St. Gerald Catholic Church sits along Farmington Road in Farmington, Michigan, a parish that straddles Wayne and Oakland Counties and draws its members from Farmington, Farmington Hills, and the Livonia borderlands. The community takes its name from St. Gerald of Mayo, a seventh-century English monk whose feast is celebrated each year on December 5. Inside the parish offices at 21300 Farmington Road, the staff answers phones Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and the parking lot fills several times a day as worshippers arrive for the steady round of Masses, devotions, and parish meetings.
Two Parishes Becoming One
St. Gerald in its present form is the product of a 2015 merger between St. Gerald in Farmington and St. Alexander in Farmington Hills. On December 28, 2014, both parishes celebrated their final Mass as separate entities. By decree of Archbishop Allen Vigneron, the two became a single combined parish named St. Gerald on January 1, 2015, with Fr. Festus Ejimadu, who had served as pastor of both, continuing at the helm. On Sunday, January 4, 2015, Bishop Arturo Cepeda presided over the first Mass of Unity, an overflowing celebration at St. Gerald that drew worshippers of every age from across the merged territory. The joining gave the new parish a foothold that reaches into both Wayne and Oakland Counties and made St. Gerald the link parish between the two counties within the Livonia Area Family of Parishes.
In July 2016, Fr. Krzysztof (Kris) Nowak took up pastoral duties at the parish. Ordained in Poland in 2005 and in the United States since 2007, he was appointed Administrator by Archbishop Vigneron and now serves as pastor.
The 1964 Founding and a Building Paid Off by 2001
The story of St. Gerald begins in June 1964, when Archbishop Dearden announced the creation of a new parish that would draw members from Farmington and Livonia. The founding pastor was Fr. James P. O'Hagan. Early Masses were celebrated at Flanders School while construction moved quickly: ground was broken on July 26, 1964, and the new church of St. Gerald was dedicated on December 19 of that same year.
By 1967 the parish had a Women's Council, a Men's Council, and Gerald's Teen Organization (the G.T.O.). A St. Vincent de Paul conference was chartered in July 1965, and in 1971 a group of women formed the Marthas to handle Christian service, sick calls, transportation, and Martha's Kitchen, the parish hospitality ministry that still serves funeral lunches and parish dinners. In 1974 a Christmas Eve Mass for children was added to the calendar, and in 1975 the parish celebrated its first Communal Anointing of the Sick, with about 75 people receiving the sacrament. The parish raised funds for major projects through annual raffles and the Family-A-Fair, both of which ran through 1984 before being replaced by the Stewardship Drive in 1985.
The 1978 remodeling reshaped the sanctuary, rearranged the seating, and added stained glass, with the bell tower going up the following year and Bishop Gumbleton presiding at the rededication on December 1, 1979. The parish grew under Fr. Gerald McEnhill, who became pastor in January 1986 and oversaw construction of the current church building, which was dedicated by Archbishop Maida in May 1991. By 2001 the mortgage was paid in full. New stained glass windows were completed in 1999. In July 2004 Fr. Ronald Browne was installed as pastor and introduced devotions such as the First Thursday holy hour, the First Friday Exposition, and the First Saturday Mass for Life, along with the Gabriel Project and the Knights of Columbus council. Fr. Festus Ejimadu succeeded him in July 2009 and guided the parish through the Changing Lives Together Campaign and the Together in Faith Process before leading the 2015 merger.
Weekend Masses and Reconciliation
Three Sunday Masses anchor the weekend: 8:30 am, 10:15 am, and 12:00 noon. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00 pm. The 10:15 am Mass is the family Mass, with the Children's Liturgy of the Word offered during it for children in kindergarten through fifth grade; the children process together to classroom 7 in the social hall for a Gospel lesson at their level. A New Member Welcome gathering follows the 12:00 noon Mass roughly once a month.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, and additional communal penance services with individual confession and absolution are scheduled each Advent and Lent. Confession is also available by appointment.
Daily Mass and the Weekday Round of Prayer
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, daily Mass is celebrated at 9:15 am, preceded by the rosary at 8:40 am. Wednesdays have no Mass. On Thursdays the rosary is prayed at 6:20 pm before a 7:00 pm Mass, followed by a Holy Hour for Vocations at 7:55 pm. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited at 10:00 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (except First Fridays) and at 7:45 pm on Thursdays. The Mother of Perpetual Help devotion is observed on Tuesday mornings at 9:45 am.
First Fridays, First Saturdays, and Holy Hours
Two special observances shape the rhythm of the month. From September through May, the parish gathers for First Friday Adoration, which begins after the 9:15 am Mass and concludes at 5:00 pm with Benediction. A patriotic rosary is prayed at the parish monthly, usually on Wednesday afternoons at 3:00 pm. The First Saturday Mass for Life is celebrated at 9:15 am from September through May. When the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi falls on a First Saturday, the Mass is followed by a Blessing of the Animals on the parish grounds; pets are asked to be on a leash.
The Seven Sacraments
St. Gerald celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church in the rhythm of parish life. Parents preparing for an infant or young child's baptism are asked to complete Baptism Preparation and to make arrangements at least two months ahead. First Reconciliation is part of the First Communion program, with children typically receiving the sacrament a week before their First Communion Mass, which is generally celebrated on a Sunday in April.
Confirmation is prepared over two years in seventh and eighth grades. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) welcomes anyone who has considered becoming Catholic - whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholic but not yet confirmed - as well as children seven and older who have not been baptized.
Marriage preparation at the parish begins with a meeting between the couple and the priest; arrangements should be made well in advance. The Anointing of the Sick is available on an individual basis by calling the Parish Office, and parish funerals can be arranged through the same office. The parish also keeps a funeral notification list so that members can be told when a fellow parishioner has died.
Faith Formation for Children and Youth
Faith formation for children in grades 1 through 8, including sacramental preparation, is held on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:45 pm, September through April. Children gather in the church at 5:30 pm and move to individual classrooms by 5:45. Confirmation preparation for seventh and eighth graders meets every other Monday during the same window. Vacation Bible School is offered in the summer.
At the 10:15 am Sunday Mass, the Children's Liturgy of the Word sends children in kindergarten through fifth grade out of the main worship space during the Liturgy of the Word for a Gospel lesson at their level. The program runs year-round, with a few holiday breaks. Youth Ministry provides faith education, social, and service activities for middle school and high school teens; volunteer hours can be documented for school requirements.
Adult Faith Formation
Adults have several avenues to deepen their faith. OCIA is the formal path into full communion with the Catholic Church for those who have never been baptized, were baptized in another tradition, or were baptized Catholic but missed First Communion and Confirmation. Scripture Study sessions are typically offered once in the fall and once in winter or spring, meeting weekly on a weekday morning from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm in the social hall, with coffee, cookies, and Bibles provided.
The parish subscribes to FORMED, a Catholic streaming platform with studies, audio, movies, e-books, and family-friendly programming. Subscribers register at formed.org by searching for "Livonia" and selecting "Livonia Area Family of Catholic Parishes." The Evangelization Team meets on selected Monday evenings throughout the year to plan events that deepen parish faith, especially during Advent and Lent. A parish lending library, located on the Farmington Road side of the building near the restrooms, holds books for both adults and children; borrowers fill out a check-out slip and return books to the bin on the desk.
Christian Service, the Food Pantry, and St. Vincent de Paul
The Christian Service Ministry coordinates the parish's outreach to those in need and supports parish service organizations. Its calendar includes the Thanksgiving Basket Program, the Christmas Gift Giving Program, the Fat Tuesday Banquet, the Lenten Soup Supper, the Easter Vigil Reception, the First Communion Reception, and the New Member Welcome.
The St. Gerald Conference of St. Vincent de Paul meets once a month on Wednesday evenings. Vincentians visit parishioners and neighbors in the parish boundaries for one-time emergency assistance with rent or utilities, after which two Vincentians visit the home. Food is distributed from the parish Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm by appointment. The conference also supports Thanksgiving and Christmas projects and parish clothing drives. The St. Gerald Food Pantry, a partner of the conference, provides emergency food to those in both Wayne and Oakland Counties; non-perishable donations can be left in the bin in the church vestibule. Parishioners who shop at Kroger can link their Plus Card to the conference through the Kroger Community Rewards program using organization number BM693; the conference receives a quarterly donation from Kroger at no cost to the shopper.
Knights of Columbus and Fellowship Life
The St. Gerald Council of the Knights of Columbus has been part of parish life since 2004 and supports both parish initiatives and outside charities. Pancake breakfasts, fish fries, and Mostaccioli dinners have long been among its specialties, and the council's Pancake Breakfast proceeds often benefit the St. Vincent de Paul conference. The annual Trunk or Treat, held in the social hall after the 12:00 noon Mass on a Sunday in October, brings together families from across the parish.
Fellowship at St. Gerald extends well beyond Sunday Mass. Pinochle is played on Thursday afternoons at 12:30 pm, and other parish groups include a quilting circle, a gardening team, the Heavenly Sweets baking team, a Women's Bible/book study, the Sit and Chat group, the Women's Advent Tea, the Parish Picnic, and Fellowship Sundays held after the 10:15 am Mass.
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Music has been part of the parish's worship since 1965, when the pipe organ was installed. The Music Ministry welcomes cantors for all Masses, choir members for the 10:15 am Sunday Mass and special occasions, and instrumentalists. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings through Pentecost. Worship Ministry draws on volunteers for the roles of altar server, lector, usher, greeter, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, linen caretaker, sacristan, and church cleaner. Children's Liturgy of the Word relies on volunteer facilitators who lead the Gospel lesson for children each Sunday.
The Livonia Area Family of Parishes
St. Gerald belongs to the Livonia Area Family of Parishes, an Archdiocese of Detroit initiative that gathers parishes together for shared mission. Within the family, St. Gerald is joined by St. Aidan, St. Priscilla, and St. Michael the Archangel, all in Livonia. The Livonia Area Family of Parishes maintains a shared Facebook page where members of all four parishes can keep in touch.
St. Gerald of Mayo
The parish takes its name from St. Gerald of Mayo, an English monk of the mid-seventh century who traveled to Ireland with St. Colman of Lindisfarne and settled on Innisboffin in 668. When differences arose between the English and Irish monks, St. Colman founded a separate abbey for the English on the site of the present-day Abbey of Mayo, with St. Gerald as its first abbot in 670. He later was consecrated a bishop and served as abbot until 697, continuing as bishop of his community until his death, traditionally dated to 726 or 731. His feast day is December 5.
Parish Leadership and How to Connect
The parish is led by Fr. Krzysztof (Kris) Nowak, pastor. Emily Long serves as Coordinator of Faith Formation, Norma Battel as Worship Ministry coordinator, and Mary Melonio as Music Director. Gerryanna Luscri coordinates Christian Service, and Kathy Smith serves as parish secretary. The St. Vincent de Paul conference can be reached through its own voicemail line.
The parish office is at 21300 Farmington Road, Farmington, MI 48336, and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The main parish phone is 248-477-7470. Christian Service, Faith Formation, Worship, Music, and St. Vincent de Paul share a second parish line at 248-476-7677. New parishioners can register through the Join page, and online giving is available through the parish's Amplify platform. The parish also keeps an active Facebook page and publishes a weekly bulletin.