St. Paul Parish at 111 N Howell St, Owosso, MI 48867-2644 US - Parish History
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Parish History |
The parish of St. Paul, Owosso, was organized in the fall of 1871 by 51 spirited people. Previous to 1871, Catholics of the area attended Annunciation parish in Corunna where the mission church was served by a priest from Flint.
In 1872, the cornerstone of the first St. Paul Church was blessed by Bishop Burgess of Detroit. The first Mass in the original church was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1874. In 1902, five Adrian Dominican sisters arrived to open a school. The double house on the corner of Cedar and Main served as the school for 25 years and as the convent for 50 years. When Nellie Green graduated from the two-year commercial course and entered the novitiate in Adrian, she became the first of over 31 young women to enter the religious life from St. Paul.
Under the leadership of Fr. Peter J. Slane, the Knights of Columbus, Owosso Council 1139 was established in June 1906. Under Fr. John Courtney, a new school was built and ready for use in September, 1927, and opened with an enrollment of 380 students and 14 faculty members. During the pastorate of Fr. Joseph Whelan (1953-1972), a new and larger church was planned and blessed by Bishop Joseph Albers in October 1960.
Fr. Robert Kolenski was assigned to St. Paul from St. Luke, Flint in 1978. He faithfully served St. Paul for 28 years, until retiring in June, 2006. Fr. John Fain is the current pastor of St. Paul.