About St. Michael the Archangel · Remus, Michigan
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in the small village of Remus, in Mecosta County, Michigan, in the Diocese of Grand Rapids (Northeast Deanery). Officially established in 1888, the community grew out of a pioneer log church built in 1871 by German-descent settlers from Canada, Germany, and New York. Today the parish serves families in the surrounding rural area with weekend and weekday Masses, a parish school (Saint Michael School, K–6 plus preschool and a homeschool partnership program), sacramental preparation, a Knights of Columbus council, the NCCW (National Council of Catholic Women), and a long list of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Michael J. Alber
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
St. Michael's offers a small, family-sized Catholic community in rural Mecosta County where parishioners of all ages can be known by name. A parish school serving preschool through sixth grade (plus a homeschool partnership program), a full sacramental preparation track including a two-year Confirmation program, RCIA, youth ministry, Bible study, and a long roster of lay ministries — Knights of Columbus, NCCW, Prayer Quilt Ministry, God's Helping Hands, Homebound Ministry, Social Justice, Music Ministry, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and altar servers — mean there are concrete ways to participate in parish life. Weekday morning Masses (Tuesday evening plus Wednesday–Friday mornings), Saturday Vigil and two Sunday Masses, regular Saturday confessions, and monthly Eucharistic Adoration on the first Sunday make the spiritual life accessible to working families and farmers alike.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 p.m. (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- First Sunday of the month, after the 11:00 a.m. Mass, beginning around 12:15 p.m.
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish serving the village of Remus in Mecosta County, Michigan. It is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, assigned to the Northeast Deanery. The Diocese of Grand Rapids lists the parish as established in 1888 and identifies Rev. Michael J. Alber as pastor.
- Diocese: Grand Rapids
- Deanery: Northeast
- Established: 1888
- County: Mecosta
- Pastor: Rev. Michael J. Alber
History of St. Michael the Archangel
Catholic pioneers — mostly of German descent and tracing to Canada, Germany, and New York — settled the Remus area and built a small log church called St. Michael's on land deeded by George Minkel on October 4, 1871. By 1886 the log church was too small, the parish voted to build a new one, and John Matzen donated land to the Diocese of Grand Rapids for the present site. The parish was formally established in 1888 with Father Steffen as the first resident pastor.
- 1871: One acre deeded by George Minkel; log church built.
- 1886: Parish votes to build a new church on the present site.
- 1888: Parish formally established; Father Steffen appointed first resident pastor.
- 1903–04: Brick school built under Father Bernard Kettman; opened 1904 with the Sisters of Mercy.
- 1914–1924: Father William Schueller pastored; rectory built in 1923.
- 1948: Sisters' convent built; Crowley family donates Lourdes stone shrine.
- 1959–61: New school built; classes move in January 3, 1961.
- June 23, 1974 – July 20, 1975: Present church built; statues from the old church restored.
Saint Michael School (Preschool – Grade 6)
The parish school — Saint Michael School (stmikes.us), motto 'Where we walk with God, Learn, Grow and Serve' — serves preschool through sixth grade. In addition to standard K–6 enrollment, the school offers a kindergarten-readiness preschool for three- and four-year-olds and a Homeschool Partnership Program that brings homeschooled students in grades K–6 onto campus for enrichment classes. An annual benefit, St. Mikes on Spikes golf outing, supports the school.
- Preschool for ages 3 and 4 (kindergarten readiness)
- Kindergarten through 6th grade
- Homeschool Partnership Program (K–6)
- Principal: Karen Gostomski
- School Administrative Assistant: Niki Parsons
- Annual benefit: St. Mikes on Spikes (Royal Golf Course)
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith formation at St. Michael runs through the parish 'Learn' section and includes Religious Education classes, a youth group, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), and a formal sacramental preparation track. Confirmation is a one-year program offered every other year to seventh- and eighth-graders; classes meet Sunday mornings after the 9:00 a.m. Mass and Confirmation is conferred by the Bishop at the Cathedral in spring. Sacramental Preparation also covers First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.
- Religious Education
- Youth Group
- RCIA
- Confirmation preparation (7th–8th grade, every other year)
- Sacramental Preparation (First Reconciliation / First Eucharist)
- Contact: Elyse Leach, Evangelization Minister
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish lists a large slate of ministries in its registration form — a sign of an engaged, small-town parish where many parishioners take on multiple roles. Spiritual, social, and service ministries run side by side, and the parish asks new families to indicate where they'd like to be involved.
- Knights of Columbus
- NCCW (National Council of Catholic Women)
- Men's Group
- Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
- Bible Study
- Prayer Chain
- Prayer Quilt Ministry
- God's Helping Hands
- Homebound Ministry
- Social Justice
- Funeral Luncheons
Liturgical Ministries (Lay)
Lay faithful serve the parish as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, ushers, and music ministers. A server/minister schedule is published on the parish 'Worship' page, alongside Mass Intentions and virtual worship resources. A full Music Ministry supports the sung liturgy at weekend and holy day Masses.
- Lector
- Eucharistic Minister
- Altar Server
- Usher
- Music Ministry
Parish Staff
St. Michael's parish office is staffed Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (closed Monday and Friday). The staff team includes clergy, an Evangelization Minister, school leadership, bookkeeper, offertory/CSA coordinator, communications, facilities, and secretarial and custodial support. An after-hours emergency line is available for pastoral emergencies.
- Pastor – Father Michael Alber (ext. 205)
- Evangelization Minister – Elyse Leach (ext. 206)
- School Principal – Karen Gostomski (989-967-3681 ext. 104)
- Parish Bookkeeper – Lydia O'Hagan (ext. 202)
- CSA/Offertory – Javan Quackenbush (ext. 203)
- Parish Communications – Jan Antor (636-248-6460)
- Facilities Manager – Bob Beers (ext. 106)
- School Administrative Assistant – Niki Parsons (ext. 103)
- Parish Secretary – Christina Sherman (ext. 201)
- Custodian – Lucas Malberg
Visit, Contact & Accessibility
Visitors are welcome at any Mass. The parish office sits alongside the church at 8929 50th Ave, Remus, MI 49340. According to the Diocese of Grand Rapids, both the church and the rectory are handicapped accessible. Office hours are Tuesday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; the office is closed Mondays and Fridays. A Guide to Confession is linked from the homepage to help first-time penitents.
- Address: 8929 50th Ave, Remus, MI 49340
- Office Phone: 989-967-3520 | Fax: 989-967-8246
- Emergency after hours: 231-519-4348
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tue–Thu 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Handicapped accessible church and rectory
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Steffen1888–1892
First resident pastor of St. Michael; oversaw construction of the altar, donation of the large bell by Michael Miller, and moving of the old parish house onto the grounds to serve as a school.
- Father Bernard Kettmanc. 1903
Skilled carpenter who supervised and helped build the brick school (opened 1904 with the Sisters of Mercy).
- Father William Schueller1914 – March 1924
Repaired cyclone damage to the steeple and built the new rectory in 1923.
- Father Abel
Remembered as the last priest at St. Michael to own a horse and buggy and the first to have a car.