About the Parish

4735 W MICHIGAN AVENUE · SAGINAW, MI 48638 Office: (989) 799 - 5448 Fax: (989) 799-1495

HISTORY OF SS PETER & PAUL PARISH

SS Peter and Paul began as a parish in the days of the booming timber industry in the Saginaw Valley. In 1886, Bishop Henry J. Richter appointed Fr. Joseph Banning to begin the task of forming the new parish, and a meeting was held in McPhillips Grocery Store. SS Peter and Paul's parish was born.

The construction of the original church began in 1887 and dedicated on October 21, 1888. The old church had additions in 1941 and renovations in 1948-1948. Space was added to the back of the building, lower front doors, and large sacristies off the sanctuary. This is how the building remained until it was demolished in October 1976.

A series of school buildings were added to the property 1889, 1911, 1914 and a Convent built in 1920. In 1955 a High School was added to the property and therefore the Parish facilities filled an entire city block.

The ground was broken by Bishop Reh for a new church complex located on West Michigan Avenue on September 14, 1975. The cornerstone was placed on the new building on November 30, 1975. Construction continued through the dead of winter. By the first thaws of Spring 1976 the building began to take shape. By the time the warm weather arrives, the new rectory was well along.

The parish began to use the new church, even though it was not complete on October 2, 1976. In August of 1976 the decision to construct a school building on the property at West Michigan Avenue. The building was completed in the Spring of 1977.

In March of 2010, due to the shrinking numbers of students in the Catholic School System of Saginaw, the parish school had to be closed. The building still exists today, but is used for for a variety of parish activities, events and other organizations.

Today the parish of SS Peter & Paul is a vibrant community and still holds true to the the statement which was written about the parish in 1934: "SS Peter & Paul's parish has earned for itself a reputation as being of most progressive nature". This still holds true today and we continue into the future with much hope and promise.