Pastoral Announcement Regarding Madonna House

GAYLORD, MICHIGAN – The Most Reverend Jeffrey J. Walsh, bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, has announced the following change.

Leadership of the Madonna House Apostolate, Combermere, Ontario, announced Saturday, March 23, 2024, that the Madonna House location in Alpena will close. We will dearly miss the presence of Rosemary Horan, who has been the face of Madonna House in the Diocese of Gaylord for over 40 years.

The Madonna House is: “a Catholic community of laymen, women and priests who bear witness to the merciful love of God revealed in Christ Jesus. Our life together is modelled after the Holy Family who served humbly in the hidden village of Nazareth, forming the first community of love. We follow the path of Mary, the perfect disciple, under the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.”

On behalf of the people in the Diocese of Gaylord, I extend my gratitude for all the good accomplished by Rosemary and others who joined her in the Alpena apostolate. Invited by Bishop Rose, the Madonna House opened in Alpena in 1984, and served as a place of retreat, counseling, prayer and hospitality over the decades.

Rosemary Horan will long be remembered for her faithful witness and loving support of the Church. May God continue to richly bless Rosemary and the continued outreach of Madonna Houses throughout the world.