About St. Patrick Catholic Church · White Lake, Michigan
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a parish in White Lake, Michigan, in Oakland County, that has served local Catholics since the first Irish settlers arrived in March 1834. It belongs to the West Oakland Family of Parishes (together with Holy Spirit in Highland, St. Mary Our Lady of the Snows in Milford, and St. Perpetua in Waterford) under the Archdiocese of Detroit. The parish is best known for the 1840 'Little White Chapel' — believed to be the oldest existing frame Catholic church building in Michigan's Lower Peninsula — and for St. Patrick Catholic School, established in 1956. Weekend and daily Masses are celebrated in English, with First Friday Adoration and Holy Hour, and the parish reaches out through Religious Ed, RCIA, Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, an active Knights of Columbus, and an Altar Society.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC (Priest in Solidum; serves primarily at St. Patrick, White Lake)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (West Oakland Family of Parishes, with Church of the Holy Spirit, Highland; St. Mary Our Lady of the Snows, Milford; and St. Perpetua, Waterford)
Why belong here
St. Patrick White Lake offers a rich sacramental life — five English Masses every weekend, daily Mass four days a week, Saturday reconciliation, and a monthly First Friday with extended Adoration, Holy Hour, and Benediction. Families can grow together through St. Patrick Catholic School (founded 1956), Religious Ed and RCIA (Vicki Krier), and a youth ministry led by Julie Cavanagh. Parishioners also serve as sacristans, altar servers, altar society members, and a multi-choir Music Ministry (Lorica Choir, Folk Group, Shamrock Singers). Belonging here means joining a community that traces its Catholic roots in White Lake back to 1834 and still gathers twice a year in the 1840 Little White Chapel.
Mass times at St. Patrick Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday: Adoration 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Pray for Reparation 3:00–4:00 PM, Holy (1/2) Hour of Mercy 4:30–5:00 PM, Benediction 5:00 PM
- First Friday (alt. schedule on calendar): Adoration 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM, Holy Hour 7:30 PM
History of St. Patrick Parish
Catholic life in White Lake dates to March 1834, when the first eight settlers arrived. The Little White Chapel was built in 1840 by Irish immigrants and is believed to be the oldest existing frame Catholic church building in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. By 1870, the community had outgrown the chapel and members traveled to Pontiac and Milford for Mass. After World War I, the chapel was reopened for summer Masses with visiting priests from Pontiac; it became formally 'St. Patrick Chapel' in 1948 when Cardinal Edward Mooney, Bishop of Detroit, established St. Patrick Parish. The first parish church arrived in 1950 when St. Scholastica's old Detroit building was trucked in five sections and reassembled on Hutchins Road. Ground was broken for the present church on September 6, 1965, and it was dedicated by Cardinal John Dearden on December 13, 1966. St. Patrick Catholic School was established in 1956; the Hess Center for Education was added in 1986.
- 1834 — first settlers arrive in White Lake
- 1840 — Little White Chapel built by Irish immigrants
- 1870 — community outgrows the chapel; members travel to Pontiac/Milford
- After WWI — chapel reopens with cement block foundation and electric lights for summer Mass
- 1948 — Cardinal Edward Mooney formally establishes St. Patrick Parish
- 1950 — old St. Scholastica church (Detroit) moved to Hutchins Road in 5 sections
- 1956 — St. Patrick Catholic School founded
- 1965 — ground broken for the present church
- 1966 — Cardinal John Dearden dedicates the new church (Dec. 13)
- 1978 — office building dedicated
- 1986 — William and Myrtle Hess Center for Education dedicated by Archbishop Edmund C. Szoka (Aug. 24)
The Little White Chapel
Across Union Lake Road from the main campus stands the 1840 Little White Chapel, a humble landmark of Irish Catholic settlement in Michigan. It seats only about 40, has no air-conditioning, and still contains its original baptismal font, Stations of the Cross, confessional, and wooden pews hand-built by parish families — each pew sized to fit a particular Irish farming household. Mass is celebrated in the chapel twice a year, on Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the first 40 people inside and the rest of the congregation standing in the adjacent historic cemetery. The Knights of Columbus keep the chapel in good working order. Tours can be arranged by calling the parish office at 248-698-3100. The building was featured in Detroit Catholic.
- Oldest existing frame Catholic church building in Michigan's Lower Peninsula
- Built 1840 by Irish immigrants
- Memorial Day and Labor Day Masses in the chapel
- Original baptismal font, Stations of the Cross, and confessional preserved
- Wooden pews built by Irish parishioners — different sizes for each family
- First 40 attendees inside, others gather outside in the cemetery
- Maintained by the Knights of Columbus
West Oakland Family of Parishes
St. Patrick is one of four parishes that form the West Oakland Family of Parishes within the Archdiocese of Detroit. Under the 'In Solidum' model of collaborative pastoral leadership, a team of priests serves all four parishes together; Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC, was appointed Full-Time Priest Support to the team effective June 2, 2025, serving primarily at St. Patrick, White Lake.
- St. Patrick Parish, White Lake
- Church of the Holy Spirit, Highland
- St. Mary Our Lady of the Snows, Milford
- St. Perpetua Parish, Waterford
- Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC — appointed Full-Time Priest Support, serving primarily St. Patrick (effective June 2, 2025)
Staff & Clergy
Parish leadership includes Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC, as Priest in Solidum serving primarily at St. Patrick, supported by a lay staff responsible for Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, the parish school, and Music. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
- Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC — Priest in Solidum
- Vicki Krier — Religious Ed & RCIA ([email protected])
- Julie Cavanagh — Youth Ministries ([email protected])
- Constantine Novotny — Music Ministry ([email protected])
- Lynn Marchesi — St. Patrick Catholic School ([email protected])
- Parish Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- General email: [email protected]
Faith Formation, Youth & School
Faith formation runs on three coordinated tracks at St. Patrick. Religious Education and RCIA are coordinated by Vicki Krier ([email protected]). A separate Youth Ministry program is led by Julie Cavanagh ([email protected]). St. Patrick Catholic School, founded in 1956, is a parish-affiliated school located at 9040 Hutchins Rd, White Lake, MI 48386, with Lynn Marchesi as its administrative contact (phone 248-698-3240). The school's William and Myrtle Hess Center for Education was dedicated in 1986. VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' workshops are required for all parish and school volunteers before they can serve.
- Religious Education (Vicki Krier)
- RCIA / Adult Initiation (Vicki Krier)
- Youth Ministry (Julie Cavanagh)
- St. Patrick Catholic School — founded 1956 — 9040 Hutchins Rd — phone 248-698-3240
- Hess Center for Education dedicated 1986
- VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' required for volunteers
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music at St. Patrick is led by Constantine Novotny and serves each weekend Mass with groups suited to different ages and styles. Liturgical service ministries — sacristans, altar servers, and the Altar Society — provide essential support at every Mass and are open to new participants.
- Lorica Choir — 10 AM Mass; ages 15+; rehearses Wed 7–9 PM and Sun 9:20 AM; reads basic music
- Folk Group — 12 PM Mass; open to all singers and instrumentalists; rehearses Sun 11:20 AM and 1:15–2:00 PM
- Shamrock Singers — final 12 PM Mass of each month; grades 3+; rehearses Wed 5–6 PM
- Sacristans — training provided ([email protected])
- Altar Servers — boys and girls grade 4 and up; training provided ([email protected])
- Altar Society — open to men and women; contact [email protected]
Visiting & Getting Involved
Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The parish invites new families to register through their New Parishioner Registration nights (monthly) or to fill out a welcome form online; the parish office will follow up with more information. Volunteer opportunities span liturgical service (sacristans, servers, choirs), faith formation, youth ministry, school, and the Knights of Columbus, which maintains the Little White Chapel. VIRTUS training is required before any volunteer role begins.
- Monthly New Parishioner Registration nights
- Online welcome form for those not yet ready to register
- Parish office phone: 248-698-3100
- General email: [email protected]
- VIRTUS 'Protecting God's Children' workshops offered at St. Mary's, Milford and at St. Patrick Parish
- First Friday Adoration sign-up via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Cardinal Edward Mooney1948 (founding)
Bishop of Detroit who formally established St. Patrick Parish in 1948.