Dear Friend:

There is something very special about belonging to St. Vincent de Paul Parish (located in Shepherd, Irishtown, Winn, and the surrounding areas) – it is our spiritual home: a safe haven to experience God’s love on our journey through life. For the past century, people in this area have called St. Vincent de Paul, St. Patrick, and St. Leo, their church community. In the past few decades we have witnessed much change in the universal Church and in our faith communities located in Mid-Michigan, but one thing that has not changed is that the people of this area are trying to create that special place where individuals and families feel “welcomed and accepted.” In God’s house, everyone is important and precious! The leaders of the Church will come and go; the leaders of this parish community and its priests and pastoral administrators will come and go; what must remain and endure is the ability of each person in our community to reflect the power and presence of Christ to and for one another.

A former Bishop and Chief Shepherd of this diocese once wrote:

“Nothing we do is complete. This is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No sermon says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in that. This enables us to do something and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, and opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may not see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master Builder and the worker. We are workers, not Master Builders …ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own.”

As a spiritual home, our parish cannot accomplish everything – but we can cooperate with the Master in building a safe environment where people can feel “welcomed and accepted.” This web site was designed to help you know a little about our community and what we offer. As was so eloquently wrote, “We cannot do everything …this enables us to do something and to do it very well.” It is my hope, wish and prayer that you will want to join our community and call Saint Vincent de Paul Parish “home” and give the opportunity “for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”