St. Philip Neri

Parish History

The Catholic parish of St. Philip Neri was founded in 1880 when Father Niesen built a church on the corner of West Park and North streets in Reed City. The parish was initially a mission — first of St. Ann's in Cadillac, and from 1888 a mission of St. Mary's in Big Rapids (which then had 14 missions). With the arrival of Father Anthony Schumacher in 1903, St. Philip Neri gained its first resident priest, and St. Anne Church in Paris became a mission of the parish — a relationship that continues today.

Buildings & Campus

As the parish grew from a nucleus of early 1800s settlers, a brick church was built in 1922 at Chestnut and Bittner that seated 148. With the opening of local oil fields and new industries, the present church (seating 430) opened on December 17, 1961, followed the next year by the addition of a rectory, meeting rooms and offices. The earlier 1922 church was replaced, and the campus continues to include the shrine to Our Lady of Fatima on the south lawn. The 1961 church is fully handicapped accessible.

• 1880 — first church (West Park and North streets)
• 1922 — brick church at Chestnut and Bittner (148 seats)
• 1961 — present church opened December 17 (430 seats)
• Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on the south lawn

Stained Glass Windows

The present church contains a complete cycle of stained-glass windows that walk the viewer through the central events of salvation history. The parish website offers a window-by-window meditation linking each panel to specific Scripture passages, including the Creation, the Exodus, the sacrifice of Abraham, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the birth of Christ, and His Resurrection and Ascension.

• The Creation Window — the hand of the Creator, the heavens with sun, moon and stars, the birds in the light, humanity surrounded by animals and fish, and the Fall symbolized by the tree with the serpent.
• The Exodus Window — God speaks to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:4-7); the angel of God at the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-30); and at the top the symbol of God's Law, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17).
• The Abraham Window — depicts faith: God testing Abraham, the angel staying Abraham's hand, the fallen knife, the rope, and the ram in the center.
• The Holy Spirit Window — the Holy Spirit as a descending dove with the seven gifts as flames; baskets of bread (physical nourishment) and the chalice (spiritual nourishment); the keys and stole symbolizing absolution.
• The Incarnation Window — the angel pointing toward Christ's birth, the manger with straw and candle, and the Star of Bethlehem guiding the Magi.
• The Resurrection Window — the crown of thorns drawn onto the cover of the tomb (symbol of the crucifixion), and the Phoenix rising from the ashes in the open tomb (Christ's resurrection and ascension).

St. Philip's School

Religious education for children at St. Philip Neri began in earnest in 1947, when St. Philip's School opened in makeshift quarters in the church basement and the house next door, where the Notre Dame teaching sisters lived upstairs. In 1948, a new school — built in great part with unpaid volunteer labor — opened in November with four classrooms, an office, and a kitchen for hot lunches. Many present parishioners remember the teaching sisters by name, including Sisters Liboria, Justin, James, Mildred, Jolantha, and Gaudentia. The school closed in 1970 when it was no longer feasible to keep it open; it was leased and later sold to the Reed City Public School, and more recently became the new home of the Reed City Library.

• 1947 — school opens in church basement
• 1948 — new school built largely with volunteer labor
• 1970 — school closes; building later becomes home of the Reed City Library

Faith Formation Today

After St. Philip's School closed in 1970, all children were enrolled in religious education classes staffed by parents and other parish members. The parish continues this intergenerational approach today under the direction of Beth Dake, Director of Faith Formation, who holds a master's degree from Loyola University and undergraduate degrees from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, and has served parishes in the Diocese of Grand Rapids for over 20 years — including Sacred Heart in Evart, St. Thomas the Apostle in Grand Rapids, St. Mary's in Big Rapids, and St. Francis de Sales in Muskegon.

• Beth Dake — Director of Faith Formation
• Email: [email protected]

Parish Cluster & Sister Parishes

St. Philip Neri is clustered with Sacred Heart Parish in Evart and St. Agnes Parish in Marion, with the three parishes sharing a single pastor. The Diocese of Grand Rapids' 2025 'Rooted in Christ' pastoral plan calls for the cluster to continue, with the recommendation that the parishes work together to expand faith formation offerings for adults, young adults, and youth — possibly collaborating with other parishes in the Northeast Deanery on a regional basis. St. Philip Neri has also historically overseen St. Anne Mission in Paris, which became a mission of the parish in 1903.

• Sacred Heart Parish, Evart
• St. Agnes Parish, Marion
• St. Anne Mission, Paris (mission since 1903)

Worship Schedule & Sacraments

St. Philip Neri celebrates Mass three times a week — the Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM, a daily Mass on Friday at 9:00 AM, and a Tuesday evening Mass at 5:00 PM at Sacred Heart in Evart. Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays at 3:00 PM, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered Friday mornings at 8:00 AM, before the daily Mass.

• Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM
• Daily Mass — Friday 9:00 AM
• Tuesday Mass — 5:00 PM (Sacred Heart, Evart)
• Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00 PM
• Eucharistic Adoration — Friday 8:00 AM

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Rev. David A. Jameson, who serves as pastor of the St. Philip Neri / Sacred Heart (Evart) / St. Agnes (Marion) cluster. He was previously canonical administrator of the three parishes and was formally appointed pastor by Bishop Walkowiak in 2024. Beth Dake serves as Director of Faith Formation across the parish's faith-formation ministries.

• Rev. David A. Jameson — Pastor
• Beth Dake — Director of Faith Formation

Visiting & Practical Information

St. Philip Neri is located at 831 S. Chestnut Street in Reed City, Michigan. The church is handicapped accessible, and an emergency line is available for after-hours pastoral needs. The parish shares a phone and office with the wider cluster, and visitors are asked to check local school closings: if Reed City schools are closed for prevailing weather, St. Philip Neri is also closed — with no daily Mass, a closed office, and cancelled meetings.

• Address: 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City, MI 49677
• Phone: (231) 832-5544
• Emergency line: (231) 287-2841
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.stphilipanne.org/