St. Mary of the Lake Church
The stained glass window above the entry doors of St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church illustrates the Mother of God reaching out to aid a traveller in distress. More than a century after its inception, St. Mary's continues to reach out to welcome visitors to our lake harbor community.
Fr. Craig Lusk
Fr. Craig was born and raised in the Detroit metro area and had a strong family life which he still maintains. His mother (Alda Jean Paxton-Lusk) still has a home in Plymouth, MI where she and her husband (Ted Paxton) split their time between Michigan and Florida. His father (Wayne Lusk) passed away in 2000. He also has two married brothers, two nieces, and three nephews all living in the greater Detroit and Ann Arbor area.Fr. Craig was baptized and raised in the Lutheran faith tradition and was very active in youth choir and youth groups while growing up in South Redford, MI. He is a graduate of Concordia University with his BA in Music with concentration in organ performance and choral conducting. Fr. Craig has a deep love for classical and liturgical sacred music. Additionally, he worked in Customer Service and Human Resources for many years at Hewlett Packard Co. and Software Services Corp.
Fr. Craig’s first experience with the Catholic Church was after he graduated from college and became the Organist-Director of Music at St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Livonia, MI. This planted the seeds for his conversion and coming home to the Catholic Church many years later in 2001.
It was a glorious day when Fr. Craig was received into full communion with the Catholic Church on Pentecost Sunday of 2001 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth, MI. Shortly after entering the Church, he felt the Holy Spirit calling him deeper into his faith and ministry. Fr. Craig entered the seminary in 2004 and was ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ on May 3, 2008. Prior to coming to St. Mary of the Lake, he served as Parochial Victor at St. Joseph Parish in Battle Creek. There he was very involved in the elementary, middle and high schools, RCIA program and hospital ministry.
Fr. Craig is eager to serve the people of St. Mary of the Lake Church and School, and community of New Buffalo. Reflecting on how God worked so mightily in his life, moving from a life without a faith commitment to a life of complete faith commitment, Father Craig states, “I thank God for His mercy, love and forgiveness. Without these, I would be nothing.”
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