About St. Mary · Rockwood, Michigan
St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Rockwood, Michigan, part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The parish traces its roots to 1834, when Fr. Vincent Badin oversaw the construction of a small wooden chapel along the Huron River in what is now East Rockwood, and it has served the downriver Catholic community continuously ever since. In July 2013 it merged with St. Victor of Gibraltar and took its current name, with the historic St. Mary site on Church Street remaining the home parish. Today the parish celebrates daily and weekend Masses, offers Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation several days a week, runs a religious education program for school-age children, and operates both the Giving Basket Food Pantry and Mary's Meals as outreach to those in need.
- Established
- 1834
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title Our Lady of the Annunciation)
- Rector
- Rev. James (Jim) Rafferty
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a tight-knit downriver community: daily and weekend Masses, several weekly opportunities for Confession, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, and a parish religious education program for children preparing for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. Members put faith into action through the Giving Basket Food Pantry, Mary's Meals (a weekly hot meal for those in need), and the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference. With strong schools (Parish was home to a Catholic K-8 school until 2018), Knights of Columbus scholarships for graduating altar servers, and a parish where the pastor is known for being 'always ready and available to administer the Sacraments,' St. Mary's is a place where faith is nourished through Word, sacrament, and service.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday 8:00 a.m.
- Saturday 3:00 p.m.
- First Friday 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
- First Friday through First Saturday — 7:30 p.m. Friday to 8:30 a.m. Saturday (when consecutive)
About St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish
St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Rockwood, Michigan, part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The parish is the spiritual heir of an 1834 chapel built by Fr. Vincent Badin on the Huron River and traces its formal dedication as 'St. Mary Parish' to 1847, when Redemptorist priests replaced the original wooden structure with a larger frame church. After more than 170 years of continuous Catholic life along the Huron — through moves, fires, school buildings, and a 2013 merger with St. Victor of Gibraltar — the parish continues to celebrate daily Mass, offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration, run a religious education program, and serve the community through food-pantry and meal ministries. The pastor is Rev. James (Jim) Rafferty, who has led the parish since July 2005.
- Founded 1834 by Fr. Vincent Badin
- Formally dedicated as St. Mary Parish in 1847
- Merged with St. Victor of Gibraltar in July 2013 to become St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation
- Member parish of the Archdiocese of Detroit
Our Journey: 1834 to the Present
The parish's history page, titled 'Our Journey 1834 – Present,' walks readers through nearly two centuries of Catholic life on the Huron River. It begins with Fr. Delhet's 1798 mission from St. Anne in Detroit and Fr. Gabriel Richard's 1818 letter about eight French Canadian Catholic families settling the area. The 1834 chapel, the 1847 Redemptorist-built frame church, the 1853 Bondy family cemetery land donation, and the 1876 move of the church into the then-growing settlement of Rockwood are all described in detail. The 1880 dedication of the brick church, the 1911 rebuilding after a major fire (which preserved the original round stained-glass window), and the construction and growth of the parish school are told parish-fairy-tale style, with named parishioners (Cletus Laginess, Lorraine Mercure, Stan Trieweiler, Dale Cousino) and family connections woven in.
- 1834 — Fr. Vincent Badin builds a small wooden chapel on the Huron River at present-day Lee Road and Jefferson.
- 1847 — Redemptorist priests dedicate a larger frame church as St. Mary Parish.
- 1853 — Bondy family donates land for the parish cemetery (later relocated to Our Lady of Hope Cemetery, Riverview).
- 1876 — The church is moved into the village of Rockwood.
- 1880 — Stephen Mannausa donates land; brick church seating 400 is built at a cost of $5,000 and dedicated July 11, 1880.
- 1911 — After a fire, the present church is built, with the original round stained-glass window preserved over the choir loft.
- 1930 — Parish school opens under the Sisters of St. Francis of Rochester, Minnesota.
- 2013 — Merges with St. Victor of Gibraltar and is renamed St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish.
- End of 2017–18 school year — Parish school closes due to declining enrollment (down to 50 K–8 students).
Pastor and Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently led by Rev. James (Jim) Rafferty, who arrived in July 2005 for his first assignment as pastor. The parish describes him as 'a person everyone can count on to keep us close to God… always ready and available to administer the Sacraments to us in a remarkable and Christ-like way.' Under his leadership the church has been restored with new flooring, painting, renovated confessionals, choir-loft stairways, a Sacred Heart area, a communion rail, and a new handicapped ramp; stained-glass windows were repaired or replaced with protective storm windows — all completed without debt thanks to parishioner support. The parish's history page lists eight pastors from Fr. John Helton (1899) to the present.
- Rev. James (Jim) Rafferty — Pastor since July 2005
- Pastors previously: Fr. John Helton (1899), Fr. Toussaint Rose (1903), Fr. Archibald Soest (1934), Fr. Gerald LeVasseur (1962), Fr. Francis Zarrett (1966), Fr. Thomas Sauter (1969–2002), Fr. Marc Gawronski (2002–2005)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish operates a Religious Education (catechism) program for children whose parents are their 'first educators of the faith.' Catechism classes meet Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. September through April, beginning with prayer in church and continuing in the parish school classrooms. First- and seventh-grade Religious Education is required before a child can enter the 2nd- or 8th-grade sacramental years for Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. The Director of Religious Education is Leslie Swayze. Registration for 2025–2026 is open, with forms downloadable from the parish website.
- Religious Ed classes: Tuesdays 6:00–7:30 p.m., September–April
- DRE: Leslie Swayze — [email protected] or 734-379-9248
- First Communion scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2027 at 4:30 p.m.
- Confirmation date set by the Archdiocese of Detroit
- 1st- and 7th-grade Religious Ed required before 2nd- and 8th-grade sacramental years
Sacraments
Beyond regular Mass and Reconciliation schedules, the parish prepares children and families for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation through its Religious Education program, and welcomes inquiries about Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick through the parish office. First Communion is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2027 at the 4:30 p.m. Mass; Confirmation dates are determined by the Archdiocese of Detroit.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — Wed/Sat/First Fri (see schedule)
- First Holy Communion — Saturday, May 1, 2027, 4:30 p.m.
- Confirmation — date set by Archdiocese of Detroit
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact pastor
Serving Our Community: Outreach and Charity
St. Mary's runs two flagship outreach ministries that respond to local hunger and need. The Giving Basket Food Pantry, founded in November 2004 after the closure of community nonprofit RACO, distributes boxes of non-perishable food, hygiene items, and household supplies from the back of the parish office on the third Saturday of each month, 10:00 a.m. to noon, with home delivery available to elderly and disabled residents in zip codes 48173 and 48179. Mary's Meals is a Thursday-evening hot-meal ministry that prepares a free carry-out meal each week; sign up by calling 734-280-8629. The parish is also home to a local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which offers 'a hand up to those most in need' through the time, talent, and treasure of parishioners.
- Giving Basket Food Pantry — third Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.–noon, back of parish office (parking on St. Stephen St.)
- Mary's Meals — Thursdays 5:00 p.m., school basement, 32447 Church St., carry-out; call 734-280-8629 to sign up
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — local conference at St. Mary, supported through parishioner time, talent, and treasure
Parish Life and Other Ministries
Beyond sacramental and outreach ministries, the parish supports a Knights of Columbus council that, jointly with neighboring St. Roch's parish, offers a $1,000 college-scholarship competition to graduating high-school seniors who have served actively as altar servers (applications due June 1, contact Steven Kardel at 734-306-4676). The parish also lists opportunities for men's spiritual gatherings (described as opportunities to share and 'take responsibility for our faith in a comfortable non-formal environment' and become 'better men, leaders, husbands, fathers, and disciples of Jesus Christ'), with contacts Pat Szymanski (734-755-7150) and Joe Rutkowski. The parish school, while closed at the end of 2017–18, is remembered on the parish history page as having served generations of Rockwood-area Catholic families since 1930.
- Knights of Columbus — $1,000 college scholarship for graduating altar-server high school seniors
- Men's faith gatherings — Pat Szymanski 734-755-7150; Joe Rutkowski 734-6722
- Altar Servers
- Parish Choir / Music Ministry
- Parish School (1930–2018) — formerly 3-yr-old preschool through 8th grade with 1:1 iPad program; closed end of 2017–18 school year
Contact, Office Hours and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone at 734-379-9248 (fax 734-379-6548) or by email at [email protected]. The physical church is at 32467 Church St., Rockwood, MI 48173; the parish office / mailing address is 32477 Church St., Rockwood, MI 48173. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m., and Wednesday 9 a.m.–noon, with additional hours available by appointment. Travelers can find Mass times away from home via CatholicMassTime.org.
- Church: 32467 Church St., Rockwood, MI 48173
- Parish Office / Mailing: 32477 Church St., Rockwood, MI 48173
- Phone: 734-379-9248 — Fax: 734-379-6548
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Wed 9 a.m.–noon; by appointment otherwise
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John Helton1899–1903
First resident pastor of St. Mary's.
- Fr. Toussaint Rose1903–1934
Built the present church in 1911 after a fire; oversaw construction and opening of the school in 1930. Retired 1934.
- Fr. Archibald Soest1934–1962
Brought the parish from heavy debt to solvency through weekly envelopes and fundraisers.
- Fr. Gerald LeVasseur1962–1966
Replaced the ailing Fr. Soest; Adrian Dominican Sisters replaced the Sisters of St. Francis at the school.
- Fr. Francis Zarrett1966–1969
- Fr. Thomas Sauter1969–2002 (died March 20, 2004)
33-year pastor; oversaw shared-time program and 'Save Our School' campaign. Died in 2004.
- Fr. Marc Gawronski2002–2005
Known for warm, witty homilies; re-energized the parish.
- Rev. James (Jim) RaffertyJuly 2005–present
Led church restoration projects; oversaw 2013 merger with St. Victor of Gibraltar.