Help Vietnam Vet Restore 100-Year-Old Latin Mass Church Abandoned by Diocese

Bill Price served his country as a Marine during the Vietnam War, where he earned a Purple Heart. Now, he is serving God by restoring a church abandoned by a Michigan diocese in the 1990s.

Price is a native of Detroit. He met his wife in the small town of Cheboygan forty years ago while vacationing in northern Michigan. During a return visit to the area in 2019, he noticed that the Catholic Church they previously attended was up for sale.

After much prayer and discernment, Price — who is now 77 — decided to spend his retirement years (and his personal savings) on restoring the church.

“St. Charles was the center of all things Catholicism in this area. It devastated the community when it was closed,” Price said.

“I have a lot to make up for in my life. What better way to do that than to re-build this church?”

The Diocese of Gaylord established St. Charles in 1915. After seven decades of servicing the spiritual needs of Catholics in the area, the Diocese announced in the late 1980s that it was going to close the church, prompting intense pushback from laity. Eventually, it was sold to Protestants several years later in 1991.

St. Charles fell into a state of disrepair soon after. But Price rescued it from demolition when he bought it for $25,000.

Since 2019, Price has spent thousands of dollars from his own retirement and military pension on pews, statues, and other items. He and a small group of volunteers repaired the roof, installed an HVAC system, re-built the sanctuary, and updated the electrical system, among other labor-intensive tasks.

LifeSite first reported on the “grand re-opening” of St. Charles in 2021, when more than 300 Catholics from across the state attended a Traditional Latin Mass that was held at the property. Since then, St. Charles has welcomed dozens of priests from all around the world who also offer the Latin Mass.

Price remains the sole owner of the church and looks forward to the day when St. Charles is returned to its former glory. Catholics from across the state have already moved to the area to help St. Charles reach its potential. But more assistance is required.

To learn more about St. Charles, click here to visit its website. Any donation you make will be put to immediate use, and will be greatly appreciated.

Below is a rough estimate of the monthly expenses at St. Charles, as well as longer-term items in need of attention. To contact St. Charles privately, email scborromeocheboygan@gmail.com. May God reward you abundantly for helping restore His Church. 

• Bell towers: $12,500
• Church floor replacement: $10,000
• Roofing, eaves trough installation: $4,000
• Miscellaneous interior expenses: $4,000
• Basement ceiling and floor: $2,500
• Kitchen upgrades: $2,350
• Confessional box remaining debt: $2,000
• Monthly heating bill: $500
• Monthly utilities bill: $200
• Monthly water/garbage bill: $175