Cheboygan in Cheboygan County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

St. Mary Church

Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023

1. St. Mary Church Marker

Inscription. Father Andrew D. Piret, a priest serving the Mackinac Island mission, celebrated the first mass of the St. Mary’s congregation in the home of Charles Bellant in 1852. Four years later, the parish_built a temporary chapel on Peter McDonald’s farm on the Cheboygan River. In 1862 the parish’s first confirmation was conducted by Bishop Frederic Baraga. Visiting priests and bishops served the parish until 1868, when Father Charles DeCeuninck became its first resident priest. In 1870 the parish completed its present church building. In 1895 the French-speaking members of the parish established St. Charles Parish, and the Polish-speaking members founded St. Lawrence Parish.

Erected 1987 by Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State. (Marker Number 899.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.

Location. 45° 38.701′ N, 84° 28.096′ W. Marker is in Cheboygan, Michigan, in Cheboygan County. It is on North D Street north of State Street (U.S. 23), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker

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is at or near this postal address: 120 N D St, Cheboygan MI 49721, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula,

on the Straits of Mackinac,

and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Cheboygan Opera House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Grand Army of the Republic Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. half a mile away); Cheboygan (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map

Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023

2. St. Mary Church Marker

of all markers in Cheboygan.

Also see . . . The History of the Catholic Church St. Mary’s Cheboygan, Michigan. 1998 24 page book compiled by Carol Stempky. Excerpt:

The building was constructed of the very best white pine. It is 55 x 100 in length, aside from the vestibule and sanctuary, with a capacity of 600 people. It was considered a major undertaking at the time and was strongly protested against on the ground that the congregation would never require so large a church. Subsequent history, however, confirmed the wisdom of the pastor in preparing a church edifice adapted to the future necessities of the parish. ...

In the 1880’s, the church in Cheboygan split into separate groups for ethnic reasons. There were 2 parishes on the east side of the river: St. Mary's—the mother church—and a small Polish church with a school named St. Lawrence (which closed in 1965); on the west side of the river, the French people established their own parish, St. Charles. There were also two other parishes in the rural areas of Cheboygan; one was Sacred Heart (1880) established for the Polish speaking farmers in the Riggsville
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023

3. St. Mary Church, Cheboygan Michigan
area (7 miles southwest of Cheboygan), and the other one St. Francis (1880) established for the French speaking farmers in the Alverno area (7 miles southeast of Cheboygan).

(Submitted on October 1, 2023.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 539 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 1, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.