About St. Vincent de Paul Parish - St. Patrick · Shepherd, Michigan
St. Vincent de Paul Parish is a Roman Catholic community of the Diocese of Saginaw (Vicariate 5) serving the village of Shepherd, the nearby hamlet of Irishtown, Winn, and the surrounding Mid-Michigan countryside. The parish family includes two worship sites — St. Vincent de Paul Church in Shepherd and St. Patrick Church in Irishtown — along with three historic parish cemeteries (St. Leo the Great, St. Patrick, and St. Vincent de Paul). Pastoral care is currently provided by Sacramental Ministers Rev. Frederick J. Kawka and Rev. Loren Kalinowski, with Deacon Todd Lovas serving as Director of Parish Life.
- Established
- 1976
- Patron
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul Parish describes itself as a spiritual home — 'a safe haven to experience God's love on our journey through life' — and welcomes people of every family situation, church status, age, background, and past affiliation. The parish sustains a robust sacramental and devotional life, including weekend Mass, weekday Liturgy of the Word and Communion, RCIA, Children's Faith Formation, Praise & Worship gatherings, a Food Pantry, a Knights of Columbus council, an online Bible Study of the Acts of the Apostles, and active outreach to the homebound and hospitalized. With two worship sites (Shepherd and Irishtown) and three parish cemeteries, the community roots itself in over a century of Mid-Michigan Catholic heritage while reaching forward in evangelization.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul Parish - St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Individual confessions are heard 1/2 hour prior to all Masses
Welcome & Identity
St. Vincent de Paul Parish describes itself as a spiritual home — 'a safe haven to experience God's love on our journey through life' — for Catholics in Shepherd, Irishtown, Winn, and the surrounding Mid-Michigan area. The parish extends an explicit welcome to people of every family or marital situation, every church status, every religious background, and every age, race, or self-image. A 'Dear Friend' letter on the parish website invites newcomers to call the community 'home' and to allow 'the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.' The parish recently discontinued live streaming of Sunday Masses, encouraging all who can to gather in person and offering Communion visits to those who cannot.
- Welcoming statement: 'No matter what your ... you are invited, welcomed, accepted, loved and respected at St. Vincent de Paul Parish.'
- Live streaming of Sunday Mass discontinued; homebound directed to Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption live stream
- Parishioner Registration Form available on the parish website's Information page
History & Heritage
For more than a century, Catholic families of the Shepherd, Irishtown, and Winn area have identified St. Vincent de Paul, St. Patrick, and St. Leo as their church community — a heritage preserved in the three parish cemeteries (St. Leo the Great, St. Patrick, and St. Vincent de Paul). The present St. Vincent de Paul Church building in Shepherd was dedicated in 1976, and the parish will mark its 50th Anniversary of the Dedication on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Gruss and festivities in the Social Hall.
- 50th Anniversary of the Dedication — Sunday, September 27, 2026, 11:00 AM Mass with Bishop Robert Gruss
- Parish Mission with Steve Angrisano — Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (7:00 PM each evening)
- Three historic cemeteries: St. Leo the Great, St. Patrick, and St. Vincent de Paul
Parish Staff & Leadership
Pastoral care is currently provided by Sacramental Ministers Rev. Frederick J. Kawka and Rev. Loren Kalinowski, with Deacon Todd Lovas as Director of Parish Life coordinating day-to-day parish operations. Heather Sova serves as Bookkeeper/Secretary, Mary Moomey directs Faith Formation, Mary Moeggenborg leads Music Ministry, and Zachary Lobsinger chairs the Finance Council.
- Rev. Frederick J. Kawka — Sacramental Minister ([email protected])
- Rev. Loren Kalinowski — Sacramental Minister ([email protected])
- Deacon Todd Lovas — Director of Parish Life ([email protected])
- Heather Sova — Bookkeeper/Secretary ([email protected])
- Mary Moomey — Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Mary Moeggenborg — Director of Music Ministry ([email protected])
- Zachary Lobsinger — Finance Council Chair
Worship Sites
St. Vincent de Paul Parish includes two worship sites in Isabella County, Michigan. St. Vincent de Paul Church in Shepherd is the principal parish church, while St. Patrick Church in Irishtown is maintained as an occasional-use church for prayer services and special liturgies.
- St. Vincent de Paul Church — 168 E. Wright Ave., Shepherd, MI 48883 (Parish Church)
- St. Patrick Church — 7631 W. North County Line Rd., Irishtown (Shepherd, MI 48883) — Occasional Use Church
Prayer Opportunities
In addition to Mass and confession, the parish offers the Liturgy of the Hours and other devotional gatherings at its two worship sites, and maintains an active televised Mass presence on local cable channels.
- Morning Prayer — Thursday at 10:00 AM at St. Vincent de Paul Church
- Evening Prayer — 1st, 3rd, and 4th Wednesday at 6:00 PM at St. Patrick Church, Irishtown
- Televised Mass — Cable channel 187 (Sun. 2:00 PM); Cable channel 191 (Wed. 11:00 AM & 4:00 PM, Fri. 9:00 AM, Sat. 10:50 AM)
- Praise & Worship — organized prayer (see bulletin page 2)
Faith Formation
The parish offers faith formation for children and adults, including sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, as well as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Children's Faith Formation classes follow Sunday Mass; adult faith formation opportunities are announced periodically.
- Children's Faith Formation — classes follow Sunday Mass; contact Mary Moomey
- Adult Faith Formation — opportunities announced in the bulletin
- Elementary Sacramental Preparation — contact Mary Moomey
- RCIA (Adult Baptism/Confirmation) — classes begin in the fall; call the parish office to be placed on the class list
Online Bible Study
A parish online Bible Study of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles meets via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:00 AM (EST), running June through December 2026. Past class sessions are available on a replay playlist for those who miss a class.
- Zoom class — Tuesdays at 7:00 AM EST
- Open to parishioners and friends; replays available online
Music Ministry
Music Ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Parish is directed by Mary Moeggenborg and supports the sung liturgy at weekend Masses, holy days, and special celebrations, including the upcoming 50th Anniversary Mass and Parish Mission.
- Director of Music Ministry: Mary Moeggenborg ([email protected])
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish supports a Food Pantry, a Knights of Columbus council, a Praise & Worship prayer gathering, and various other ministries. The Food Pantry takes appointments Mondays through Wednesdays for Friday pickup, with food donations welcomed the first weekend of each month.
- Food Pantry — call Mon.–Wed. for a Friday appointment; food donations first weekend of the month or at the parish office Mon.–Thu., 10 AM–4 PM
- Knights of Columbus — meets 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM
- Praise & Worship — see bulletin page 2 for organized prayer times
- Hospitalized/Homebound Ministry — call the office to arrange Eucharist or a pastoral visit
Sacraments
St. Vincent de Paul Parish celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. Parents preparing for an infant baptism, engaged couples, those seeking adult initiation, and families in need of Anointing of the Sick or funeral rites are encouraged to contact the parish office well in advance.
- Infant Baptism — contact the parish office
- Adult Baptism / Confirmation (RCIA) — fall class start
- Reconciliation — 1/2 hour before each Mass
- Marriage — contact the office at least six months prior
- Anointing of the Sick — before surgery, during hospitalization, or for a change in health
- Funerals — contact the parish before or after contacting the funeral home
Parish Office & Communication
The parish office is located at 168 E. Wright Ave., Shepherd, MI 48883-9079. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (per the diocesan parish profile) or 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (per recent bulletins), and Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The parish can be reached by phone at 989-828-5720 or by email at [email protected]. A weekly bulletin is available by mail or email upon request; the bulletin deadline is Thursday at 10:00 AM.
- Parish Office: 168 E. Wright Ave., Shepherd, MI 48883-9079
- Phone: 989-828-5720
- Email: [email protected]
- Bulletin Deadline: Thursday at 10:00 AM
- Bulletin by Mail or Email — call the office to subscribe
Stewardship & Giving
Parishioners and visitors can support the mission of St. Vincent de Paul Parish through one-time or recurring online gifts via ShelbyGiving using credit/debit card or electronic check. Recurring donors can create a secure donor account to manage their giving.
- Online giving available via the parish website (ShelbyGiving)
- One-time and recurring gifts accepted (credit/debit card or electronic check)
Facilities & Cemetery Ministry
The parish maintains the Social Hall in Shepherd for parish gatherings (including the 50th Anniversary reception) and rents both the St. Vincent parish hall and St. Patrick hall for community events. The parish also oversees three historic cemeteries: St. Leo the Great, St. Patrick, and St. Vincent de Paul. The St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, located a mile south of Shepherd east on Pleasant Valley Road about one-half mile on the south side of the road, was surveyed by the Shepherd Area Historical Society in 1979.
- Parish Hall Rental — St. Vincent: parish office; St. Patrick: call Betty at 989-463-2503
- St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery — Pleasant Valley Road, Coe Township, south of Shepherd
- St. Patrick Cemetery and St. Leo the Great Cemetery also under parish care