SS Peter & Paul at 434 High Street, Ionia, MI 48846 US - Learn more About Us
Learn more About Us
Welcome to SS. Peter and Paul Parish, the Roman Catholic faith community of Ionia and the surrounding area. Founded in 1861 with some 15 families, our parish has grown and become part of the fabric of our town. We currently count about 600 active families and support a Kindergarten through 8th Grade School.
A Walking Tour of SS. Peter & Paul
Upon entering SS. Peter & Paul Church, one is met with the baptismal font. Baptism being the first of the sacraments, it is most appropriate to have the font located near the entrance of the church building. We sign ourselves and our identity as children of a loving Father.
Looking directly ahead to the front of the church, our eyes are drawn to the white marble altar. The central sacrament of our faith, the Eucharist, is celebrated at the altar. This altar was placed here in 1969 in response to the renewal of the liturgy at the Second Vatican Council.
Behind the main altar, at the back of the sanctuary, is the altar that was used before the Second Vatican Council. In the center is the Tabernacle. The symbols on the back altar are the alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and in the center, IHS, the first three Greek letters in the name Jesus.
Embedded in the east wall of the sanctuary is the ambry holding the blessed oils. The Oil of Catechumens is used at Baptism; the Oil of Chrism at Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination; and the Oil of the Sick for anointing those who are ill. The Bishop consecrates these oils each year at the Chrism Mass. Our ambry was built by parishioner Warren Wentworth in 1992.
On the west side of the sanctuary is the marble ambo from which the sacred scriptures are proclaimed at our liturgies. This ambo was placed here at the same time as the new altar in 1969.
Statuary: Beginning with the west side of the church, you will see statues of St. Anthony, Mary the Mother of Jesus, and St. Peter. Notice the keys (signs of authority) and the rooster (a reminder of his denial of Christ). Below the statue of Mary are two paintings, Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the left and Our Lady of Guadalupe on the right.
The figures behind the altar, at the foot of the crucifix and beginning on the left, are Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Beloved Disciple John.
On the east side of the sanctuary is a statue of St. Paul, with scrolls (his epistles) and sword (his martyrdom) in hand. Next is St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, and finally, near the east wall, the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Stained Glass: The scenes depicted in our stained glass windows are as follows: The first window on the west wall beginning in the rear is Peter receiving the Keys (Mt. 16:19), and the second is the Anointing at Bethany (John 12:3). As you move around the corner of the west transept wing, you find the Agony in the Garden (Luke 22:41-45), and then the large scene showing the Ascension (Acts 1:9)
High up on the west side of the sanctuary are the Disciples at Emmaus (Luke 24:30), and on the east, Abraham and Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18).
The large window in the east transept wing shows the Nativity (Mat. 2 and Luke 2). Then comes the Boy Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:46), and around the corner, Jesus and the Children (Mark 10:13-14) and Paul in Athens (Acts 18:22).
ALL ARE WELCOME!
A Brief History of SS. Peter & Paul Parish
As early as the 1840's, visiting priests were periodically offering Mass in the homes of Catholics in Ionia. In 1861, Peter Hackett donated an acre of land for the construction of a church, and in 1863, Charles Bolte became the first resident pastor of the Catholic community here. A small wooden frame church, named St. Peter's, was dedicated on November 1, 1863. It was located just to the south of our current building, but with an east-west orientation.
On Februry 21, 1881, Fr. Bolte announced plans to build a new church of local sandstone and VanderHeyden brick. Plans for the Romanesque Revival style structure were drawn by Peter Dederich of Detroit, and construction was provided by J.V. Consaul for a cost of $8,563. Bishop Caspar Borgess of Detroit dedicated the new SS. Peter & Paul on New Year's Day 1882. The addition of crucifixion statuary from Mayer's Art Institue in Munich and stained glass from Friederichs and Staffen increased the total cost to $13,000.
In 1901 the Lyon and Healy Tracker Organ was purchased and installed. In 1916 the church was extensively remodeled and the transept wings with their large stained glass windows were added. The stained glass was purchased from Munich Studio in Chicago. The entire renovation cost $35,000.
The parish was originally part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. It was transferred to the Lansing Diocese in 1937, then to the Diocese of Grand Rapids in 1938. Fourteen pastors have served SS. Peter & Paul since its founding under Fr. Bolte. Our current pastor, Fr. Thomas Boufford, has been here since July 1, 2009.
Weekend liturgies are celebrated in English at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday mornings. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, the Sunday Masses switch to 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Mass is celebrated in Spanish at 1:00 p.m., year-round.