelsea Retirement Center — mean there is a place for every family to plug in. With around 1,100 registered families drawn from across a 120-square-mile area, it is large enough to offer vibrant programs and small enough that members truly know one another.
Mass times at St. Mary Chelsea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday mornings beginning at 9:30 AM
- 24-hour Adoration on specified days (see parish calendar)
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Mary is led by pastor V. Rev. (Canon) William J. Turner, Ph.D., KCHS — a former Michigan State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus — and is assisted by three permanent deacons: Deacon Thomas Franklin, Deacon D. Michael Martin, and Deacon Wayne Slomiany (with Sr. Deacon Richard Shaneyfelt also listed in some directories). Parish staff includes Becky Keiser as Director of Religious Education, Austin Endter as Director of Music Ministry and Youth Ministry, Marita Martin as OCIA Director, Danielle Cupka as Business Manager, Beth Wenzel as Administrative Assistant, Halle Klovski as Religious Education Secretary, and Colton Waterbury as Maintenance/Custodial Manager.
- Pastor: V. Rev. (Canon) William J. Turner, Ph.D., KCHS
- Deacon Thomas Franklin
- Deacon D. Michael Martin
- Deacon Wayne Slomiany
- Sr. Deacon Richard Shaneyfelt
- Director of Religious Education: Becky Keiser
- Director of Music Ministry & Youth Ministry: Austin Endter
- OCIA Director: Marita Martin
- Business Manager: Danielle Cupka
- Administrative Assistant: Beth Wenzel
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mary includes a parish Religious Education program with a 'Liturgy of the Word' component that dismisses children from the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass, plus catechists and helpers for all ages on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays (a preschool catechist is especially needed). The OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process, directed by Marita Martin, welcomes those preparing to enter the Catholic Church. The parish also runs a Vacation Bible School the last week of July each year.
- Director of Religious Education: Becky Keiser
- OCIA Director: Marita Martin
- Religious Education Catechists for Sunday/Tuesday/Saturday
- Liturgy of the Word for children at 10:00 AM Mass
- Vacation Bible School (last week of July)
Music & Youth Ministry
Music and Youth Ministry share a single director, Austin Endter, who leads liturgical music at Masses and coordinates programming for the parish's young people. The role supports both the choir/instrumentalists who serve the weekend and Holy Day liturgies and outreach to teens and families throughout the year.
- Director of Music Ministry & Youth Ministry: Austin Endter
- Music for weekend and Holy Day Masses
- Youth programs for parish teens
Volunteer & Lay Ministry Opportunities
The parish depends on lay volunteers to function and lists open roles across liturgy, formation, and outreach. Liturgical roles include Eucharistic Minister (about once a month at the Mass of your choice), Altar Server, Usher at weekend and Holy Day Masses (about twice a month on a team), and Lector/Reader (about once a month). The Parish Council meets the last Monday of each month and oversees many of these ministries.
- Eucharistic Minister
- Altar Server
- Usher (weekend & Holy Day Masses)
- Lector / Reader
- Parish Council (last Monday monthly)
- Religious Education Catechists
- Art & Environment Committee
- CRC monthly Mass helpers
Outreach: Chelsea Retirement Center
A distinctive outreach of St. Mary Parish is its ministry to the Chelsea Retirement Center (CRC), where the parish celebrates Mass on the second Friday of each month at 2:00 PM (volunteers arrive at 1:30 PM to assist residents to the chapel). On Sundays following the 8:00 AM Mass, volunteers make room visits to bring Holy Communion to residents, typically twice a month on a rotating schedule.
- CRC Mass second Friday of each month at 2:00 PM
- Sunday Holy Communion visits to CRC residents after 8:00 AM Mass
- Volunteers arrive 1:30 PM to assist residents
Parish Groups & Fellowship
Beyond liturgy and formation, the parish supports a number of fellowship and small-group activities for parishioners at different stages of life. The Stella Maris Mom and Child Group gathers on Monday mornings at 9:30 AM for mothers and their children. A parish Knights of Columbus council is active at the parish, and the parish council meets monthly to enhance parish life.
- Stella Maris Mom and Child Group — Mondays, 9:30 AM
- Parish Council — last Monday of each month
- Knights of Columbus council
Visit Us — Address, Hours & Newcomer Info
St. Mary Parish is located at 14200 East Old U.S. Highway 12, Chelsea, MI 48118-1124, and the parish office is open Monday–Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (summer hours 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Memorial Day through Labor Day; closed on Holy Days). For newcomers, the parish points visitors to its Mass schedule page for service times and lists confession every Saturday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The church can be reached by phone at (734) 475-7561.
- Address: 14200 East Old U.S. Hwy. 12, Chelsea, MI 48118-1124
- Phone: (734) 475-7561
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (summer 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
- Confession for newcomers: Sat 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Parish History
Catholic life in the Chelsea area traces to 1830, when Irish Catholic settlers met for Mass in private homes. A mission chapel, St. Mary of Sylvan, was built in 1844, and in 1869 a new church — Our Lady of the Sacred Heart — was constructed. The community formally became a parish in 1878, after which the names 'St. Mary' and 'Our Lady of the Sacred Heart' were used interchangeably. The parish's first school opened in 1906 on Congdon Street, burned in 1925, and was replaced the same year by architect Arthur DesRosiers and builder George Talbot; the building still stands today as the Chelsea Center for the Arts. The original 1869 church was dismantled in 1961 and replaced by the present church on East Old U.S. Highway 12.
- 1830: First Irish Catholic worship in private homes in the Chelsea area
- 1844: Mission chapel of St. Mary of Sylvan built
- 1869: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart church constructed
- 1878: Parish status granted
- 1906: First St. Mary's School built on Congdon Street
- 1925: School destroyed by fire; replaced same year by DesRosiers/Talbot building
- 1961: Original church dismantled; new church built on East Old US-12
- 1972: Elementary school closes
- 1998: Old school building purchased by Jeff & Kathleen Daniels; donated to Chelsea Center for the Arts